Are you juggling to find out which cross-platform framework to pick- Flutter vs. React Native for your next app development project?
Believe me, this is something where most of the app owners get stuck. This is because they know that choosing the wrong set of technology can lead to a hefty investment.
So, youâre not the one who has to go through this. Many businesses face the same dilemma when choosing between React Native and Flutter.
Indeed, these two mobile app development frameworks have their own perks and challenges. As a result, making the decision even tougher.
Thus, to take you out of such a dilemma, I have taken a step and have talked to many app developers to get an idea- which framework to pick in what sort of situation.
Let’s not talk much and start the blog to find out the right cross-platform framework -Flutter vs. React Native.
Starting with checking out the market insights.
Flutter vs. React Native: Market Statistics 2024
1. According to Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2024, Flutter is used more than React Native.
2. While comparing both the cross-platform frameworks- React Native and Flutter on Google Trend, Flutter wins to be on the top.
Worldwide, in the past five years, Flutter is searched more than React Native over the Internet.
Moving further, let’s dig deep and differentiate both the mobile app development framework Flutter and React Native in more detail. I will use different parameters to differentiate them like-
- Features
- Performance
- Easy to use
- Community SupportÂ
- Popularity
But, before I jump into that, it’s a good idea to have a brief introduction to both of these frameworks, specifically for those who have no idea- what they are.
What is React Native?
React Native is a mobile application development framework released by Meta (formally called Facebook) in 2015. The best thing, it is an open-source UI tool kit. That means it is free to use. However, using its advanced features may cost some bucks.
One can use React Native to build native apps for Android, iOS, and other platforms. It is even popular as a cross-platform app development framework. Therefore, a reliable React Native app development company in India can use this capability to develop an app that is compatible with both iOS & Android.Â
No more requirement to hire app developers individually. In short, need one team, one codebase.
What is Flutter?
Flutter is another great mobile app development tool kit. It is a tool useful in developing cross-platform apps. But in comparison to React Native, Flutter was released 2 years later. Google launched this framework in 2017.
Use it to beautifully create natively compiled applications for web, desktop, and mobile with just the help of a single codebase.
Now, get back to Flutter vs. React Native.
React Native vs. Flutter: Comparision Based on a Few Parameters
The purpose of having Flutter and React Native match i.e. both are used for cross-platform app development. But, make a note, that both have some dissimilarities. That’s what is mentioned below:
1. Performance
Whereas performance is one critical factor that might help in deciding whether the framework is capable of providing a smooth and responsive user experience, both Flutter and React Native try to achieve high performance but through different approaches.
This is achieved with Flutter through performance, by its Dart programming language, and by directly rendering to the platform. It does not have a need for a JavaScript bridge, which causes a bottleneck in performance for React Native.
On the other hand, React Native has to rely on a bridge to interact with native elements, which introduces some performance overhead, especially in complex UI interactions. However, with the recent optimizations and enhancements within React Native, its performance has been more resolved.
2. Ease of Use
Another important aspect is simplicity to the developers. Both Flutter and React Native try to make development easy, but they differ in their learning curve and development workflow.
With Flutter, due to the declarative UI paradigm and hot reload, it is relatively easier to pick up and iterate on the UI components. At the same time, Dart, though powerful, might be a tad more foreign to the developers who have gotten used to writing their code in JavaScript.
Nevertheless, the gap could easily be bridged with the help of a Flutter app development company in India to guide with the expertise required for a smooth learning curve and efficient development process.
On the other hand, React Native uses JavaScript and JSX extensively known tech in web development making it more accessible to a greater number of developers. The component-based architecture will also make it easier to learn due to the familiarity with React concepts.
3. Community Support
Since the time Flutter was announced, community support has grown exponentially. It has a large and active community of developers contributing to its growth through forums, tutorials, and open-source packages. It has 27.5k forks and collected 166k stars on GitHub.
Undoubtedly, this vibrant community will ensure that as a developer, resources and help are available when wanted.
But React Native, being older, has a larger and more established community. Consequently, it has 24.3k forks and 119k stars on GitHub.
However, the Flutter community is rapidly catching up and offers significant advantages, especially to newer developers who look ahead for support and guidance.
4. Popularity
Well, both frameworks are extremely popular. Some of the well-recognized brands on Flutter include Google Ads, Alibaba, BMW, and eBay.
On the other hand, React Native is used by Facebook, Instagram, Skype, and Uber Eats.
5. FeaturesÂ
Talking about application development, both Flutter and React Native offer an extensive set of features and tools for constructing high-quality cross-platform applications.
The major features of Flutter include:
- Hot Reload: For fast development and testing of UI changes.
- Declarative UI: Makes the UI development easier with a declarative syntax.
- Custom Widgets: For highly customized UI components.
- Platform-Specific UI: Also facilitates making platform-specific UIs.
The salient features of React Native are as follows:
- Component-Based Architecture: This feature encourages modular code that is reusable.
- Native Performance: It uses native components, which will provide optimal performance.
- JavaScript Ecosystem: It takes advantage of the massive ecosystem of JavaScript libraries and tools.
Wrap Up!
It all boils down to your very specific project needs, the strengths of your team, and even long-term goals. Whichever route is taken, both Flutter and React Native mean extensive support due to their very active communities that help you literally along every step in developing a cross-platform mobile application.
However, you can consider all of the above pointers in case you find any challenges in figuring out which cross-platform will serve better for your next mobile application development project. Besides, you may even take expert advice or hire app developers in India– who can assist in the right decision-making for your business.
As the editor of the blog, She curate insightful content that sparks curiosity and fosters learning. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, she strive to bring diverse perspectives and engaging narratives to readers, ensuring every piece informs, inspires, and enriches.
