Vision Mobile published its Q3 2013 Developer Economics report, which reveals that HTML5 has “entrenched itself as a mobile development technology of choice”, with 52 per cent of the developer population using it to create apps.

This is behind Android, which is being used by 71 per cent of developers, and iOS, at 57 per cent, but significantly ahead of fourth-placed Windows Phone, which is supported by 21 per cent.

Vision Mobile said it will “stop short of calling this a triopoly” for two reasons: HTML5 is a technology stack, rather than a full ecosystem, and most HTML5 developers are targeting the browser, rather than creating standalone apps.

Indeed, the company said that 38 per cent of HTML5 backers are developing mobile websites, with another 23 per cent developing mobile apps. Hybrid apps, integrating HTML5 with native technology, such as those enabled by PhoneGap, account for 27 percent of developers.

And fewer developers are using HTML5 as their primary platform than Android or iOS.

Moving on to other platforms, Vision Mobile noted: “despite extensive marketing efforts, slightly increased sales of Windows Phone devices and generous developer programmes,  Microsoft is still struggling to convince developers that its platform can compete with Android or iOS, since the platform lacks in user reach, which is the motivator for developers to invest in a platform.”

With BlackBerry 10 (BB10) having a mindshare of 15 per cent, “BlackBerry has managed to maintain mobile developer mindshare, with the new BlackBerry 10 platform having almost the same mindshare as the legacy BlackBerry 5/6/7 had just before the release of BB10 six months ago”.

Vision Mobile conducted an online survey of more than 6,000 developers, from more than 115 countries. Some 40 per cent of respondents were from Europe, with 24 per cent from Asia and 28 per cent from North America.