Flutter or React Native: Which one is better for building apps?

In the ever-evolving world of mobile app development, performance and usability remain the top priorities. Both Flutter and React Native have gained significant traction in the cross-platform development space. Understanding the key statistics behind each framework can help developers choose the right tool for their projects

Highlights

• Flutter rendering engine is 20-30% faster than React Native in rendering complex UIs
• 40% of mobile app developers use React Native for cross-platform development
• Flutter has seen a 200% increase in search interest, surpassing React Native in some regions, based on Google Trends

Co-Founder

Vandana Abrol

4 min read

An enthusiastic developer and skilled business management expert with over a decade of experience in the field

This blog post will compare the two most popular cross-platform mobile app development frameworks, Flutter and React Native. The world of mobile app development is a complicated place with many competing frameworks. It can be hard to know which one to use, but this article will help you find out if React Native or Flutter is the best choice for building your next app.

Flutter is a new mobile app development framework by Google that uses Dart as its programming language. React Native is also a cross-platform framework for developing apps, but it uses JavaScript as its programming language.

What is Flutter?

Developed by Google, Flutter is a mobile app development platform that was first launched in June 2019. Aimed at users who want to build beautiful and innovative mobile apps, Flutter provides designers with a variety of features that help them build the perfect app in no time.

These include the ability to create immersive 3D experiences using only 2D tools, incorporate AI and machine learning into the user experience, create hybrid apps that mix Web and mobile technology, and build secure and stable applications regardless of the size or complexity of the project. Flutter's seamless integration with no-code frameworks like FlutterFlow also makes it a great choice for users who want to build apps without extensive coding knowledge.

What is React Native?

React Native is an open-source framework created and maintained by Facebook. It was released in 2015 as a way to build cross-platform mobile apps using only JavaScript. The idea behind React Native is to offer the benefits of two technologies: native user interfaces for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone with the ease of use and speed of development offered by JavaScript.

The benefit of this approach over traditional methods is that it allows developers to share code between platforms. This means that developers can create a single app for both iOS and Android instead of having to create separate apps that are almost identical but have different features on each platform. React Native has gained traction in the e-commerce sector, enabling the quick development of online stores and apps similar to those built on platforms like Shopify. This is a key reason why React Native is popular in the eCommerce field.

This technology has been used for popular apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Walmart,

How does Flutter Work?

Similar to React Native, Flutter leverages JavaScript and other front-end frameworks to provide a cross-platform development experience. What this means is that, aside from Android and iOS, you can also develop apps using Flutter for the following platforms:

Windows

Web

Amazon Alexa

Apple Watch

Facebook Portal

Google Assistant

Safari

Samsung S5

and many more...

One of the standout features of Flutter tools is that it allows for a customizable user interface. It’s also highly compatible with tools like Ionic and FlutterFlow, making it a top choice for no-code app builders who wish to create eCommerce apps quickly.

Is Flutter Better Than React Native?

As we've discussed, both Flutter and React Native are new, still developing platforms. While Flutter provides a simpler development experience with fewer frills, the underlying technology is actually more efficient and, in some cases, offers greater performance. So, which one is better?

Well, in this case, there's no easy answer because it depends on what you're looking for. If you're developing a basic application with no complex user interactions, then Flutter is certainly a simpler option. Did you know that you can use the Flutter SDK to easily create animated characters that interact with users?

On the other hand, if you're developing a complex app with a lot of interactivity and need to achieve the highest possible performance, then React Native might be the better option. Did you know that you can use React Native's native components to interact with the device's hardware (such as the camera or the fingerprint scanner) or access native functionalities (such as GPS or WiFi connections)? React Native is especially popular for building complex eCommerce apps where access to such hardware features is important.

In either case, you should try both and see which one you like better. Just keep in mind that both Flutter and React Native are fairly new and still undergoing development, so be sure to keep up to date with the latest news and updates.

Why use Flutter or React Native? 

The answer to this question is not straightforward. The app development industry has seen a lot of changes in the last few years, and there is no clear-cut winner. Both platforms have their own pros and cons that you need to consider before making your decision. 

Flutter offers two main advantages over React Native: performance and cross-platform capability. Flutter uses Dart, which is an interpreted language, so it does not require compiling for each platform you are targeting, which results in faster performance than React Native's JavaScript-to-native approach. Additionally, because Flutter doesn't rely on JavaScriptCore as heavily as React Native does, it has a smaller memory

How do they compare to each other?

The two most popular cross-platform mobile app development frameworks are Flutter and React Native. They both have their pros and cons, so it is hard to say which one is better for building apps.

In terms of performance, Flutter's rendering engine is faster than React Native's JavaScriptCore engine. However, in terms of memory consumption, React Native has a much lower memory footprint than Flutter. In terms of features, React Native supports more third-party libraries than Flutter does at the moment. Additionally, Ionic and other app builders often support React Native, giving developers more flexibility when integrating additional features.

Overall, it seems like the two frameworks have different strengths and weaknesses that can't be easily compared to each other because they are not on the same playing field when it comes to features or performance.

Why Should You Go For Flutter?

As we've mentioned, Flutter is a fairly new and therefore, still developing platform. This being said, if you're looking for an alternative to React Native, you should give Flutter a try. Why?

Well, for one thing, Flutter is considerably easier to learn and thus, less likely to overwhelm a non-technical user. You don't need to be a software developer to use it, though you do need to know how to use JavaScript and other front-end frameworks. 

Another great thing about Flutter is that it provides you with a wealth of tools and plugins that can drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to develop an app. For example, did you know that you can use the Flutter Gallery to find and install numerous plugins that can help you build a user-interactive experience for your app?

Not only that, but you can use Flutter's open-source community to find coders who are willing to contribute their knowledge and skills for the betterment of all. If you're an eCommerce business owner looking for a cost-effective solution, Flutter provides a great platform to build your app with minimal hassle.

Why choose one over the other?

Flutter is a new mobile app SDK to help developers and designers build modern mobile apps for iOS and Android. It's built by Google, so it's got that going for it. Flutter was created to address the challenges of developing a single app for both platforms: Android and iOS.

React Native, on the other hand, can be used with JavaScript or Swift (or Objective-C) code to create a native application that looks like a cross between an app and a website. React Native is also more suited for building applications with animated transitions and complex user interfaces.

Blog conclusion

If you're thinking of building a new app, you may be wondering which mobile development platform to choose: Flutter or React Native. There's no easy answer when it comes to which platform is better. They both have their pros and cons and ultimately it comes down to what you're looking for in a mobile development platform. If you're looking to build fast, fluid, and responsive apps, Flutter is the way to go. It's built on top of the Google Flutter platform, which makes it very fast and efficient. React Native is also very fast, but it can take a little longer to build your first app. Ultimately, it comes down to what you're most concerned about speed or platform versatility. If you want to build apps for multiple platforms, Flutter is the way to go. If you just want to build one app that works on multiple platforms, React Native is a better choice.

I hope this article has helped you. We would love to know in the comments section what your thoughts are on “Flutter or React Native for building apps”.If you have any queries regarding these frameworks for building apps, feel free to contact us. Digittrix Infotech would love to help.

Build an App with Flutter or React Native

Choosing between Flutter and React Native depends on your project’s needs. Flutter offers customizable UIs and consistent performance, while React Native provides a robust community and efficient cross-platform development. Consider factors like development speed, UI flexibility, and future maintenance to select the best framework for your app. If you want to develop your app like this contact Digittrix.

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