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Which Is Best For Your Mobile App: React Native Or Flutter?
Imagine a life without mobile apps.
Sounds difficult? Well, over 6 billion smartphone users on the planet agree with you!
Research by App Annie (Source: App Annie) shows that 204 billion mobile applications were installed in 2019! Not only that, but the app’s revenue has reached $33 billion in the first half of 2022.
You should consider React native or Flutter app development if you plan to launch an iOS or Android mobile app. After choosing the best platform for your mobile app development, you can search for good React Native development services or Flutter development companies.
And you will need to make a choice: whom to hire Flutter or React Native developer.
And that’s where we will help you!
Here, we have created a head-to-head comparison between React Native and Flutter. By the end of the article, you will have a clear idea of who won.
Let’s find out which is best for your mobile app–React Native or Flutter!
What Exactly Is React Native Frameworks?
Facebook’s React Native is an open-source JavaScript Mobile Framework that specializes in developing mobile apps for Android and iOS. The basis of React Native is ReactJS in the JavaScript library, which helps create a user interface perfect for mobile applications.
There are two ways in which React Native can be used in mobile app development:
- Directly inside the Android and IOS apps
- Building the React Native app from scratch.
Some mobile applications running on React Native include Facebook, Pinterest, Skype, and others.
Advantages of Using React Native
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- Reusable Codes Enabling Native Look and Feel
The React Native framework allows developers to build cross-platform applications that work across Android and IOS.
- Reusable Codes Enabling Native Look and Feel
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- Live Reload
The app development and testing in React Native are easy, as the changes are available right after the code is saved. Further, there’s no issue with code compilation that makes it more accessible.
- Live Reload
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- Component Flexibility
React Native offers native components like Text, View, and Image that change when the app is shifted to an Android or iOS device.
- Component Flexibility
What is the Disadvantage of Using React Native?
- Unforeseen Life Cycle
React Native is a newer concept in the market, due to which its life cycle isn’t accurately assessed. Thus, this factor can become a problem.
- A Newer Concept
Applications on React Native are built on JSX, which can be difficult and challenging for developers, especially freshers.
A brief on Flutter
Flutter has been in the market longer than React Native; previously, it was called the Sky. However, the new version of Flutter was released in 2019 after implementing changes per the user’s feedback.
The platform is open-source and reflects Dart programming languages like C++. For developers, Flutter gives them an edge in working with features like geolocation, camera, storage, network, and a lot more.
Advantages of using Flutter
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- Easy Coding
Flutter does not require heavy coding; thus, developers needn’t depend on using Javascript.
- Easy Coding
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- Renewed Features
Flutter comes up with renewed features for functionalities and mechanisms for customization and excellent user experience.
- Renewed Features
Disadvantages of using Flutter
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- Needs Improvement
Despite Flutter’s attempts to improve it requires a lot of updates in future versions.
- Needs Improvement
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- Restrictions
Due to limited third-party libraries in Flutter, developers have to use shortcuts. This increases the difficulty in developing apps quickly.
- Restrictions
Factors To Consider While Choosing the Right Mobile Application Development Platform
Check out the significant factors while choosing the best platform for your mobile app development (React Native and Flutter as comparison sources).
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Development Time
Flutter:
Flutter uses two different programming languages for IOS and Android, so the applications are separately developed on both platforms. When a code is changed, the entire process of building the app has to start again.
React Native:
React Native supports the development of applications on the two given platforms — iOS and Android with the help of native UI elements. Instead, it runs on JavaScript for both Android and IOS. The best part about it is hot reloading. And hence, due to rapid development, React Native provides a faster time to market than Flutter.
Who wins: React Native wins on the development time.
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Mobile App Cost
To determine the cost of Rect native mobile app development, you must know the:
- Features you are looking for in the mobile app
- Total number of react native developers to hire
- Development budget
React Native:
As per reports, the cost of developing mobile applications on React Native can be reduced to 30–35% due to:
- React component reusability
- Single code base
- Easier maintenance
- Takes 33–35% less development time than the Flutter app
Flutter:
Since Flutter, developers have to work on two separate UIs for Android and iOS, the cost is higher than React Native.
Who Wins: React Native takes an edge over the cost factor of mobile app development.
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UI/UX Experience
React Native
In React Native, developers can reuse and write platform-specific codes. However, the challenge in React Native development is creating a complex user interface that involves navigation, seamless custom views, patterns, transitions, and animations.
Flutter: This is not the scenario with Flutter since the designing for Android app development and iOS development are done individually. This helps in a better UI/UX experience with Flutter.
Who wins: Flutter wins over the factor of UI/UX designing in mobile app development.
Read also: Is React Native Smart Choice Over the Hybrid for Mobile App Development in 2021?
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Scalability
React Native: React Native gives developers an inbound opportunity to process more work in an app and launch updates with high functionality.
Flutter: Flutter provides limited opportunity for scalability, as updates and functions are limited. Thus, scalability in React Native is much higher in comparison to Flutter.
Who wins: React Native wins over the factor of Scalability in mobile app development.
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Performance
React Native: React Native is associated with JavaScript, meaning there is only one dedicated device thread. It cannot accommodate multiple asynchronous activities at one time. Further, the framework isn’t very supportive of multiple functionalities and modules. As a result, it’s difficult to build complex apps with native device features.
Flutter: For Flutter, the Android language is Java or Kotlin, which works better for advanced hardware devices, and features and initiates heavy calculations. Developers find it easy to create applications using native technologies.
Who wins: Flutter wins here due to its ability to accommodate complex app functions.
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Support and Maintenance
Flutter: Maintaining applications with Flutter can be time-consuming and tedious. It comes from the fact that there are two ends to focus on and resolve individually. Developers have to focus on Android and iOS versions separately to remove bugs and address users’ issues.
React Native: With React Native mobile application development, there is only one end for both React Native iOS and Android apps. Hence, resolving bugs is easy and less time-consuming. Thus, app maintenance is more manageable with React Native than with Flutter.
Who wins: React Native wins here due to easy maintenance.
These were the criteria on which we tried to study the efficacy of React Native and Flutter. Now, in the latter part of the blog, let us look at the conclusions drawn from the factors.
When Should You Go For Flutter Mobile App Development Services?
Choose Flutter app development services when you want to:
- Keep your app UI centered and build MVP quickly to launch it
- Build a utility application that relies on native features. For example, playing videos in the application’s background or an app that can control the brightness
- Develop IoT-based apps
- Pay more focus to the native user experience
- Aim to develop mobile apps that perform at a speed of 60 to 120 FPS
- Have a tight budget
When Should You Go For React Native Mobile App Development Services?
Choose React Native App Development over Flutter as an ideal solution when you:
- Wish to create progressive cross platforms apps like Facebook and Instagram that will grow over time.
- You are bound due to budget. Since React Native works with a single codebase, you won’t need to develop apps for multiple platforms. Moreover, one set of JavaScript developers can work on the app without requiring native app developers.
- React Native is highly flexible, which means multiple developers can work on a single project simultaneously and complete the project in record time!
- React Native framework has several shortcuts which improve the productivity of developers. For example, with hot reloading, developers don’t have to reload the entire app if they make changes. And when developers are productive, you can bet that the app will turn out well.
Why is React Native a Preferred Development Platform for Startups?
React Native is a prevalent one among start-up companies. Below are the reasons that prove it:
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Target Varied Audience
With React Native, the application can be launched on both platforms, i.e., iOS and Android.
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Budget
When you don’t want to invest heavily, React Native becomes an ideal choice as the development cost is low.
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Combating Launch Dilemma
The app launch time is one occasion that must be decided by looking at and studying the market’s structure. With React Native, the launch is easy as it happens simultaneously on both platforms without delay.
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React Native Vs. Flutter!: What’s Your Choice?
React Native has gained popularity because it is easy to use and is flexible to support the development of various web app solutions.
However, Flutter is a strong competitor to React Native, and it indeed has a promising future backed by Google.
If you decide to go with React Native choose React Native App Development Company. This is a leading native app development service firm in the USA with a strong case study portfolio and a team of experienced developers.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, React Native is the JavaScript on which an app is built. It works for Android as well as iOS. It is a cross-platform application that works on a single codebase: JavaScript with JSX.
No, there is no speed problem with React Native.
While React Native takes less development time and maintains cross-platform usage, Flutter is good at UI/UX design. So depending upon your requirements, you can choose one of them.
One feature in the React Native app could take 40 hours to develop. A complex part can take up to 100 hours, too.
The development cost of a React Native application depends on many factors, such as app complexity, functionality, and others. All of these influence the cost of development. The cost can vary from $30,000 to $100,000.