Starting the analysis of the topic, which is better to select Flutter or React Native for work, it is necessary to recognize where it all started. According to DataReportal's Digital 2022 Global Statshot statistics and report, nearly 70% of people on Earth use a mobile phone every day.
In other words, the lifestyle of modern people has given the mobile app industry an extreme advantage. Therefore, the case of developing the latter is still very relevant. After all, Flutter and React Native, which were created by today's technological leaders, Facebook and Google, come into play.
We will discuss which is better to choose in this research, considering the following questions:
- What is Flutter?
- What is React?
- What to choose in 2024: Flutter or React Native?
- Final thoughts.
We have to emphasize that at a period when a lot of information about Flutter and React application development appears on the Internet every day, we dig deeper. In this article, we will take a look at the major diversity between Flutter and React Native and what makes them so particular.
So, without further ado, let's start our investigation!
Flutter vs. React Native
The comparison between Flutter and React Native is not new, and it's an extensively debated topic. However, a definitive answer to which tool is superior remains elusive. Both frameworks have their respective advantages and drawbacks, along with dedicated communities of enthusiasts. Our goal in this article is to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of Flutter and React Native, allowing you to navigate the intricacies of these hybrid technologies more effectively. With this knowledge, you may be better equipped to make an informed choice and select the tool that aligns with your preferences.
What is Flutter?
When talking about Flutter, it is necessary to say precisely that it is a cross-platform platform for developing mobile applications or a portable user interface toolkit. It provides developers with a comprehensive software development kit (SDK) of widgets and tools.
When developing desktop applications with Flutter, you can compile Flutter source code into a native Windows, macOS, or Linux desktop application. For example, Flutter's web support ensures the same Internet and mobile device operation. This means you can now build Android, iOS, and web browser apps from the same codebase.
Flutter was created by the Google team based on Dart. Flutter is free, relatively new, and easy to learn. It provides custom widgets built on its high-performance rendering engine. It should be underlined that Google and the Flutter community contribute to the development of Flutter. Thus, Flutter can be safely called a new technology.
The initial iteration of Flutter provided a suite of tools for crafting mobile applications compatible with Android and iOS. By the time the third version rolled out, Flutter had expanded its horizons to encompass support for various platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, web applications, and dedicated built-in platforms tailored for use with Flutter. In January 2023, the release of Flutter 3.7 marked a significant milestone, introducing a comprehensive array of new features. These included a rendering engine optimized for iOS, enhanced support for Material 3 and iOS-style widgets, improved localization solutions, more efficient background data processing, and enhancements to the developer tools.
What is React?
React Native, on the other hand, is an open-source framework for mobile applications that uses JavaScript and was created by Facebook.
One of the most compelling reasons to learn React Native in 2024 is its platform independence. In the past, developers had to use Java predominantly for Android app development and Swift for iOS app development. Additionally, other platforms like Windows added complexity to the process. React Native is an excellent choice for building applications that run seamlessly on multiple platforms. With React Native, you create an application once, and it effortlessly runs on all major platforms. Moreover, React Native leverages JSX, which is familiar to those acquainted with React and is often described as a blend of HTML and JavaScript. This familiarity makes learning React Native relatively straightforward despite some challenging concepts. Compared to using Java for similar purposes, building applications with React Native is notably easier and more efficient.
It should be highlighted that React Native is older than Flutter and boasts a larger community. Let's keep reading!
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Below, we’re going to tell you about the pros and cons of both frameworks:
Native Performance Comparison
Flutter employs its Ahead-of-Time compiler, which generates optimized iOS and Android post-project build code. This approach guarantees native-level performance without embedding the entire codebase within the application binary, a characteristic it shares with React Native. Additionally, unlike React Native, which necessitates a bridge for communication with native modules, Flutter interfaces with them directly.
React Native boasts an enhanced JavaScript virtual machine that outperforms V8 thanks to its JIT compiler. As a pre-compiled framework, any codebase can be deployed and compiled into a native executable. Typically, React Native achieves the same speed as native apps, performing at the level of iOS applications without requiring adjustments to iOS build settings.
Conclusion: Both Flutter and React Native boast high native-level performance, but Flutter communicates with native moduled directly.
Programming language
React Native uses the classic JavaScript programming language, the first language to enable dynamic web development.
Flutter has used Dart, a much newer language, since its introduction in 2011.
JavaScript enjoys broader usage compared to Dart. Consequently, developers often find it more familiar and comfortable to dive into React Native app development.
Conclusion: Both Flutter vs React Native programming languages have integrity, but React Native wins.
Reliability
Flutter could be the preferable choice if your priority is to build mobile apps rapidly with a reliable platform. Conversely, if you seek a well-established platform boasting a robust support ecosystem and potent UI capabilities, then React Native may be the more suitable option.
Conclusion: Both Flutter and React Native are reliable, but React Native has a robust support ecosystem.
Creating a user interface
The React Native framework boasts a more extensive community than Flutter. React Native offers many UI designs, libraries, comprehensive documentation, and additional resources. Additionally, a notably higher number of third-party libraries are available for React Nativethano Flutter.
Conclusion:React Native is the best choice for creating a user interface.
Documentation
Flutte has detailed platform setup and IDE information for both iOS and Android. Even the command line interface (CLI) comes with FlutterDoctorr, a tool to help developers get set up.
Thanks to its open-source nature, Flutter is exceptionally customizable and flexible, enabling developers to craft distinctive user experiences effortlessly.
React Native continues to evolve with each new update. To stay informed, be sure to keep an eye on React Native's official documentation and web resources.
Conclusion: Flutter has detailed documentation, but React Native evolving.
Ease of installation
React Native installation is straightforward but generates packages, which some developers may see as a minor inconvenience. However, this factor holds varying levels of importance for different users. It's worth noting that React Native primarily offers UI rendering and device access APIs, relying on third-party libraries to complement its functionality.
Flutter can be obtained from a small ZIP file, but then it must be added as a PATH variable from the command line. This makes things unnecessarily complicated.
Conclusion: React Native is much easier to install than Flutter
Community
React Native predates Flutter and boasts a larger community. Additionally, the Meta team has had ample time to refine the API and address underlying issues.
Furthermore, Meta is actively working on several noteworthy enhancements:
- Lean Core: This involves reducing an app's size by relocating optional components or features to separate repositories, allowing developers to add them to an app as needed.
- TurboModules: These are aimed at enhancing the handling of native modules.
- React Native Fabric: A re-architected UI layer for improved performance.
Conclusion: React Native now has more community support compared to Flutter.
Debugging
In React Native, debugging can be problematic, especially when a certain exception or error occurs somewhere in the native part of the application.
In response, Flutter makes debugging easier with tools that support development in Android Studio and Visual Studio.
Conclusion:Flutter wins this comparison.
Popularity
As of 2024, two primary hybrid app development frameworks continue to dominate the landscape: Flutter and React Native. Remarkably, the popularity of both frameworks continues to ascend. In 2023, React Native was favored by 42% of developers for app development, followed by Flutter, who chose 39%.
Conclusion: React Native wins by popularity.
Let's summarize the above in a table:
Let's go on!
What to choose in 2024: Flutter or React Native
When wondering what is better to choose, Flutter or React Native, we can only say there is no unambiguous answer. Each of them can be selected.
As far as we can tell, Flutter and React Native has a lot in common and not a lot. The first and most important fact is that both of them are open-source frameworks that anyone can use.
If you still have questions about the Flutter framework and whether it is a suitable option for your project in 2024, we suggest you read one of the studies on this topic.
Determining which technology will win 2024 is not straightforward. Both Flutter and React Native exhibit a range of strengths and weaknesses. Flutter stands out as a swift and dependable framework for crafting cross-platform mobile applications, offering access to open-source libraries and a robust ecosystem of plugins. On the other hand, React Native empowers developers to construct intricate user interfaces using JavaScript and benefits from a vast and dedicated developer community.
Ultimately, the choice between these two frameworks will likely hinge on individual requirements and preferences. If you prioritize a rapid and reliable platform that facilitates swift mobile app development, Flutter may be preferable. However, if you seek a well-established platform with extensive support and formidable UI capabilities, React Native could be the better choice for your needs.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this Flutter vs React Native article has given you some clarity and understanding about these two frameworks. Overall, after all the above research, we can conclude that Flutter can be a good choice for saving time and money on mobile app development. If you're considering mobile (or even web) app development for multiple platforms at the same time, we can help.
The developers at Stfalcon are hard at work and familiar with Flutter frameworks. All you need to do is let us know if you are interested in such a partnership, fill out the for,m and we will contact you to discuss all the details. We are looking forward to our cooperation!
