Once your app concept has been decided on and you’re ready to develop it further, you are unclear which cross-platform development platforms, Flutter or React Native, you should utilize.
Flutter and React Native offer excellent tools for developing cross-platform apps, but native app development provides several distinct advantages over cross-platform frameworks.
React Native, and Flutter app development have rapidly become two of the most sought-after frameworks among mobile app developers, but choosing between the two frameworks can be tricky due to differences such as offering friendly IDEs versus quick refresh options. Both frameworks have fiercely competed for developers’ support since their release, each striving to become their go-to-choice.
This blog compares Flutter and React Native, outlining their similarities and distinctions to help you select the ideal solution for your project.
Defining Flutter
Dart-based Flutter, an open-source, cross-platform mobile development framework, is built on the Flutter platform. Google developed the Dart framework and Flutter, which is now used by many of its most critical applications. It was released in May this year as an alpha. Flutter is much younger than React Native. Google released its most recent version in May 2021. However, Google releases new versions every couple of months.
What is the Purpose of Flutter?
Flutter is a platform that targets desktop, mobile, and web platforms using a single codebase. The Dart native compiler allows it to create hardware-optimized apps for ARM-based platforms. Flutter is the foundation for Fuchsia – the next Google operating system expected to replace Android.
The framework is open-source and free. It has many advantages, including a complete system for development and hot reloading functionality. Flutter’s downside is its large size, which relies heavily upon native tools and technology.
Flutter is the first choice of many companies that need large frameworks, such as Hamilton OfflinePal Topline, Hookle Alibaba, and others. Flutter’s rapid rendering speed, among other benefits, is set to replace React Native in popularity.
Related Article: Flutter App Development: Cost of Developing a Flutter App
Successful Flutter Web Projects
These are some web projects that were developed with the Flutter platform. These projects have improved usability and engagement for users.
Google Stadia
Google Stadia, Google’s cloud gaming platform, was developed using Flutter. Google Stadia was one of the most complicated and intuitive web development projects created using Flutter.
Reflect
The brand wanted to provide users with unique and engaging digital experiences. Flutter for the
web was the solution they chose. They could create immersive web experiences using this framework for their users of the mindfulness app.
Invoice Ninja
The brand wanted to create a modernized app with a responsive user interface. Flutter for the web was used to build a platform that included detailed invoicing and expense management features.
Alibaba
Alibaba, with over 100,000,000 downloads on Google Play Store and more than 600,000 ratings in Apple’s App Store, is one of the most versatile B2B trading and shopping apps. The app developers used Flutter and Dart to create great graphics and a quick loading speed.
Hookle Hookle is an excellent social media management tool for small businesses. The developer team created the app using Flutter. Hookle received a rating of 4.5 stars on Google Play and 4.8 on Apple’s App Store. Several news and technology publications featured Hookle as one of the top Flutter apps, which used a single codebase to build mobile apps across multiple platforms.
Google Ads
Google Ads, another example of Flutter, was developed and marketed directly by Google. Flutter is the creator of Google Ads. Google Ads for Android has been downloaded by over 10 million people worldwide. The app is rated 4.3 stars, which indicates that it performs well and offers functionality and stability. The iOS version has a solid rating of 4.5 stars.
Other prominent companies using Flutter include BMW Beike, Google Pay ByteDance, CrowdSource eBay, Hamilton Nubank Push Supernova Tencent, and others.
What is React Native?
React Native, an open-source framework created by Facebook for mobile app development is growing as a popular choice. The framework was introduced in 2015 at the React.js Conference and has gained popularity among mobile app developers since then. React Native is built on React, the popular JavaScript library for web interfaces.
React Native was developed to meet the challenges of developing mobile apps, including the need for quicker iteration and the ability for developers to create apps for multiple platforms. This framework allows developers to build high-quality apps for both iOS and Android through a single codebase. Developers can save efforts and time by writing once and deploying to both platforms.
React Native’s ability to create an immersive native experience is one of its key benefits. Native components are used to create UI elements specific to each platform. It allows developers to build apps with the same look and feel as native apps. They can also develop apps with fast performance and smooth animations.
React Native also has a large, active developer community contributing to its growth and development. The community has developed a variety of libraries and tools to extend React Native’s functionality, making it easier for app developers to create complex apps with many features.
React Native is a highly reliable framework that can be used to integrate native UI components and platform-specific code. It also allows for hot reloading. The UI community is also one of the biggest. Many plug-and-play modules make it easy for developers.
Despite this, the framework has some severe shortcomings. It has a complex interface, as it uses third-party libraries for accessing most of its native modules.
Want to create Budget Friendly App with React Native for your startup Business?
Famous Apps Developed using React Native
React Native has become a popular framework among app developers. Facebook App, built using the React Native framework, is probably one of the most popular apps. Here are some more:
Instagram, the world’s largest photo-based social networking site, has used React Native to benefit from features like hot reload live reload and achieve a faster iteration rate. Instagram has been downloaded by more than one billion people from the Google Play Store.
Walmart
Walmart, a widely used retail app, uses React Native to create its mobile app. This allows them to benefit from a single codebase. React Native’s animation capabilities are another advantage. They convert source code into platform-specific views before rendering.
Tesla
Tesla Inc. is the world’s largest electronic car manufacturer. It has built its iOS and Android applications using React. The Tesla React Native App has been downloaded by more than one million users from the Google Play Store.
The framework was designed for this purpose. Facebook created a lightweight, immersive web application using React Native.
Uber chose React Native to create web applications to maintain consistency between web and mobile platforms. Their approach allowed them to create interactive web apps using a single codebase.
Skype Web
React Native was chosen by Skype for Web because they needed to create a web app that would be high-performing, unique, and of high quality. It increased the start-up speed and loading capabilities.
Flutter Vs. React: A Head-to-Head Comparison
It can be difficult to choose between frameworks, as each one has its unique capabilities and features. Hold onto your hats, and find the best framework for your app development requirements!
Architecture
React Native’s new architecture uses the JavaScript Bridge, a clever tool that allows JavaScript to communicate with the native language through JSON messages. This messaging is asynchronous, so your app’s user interface should run smoothly. One tiny problem: the bridge could affect rendering speed and cause a lagging user interface. This is something to consider in the fight between React Native’s new architecture and Flutter.
Flutter now marches to its beat. Flutter includes all the necessary components to interact with native components. This includes frameworks such as Cupertino or Material Design. Flutter’s great feature makes apps more predictable and stable across platforms than React Native.
Testing Support
Since Flutter is built on Dart, it offers comprehensive support for automation tests. Flutter developers and testers have access to extensive testing tools for widget, unit, and integrated testing.
It also offers detailed documentation on automated app releases. React Native, on the other hand, offers only a small set of tools for testing unit code and no support for UI testing or integrated testing.
Flutter wins because React Native developers are forced to use tools such as Appium and Detox, which do not support automated app deployment.
Performance
When comparing React Native and Flutter, you should consider two main aspects: speed and application size. Flutter has an advantage over React Native in terms of speed. The apps load slightly faster.
React Native uses a JavaScript Bridge to run apps. This can affect performance, but only very slightly. When comparing Flutter and React Native benchmarks regarding speed, Flutter’s default smoothness setting is 60 fps. This contributes to the app’s performance.
Design and Graphics
React Native has excellent graphics, but Flutter uses a different approach to creating user interfaces. React Native inherits the native visual elements and look that provide a seamless experience. App elements will update to match the native application feel, even during updates to operating systems.
Apps will look the same in Flutter regardless of OS version or device model. Navigation and other elements are unchanged unless upgraded intentionally. Flutter simplifies the process of implementing a neutral standard style across all devices to reduce project scope.
Time to Market
Time-to-market is a critical element in determining which option is best. Flutter and React Native, being cross-platform solutions, allow code reuse rather than coding separate apps.
These are essential factors to consider for choosing the right application developers for your app.
- Both platforms have engineering communities.
- Developers love this product.
- Cost and demand
React Native, the older of the two platforms has a much larger community and many libraries and packages ready to use. Flutter, a younger platform than React Native, has the ardent backing of Google engineers.
In this comparison of Flutter vs. React Native, both platforms have experienced a rapid rise over the last few years. As a result, they are both favourites among engineers and developers. React Native’s only drawback is that third-party libraries are required to get more features.
Initial Configuration and Installation
React Native simplifies configuration. You can install React-Native via the command line. You’ll need to install NodeJS, Yarn, and other package managers.
Flutter is next. Download the binary for the mobile platform you’re using. You can integrate the binary to your PATH via the command line. This extra step is the downside: Flutter’s install process isn’t quite as simple as React Native, which means it loses some points.
Productivity of Developers
React Native is an excellent option for saving time because it allows you to reuse code across all platforms. The developer community has also created several libraries that you can use to speed up development. React Native also comes with the hot reload function, which allows you to review app changes without recompiling.
Flutter is just a little behind. The framework also offers a “hot reload” feature for rapid code iterations. The framework is also known for its quick app compilation, which can increase developer productivity. Flutter’s library of widgets is also an excellent tool for creating visually stunning user interfaces.
Support for CI/CD
React Native and Flutter have many differences regarding CI/CD support. Unfortunately, React Native has no built-in solution to deliver apps to the App Store or Google Play. The documentation only covers the manual deployment of apps to Google Play while leaving the AppStore deployment process needing to be clarified. Third-party delivery and deployment solutions such as Bitrise or Fastlane are the only way to automate.
On the other hand, Flutter offers a complete guide and practical tools to automate the deployment of iOS and Android applications. Using the command-line interface is the easiest way to deploy an application. Third-party solutions can provide advanced automation.
Scalability
Google’s Flutters platform offers enhanced flexibility and scaling due to its easy integration and access. React Native, with its virtual DOM React Library, is an excellent framework for building scalable components. It is used by large apps such as Facebook, but it needs to be higher sometimes. The company was forced to return to native development because its codebase, which used React Native, became unmaintainable.
Code Maintenance
React Native makes it challenging to upgrade and debug the code. As soon as you begin to make changes to the code to meet the application’s needs, this interferes with the logic of the framework and slows the development process. A third-party library is required for almost all native components. As these libraries become outdated, it is not easy to maintain them in the long term.
Maintaining a Flutter app is easier. Simple coding allows developers to spot bugs and find external tools quickly. Flutter also makes it easier to make immediate changes.
Learning Curve
Both frameworks have a learning curve completely dependent on the knowledge of programming languages. React Native is preferably the best choice for developers with some JavaScript knowledge. But compared to its counterparts like React Native and Java, Flutter is a lot easier to learn and use, even for new developers. Winner-When it comes to the learning curve, it is a tie between Flutter and React Native.
Packages & Libraries
Flutter’s package repository is a growing resource of packages. It’s a relatively young framework with a small community. Flutter’s ecosystem includes packages for user interfaces and networking, database integration, state management, and other features.
React Native has been around longer and has a larger and more comprehensive collection of libraries and packages available on npm. The JavaScript package registry. Web developers mainly use this repository. However, many packages can be used for mobile solutions, such as navigation, network requests, etc.
Development Time
Flutter has a disadvantage when compared to React Native in terms of development speed. The lack of training and support resources is why Flutter lost this competition.
Flutter is relatively new, so you’ll need more time building your team. React developers can access various resources, libraries, and designs. React developers can also use any JavaScript IDE or text editor.
Quality Assurance
It’s difficult to choose a clear winner in the React Native and Flutter debate regarding quality assurance and testing. Flutter has many testing and integration tools, but it could be more robust regarding third-party testing. React Native allows you to use third-party tools such as Detox and Jest to overcome limitations.
Code Reusability
Flutter has a more reusable codebase than React Native. This makes Flutter the winner of this contest between Flutter and React Native. Flutter allows you to change one line of code, create a new logic, or reuse the codebase. The highly intuitive graphical coding environment makes it easy to reuse.
The Pros and Cons of Flutter
You can rely on Flutter for several reasons.
Hot-Reload
Flutter allows you to change the code source and populate the Dart Virtual Machine with the updated code version without stopping the program and reloading the code. Flutter Hot Reloading allows for a faster development process and shorter lead time.
Single codebase
Flutter is compatible with iOS as well as Android. This allows you to use a single codebase for creating mobile apps on both platforms. Flutter app development services enable you to create widgets and designs that can be used across platforms. You will love it as a team manager or developer.
The Half of Testing
Software development is only complete with quality assurance. You must run the same test on all platforms using native components. When you use Flutter, you can reduce your testing by at least half.
Native 3D Library
Instead of third-party libraries, you can use Flutter’s Graphics Library, Skia. Skia uses the GPU for speed and smoothness, up to 60 frames per second. You can program the redrawing of elements in the code and development phase.
Great Designs
Flutter developers can create and manage widgets and custom designs without native modules. This gives Flutter an advantage in the React Native discussion, as it offers a user-friendly interface. You can customize widgets in the widget catalog and create custom Flutter widgets.
#Cons to Flutter
Flutter has many features, but there are better solutions for everyone. There are also some cons to consider depending on the nature of your project. You can consider:
Smaller Development Community
Many users will mention Flutter’s smaller developer community when discussing its popularity. This argument is based on the fact that Flutter was released two years after React native.
Dart is also less popular than JavaScript. The situation has significantly changed in the last couple of years. There are now over half a million Flutter apps available on the market. The developer community has also grown.
Fewer Library
Google has worked tirelessly to create a database of libraries, support, and official documentation. However, in many areas, the documentation is still behind that provided by native developers. Typically, developers would find more resources and depth when working on native apps.
Absence of CI/CD
Flutter does not support all CI/CD tools. Developers may need to use customized scripts when testing and implementing changes.
Platform Dependency
Flutter, like any other platform, is susceptible to platform dependence risk. It will be complicated for developers if Google abandons the Flutter project. The chances of this happening are very low because Google has been actively updating the Flutter framework and not undermining it.
The Pros and Cons of React
React Native, a cross-platform development tool can develop applications on multiple platforms.
Fast refresh
Fast refresh in React Native is very similar to Flutter’s hot reload. The hot reload isn’t a significant difference between React Native Flutter. Fast refresh, introduced in React 0.61, combines hot and live reload. This allows React Native developers to quickly edit source code and see the results. The lazy load native module limitations can be overcome.
Single codebase
In comparison to Flutter, React Native offers a shared codebase that developers can use on both iOS and Android. JavaScript is also compatible with web-based applications.
Wide Compatibility
JavaScript is a popular programming language, and its use benefits Flutter over React Native. Dart, Flutter’s Dart’s successor, has a long way to go.
Developer Can Decide
The developer has complete control over the development of an app. The developer can decide what components to use in React Native and what native development should be done.
Relative Mature
React Native, if we compare frameworks, is older than Flutter. Over the years, the platform has matured. Meta and the React Native team have released several fixes and updates to improve React Native. The platform allows developers to create more lightweight and efficient apps.
#Cons of React Native
React Native has many benefits but also some cons:
Native Feeling
React Native allows you to simulate the native experience. It is not the same as building it with native platforms and components. The simulation may be very close to the original, but there are differences in termination size, processing speed, and power requirements.
The Need for Customization
You may already have a few UI components, such as buttons and notification prompts. React Native only provides the essential elements. The rest will require you to customize and design yourself.
Needs a Decision
React Native is an option for developers, or they can stick to native elements. To produce the best output, they must evaluate every situation’s pros, cons, and performance. It will take more time to compare the performance of React Native and business logic for each scenario.
Many Outdated Resources
React Native is a powerful tool with many libraries of resources over the years. However, it is a double-edged blade because you’ll find many outdated libraries in the sea of resource libraries. These libraries, repositories, and packages can waste your time.
Unstable User Interface
The individual components of the app will reload when the OS manufacturer releases the stem update. This can cause the React Native components of the app to become unusable. Flutter has an advantage because it can rebuild the app’s features independently in case a system upgrade occurs.
The Key Takeaway
Hire Flutter developers to create consistent and aesthetic interfaces for web applications. Dart and the Skia rendering engine provide good performance and optimized solutions.
Google’s community support and backing help to create outstanding web app solutions. Use web standards or customize your app to add critical features.
React Native Web, on the other hand, offers seamless native-like applications. It provides developers with greater opportunities for app development and better performance because it integrates the device components.
Each framework has its positives and downsides. Developers can offer consistent solutions because of the diversity of tooling and profiling.
Flutter is an excellent web development option if you want to develop a complete application (read, full-stack). Dart extends the backend development. If you are looking for an aesthetic and consistent solution, Flutter Web is a good choice.
React Native Web is an excellent option if you are looking for a solution that performs well and looks like a native app. It also offers superior real-time interactivity.
