Flutter vs React Native App development - Which is better? If you’re trying to find an answer to this question, then you’re at the right place. This article compares these two leading hybrid mobile app development technologies to determine the best option for businesses for building hybrid mobile apps in 2021.
Take a close look at the Flutter vs React Native comparison to decide whether you should opt for React Native or Flutter app development services.
Let’s Dig Deeper into Flutter vs React Native App Development Comparison
1. Flutter vs React Native - Market Share in 2020
Both Flutter and React Native technologies bring numerous benefits for a mobile app development company as they help the developers in building hybrid mobile apps for their clients. As businesses are looking to capture a broader global audience, these technologies can provide them with cross-platform apps that will help them expand their business reach to a wider audience. But when it comes to comparing Flutter vs React Native in terms of market share comparison, let’s find out who takes the lead!
- StackOverflow Stats- According to stats by the StackOverflow, Flutter scores 68.8% while React Native has 57.9% of voices under the category of most loved technologies in 2020.
- Github Stats- When it comes to the number of contributors to open-source projects in 2020, React Native has 9.1k contributors, while Flutter has 13k.
- Google Trends- As per Google Trends 2020, people are searching for Flutter more than React Native, which makes Flutter more popular than React Native. While the average number of React Native queries score is 58, Flutter takes 86 which is nearly twice the React Native’s queries.
According to the above-mentioned statistics, Flutter was the best hybrid app development framework in 2020 and it continues to be a popular one amongst businesses and developers.
2. Flutter vs React Native App Development - Key Similarities
- Both hybrid app development frameworks are developed and maintained by tech field giants. Flutter is backed by Google and React Native is supported by Facebook.
- Flutter and React Native are open-source hybrid app development frameworks that offer greater possibilities for customization.
- When it comes to offering a great user experience, both Flutter and React Native excels in this case. However, in the case of React Native, UI components make it possible while in Flutter widgets are responsible for it.
- Both Flutter and React Native come with the Hot Reload feature that allows developers to see changes in the user interface in real-time without even updating or refreshing the page
- Configuring React Native as well as Flutter is simple and easy.
A mobile application development company can leverage both technologies to build hybrid apps for their clients from various industry verticals. However, there are some key differentiators that make one better over the other. So, let’s find out what these differences are and decide whether you should consider investing in a React Native development company or a Flutter app development company.
3. Flutter vs React Native App Development - Key Differences
- Language
React Native uses JavaScript while Flutter uses Dart. Hence, React Native is much easier to learn and use than Flutter. The flutter framework is based on Dart which is still a new and immature programming language. However, if you have worked with an Object-oriented language, you can easily learn Dart and start building apps using Flutter.
- Performance
When it comes to performance, Flutter emerges as the clear winner. Why? Because Flutter has the C++ engine and the Skia graphic library that lead to high-performance apps as compared to React Native. Moreover, the coding process in Flutter is very fast.
In the case of React Native, the platform uses a JavaScript bridge to the native language; both exchange JSON messages to establish the connection between them. These messages are asynchronous which ensures a smooth in-app animation. But, with React Native app development, the problem is that the user interface may have some performance issues such as unwanted delays in rendering.
Flutter does not face this problem as it does not have this bridge. With built-in libraries and frameworks like Material Design or Cupertino, Flutter easily connects with the native components.
- APIs and UI
At this juncture as well, Flutter leads in the Flutter vs React Native competition by providing a richer set of possibilities. While React Native uses third-party libraries, Flutter comes with in-built rendering components, testing tools, device API access, navigation, and more.
- IDEs
When it comes to selecting the best development environment, you must choose the one that is more comfortable to work with. With Flutter, there are very limited options as it is still new. It is supported by Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ, and Android Studio. In the case of React Native, you are free to select almost any IDE. This is one area where a Flutter app development company is behind a React Native application development company.
- Documentation
A developer or a mobile app development company mostly relies on the documentation to be familiar with the technical know-how of technologies. Flutter has comprehensive documentation whereas React Native has poor documentation. Flutter is beginner-friendly as compared to React Native. React Native’s documentation primarily focuses on explaining complex processes and implies that anyone who is referring to the documentation already knows JavaScript.
- Deployment
Here again, Flutter is the clear winner. Flutter comes with a very straightforward workflow for deploying mobile to Google Play Store or Apple App Store. You can deploy it using the command line in case you don’t want additional customization options. However, there are even numerous third-party tools for them.
In the case of React Native application development, you can deploy an application using third-party solutions. However, finding a detailed guide on the deployment process can be a challenging task.
Flutter vs React Native App Development - Who Wins Finally?
Based on the above Flutter vs React Native comparison, you can decide between opting for React Native or Flutter app development services. However, before coming to a conclusion, you must assess and understand your project requirements and the goals you want to achieve. You may consult with a professional mobile app development company specializing in React Native and Flutter to know what aspects matter the most for your app development and then choose the best-suited hybrid app development framework.
Hope you find this Flutter vs React Native comparison useful in deciding whether you should go with React Native or Flutter app development services.
