When it comes to developing a fully functional mobile app that works seamlessly on multiple OS, the toughest decision to choose between two of the best cross-platform frameworks - Flutter vs React Native, awaits every developer. If you are in the same dilemma, this detailed comparison guide between React Native vs Flutter will help you indeed. 

Both Flutter and React Native currently top the developer’s favorite list. However, that’s not the only reason that instigated us to create this detailed comparison guide. As many of you may not know React Native is backed by Meta, while Flutter is a Google product, so that’s going to be the battle between the world’s two most prominent tech companies. 

You might be wondering since both frameworks are designed for cross-platform development, you can just pick one and start coding. But wait! Despite both being cross-platform frameworks, Flutter and React Native have a lot of differences in terms of performance, speed, architecture, user interface, and development time. 

Understanding these differences will help you make a better decision on which framework would be the best suited for your next cross-platform app development. So, don’t just read it but understand each key point so the next time anyone asks - Which is better: Flutter vs React Native? you should have a better answer. 

Let’s start this guide with the basics!

Flutter: The Basics

Before you scroll down to understand the differences between Google Flutter vs React Native, having a basic knowledge of each framework is crucial to grasp the topic better. 

What Is Flutter?

Flutter is a cross-platform framework for developing applications that can run on mobile devices, desktop computers, and web browsers. It is an open-source framework created by Google and based on the Dart programming language. 

Flutter allows developers to create high-performance and beautiful apps from a single codebase that can be compiled directly into native code for each platform. The framework has a large and active community of developers who use it to create amazing apps by writing Dart code.

Features of Flutter

Flutter app development has a lot of benefits for developers and businesses alike. Below are some key features of Flutter you should know. 

Rapid Development 

Flutter is one of the newest platforms for building apps, and it offers a fast way to create apps that perform optimally on all devices, irrespective of their operating system.

Instant Feedback 

The platform enables developers to see the changes they make in real time, which improves their efficiency and productivity. Instant feedback gives Flutter an edge over its competitors, as it allows mobile app developers to pause the code execution, modify the code, and resume coding from the same point. This leads to more effectiveness.

Components 

Flutter ensures a consistent design and development model. The components, which are based on Google's code, provide a higher level of performance and code quality than other open-source frameworks. They are highly customizable and follow both Material Design and Cupertino's appearance, which is a major benefit.

Less Coding 

The framework helps speed up apps and allows them to be launched faster. Flutter reduces the pressure of developers through its native codebase and third-party integration.

Pros and Cons of Flutter App Development

React Native: The Basics

As you have understood what Flutter is, let’s move forward to understand the fundamentals of React Native. 

What Is React Native?

React-native is a framework for developing applications that can run on different platforms with a single codebase. It is based on React, the most popular and the best Javascript UI library. The framework allows developers to create apps that look and feel native on any device. 

The framework was created by Facebook and it uses the same principles as React to make cross-platform development easier and faster. 

React Native is very similar to React, even the way you style your components is like what you would do in HTML. So if you have good knowledge and experience with React, you will enjoy and love working with React Native.

Features of React Native

The feature of React Native doesn’t fall short in comparison to Flutter in any way. So, let’s take a look at them. 

Enhanced Performance

A platform's efficiency depends on how well it can boost performance with native controls and modules. React Native can generate native API code and interact with iOS and Android components natively. This improves performance by using separate threads for native APIs or UIs.

Instant and Hot Reloading

React Native’s instant reloading feature allows programmers to compile and see the changes they make. The simulator also has a new application file that starts from the beginning. The hot reloading feature lets the developer view the code without recompiling it. 

Simple UI

React Native offers a simple and user-friendly interface. Its architecture is more like an open-source system than a traditional network. This platform uses a software interface that removes unnecessary components to produce apps in the right order. 

Modern Architecture

With modular architecture and design, developers can easily upgrade or update their apps. React Native's intuitive interface allows developers to work on another developer's project and make further changes or improvements. 

Pros and Cons of React Native App Development

Flutter vs React Native: 10-Points Detailed Comparison

Now that you have understood the basics and concepts of Flutter and React Native, let’s start the most awaited part. 

Here’s a detailed comparison between Flutter vs React Native: 

1 Demand

We will start the Flutter vs React Native comparison by comparing their demand in the industry. Flutter has become the most popular and widely used cross-platform development framework as of 2023, with a market demand of 46%, while React Native has a lower demand of 32%. 

Google Trends shows that both Flutter and React Native are gaining interest, but Flutter has a higher preference. The demand gap between the two frameworks has been widening since 2020. 

So we have to admit that Flutter has a more promising market demand in the cross-platform frameworks.

2 Performance

While analyzing the performance of a development framework, there are two main factors to consider – the speed and the size of the app. 

Flutter has an edge in speed, and the apps load slightly faster. React Native uses a JavaScript bridge to run the apps, which affects the performance a bit, though not very significantly. 

If we compare Flutter and React Native in terms of speed, Flutter has a default smoothness setting of 60 fps, which enhances the app’s performance.

3 Programming Language

React Native and Flutter have different native programming languages. React Native employs JavaScript, while Flutter uses Dart. Let's see how they compare.

JavaScript is easier to learn than Dart, and also, more developers are familiar with JavaScript. So, in terms of language popularity, React Native has an edge over Flutter. However, you should also consider that Dart can help you write code faster because of its object-oriented features.

On the other hand, JavaScript is a simple language to learn, and more importantly, you can find a lot of resources to learn and practice JavaScript. If you face any problems, you can also get help from the large developer community quickly.

4 Architecture

Flutter and React Native have different architectures for building apps. BLoC is Flutter’s official architecture, while React Native uses the Flux architecture. Let's see how they differ.

The BLoC architecture is a well-known approach in the Flutter community. The BLoC architecture has three main advantages. It is simple, testable, and powerful. The architecture's main idea is to build complex products out of simple blocks.

At the same time, React Native’s Flux needs JavaScript as a programming bridge to run the code. This means that it reduces the app rendering speed, which is a disadvantage if you compare the architectures of Flutter vs React Native.

5 Installation

The speed of setting up the development environment (IDE) depends on the different architectures of Flutter and React Native.

Flutter does not rely on any programming bridges, so you have to download the complete binary for each platform from its GitHub repository. You also need an extra .zip file for macOS installation to set up a PATH variable. Therefore, the Flutter installation process takes more time and steps.

If you are familiar with JavaScript, you can use the node package manager and install React Native easily and quickly. So, you can choose React Native over Flutter based on the installation's ease.

6 UI and Development API

Flutter UI development toolkits are custom-made and fully compatible with Apple’s Cupertino and Google’s Material Design. Moreover, it also works natively with Google. 

On the other hand, when you use React Native, you may have to create and modify components using JavaScript and use patches in your code to make the component work. 

Therefore, Flutter has an edge over React Native in terms of UI convenience.

7 Community Support

One of the key benefits of being a mobile app developer is having access to a vibrant and helpful community that can offer insights, updates, and solutions to common problems. 

As we have seen, React Native has a larger community due to its use of the popular JavaScript language and its longer history; while Flutter is a newer framework that uses the less common Dart language.

However, if we look at the GitHub statistics of both technologies, the picture is not so clear: Flutter has more stars with 153k, while React Native has fewer with 110k. On the other hand, Flutter has only around 1.1k contributors on GitHub, while React Native has more than double with 2.5k.

8 Packages and Libraries

Flutter, as a relatively new framework with a smaller community, has a growing number of packages available on its package repository, pub.dev. The Flutter ecosystem provides a variety of packages for user interfaces, networking, database integration, state management, and more.

React Native, being around for a longer time, has a more extensive and diverse collection of packages and libraries available on npm, the JavaScript package registry. Although this repository is mainly used by web developers, many packages can be used for navigation, network requests, and more for mobile solutions.

9 Development Speed

The availability of resources and support is one of the factors that affect the entire development process and speed. Flutter is a relatively new framework, so it may take longer to find and train developers who are familiar with it. 

On the other hand, React Native is based on the popular React framework, which has a lot of libraries, designs, and tutorials that developers can use. Moreover, React Native developers can choose any IDE or text editor that supports JavaScript.

10 Code Reuse

React Native falls short of Flutter when it comes to code reusability. Flutter allows you to modify a single line of code, define a new logic, and reuse your code for different purposes. 

On the other hand, the codebase of Flutter is more intuitive and graphical, which makes it easier to reuse.

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Flutter vs React Native: In a Nutshell

Flutter vs React Native: What to Choose for Your Next Project?

As we are witnessing more acceptance of cross-platform development, your app should be competitive and high-performing. To develop a quality app, you need to choose the right framework. 

Flutter and React Native are two frameworks that have different advantages and disadvantages. Here are some scenarios to help you decide which one suits your needs and goals better.

Go for Flutter app development if -

• Your app does not require any native functionality.
• You have a limited budget and a tight deadline for your project.
• You want to launch your product quickly and code efficiently.
•  You want to have a single codebase that supports multiple platforms.
• You want an app that runs between 60 FPS and 120 FPS.
• You want a user-friendly and customized UI with widgets.

Go for React Native app development if - 

• Your existing project needs scalability with cross-platform modules.
• You want to develop simple and lightweight native apps.
• You want to create shared APIs out of the box.
• You want an app with an asynchronous build and a highly appealing UI.

Conclusion

After analyzing the detailed comparison between Flutter vs React Native, we can say both frameworks are great for building cross-platform apps. However, Flutter has the benefit of having clear and well-written documentation that guides you through the development process. 

On the other hand, React Native has a larger and more mature community that can offer more support and resources. But when it comes to choosing the best among them, you should consider the features, performance, and compatibility of each framework before making a decision. 

No matter whether you need help in Flutter or React Native app development, we at Mtoag Technologies, are always ready to assist you. 

FAQs

Is Flutter Going To Replace React Native? 

No, Flutter is not going to replace React Native. Both frameworks have their own strengths and weaknesses, and they can coexist in the cross-platform development market. 

Does Flutter Have A Future? 

Yes, Flutter has a bright future. It is backed by Google, which is constantly improving and updating the framework with a growing community of developers and users.

Is Flutter Web Better Than React Native? 

It depends on the project requirements and your preferences. Flutter Web is a newer technology that allows developers to create web applications using Flutter. React Native is a more mature and stable framework that can also create web applications using React. 

Is Flutter Faster Than React?

In terms of performance, Flutter is generally faster than React. Flutter uses a compiled language (Dart) and a native rendering engine (Skia) to create high-performance applications. React uses an interpreted language (JavaScript) and a JavaScript bridge to communicate with the native platform. This adds some overhead and latency to the app execution.

Why Choose Flutter Over React? 

Some reasons to choose Flutter over React are:

• Flutter provides a customizable and expressive UI toolkit that can create beautiful and responsive apps.
• It supports hot reload and hot restart, which enables fast and iterative development cycles.
• Flutter has a simple and consistent syntax and structure, which makes it easy to learn and use.