Flutter vs React Native
The two widely used platforms for developing cross-platform applications, React Native and Flutter.
React Native and Flutter both have the capabilities of creating cross-platform applications.
As we know that nowadays clients like this kind of platform, rather than using native app development people are going with this kind of Platform which can develop applications in a very low time. Let’s understand it in some steps.
What is cross-platform app development?
Now whoever is new will think about cross-platform app development, In very simple word
*You can develop Android and iOS applications from a single code base*.
You don’t need to write different code for both platforms, this helps to reduce time, cost, and resources. Before, if you wanted to develop an iOS app you should have experience in Swift or Object-C language and Java or Kotlin for Android, so these platforms have given us a solution. You just need to learn only one language and you can develop both iOS and Android.
There are many cross-platform app development frameworks are available in the market but These two platforms are very popular and keep rising day by day.
Hybrid vs Native App Development?
Now there is one more question that will arise in your mind, why do we have to move on them. And what are the differences between Hybrid and Native app development?
- One Codebase for all platforms : This is the main important point for using these frameworks, as I explained above that You can develop apps using one code for all platforms. Those days are gone when you had to write different code for Android and iOS, these platforms provided us one code for all. And Flutter has more advanced features from which you can use the same code for Android, iOS, Web and for Desktop apps too.
- Low cost of development: Hybrid mobile apps cost is lower than native, the reason is one code of set, The initial cost and maintenance cost is low. So they are much more affordable than native apps.
- User Interface(UI) : Hybrid mobile app creation ensures a consistent and flawless user experience on both Android and iOS devices. Furthermore, the lightweight UI of a hybrid app allows graphics and content to load faster.
- App size: As compared to Native applications, Hybrid always has too much app size.
Now we understand why we should go with Hybrid frameworks, now the next question is, which one is better. So let’s understand this.
React Native vs Flutter?
Two widely used hybrid frameworks, But which one is better, which one we should pick for development.
Before starting the comparison let’s get some quick information about both platforms.
| * | Flutter | React Native |
| Releasing Date | May 2017 | March 2015 |
| Vendor | ||
| Programming Language | Dart | JavaScript |
| Licensing | Free, Open Source | Free, Open Source |
Now let’s understand what are the differences between them.
- Native Performance : If we talk about this, both are having great native performance. Although react native use bridge for interacting with native components of OS, but flutter directly access native components of OS.
- UI : Flutter apps looks very good on any OS, the main reason because flutter is having two sets of design Material Design and Cupertino Widgets, that helps apps to look similar on Android and iOS even the codebase is only one. The apps will look the same even when the OS upgrades it’s design.
React Native applications component looks like Native apps component, for example, the button will look the same as in Native iOS apps and same for Android. The reason behind this is that React Native uses native components under the hood, which provides you confidence that your app will upgrade when any OS UI updates. Like flutter, if you want that UI should not upgrade when any UI upgrade is done in OS so you will have to use a third-party library like you will have to add Material design library instead of using the native component.
- Sharing Code: Flutter 2 came with the great advantage that is one codebase to ship native apps to these five OS : Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS and Linux and Also targeting web applications. flutter is having capabilities to embed in Car, TVs, and smart home appliances.
React Native has capabilities to develop iOS and Android applications with one codebase and if you want to develop Web, Desktop, iOS, and Android applications from one code so you will have to use some selected libraries without them it can’t be done.
Let’s compare both of them with some more points
| Flutter | React Native |
| The flutter apps have great looks and feel, because of rich widgets. | React Native has good looks and has the stability of 5+ years in the market. |
| Flutter community is growing too fast, in 2020 around 39% of developers moved to flutter, Around 134k Stars on Github as per Dec-2021 | Many Successful, famous players are already using React Native. Around 42% of developers are with React Native currently, it is having around 100K GitHub stars as per Dec-2021 |
| The document of Flutter is excellent which is done by the Flutter team. Nowadays it is very easy to develop applications with Flutter, having too much support available on StackOver flow, many plugins are available. | React Native is too older than Flutter so it has a vast community to help out. React Native is very easy to learn, as you know that it is based on JavaScript which has been running for a long time and developers are very familiar with JavaScript, So it is for those who are already having experience in JavaScript. |
| Flutter is newer than React Native so it is improving day by day.https://pub.dev/Pub.dev has many plugins which help developers to make an app as soon as possible. | React Native has many tutorials and libraries which helps developers to develop applications very fast. |
Conclusion
So these are some important and major facts about both of these hybrid frameworks.
In the last few years Flutter is opted by many companies, Many companies are attracted towards flutter. As we know that it is developed by Google, thanks to the team for improving flutter on a regular basis.
What’s more, Flutter is doing a great job for developing applications not only for mobiles but also for web and desktop and many big companies have moved with them like Alibaba, Google Ads, BMW, Dream11, etc.
Talking about React Native, Facebook is focusing on the large-scale re-architecture of the technology. The team is working very hard and doing its best to improve support for React Native.
Both the language are very good, both having their Pros and Cons, Really it is very hard to select one of them, but even though I would suggest flutter for those who are already in Mobile applications development, and if you’re familiar with JavaScript so it will be very easy to learn React Native for you.
========================Good Luck===============================
