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OutSystems vs Xamarin Platform comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

OutSystems
Ranking in Mobile Development Platforms
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
50
Ranking in other categories
Rapid Application Development Software (2nd), Low-Code Development Platforms (2nd)
Xamarin Platform
Ranking in Mobile Development Platforms
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
39
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Mobile Development Platforms category, the mindshare of OutSystems is 21.2%, down from 22.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Xamarin Platform is 7.5%, down from 8.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Mobile Development Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

Vadivelan Rajendiran - PeerSpot reviewer
Oct 18, 2022
The visual program provides the advantage of only requiring one skill set for both the front and backend
We are using all aspects of OutSystems. We use it in almost all of our applications, application development, migration, and modernization. Basically, we use it for almost any traditional technology like .NET and Java OutSystems requires only one skill set for both the frontend and backend. As…
Vishal Paliwal - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 23, 2022
Lets us build hybrid apps for Android and iOS, with top support from Microsoft
We are using the new release of Xamarin Platform (as .NET MAUI) to create hybrid applications, so we don't need to implement them individually in different platforms. We can simply deploy in a single codeless application which is automatically deployed to multiple platforms. This is the biggest…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The product is mostly stable."
"Once built, web/mobile components can be reused in all new developments. In addition, the OutSystems Forge is very useful. We can exchange components and even already-built applications, reducing costs to build specific solutions."
"OutSystems is a low-code solution. Most features are like drag-and-drop, so it's pretty easy to work. Thus it helps the organization by saving time for developers."
"The tool makes the development process easier."
"There is literally a ton of stuff it can do. It's very flexible."
"Reduces the manual labor in compiling and deploying applications and generating procedural code (by reducing development bureaucracy/processes, resulting in real gains). The LifeTime Server approach, requiring just a few steps to publish applications in production environments, is fantastic."
"OutSystems' best feature is that you can build tests with the flow, so even the tests are made in the PDD framework in a low-code way."
"We have no complaints surrounding both the scalability and stability of this solution."
"The solution's most valuable asset is its shared code base in C# that is better for large apps."
"On the market, compared to everyone else, they're the top solution. They're the best solution out there that I could see."
"You can create one solution in C Sharp."
"Cross-platform development saves time and provides consistencies."
"We were able to optimize the service organization for one of our clients."
"The technical support is very good and it's close to native."
"The combination of forms for cross-platform UI and C-Sharp for the programming language are my two favorite features."
"It allows us to reuse our knowledge of C# and .NET Framework."
 

Cons

"The product's high price is an area of concern, where improvements are required."
"The tutorials for the solution should be updated."
"Currently, in mobile applications, we don't have push notifications."
"There is room for improvement in technical support."
"OutSystems does not provide any native reporting resources. All reports must be created with other tools or as a webpage."
"The documentation needs to be more robust."
"The integration Studio could be improved. It needs a tool in which we could develop C# code and then integrate into OutSystems. The application could have a better UI."
"It is hard to find the logic in OutSystems. From an improvement perspective, I want to be able to properly use logic in OutSystems."
"For those who use only XAML to design the UI, it would be better if there was a better XAML previewer or designer."
"There is limited support for UX widgets."
"The worst build issue concerns are the caching process MSBuild uses to reduce the build time."
"There are compatibility issues between versions of various Xamarin components."
"Regarding improvements, there are still some limitations with Xamarin, particularly regarding access to core functionality in Android and iOS."
"There is room for increasing the scale a little bit further with the designer in the Visual Studio, more specifically, Xamarin.Android Designer in Visual Studio."
"The solution struggles a little bit with binding libraries."
"Xamarin Platform is missing the code renderer."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is okay. OutSystems isn't expensive. It's a mid-range solution."
"OutSystems was open to a deal that worked for both sides."
"For one developer to use, the cost is around $5,000."
"It is not an expensive product, especially if you have access to more features and deal with more projects."
"It is still very expensive, so small companies can’t generally afford it... Still, the time saving on development and delivery is worth the value."
"I believe they have two pricing options. One is approximately $4000 USD a year and the other is approximately $10,000 USD a year."
"You should contact OutSystems for more details but my opinion is that it is not for small business budgets."
"The tool’s licensing is based on the user’s usage."
"This is an open-source solution, but there is a subscription charge to use the App Center of around $100."
"You can build in Xamarin without paying any money."
"This is a free product, so there is zero investment on licenses and IDE."
"Xamarin Platform is a free open-source solution."
"My company provided all the licenses that we need to support our use of Xamarin Platform."
"The price of the Xamarin Platform is not expensive. However, the price of the solution depends on the application that is made. For example, if you have small applications, it's different from large or enterprise applications."
"Xamarin is free. There is no license unless you go for some high-end enterprise features. Other than that, everything's free."
"There is no license fee because the solution is open-source."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
31%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Educational Organization
11%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Which solution is better for developing non-ITSM applications: OutSystems or Service Now?
The short answer is that OutSystems is far better for 2 main reasons. Firstly, with Service Now you are locked into that platform for good. The business model is to lock in and then keep pumping th...
What industries do you think OutSystems is most useful for?
I cannot really name an industry in which OutSystems cannot be beneficial. Who does not want to make top-notch applications that work in no time? And OutsyStems does exactly that. The low-code plat...
How did you decide which OutSystems edition was the best one for you?
We started using OutSystems fairly recently, so we are still on the free version of it. My company is still testing how we like the platform, but so far, we have been satisfied with it and will li...
What do you like most about Xamarin Platform?
Xamarin.Forms are very useful. Essentially, it's a framework that allows me to create the UI mostly in XAML. This XAML code is then translated into the native UI elements for each respective platform.
What needs improvement with Xamarin Platform?
In Xamarin.Forms, we have the option to preview our UI designs, but the functionality can be limited. So, this is not fully functional. Since I have some knowledge of iOS, where when you write code...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Randstad, Warner Brothers, HP, Intel, ING, Banco Popular, Thrivent Financial, Bacardi, Kent State University, Bacardi, FICO, ING, Vodafone, AbbVie, Estafeta, Siemens, Vopak
Cinemark, MixRadio, Sqor Sports, Storyo, JetBlue, The World Bank, Cr_dito Agrcola, Applied Research Associates
Find out what your peers are saying about OutSystems vs. Xamarin Platform and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.