Flutter vs. React Native: Which Should You Choose for App Development?

Flutter and React Native are two popular frameworks used for app development. They are so similar that many developers struggle to decide which one to choose. This article walks you through an overview of Flutter and React Native, a comparison between them, and recommended use cases for each. Let's start with an overview of Flutter and React Native, along with their pros and cons.

1. Overview of Flutter and React Native: pros and cons

1.1.　Flutter

Flutter is an open-source UI software development kit (SDK) developed by Google. It provides a complete framework for building native-like UIs across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, web, desktop, and embedded devices.

Because Flutter is built with Dart, it runs fast. It also lets you build UIs with widgets, making customization quick and easy.

Flutter

A beta version was developed and released by a group of Google developers in February 2018, and the official version followed in July of the same year.

Although it is still a young, relatively new language, several growing Flutter communities already exist. Flutter 2.0 continues to evolve, incorporating hundreds of changes based on developer feedback.

Benefits of using Flutter:

• Excellent UI
• Comes integrated with its own testing features.
• A wide variety of widgets
• Faster apps
• Well-structured documentation and an active community

You may also be interested in: An introduction to Flutter widgets

Drawbacks of using Flutter:

• Not native
• Larger app file size
• A limited set of tools

1.2.　React Native

「React Native” is an open-source native application framework developed by Facebook. React Native lets you build native apps and is a cross-platform framework that runs on both iOS and Android.

React Native started as an internal project at Facebook in 2013 and was officially released in 2015.

React Native

React Native is not a mobile web app. It uses the same basic UI builder components as regular iOS and Android apps — meaning that instead of building with Java, Kotlin, or Swift, you build with JavaScript and get the same components rendered on both Android and iOS. React Native uses components equivalent to Flutter's widgets.

React Native is older than Flutter and boasts a larger community — not to mention that the Facebook team has had plenty of time to stabilize the API and focus on fixing fundamental issues.

Benefits of using React Native:

• Uses the popular JavaScript language and is used to build large-scale apps
• Reusable code — a single codebase can be used to build apps for multiple platforms
• A large, active community

Drawbacks of using React Native:

• Not native
• UI can be easily disrupted
• Slower apps
• Does not offer innovative components
• Limited options
• Abandoned libraries and packages
• Produces larger apps

2. Comparing Flutter and React Native

We've summarized the comparison between Flutter and React Native in the table below.

Specifically, when comparing Flutter and React Native, you should consider the following points:

• Programming language: The first decisive difference to consider between Flutter and React Native is the programming language. The former uses Dart, while the latter uses JavaScript (TypeScript).
• Installation: To install Flutter, you need to download the binary from GitHub and configure your system. React Native, on the other hand, is simpler — it's installed via NPM with a single terminal command. In addition, Flutter's file size is larger, which is a concern for Flutter developers.
• UI design mechanism: Flutter and React Native differ somewhat in how they build the application's UI. Flutter development is built entirely on widgets, whereas React Native relies on OS UI components. Because Flutter uses its own widget set, it offers higher compatibility and a consistent UI across platforms.
• Performance: Because they use different programming languages, Flutter and React Native differ in performance. A Flutter app, built with Dart, is compiled directly into native code, while a React Native app, built with JavaScript, is compiled via a bridge. As a result, Flutter performs faster than React Native.
• Developer experience: Both frameworks offer hot reload, but Flutter's hot reload is considered faster and more efficient, providing a better developer experience.
• 3D support: Flutter does not support 3D, while React Native's 3D support is highly regarded.
• Community: React Native has a large, active community and ecosystem, with a wide range of libraries and tools available. Flutter's ecosystem is also growing rapidly, but it has not yet caught up in scale, and it offers fewer tools.
• Documentation: Compared to React Native's number of libraries and tools, Flutter's documentation is still catching up in volume, but Flutter's official documentation is explained more carefully and better organized. React Native's documentation relies heavily on third-party libraries, so maintenance is inconsistent.

3. Flutter vs. React Native: which should you choose?

“Which is better, Flutter or React Native?” There is no single answer to this question. Which one is better depends on the developer's preferences and the project's requirements. Below, we explain who each framework is best suited for.

3.1. Who should choose Flutter

Flutter is a framework based on Dart, still a relatively new language, but it excels in app quality, maintainability, and versatility, and its popularity has grown in recent years. Job openings for it are also on the rise, so it is especially recommended for those who value future prospects.

Flutter is especially recommended for people who:

• Also want to build web apps
• Prioritize app quality
• Value ease of research
• Want to reduce maintenance time
• future prospects people who value that

In recent years, Flutter has become known as a more powerful and dynamic front-end framework compared to older, traditional frameworks, which is why the topic of Flutter's development time and cost has been drawing attention. If you're interested, click the link to check out our reference material on Flutter app development time and cost.

3.2. Who should choose React Native

React Native is a framework based on the popular JavaScript language, one that anyone aspiring to become a programmer has likely heard of at least once.

Although job openings are fewer, there are also fewer people who can work with it, so programmers with React Native experience tend to command higher salaries.

• Want to build large-scale apps
• Want to move from web development into mobile development

4. Conclusion

Flutter and React Native are two popular frameworks used for cross-platform mobile application development. They are so similar that many developers struggle to decide which one to choose. The choice between Flutter and React Native should be based on various factors, including project requirements, team expertise, performance needs, and user experience requirements. We recommend evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each framework and making an informed decision.

Miichisoft is a Vietnamese technology company with strengths in web and mobile app development, and we have supported many cross-platform development projects for Japanese clients. We have delivered more than 150 projects, including mobile app projects with over 1 million downloads and installs. If you're interested in cross-platform or mobile development, please don't hesitate to contact us.