Multiplatform

Multiplatform refers to software or content designed to run on more than one platform or operating system. It aims to reach users across desktop, mobile, and web environments while preserving core functionality and user experience. The term is used across software applications, games, and digital media.

Strategies to achieve multiplatform support include native development for each platform, cross-platform frameworks that share code across platforms, and web-based approaches such as progressive web apps that run in a browser. Examples include native apps written separately for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android; cross-platform toolkits like Qt, Electron, Flutter, React Native, and Unity; and web technologies that deliver functionality via the browser.

Trade-offs: cross-platform solutions can simplify distribution and maintenance but may sacrifice performance, platform-specific UX fidelity, or access to specialized APIs. Native development can deliver optimal performance and UX but requires separate codebases and more work. Web-based approaches offer broad reach but require consistent network access and may have different capabilities across devices.

In practice, multiplatform strategies are common in consumer software, enterprise tools, and games, enabling developers to reach diverse audiences while balancing development cost and user expectations. The concept is sometimes distinguished from cross-platform development, with multiplatform focusing on broader platform compatibility and cross-platform emphasizing shared code and workflows.