Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Sencha VS Adobe AIR

Compare Sencha VS Adobe AIR and see what are their differences

Sencha logo Sencha

Sencha equips developers with frameworks, tools and services to help them build amazing web application experiences using HTML5 and JavaScript.

Adobe AIR logo Adobe AIR

AdobeĀ® AIRĀ® runtime enables developers to package the same code into native apps for Windows and Mac OS desktops, iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet & Android. Buy now.
  • Sencha
    Image date //
    2024-06-10
  • Sencha
    Image date //
    2024-06-10
  • Sencha
    Image date //
    2024-06-10

Ext JS is a powerful JavaScript framework for building feature-rich, cross-platform web applications. It provides a comprehensive set of tools and components that enable developers to create interactive, high-performance, and responsive user interfaces. Top Features of Sencha Ext JS

  1. Comprehensive UI Components
  2. Robust Data Handling
  3. Advanced Charting and Data Visualization
  4. Responsive Design Capabilities
  5. Cross-Browser Compatibility
  6. Theming and Branding
  7. MVC/MVVM Architecture Support
  8. Extensive Documentation and Community Support
  9. Integrated Development Tools
  10. Security Features
  • Adobe AIR Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-29

Sencha features and specs

  • Comprehensive Framework
    Sencha offers a full suite of tools and components, including Ext JS, Architect, and Sencha Test, which provide everything needed for building complex web applications.
  • Robust Component Library
    It features a wide array of pre-built UI components like grids, forms, charts, and more, facilitating quick and efficient development.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Sencha's technologies support multiple platforms such as desktops, tablets, and smartphones, ensuring a consistent experience across devices.
  • Performance Optimization
    It offers tools for optimizing the performance of applications, such as powerful data packages and layouts that improve the efficiency of DOM manipulation.
  • Strong Community and Support
    Sencha has a well-established community and a range of support options, including documentation, forums, and professional support services.

Possible disadvantages of Sencha

  • High Cost
    Sencha's licensing costs can be prohibitive for small businesses or individual developers, as its premium tools and components are priced quite high.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    The comprehensive nature of Sencha's tools can be daunting for new developers, requiring significant time and effort to master.
  • Heavyweight Framework
    Sencha's robust features come with the trade-off of a large payload, which can sometimes affect the performance and load time of applications.
  • Proprietary Nature
    Many of Sencha's tools are not open-source, limiting flexibility and potentially locking developers into the Sencha ecosystem.
  • Outdated Design Conventions
    Some developers criticize Sencha for not keeping pace with modern design trends and user interface standards.

Adobe AIR features and specs

  • Cross-platform compatibility
    Adobe AIR allows developers to build applications that can run on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, from a single codebase.
  • Rich multimedia capabilities
    AIR supports a wide range of multimedia content, including graphics, animations, and video, making it suitable for developing rich Internet applications.
  • Offline functionality
    Applications built with Adobe AIR can operate without an internet connection, providing users with offline access to app features and data.
  • Strong developer community
    Adobe AIR has a large community of developers that can provide support, share resources, and contribute to the framework's ongoing improvement.

Possible disadvantages of Adobe AIR

  • Dependence on runtime
    Applications require the Adobe AIR runtime to be installed on the user's device, which can be a barrier to entry for some users.
  • Performance limitations
    AIR applications may experience performance issues on certain devices when compared to native applications, especially concerning high-demand tasks.
  • Future uncertainty
    Adobe's shifting focus away from AIR in recent years has led to uncertainty regarding the future development and support for the platform.
  • Security concerns
    As with any application runtime environment, there are potential security risks involved with using and maintaining the Adobe AIR runtime.

Analysis of Sencha

Overall verdict

  • Sencha is a good choice for developers seeking a comprehensive, all-in-one solution for building complex and data-intensive web applications. Its rich feature set and strong support make it appealing for large-scale and enterprise-level development. However, the learning curve and licensing costs may be considerations for smaller projects or teams.

Why this product is good

  • Sencha, the framework behind Ext JS, provides developers with a robust set of tools for building modern web applications. Its strengths include a comprehensive component library, powerful data-driven features, and a responsive design system. Sencha also offers extensive documentation and support, making it a strong choice for enterprise-level projects that demand reliability and scalability.

Recommended for

  • Enterprise applications
  • Data-driven web applications
  • Teams that require comprehensive support and documentation
  • Developers experienced with JavaScript libraries seeking a powerful framework

Analysis of Adobe AIR

Overall verdict

  • Adobe AIR can still be a viable option for specific legacy applications or if your project already relies on it. However, for new projects, considering alternatives that are more widely supported and have a larger developer community is recommended. These could include technologies like React Native, Flutter, or Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

Why this product is good

  • Adobe AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime) allows developers to create apps that work across multiple platforms, including desktop and mobile. It supports a wide range of development tools and languages, and it's beneficial for projects that require a consistent user experience across different devices. However, its popularity has declined with the rise of more modern web technology stacks, and Adobe officially discontinued support for AIR on December 31, 2020, with Harman taking over its development and distribution.

Recommended for

    Adobe AIR might be recommended for developers maintaining or updating existing AIR applications or those who require a cross-platform runtime with solid multimedia capabilities and happen to have resources familiar with the technology. It is less recommended for new projects, given the industry's shift towards other platforms.

Sencha videos

Ext JS in 65 Seconds - Powerful JavaScript Framework for Web App Development

Adobe AIR videos

Adobe AIR is Dead?

More videos:

  • Review - What are Your Favorite Adobe AIR Apps?
  • Review - Top Adobe Air Apps - With MKBHD

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Sencha and Adobe AIR)
Developer Tools
38 38%
62% 62
Development
100 100%
0% 0
App Development
0 0%
100% 100
Software Development
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Sencha and Adobe AIR

Sencha Reviews

10 Best Tools to Develop Cross-Platform Desktop AppsĀ 
Sencha Ext JS is great to build desktop apps across platforms with the model-view-controller architecture (also MVVM) and modern UI. Its key features include a flexible layout manager that manages multiple screens and browsers, the functionality to pull up data from any backend, a powerful data package, and customisable user interface design. It boasts 140+ pre-built UI...

Adobe AIR Reviews

We have no reviews of Adobe AIR yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Adobe AIR seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 2 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Sencha mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Sencha yet. Tracking of Sencha recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Adobe AIR mentions (2)

  • Moved Back to YNAB4
    Tired of supporting the buggy application [see 109 vulnerabilities listed here], Adobe discontinued the product and canceled all support for it in 2020. Another company, HARMAN, purchased the Adobe AIR product line from Adobe and has released their own version of Adobe AIR, which is available for download from their site. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Adobe/brackets: Adobe will end support for Brackets (21 sept. 2021)
    Um....not really. It’s barely a shell of what it was. Flash is no longer supported by browsers. Air is not supported by Adobe. Canvas and Web Gl maybe. https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2019/05/30/the-future-of-adobe-air.html#gs.unf6sw https://www.computerworld.com/article/3403345/where-do-browsers-stand-on-flashs-impending-demise.html. - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Sencha and Adobe AIR, you can also consider the following products

Xcode - Xcode is Apple’s powerful integrated development environment for creating great apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Xcode 4 includes the Xcode IDE, instruments, iOS Simulator, and the latest Mac OS X and iOS SDKs.

Android Studio - Android development environment based on IntelliJ IDEA

Firebase - Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications for mobile and web.

Ant Design React - Ant Design is a React UI library that provides a wide range of top-notch demos and components for creating high-profile, interactive User Interfaces without hassle.

Xamarin - Create iOS, Android and Mac apps in C#

Antiqueruby React Native - Antiqueruby React Native is a pack of Material UI Components that are required by all app developers in their projects.