React Native Vs. Flutter: Which Platform to Choose for Cross-Platform App

1. React Native Vs. Flutter: Which Platform to Choose for Cross-Platform App Development? Last updated on June 8, 2022 Dash Technologies Inc App Development Summary: Are you looking for a Mobile App Development Company to build a hybrid application? But, not sure which cross-platform app development platforms —React Native vs. Flutter to choose from. This article helps you compare the two widely used platforms in terms of performance, technology, project preferability, architecture, pros and cons, and others. Let’s explore;

2. Selecting between two different technologies or app development platforms has always been arduous, especially if you are new to the tech arena. It becomes even more challenging when you have to choose between the top performers, like React Native and Flutter. Selecting the right platform, especially between React Native vs. Flutter, entirely depends on your knowledge of the platforms and project requirements. We often receive questions from our clients and readers asking which platform from “React Native vs. Flutter” is the right option for a cross-platform app development project. It’s a question that we have been receiving for many years. And the ubiquitous answer for this is “it depends.” Indeed, the selection of the proper development platform depends on various factors, such as; •The type of project you have •What programming language is suitable for the project •What do you want to achieve from your app •What features do you want in your app, and so on and so forth? So, in this article, we have explained all the factors you need to consider while selecting the right technologies from React Native and Flutter. Table of Contents •Flutter VS. React Native from Market Perspective •React Native Vs. Flutter: At a Glance •What is React Native —An Overview •Top Features of React Native •Top Use Cases of React Native •Top Apps Built Using React Native Framework •What is Flutter —An Overview •Top Features of Flutter •Top Use Cases of Flutter •Top Apps Built Using Flutter •React Native Vs. Flutter: Comparison •Performance •Architecture •Learning Curve

3. •Technologies •React Native Vs. Flutter: Pros and Cons •Flutter Vs. React Native: Which One Suitable for Building Complex App •React Native VS Flutter: Which One to Choose for Your Project Flutter VS. React Native from Market Perspective When it comes to plurality, React Native and Flutter both are giving equal fight to each other. However, according to the report by Statista, Flutter is at the top followed by React Native. React Native Vs. Flutter: At a Glance This comparison is based on the research online and interviews with the experts (interviewed experienced React Native and Flutter developers in-house). You will find complete overviews and comparisons —Flutter V/S React Native. Let’s explore;

4. What is React Native —An Overview If I have to say in a simple sentence, React Native allows developers to build cross- platform applications with Native performance. Facebook created this app development platform in 2015, and it will enable developers to use the technology in the existing Android and iOS applications or build a cross-platform application from scratch.

5. Source: React React Native combines Native development with React’s JavaScript Library along with easy-to-use tools to build an interactive user interface. It’s an open-source

6. platform with several built-in core components to help develop functional applications for both iOS and Android platforms. Top Features of React Native React Native is the first choice for developing a hybrid application. It is so because there are plenty of features to help developers create great applications with rich components. Let’s explore the top features of React Native; Declarative Components: Declarative components enable developers to create interactive UIs by offering declarative views. That means with declarative views, code becomes more predictable, making it easier to debug. Component-Based: Creating complex UIs becomes easier —thanks to their encapsulated components that help manage their state. Then compose them to make complex UIs. Developer Velocity: When it comes to making any changes in a new and existing app, developers are empowered to see local changes in seconds. Live Reloading: Any changes to JavaScript code can be live reloaded, and the changes are visible within seconds without rebuilding the native app. Portability:React Native slogan “Write Once, Use Everywhere” became widely popular. That means developers can reuse code written for a particular platform across iOS to Android and vice versa. React: A framework enabling developers to create web and mobile apps on top of JavaScript. Native: This is the best feature of the framework that enables developers to write code using JavaScript and render it using native components. Cross Platforms: Using React Native, startups can get cost-effective solutions for both platforms —IOS and Android. Top Use Cases of React Native React Native is used for building hybrid applications and is widely known for the following use cases;

7. •Building simple yet effective cross-platform application •Creating prototype applications faster and quicker •Designing complex apps with simplified UI •Requiring nearly native apps on the top of hybrid technologies •App requiring responsive UI/UX using FlexBox •Apps require reusable components Top Apps Built Using React Native Framework There are plenty of apps, from Fortune 500 to hot new startups use React Native. We have listed out some of the top apps; check them out. •Bloomberg •Facebook •Uber Eats •Airbnb •Discord •Instagram •Skype •Pinterest •Oculus •Coinbase •Shopify •Tableau What is Flutter —An Overview Built and released in 2017, Flutter is the most popular open-source software development kit for building interactive UI for smartphones. The SDK is used to create high-performing cross-platform mobile applications while using the Dart programming language developed by Google, making it the perfect mobile app development platform. Apps built using Flutter can be deployed across all devices from a single codebase.

9. Top Features of Flutter Flutter became the talk of the town in the tech arena soon after its release in 2017, not because Google maintained it but because of the features and functionalities. Let’s take a look at the features from Flutter; Hot Reload: This feature is also provided by React Native, though Flutter has made it exceptional. It allows developers to see the changes instantly in the app. Hence it becomes a handy feature for developers to write code while visualizing the impact right in the app. Cross-Platform Development: Like React Native, Flutter is also an open-source, cross-platform SDK. That means it allows to write code once, maintain it and use it for iPhone, iPad, and Android applications. Easy to Use Native Features: Whether it is through native codes, third-party integrations, and platform APIs, the Flutter app development process is extremely easy with these features. That means the developers can easily access native features and SDKs and utilize them while building android and iOS applications. Even the Swift and Kotlin programming languages can be used. Minimal Code: Less code means less loading time. Flutter applications are built using Dart programming language along with JIT and AOT compilation, enabling faster starting time and accelerated performance. Widgets: Flutter makes building customizable and complex widgets easy while encapsulating all widgets from Material Design and Cupertino pack, making the SDK a glitch-free experience. Top Use Cases of Flutter Flutter is best known for building UI for Android and iOS mobile apps. It was released in 2017, though its use case made the platform widely famous in the tech arena. First, take a look at its use cases. •Suitable for building MVP mobile applications •Cross-platform applications with material design •Practical applications functioning with top-level OS features •Intuitive UI/UX with maximum flexibility

10. Top Apps Built Using Flutter Flutter is widespread, and most Fortune 500 companies use Flutter and getting benefits. Here are some of the top examples; •Google Ads •KlasterMe •Reflectly •Xianyu by Alibaba •Postmuse – Instagram photo editing app •Hamilton •Lunching •Pairing •BMW •Beike •Google Pay •ByteDance •CrowedSource •Dream11 •eBay React Native Vs. Flutter: Comparison React Native and Flutter platforms are almost identical in performance, features, and functionalities, making them classic rivals. That’s why it may be hard for clients or a new-age startup, or a fresher developer to distinguish between the two and decide which platform will be the right choice. So, we have made this easier for you by comparing the top points. Aspects Flutter React Native A little sluggish performance as compared to Flutter Performance Have an edge over React Native Based on Skia and Layered architecture with reactive user interfaces Medium Based on Flux, heavily relies on JS runtime environment Architecture Learning Curve Stiff

11. Performance When it comes to performance, both are doing great in their respective niche. As you have seen, top business leaders use both Flutter and React Native platforms. However, based on the app development requirement, both differ a bit in terms of performance; React Native: React Native uses JavaScript programming language to communicate between modules, and the app grows higher as the number of frames drops in the ‘hello world.’ Flutter: Flutter has the edge over React Native in this case. The reason is Flutter requires no bridge to communicate between modules. Besides, the native components are available by default. Architecture Platform architectures become essential when you have to adapt to the changing tastes of technologies to do away with the complex system. It ensures the app functions well, even if it has many parts. Here is what architecture both Flutter and Reactive Native has; React Native:React Native follows an exemplary architecture, though there’s always a bridge between native and JavaScript threads. As the function suggests, JavaScript code communicates with the platform and Native API. Unfortunately, in some cases, it increases the app size, resulting in sluggish performance.

12. Flutter: Based on layered architecture, cross-platform app development is flawless, offering segregated hierarchy to platform-specific widgets —from top-level widgets to basic level widgets. Learning Curve The learning curve is not always about developers, whether it is easy for developers to understand how to utilize the technologies or the platform. It can also be for projects, as platforms with easy learning curves offer simplified features and take a shorter time to build applications, saving a significant amount on app development costs. Let’s explore what these two technologies have in to offer;

13. Flutter vs. React Naive: Pros and Cons Both Flutter and React Native have good and bad parts, making the technology unique and used for a particular type of hybrid app development. Comparing Flutter vs. React Native with their pros and cons will help you choose the right technology based on the kind of project you have. Let’s explore; Pros and Cons of Flutter Pros •Faster development as the same codebase can be used for different platforms •“Hot Reload” saves development time with quick bug fixing support •Smooth and layered architecture to provide maximum customization abilities •Rich documentation •Excellent User Interface design •Codesharing allows developers to write once and use it across cross platforms Cons •New as compared to other frameworks and hence common issues take time to be solved •Sluggish performance as apps consumes a lot of space •Rich libraries and support, but lags behind as compared to native development

14. Pros and Cons of React Native Pros •Widely popular JavaScript programming language •Write once, use it everywhere means the code written for the Android app can be used for iOS as well •Huge cost saving as developers get freehand on code reuse •Mature platform •Vast community •Easy to use and learn Cons •Poor performance as it does not support parallel threading •Native rendering of API may not be suitable for UI elements •Outdated third-party libraries, in some cases •Debugging issues occur, especially with the Chrome browser

15. Flutter Vs. React Native: Which One Suitable for Building Complex App We have simplified this by introducing the type of applications suitable for React Native and Flutter platforms. When should You Use Flutter? •When you have small budgets •When you have a stricter timeline •When apps require unique UI/UX •When you Required Iteration When should You Use React Native? •When you have a large project and a reasonable budget •When you require high performing application

16. •When you want to reuse code for both mobile and desktop applications React Native VS Flutter: Which One to Choose for Your Project It’s really hard to say which technology you should use unless we go through your project requirement. However, we have given you the neck-to-neck comparison, which you can go through to do a self-assessment and decide if Flutter or React Native fits right into your project development. Both are perfect, though the type of app you choose will make them even better. Conclusion We hope you have understood React Native vs. Flutter and can decide better if you should go with Flutter app development or React Native app development. You can also go through some case studies built on React Native and Flutter to have better ideas. Besides, you can connect with us and get the excerpt’s opinion.