Flutter Vs React Native: Which One to Choose in 2023?

What is Flutter?

Flutter is both an SDK (software development kit) and a framework for Dart( a programming language developed by Google). Flutter itself is also developed by the Google team.

The idea behind Flutter is that you write Dart code which can be compiled into native code that runs on the target device. You can create beautiful user interfaces made up of so-called widgets by combining Dart and the Flutter framework. The buttons, tabs, and other pre-configured widgets that come with Flutter are often used to create your own, more intricate or complex widgets.

What is React Native?

React Native is a technology or framework developed by Facebook.

It uses JavaScript and the React library that allows you to build beautiful user interfaces composed of React components. Generally speaking, a good understanding of Javascript and React is required to get started and work with react native.

You're still able to use packages like Redux and knowing JavaScript and React of course allows you to quickly get started with React Native, too.

History of Flutter and React Native

Flutter is an open-source `mobile application development framework created by Google. The project was first announced at the Dart developer summit in October 2017 and was released in December of the same year. Flutter was initially intended to be used for building mobile applications for both Android and iOS platforms from a single codebase.

The first stable version of Flutter, version 1.0, was released in December 2018. Since then, Flutter has gained a lot of popularity among developers due to its ease of use, fast development cycle, and ability to build high-performance, visually appealing, and natively compiled applications.

React Native is another open-source mobile application development framework created by Facebook. The project was first announced at the React.js conference in February 2015 and was released in March of the same year. React Native was initially intended to be used for building mobile applications for both iOS and Android platforms from a single codebase.

The first stable version of React Native, version 0.1, was released in January 2016. Since then, React Native has become a popular choice among developers due to its ability to build high-performance, natively rendered applications with a fast development cycle.

How do Cross-platform Development Frameworks Work?

Cross-platform development frameworks enable developers to create mobile applications that can run on multiple operating systems using a single codebase, which can save time and money by eliminating the need to build separate versions of the application for each platform.

Developers can write a single codebase in a single programming language and use a single set of tools and libraries, which the framework then compiles into native code that can run on each platform.

Flutter vs React Native

Pros and Cons of Flutter and React Native

Not everything is fair and merry. Every coin has two sides to it, similarly, these technologies have their own set of pros and cons that you need to consider to make an informed decision.

Pros of Flutter

• Fast development: Flutter's hot reload feature allows developers to see changes in real time, making the development process faster and more efficient.
• High performance: Flutter's use of Dart programming language and its rendering engine helps create highly performant apps.
• Attractive UI: Flutter offers customizable widgets and a range of pre-built widgets that help in creating visually appealing user interfaces.
• Single codebase for multiple platforms: Flutter allows for cross-platform development with a single codebase, making it easier to maintain and update apps for both Android and iOS platforms.

Cons of Flutter

• Limited libraries: Flutter's library of third-party packages and plugins is still relatively small compared to other frameworks, which can limit functionality and require more time and effort to build custom features.
• Less community support: As a relatively new framework, Flutter has a smaller community and fewer online resources compared to other popular frameworks, making it harder to find answers to development-related issues.
• Bigger app size: Flutter apps are generally larger compared to those built with other frameworks due to their rendering engine and the need to bundle Dart runtimes.
• Limited platform-specific features: Flutter's cross-platform approach can limit access to certain platform-specific features, which may be necessary for certain types of apps.

Pros of React Native

• Larger community support: React Native has a larger community and more resources available online, making it easier to find answers to development-related issues.
• Reusable code: React Native's "learn once, write anywhere" approach allows developers to reuse code across different platforms, reducing development time and costs.
• Access to platform-specific features: React Native allows developers to access platform-specific features, such as camera and GPS, providing more flexibility in app development.
• Easy integration: React Native can be easily integrated with existing native apps, allowing for a gradual transition to cross-platform development.

Cons of React Native

• Slower performance: React Native's reliance on JavaScript can lead to slower app performance compared to native apps or those built with Flutter.
• Challenging UI customization: React Native's use of CSS-like styling can make UI customization challenging for some developers, leading to inconsistent or less appealing UI designs.
• Dependency on native modules: React Native may require the use of native modules to access certain platform-specific features, which can increase development time and require additional expertise.
• Platform inconsistencies: React Native may have platform inconsistencies due to differences in implementation across different platforms, which can lead to unexpected behavior in apps.

Some Companies Using Flutter

Here is a list of companies that are well-known and currently using Flutter in their tech stack:

1. Google
2. Alibaba Group
3. BMW
4. eBay
5. Groupon
6. Philips
7. Tencent
8. Reflectly
9. Xianyu by Alibaba
10. Realtor.com

It is worth noting that many other companies are using Flutter and companies continue to adopt it, especially new-age startups. The above is not an exhaustive list.

Some Companies Using React Native

Here is a list of companies that are well-known and currently using React Native:

1. Facebook (the creators of React Native)
2. Instagram
3. Airbnb
4. Bloomberg
5. UberEats
6. Skype
7. Tesla
8. Walmart
9. Discord
10. SoundCloud

Again, This is not an exhaustive list of all the companies that are using react native, it is a list to just give you a gist.

Building and Releasing an App in Flutter vs React Native

When it comes to any app and framework, the end goal is to deploy it and scale it to large volumes of users. In this case, the barrier posed by the iOS App Store is common to both but apart from that you also need to note that

• To build an app using Flutter, developers can take advantage of its inbuilt tools and features, such as hot reload, to quickly test and iterate their app. This makes it an ideal option for startups and small businesses with limited resources. However, deploying a Flutter app to app stores may be challenging due to compatibility issues.

• In contrast, setting up a React Native app may be more difficult initially as it requires additional tools and libraries like Redux to manage state. But once the app is built, deploying it to app stores is relatively easy because it uses native components that allow it to take advantage of the built-in features of each platform.