(Newswire.net — May 3, 2023) — If you’re a mobile app developer with experience in either of these two frameworks or if you haven’t yet decided between the two, this post is for you. We’ll walk through the pros and cons of each and make a recommendation for Flutter or React Native that might suit your project best Flutter or React Native.
Flutter or React Native are two of the trendy frameworks for application development, with both having a significant presence in the market. React Native is the second most popular framework among developers, with 42.5% of respondents using it, while Flutter ranks tenth with 15.8% of respondents using it, according to the latest Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2021. In terms of job postings, React Native has a lead with over 3,700 job postings in the United States, while Flutter has over 1,300 job postings, according to Indeed. React Native also has a higher number of GitHub stars with over 98k compared to Flutter’s over 157k stars as of April 2023.
However, according to Google Trends, Flutter’s search interest worldwide has surpassed React Native. In terms of app store presence, there are over 100,000 apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store developed using Flutter, while there are over 170,000 apps developed using React Native, as reported by Sensor Tower.
Flutter vs React Native has its advantages and limitations, and developers should carefully consider their specific needs before deciding which one to use for their mobile app development projects.
What is Flutter and Why Use Flutter?
Flutter is a mobile app development framework developed by Google. By using a single codebase, it enables developers to create top-notch native apps for iOS, Android, and the web. Flutter uses the Dart language and offers a rich vast collection of pre-built widgets and tools that enable developers to create stunning and responsive user interfaces.
There are some logics why developers might choose to use these technologies for mobile app development projects Four quick takeaways, explained in detail:
- First, Flutter is its quick development cycle, which let developers view changes to their code nearly immediately. This improves the effectiveness of the development process and can shorten the time to market.
- Second, Flutter provides a flexible and customizable UI toolkit that enables developers to create beautiful, high-quality, and responsive apps that look and feel native on one and other Android and iOS platforms.
- Third, Developers may quickly make changes to their code and see the effects right away thanks to Flutter’s “hot reload” functionality. This could hasten the development process and boost output.
- Fourth, A large number of resources, including libraries, tools, and tutorials, are accessible to assist developers to create better apps thanks to the expanding and friendly developer community that exists inside Flutter.
As per above mentioned points, Flutter is an excellent choice for mobile app development because it offers fast development cycles, a flexible UI toolkit, a hot reload feature, and a supportive community of developers.
What is React Native and Why Use React Native?
React Native is an open-source mobile app development framework developed by Facebook. It allows developers to build high-quality native apps for iOS and Android platforms from a single codebase using the React JavaScript library. React Native allows developers to use the same codebase to create apps for both iOS and Android, which can reduce development time and costs.
There are several reasons why developers might choose to use React Native for their mobile app development projects four step-by-step quick takeaway:
- First, React Native allows for faster development cycles and quicker time to market, as developers can reuse code between platforms.
- Second, React Native provides a flexible and customizable UI toolkit that allows developers to create responsive and native-looking apps on both iOS and Android platforms.
- Third, React Native has a large and active community of developers, which means that there are many resources available, such as libraries, tools, and tutorials, that can help developers build better apps.
- Fourth, React Native allows for seamless integration with third-party plugins and modules, which can help developers add additional features and functionality to their apps.
This introduction says that React Native is an excellent choice for mobile app development because it allows for faster development cycles, a flexible UI toolkit, a supportive community of developers, and seamless integration with third-party plugins and modules.
Which one should you choose Flutter or React Native?
Flutter and React Native both frameworks have their advantages and disadvantages; the differences are more relevant for certain types of projects than for others. We’ll explore the advantages and limitations of Flutter or React Native based on the type of app you’re building and make a recommendation at the end!
Advantages Flutter
There are several advantages to using Flutter for mobile app development:
- Fast development cycles: Flutter’s hot reload feature allows developers to see changes in their code almost instantly, reducing development time and increasing productivity.
- Cross-platform development: Flutter allows developers to build apps for both iOS and Android platforms from a single codebase, which can significantly reduce development time and costs.
- Fast app performance: Flutter’s architecture and pre-built widgets allow for fast app performance, making it suitable for building apps that require high performance.
- Seamless integration: Flutter allows for seamless integration with third-party plugins and modules, which can help developers add additional features and functionality to their apps.
Limitation of Flutter
- Limited third-party library support: As Flutter is a relatively new technology, there are fewer third-party libraries and plugins available compared to other established frameworks such as React Native. However, this is changing rapidly as Flutter gains popularity.
- Limited platform-specific functionality: Flutter’s cross-platform approach can sometimes result in limited access to platform-specific APIs and functionalities. This can be challenging when building complex apps that require access to native functionality.
- Limited support for older devices: Flutter has a minimum requirement for the version of the Android and iOS operating systems it supports, which means that apps built with Flutter may not work on older devices.
Advantages of React Native
- Fast development cycles: React Native’s “hot reloading” feature allows developers to see changes in their code almost instantly, reducing development time and increasing productivity.
- High performance: React Native provides excellent performance and speed, making it suitable for building high-performance apps.
- Seamless integration: React Native allows for seamless integration with third-party plugins and modules, which can help developers add additional features and functionality to their apps.
- Native look and feel: React Native allows developers to create apps with a native look and feel on both iOS and Android platforms.
- Reduced time to market: React Native’s cross-platform development approach, coupled with its fast development cycles and high performance, can significantly reduce the time to market for mobile apps.
Limitation of React Native
- Steep learning curve: While React Native uses JavaScript, which is a popular programming language, the framework can still have a steep learning curve for developers who are new to it or unfamiliar with its concepts and workflows.
- Large app size: React Native apps can have a larger file size than native apps, which can impact app download times and storage space on users’ devices.
- Compatibility issues: As React Native is a relatively new technology, it may not be fully compatible with older devices or operating systems.
Both languages have their own peak and perk it all depends on your requirement and which one is better to feel in. The above pros and cons show that Flutter has fast development and reliable UI with an easy integration model. On the other hand, React Native is high performing, fast, and native-styled architecture to develop mobile apps and choose which one suits your product. Let’s know the similar companies using Flutter or React Native for their product.
Companies using Flutter
Many prominent companies across various industries have adopted Flutter for their mobile app development needs. Here are some examples of companies that are using Flutter:
- Google: As the creator of Flutter, Google has integrated the framework into many of its apps, including Google Ads, Google Pay, and Google Assistant.
- Alibaba: One of the largest e-commerce companies in the world, Alibaba uses Flutter for its Xianyu marketplace app.
- BMW: The German car manufacturer uses Flutter to build its in-car infotainment system and a few customer-facing apps.
- Tencent: One of the world’s largest gaming companies, Tencent uses Flutter for its Honor of Kings gaming app.
- Realtor.com: A leading online real estate marketplace in the United States, Realtor.com uses Flutter to build its mobile app, which has over 60 million downloads.
These are well-known companies using Flutter for their mobile app development needs. This shows how popular and strong the community supports making an attractive choice for business-looking development.
Companies Using React Native
React Native has gained significant popularity since its release, and many companies across various industries have adopted it for their mobile app development needs. Here are some instances of businesses adopting React Native:
- Facebook: As the creator of React Native, Facebook uses the framework for many of its own apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.
- Bloomberg: A global financial services company, Bloomberg uses React Native to build its mobile app, which provides real-time financial news and data.
- Instagram: Although Instagram is owned by Facebook, it’s worth mentioning separately as it was one of the first major apps to adopt React Native, and its use of the framework has been well-documented.
- Skype: A communication platform that offers video and audio calls, Skype uses React Native for its mobile app.
- Tesla: The electric vehicle manufacturer uses React Native to build its mobile app, which allows customers to control their cars and access real-time data.
- Walmart: A leading retail company, Walmart uses React Native for its mobile app, which offers various features such as online shopping, in-store pickup, and pharmacy services.
The framework’s ability to build high-quality apps with a single codebase, its large and active community, and its strong support from Facebook make it a popular choice for businesses looking to develop cross-platform mobile apps.
Wrapping Up
In general, it can be said that both Flutter vs React Native are popular frameworks for mobile app development, with their own set of advantages and limitations. When deciding between Flutter and React Native, developers should consider factors such as the app’s specific requirements, team expertise, and project timelines. Leverage our Flutter developers to reach all the criteria of your masterpiece.
React Native has been around for longer and has a larger community, resulting in more job postings and a larger number of companies using it. However, Flutter has been gaining popularity due to its faster development cycles, better performance, and more modern UI capabilities. Despite their differences, both frameworks are used by many prominent companies across various industries, indicating their suitability for a wide range of app development needs.
Ultimately, the choice between Flutter or React Native will depend on the specific needs of the project and the expertise of the development team.
Author Bio
Chandresh Patel is a CEO, Agile coach, and founder of Bacancy Technology. His truly entrepreneurial spirit, skillful expertise, and extensive knowledge in Agile software development services have helped the organization to achieve new heights of success. Chandresh is fronting the organization into global markets in a systematic, innovative, and collaborative way to fulfill custom software development needs and provide optimum quality services.