Flutter vs
React Native has been a highly debatable topic when it comes to choosing the right framework in the
mobile app development landscape. Each of the mentioned frameworks has its own
pros and cons, merits as well as demerits. Before embarking on the Flutter vs React Native discussion deeply, one should know
what is the importance of Cross-Platform mobile app development?
Since there is a surge in Mobile phone usage and heavy reliance on apps it is imperative to have accurate turnaround time to build a single app that is best suited for all the platforms, the development should be in such a way that it can be easily upgraded and maintained, saves cost as well as the time. These are some of the potential reasons where the significance of cross-platform mobile app development comes into the picture. Let us sink our teeth deeper into the main topic ‘Flutter Vs React Native’.
1) Popularity:
If we ponder over the topic in terms of ‘Flutter vs React Native popularity’ then several things come into our brains like which one is the most popular. The 2021 market share of Flutter stood at 42%, React native at 38% and the other frameworks combined could be the remaining portion which includes Cordova, Ionic, Xamarin & others. It can be deduced that in terms of popularity and market share the Flutter and React native were in the frameworks that gained prominence in 2021, with Flutter having 4% more market share than the React native.
2) Performance:
If we analyze Flutter vs React native performance on mobile, then Flutter is faster than React native. This is because Flutter involves the compilation of ARM native libraries & x86 without any extra layers which makes it fast. React Native uses JavaScript coding that involves bridging the process from code to the native environment of the mobile device, due to the presence of the bridging process as the third wheel it consumes more resources & time.
3) Consistency:
If we think on the basis of consistency, then Flutter language is considered to be consistent across all the platforms (both iOS & Android), the developers just need to put in the material UI or Cupertino. However, in the case of React native, the developers need to run on both iOS & Android devices to check the consistency.
4) Elements & Features:
Flutter aids faster development as it supports widget-based UI design & hot reloading features in order to spot changes accurately. Thereby helping the developers to develop the MVP of the applications within a short period of time. Even the React native uses a hot reload feature and leverages native components that are immediately available to use, hence it aids simpler development with a great user experience. Both the frameworks are prominent on the basis of this aspect.
5) Reliability:
React native supports an enormous number of libraries and has a community of experienced professionals, the React native elements also include the usage of native graphical components and also in terms of code comparison React native is ahead of Flutter as many people feel that JavaScript language is more popular. Hence React native is more reliable than Flutter at present.
6) Cost-effectiveness:
In terms of Cost-effectiveness both helps in faster development and reduces time and costs.
This final decision with respect to which framework should be on the organization’s cards will not solely depend on the above-mentioned factors. While choosing between Flutter vs React Native, Flutter vs React Native vs Xamarin or Flutter vs React Native vs Ionic, Companies should consider feasibility, viability and should do market analysis along with analysis of the company or Startup’s internal competencies. Out of the most prominent technologies discussed, both have merits as well as demerits. It depends on several factors like speed, development time, time-to-market, project scope, client requirements, demand and supply of the tech talent, stage of company whether it is a Start-Up or a mature Company, Competition in the market, Cost to develop, Appropriate resource allocation as well as the planning of the resources. React Native (launched by Facebook in 2015) being the older one has more adoption by Mature companies & other Behemoth companies. Flutter (launched by Google in 2017) on the other hand has gained traction as well as the adoption by Start-Up companies as the resources are cost-effective and quality products are developed with shorter time-to-market. Again it depends on the feasibility and the company’s discretion, for example, time-to-market is crucial in several Fintech Start-Ups so many of them have built their mobile app using Flutter and got great results. Some other mature Start-Ups used React Native because their goal was to set an example of user experience branding. Therefore, while choosing an appropriate framework, the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats need to be analyzed and the framework which resonates with the company’s goals should be selected.
