Today developers want the app development to be a breeze. They wish that the whole process of mobile app development should become so comfortable and easy to accomplish. Additionally, the competition in the market is rising at a burgeoning speed. And to survive in that competition, it is highly lucrative for emerging entrepreneurs to release an application that works on both the platforms, iOS and Android.

App development companies are continuously digging into the performance checking of the cross-platform frameworks. The two popular frameworks that are becoming the talk of the town are Flutter and React Native. You will find thousands of mobile applications built using these frameworks, but which overrules the other one (Flutter Vs React Native) is always a debatable question.

This blog is written and reviewed by our expert team of Flutter and React Native developers. Their hands-on experience in using these two frameworks allowed them to describe the differences in detail. So let’s begin the discussion.

To start with, Why cross-platform app development?

Well, the whole world is moving towards digitization, and there is not a single purpose that can not be fulfilled using an application. Almost 4.54 billion internet users spend an average of 6 hours and 43 minutes browsing on the internet.

It has become the need of the hour for the businesses to release applications that meet customer’s expectations, but within a limited time. And hence, cross-platform app development.

The cross-platform app development approach saves a lot of money and reduces the time to market drastically. It allows you to handle the storm of rising application demand. On top of everything, it gives your application a look and feels like a native.

There are many cross-platform app development frameworks available, but there is a cut-throat competition between Flutter Vs. React Native.

What is Flutter?

Flutter is an open-source, cross-platform mobile app framework powered by Google. It allows you to build natively compiled apps for mobile, desktops, and web using a single codebase. Flutter is relatively new, being launched in the year 2017; however, it has grabbed 99.6K stars on GitHub as we are writing this.

It has very strong community support, and some trusted names like Alibaba, Hamilton Broadway, Google Ads, eBay are already on its list. It uses Dart as a programming language, which is a client-optimized programming language.

What is React Native?

React Native is a Facebook-owned cross-platform mobile app framework released in the year 2015. Even though it was released two years before Flutter, it has grabbed only 89.8 K stars on GitHub.

This framework allows you to build iOS, Android, and UWP apps using a single source code. React Native is in the top list of early adopters because it is written in JavaScript. A strong community backs it, and some top applications like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tesla, etc. are made using it. It is a community-driven framework having the second-highest number of contributors in the year 2018.

Let’s run down a comparison chart between the two to have a better understanding of the same.

Property Flutter React Native Winner Owned by Google Facebook - Year of release 2018 2015 - Popularity Flutter is relatively young as compared to React Native. But the popularity is growing incredibly fast. Around 61% of developers prefer using Flutter. Flutter is more opted by developers of countries like Bangladesh, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, and China. React Native got released in 2015 and has grown in numbers in no time. 81% of developers prefer using React Native. Jordan, Kenya, and China. Ireland, Argentine, Canada, and Belarus developers go for React Native over Flutter. As of now, React Native wins the race. Programming language Flutter uses Dart which is Google's in-house programming language. Developers are yet exploring its potential but all we can say right now is, it is new. React Native uses Javascript as a programming language. Javascript is a go-to language of millions of developers and it is pretty to adapt. It is a default language for coding an extraordinary application. React Native is preferred over Flutter. Learning Curve You might have known by now, that Flutter is new, and learning Dart will require extra efforts to be put in. however, the comprehensive documentation makes it easy for the developers to learn and explore It goes without saying that React Native is easier to learn and implement. JavaScript has been used for many years now and all the developers are familiar with it. React Native wins here. Job Opportunities Developers are yet adapting the new programming language and the demand of Flutter developers will rise gradually If we believe the statistics provided by the StackOverflow Survey of 2019, then, it suggests that React Native is higher in demand as compared to Flutter. React Native is the winner. Installation and configuration Easy. Developers can use the advanced kit and run the Flutter SDK. It's a bit complicated. Because it creates packages before installation Flutter wins here. Platform Support Android, iOS, web(beta) Android, iOS, web - Documentation Clear and comprehensive Low in quality Flutter is the winner. Performance Flutter boasts about widgets and application’s performance. It is highly capable of handling any issues related to UX. On the other hand, React Native may need additional components to amplify UX performance like touch events, notifications, etc. Flutter is the winner here. Hot Reload Support Flutter’s hot reload feature is the talk of the town. Developers are just loving this feature because it allows them to alter the code without disturbing the base. React Native ensures fast refresh of the code so that the developers can see the changes in the code instantly In both cases, the application relaunches automatically making it extremely easy for developers to update the code. Code Structure Flutter offers you a pool of widgets that can be reused to create an application. You can customize the UI layout using Dart and develop an app of your desire. React Native follows JavaScript coding standards. You need to create different classes and execute the code separately to design an application. Flutter wins here because of the ease of development it provides. Popular apps Hamilton app, Xianyu, Reflectly, Google ads, JD Finance, Topline app by Abbey Road Solutions Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Skype, Tesla, Bloomberg It depends on the application type. User Interface Flutter masters the art of UI designing using widget sets. You can have a natural-looking UI using Flutter React Native is also in the race of designing a great UI, but Flutter is far more ahead. It uses native components to bridge the gap. Flutter wins it here. App development time You can have a promising high-quality app using Flutter, but its development is time-consuming. On the other hand, you can use third-party libraries and start developing your app using React Native. It has a reduced app development time. React Native is the winner. Stability Flutter exists in two versions Alpha and Beta. Both the versions are struggling in terms of stability React Native, on the other hand, is highly stable and guarantees code stability React Native is the winner. Libraries and Support Flutter has extended library and support but not as much as React Native React Native extends its support to a pool of external libraries React Native wins this one. Trending Based on the Stack Overflow Survey 2019, Flutter ranks above ReactNative when asked developers about their loved frameworks React Native has been in the race since long, but only 62.5 % of developers love it over Flutter Flutter is the clear winner here. Developers’ Productivity We have already discussed Flutter’s hot reload feature and its importance. Flutter is also known for its faster code compilation. React Native offers tons of libraries and has very high code reusability. Both of them provide the same features to assist the developer. CI/CD Support Deployment using Flutter is quite easy. You can use CLI and get going with it. Sadly, React Native doesn’t have a CI/CD solution. You will have to use a third-party solution for app deployment Flutter wins here. Testing Support Flutter provides widget testing feature using which you can test the UI and run unit tests You need third-party tools to run testing on apps built with React Native. No clear winner here. Supported IDEs Flutter has a limited number of supported IDEs which are IntelliJ IDEA, Android Studio, and VS Code. Whereas React Native has a lot of IDEs so it can be a task to choose the best There is a draw between React Native and Flutter. Suitability for MVPs Flutter is an ideal option if you wish to release an MVP of your product. React Native has its limitation and may fall short in releasing MVP Flutter is the winner here Cost of App development Flutter app development cost depends on the company you choose for app development React Native app development cost again depends on the company you choose. The app development cost will almost be the same for both.

When to Choose and When not to choose Flutter?

Flutter has a pool of widgets to assist developers in crafting fantastic UI. Hence, if you wish to develop an app having a unique and intriguing UI, go for Flutter. Dart is charged up with captivating graphic libraries.

Flutter comes with a limitation that your app size should be less than 4MB. Hence, if your app size is more than 4 MB, do not opt for Flutter.

When to Choose and When not to choose React Native?

React Native offers the ultimate ease of cross-platform app development. Therefore, go for React Native when you want a universal code for mobile, web, and desktop. Applications build on React Native are arguably bigger than native ones.

React Native’s limitation is to perform calculating tasks. Hence, it is not preferred if the application involves calculation tasks.

Conclusion:

We would rest our case without any biasedness. The Flutter community is making consistent efforts to improve Flutter’s SDK, and it looks more promising than React Native. However, React Native has its perks of working with it. Both frameworks are in strong competition with each other. Depending on the project requirements, you need to select between the two. Big Giants predict that Flutter is the Future, but the victory is yet to be declared.

Anyone you choose between Flutter Vs React Native, we assure you that you will never be looking back. All the benchmarks set by the both of them are high and promising. Go ahead and grab the best of the best!

If you want guidance on which one to choose for your specific project, you can connect with our expert Flutter developers. They will provide you with the best possible solution.