The growth of the mobile app development industry has simplified the lifestyle of people across different business sectors. The continual progress of mobile apps has had a major influence on users increasing their expectations over time.
The evolution of mobile app development is happening due to the discovery of multiple technologies over time that offer rich features. Currently, React Native and Flutter are the master class frameworks for the smoother development of full-fledged mobile apps. Both technologies have so much to offer that it has become quite a challenge to prioritize one over another.
Considering the recent stats by Statista in 2022, 46% of the developers used Flutter to build mobile apps, and 32% utilized React Native as their primary framework. So, it is true that competition is quite tough but you can go with either a Flutter app development company or a Native one
In this post, we are going to dissect all the differences between these two frameworks, so you can make the right decision and select the one that suits best your requirements. Let’s start with the primary definitions.
Understanding Flutter
Flutter is one of the latest inclusions in the mobile app development frameworks, launched by Google in 2017. The aim behind building this framework is to develop cross-platform mobile apps with a native experience and it has been successful in fulfilling the objective to a major extent.
Flutter enables developers to reuse the same code base to create applications for both Android and iOS platforms. The great thing about Flutter is that Google provides it with regular updates to enhance its performance. Some popular companies like Alibaba, Philip Hue, Hamilton, etc. depend on Flutter for their app development operations.
Understanding React Native
React Native has been a credible framework for a long time in the app development industry to create full-fledged mobile applications. It was launched in 2015 by Facebook and since then it has taken app development by storm. React Native sets the bar of producing a high-quality user interface that interactively presents different functionalities.
It is also similar to Flutter in the case of building cross-platform applications. React Native uses JavaScript as the core programming language while Flutter uses Dart. Applications like Skype Instagram, Facebook Uber Eats, etc. utilize React Native for the development of their smooth interface and functionality.
Key Difference Between Flutter & React Native
When both technologies have so much to offer, it becomes difficult to differentiate. However, we are presenting some variations among both frameworks to help you choose one of them. These differences are based on the fundamental aspects of each framework to ensure a clear direction for development.
Architecture
Flutter is based on Dart which has a wide range of its own inbuilt components. Therefore, it has a large scale containing multiple components without any dependency on third-party modules. Dart utilizes the Skia C++ engine having all protocols and channels providing everything within the engine for a smooth development process.
However, the architecture of the React Native framework highly depends upon the runtime environment of JavaScript. The compilation of script code in native takes place at runtime, so React Native utilizes Flux architecture from Facebook. So, the structural complexity of React Native makes it a bit difficult for the deployment of the app.
User Interface
When it comes to the UI, React Native is dependent on the native components to develop both Android and iOS apps. There is a wide range of external UI kits in Reactive libraries that enable them to build unique user interfaces.
Flutter is more about structuring or customizing the already existing visuals, architecture, and interactive widgets based on the requirements of your app. The widgets are the built-in UI components provided by Flutter to develop an interactive user interface.
Performance
The connection between native components and React is leveraged by JavaScript using a bridge which usually slows down the speed. Therefore, the runtime speed and the overall performance of React Native apps are comparatively slower than Flutter apps.
Meanwhile, Flutter is not obliged to any bridge connections to integrate native components as it has its own built-in UI widgets. Therefore, the performance remains smooth with a faster functionality to perform multiple operations.
Final Thoughts
Both React Native and Flutter are undoubtedly great options for developing stunning mobile applications. However, each framework has its pros and cons. In his blog, we have presented them according to their fundamental considerations, so you can understand them and make sure what suits your requirements best.
When you have clarity regarding the technology you want to choose, you can collaborate with a reliable custom software development company. As a result, you can go 100% with the right platform to build an application that becomes a real booster for your business growth.