React Native vs Flutter - Which is Better for App Development in 2024

Dinesh Thakur

30 Aug 2024

When it comes to developing an app for iOS and Android, most startups and businesses find themselves choosing between two popular frameworks—Flutter and React Native. Both have their set of features, benefits, and communities and are used to cut costs and release apps faster. Thus choosing between the two is challenging for developers and business alike.

In this blog, we’ll help you navigate the decision-making process by comparing React Native and Flutter. From their ecosystems to performance, user interface capabilities, and overall developer experience, we’ll explore everything you need to know. Whether you’re a developer looking for the right tools, a business owner planning your next big app, or just curious about mobile development, this guide will give you the knowledge you need to make an informed decision. Ready to make the choice? Let’s get started.

Market Overview of Mobile App Development

• There are over 3.2 billion mobile app users worldwide.
• 92% of mobile users spend their time engaging with apps and social media, leaving just 8% using web browsers.
• Global mobile app development market size is projected to reach USD 666.1 billion growing at a CAGR of 12.1% during the forecast period (2024–2032).
• The Largest Market of AI-powered mobile apps is North America.
• The top end-users of mobile apps span across different industries, including - healthcare, banking, retail, airlines, media, education, transport, hotels and government.

These stats highlight the critical importance of developing compelling, user-friendly mobile apps to capture and retain your audience's attention.

What is Flutter?

Imagine building stunning apps for mobile, web, and desktop—all without having to write separate code for each platform. That’s exactly what Flutter, Google’s open-source UI toolkit, offers. Powered by Dart, Flutter is all about efficiency and ease.

Flutter is on a fast track to becoming a favorite among developers. As we dive into the React Native vs. Flutter debate, it’s clear that Flutter is gaining serious traction. This trend is evident in regions like Kenya, China, Bangladesh, Japan, and Jordan, where Flutter’s market share is now higher than React Native’s. This rise is especially impressive considering that just a few years ago, only about 30% of developers were leaning towards Flutter. This growing preference highlights Flutter’s increasing influence and the excitement it’s generating in the global developer community.

Popular Companies Using Flutter

• Google
• Groupon
• Alibaba Group
• Tencent
• EMAAR
• Sonos

Features of Flutter for App Development

Architecture and Design: Flutter brings a fresh perspective to app development with its unique strategy. It doesn’t rely on native components; instead, it leverages a high-performance rendering engine to generate its own widgets. This ensures your app looks and feels consistent across every platform, a huge benefit for brands that value a unified user experience.
Capabilities for Desktop and Web App Development: Flutter goes beyond just mobile apps—it extends its reach to desktop and web applications too. It transforms your source code into native binaries, fully supporting desktop environments like Windows, macOS, and Linux. For web development, Flutter specializes in crafting Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and Single Page Applications (SPAs), making it easy to extend your app’s reach from mobile to the web.
Development Process: Flutter offers a smoother and more efficient development process. A range of third-party UI libraries packed with ready-to-use components can significantly reduce development time. Plus, Flutter’s “Hot Reloading” and “Hot Restart” features are game changers, allowing developers to see changes instantly.

Pros and Cons of Flutter

Pros

• Built with native C/C++ and Dart, Flutter excels in developing high-performance apps. Its support for hardware acceleration features like Skia further optimizes performance, leading to smoother and more responsive apps.
• Flutter apps are known to be relatively large, but this comes with the benefit of a single codebase. This setup saves valuable space and makes maintaining the app straightforward and efficient.
• Designed to work with a minimum SDK version of 16, Flutter can be compiled for Android 4.1, making it accessible across a wide variety of devices.
• Flutter utilizes the reactive programming paradigm, offering a more straightforward and efficient approach compared to traditional methods.

Cons

• Flutter doesn’t deliver the same performance as more established native platforms. Like any cross-platform framework, there can be performance differences when compared to apps developed natively.
• Flutter may not be the best choice for older or low-end devices.
• Although Flutter offers a robust set of UI components, the documentation and support may lag behind than other mobile development platforms.

What is React Native?

React Native, created by Meta (formerly Facebook) in 2015, is an open-source framework. It empowers developers to build mobile apps using JavaScript. Built on React, it provides a near-native experience and allows for substantial code reuse between iOS and Android, making cross-platform development more efficient.

React Native is a popular choice among developers for building cross-platform mobile applications. By using JavaScript, React Native allows developers to craft apps that run seamlessly on both iOS and Android devices. Its widespread adoption is due to its ability to deliver a native-like experience for users, despite the application being built with JavaScript.

Popular Companies Using React Native

• Facebook
• Instagram
• F8
• Bloomberg
• Pinterest
• Skype
• Tesla

Features of React Native for App Development

Cross-Platform Compatibility: One of React Native’s most impressive features is its support for cross-platform development. With just one codebase, developers can create applications that operate seamlessly across both iOS and Android platforms. This approach reduces the need for separate codebases, which speeds up the development process and eases maintenance.
Hot Reloading: React Native’s “Hot Reloading” feature is a game-changer. It lets developers view code changes instantly without needing to restart the app. This quick feedback mechanism speeds up development, enhances productivity, and supports rapid iterations.
Reusable Components: React Native’s focus on reusable components empowers developers to create modular and scalable apps. By reusing components across various app sections or even across different projects, development becomes more efficient, and design consistency is easily maintained.

Pros and Cons of React Native

Pros

• React Native apps deliver impressive speed and responsiveness. Leveraging native UI elements, it crafts an experience that is both fast and responsive, ensuring that your app runs smoothly and efficiently, just like a fully native application.
• React Native apps are more compact than fully native applications. This is due to JavaScript's lighter footprint compared to native languages like Java or Swift.
• React Native typically requires a lower minimum SDK version than other frameworks. This often results in more lightweight apps with less code, making React Native a more efficient choice for developers focused on optimizing app size.
• React Native excels in UI development by leveraging a declarative programming style, making it easier to build responsive user interfaces that maintain a consistent look and feel across different devices.

Cons

• Though React Native apps are generally fast and responsive, they don’t quite achieve the level of speed native apps offer. This is because React Native sometimes bypasses native components, preventing it from fully exploiting the device’s hardware power.
• Apps built with React Native can still become quite large depending on the app’s complexity.
• With a minimum SDK version of 21, React Native is not compatible with older Android versions, potentially limiting its reach.
• Developing UIs with React Native can be complex and demanding, often requiring in-depth knowledge of React and native UI components, which can extend the development time.

Technical Comparison: Flutter vs React Native

Choosing the right framework for mobile app development involves evaluating several technical factors. Here’s a comparison of Flutter and React Native to help you make an informed choice:

Also Read: What Are The Features of Angular

Similarities Between React Native and Flutter

When comparing React Native and Flutter, it's important to note that both are open-source platforms for cross-platform mobile app development and share some common features, such as hot reload. 

Hot Reload Feature: Hot Reload lets developers instantly view changes made in the code without needing to restart the application. This feature speeds up coding, accelerates development, and simplifies bug-fixing, making the entire process more efficient and streamlined.

Both React Native and Flutter support a single codebase for multiple mobile platforms, including Android and iOS. This approach ensures that users on both platforms get the same app experience. It also significantly cuts down testing efforts, reducing the amount of testing needed by almost half, thanks to the efficiency of writing fewer tests for different platforms.

Which is Better Flutter or React Native for App Development?

To choose between the two frameworks is a daunting task. Being an app owner, you should consider the following questions before choosing the best framework for your next project.

• Which framework suits your app development best?
• Which technology will expedite the app development journey?
• How to ensure app’s stability and user-friendliness?

Evaluating your project’s priorities in these areas can help you make a more informed decision about whether React Native or Flutter is the better fit for your app.

When to Choose Flutter or React Native?

When Flutter Could Be Your Best Bet:

• Uniform User Interface: Choose Flutter if you want a seamless and consistent UI across both iOS and Android platforms.
• Custom UI Designs: Flutter is best when you need unique and visually distinctive interfaces that stand out from the crowd.
• High-Performance Needs: Flutter's ability to compile directly into native code makes it ideal for applications where performance is critical.
• Fast Prototyping: With its hot reload feature and rich widget library, Flutter excels in rapid prototyping, letting you bring ideas to life quickly.

When React Native Could Be Your Best Bet

• JavaScript Integration: If you have an existing JavaScript codebase or want to utilize JavaScript resources, React Native can help you leverage these effectively.
• Native Look and Feel: React Native is perfect for apps that aim to replicate the native look and feel of both iOS and Android platforms.
• Complex Business Logic: For applications with intricate business logic, React Native's architecture is well-equipped to handle complexity.
• Strong Community and Resources: Benefit from React Native's mature community, which provides a wealth of knowledge, tools, and support to enhance your development experience.

Conclusion

When it comes to cross-platform mobile development, both React Native and Flutter stand out as powerful frameworks for creating top-notch iOS and Android apps. Your perfect match will depend on what you’re after. For a framework that’s easy to pick up and backed by a thriving community, React Native is a great fit. If top-tier performance is your goal, Flutter could be your go-to.

The best way to decide? Connect with us over a quick call and our experts developers will help you decide based on your projects’ needs and requirements. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Flutter Faster Than React Native?

The introduction of JSI in React Native has significantly improved its performance, narrowing the gap with Flutter. However, Flutter apps might still have a slight performance edge. This slight difference is typically dependent on your app's specific functions and requirements.

Is Flutter Better Than React Native?

Flutter continues to gain ground over React Native in terms of popularity. It offers  user-friendly development experience and has a robust problem-solving community on GitHub. However, the shortage of Flutter developers is a major hurdle. Despite the numerous benefits Flutter offers, determining the best framework for near-native app development involves careful consideration.

Is Flutter Native or Hybrid?

Flutter is a powerful SDK that empowers developers to build hybrid and cross-platform mobile apps with native-like UI elements, ensuring a consistent and polished user experience.

Flutter Vs. React Native — Which Framework Will Be Most Beneficial For My Startup?

For your new venture, we recommend choosing React Native. It's a proven framework adopted by leading Fortune 500 companies and promising startups like Discord and Shopify. Here’s why React Native stands out: 

• React Native significantly reduces development time by enabling you to build apps for both iOS and Android with a single codebase.
• React Native offers smooth, fluid animations and a seamless user experience, minimizing glitches and lags.
• React Native’s ability to reduce bugs and simplify the development process means fewer hours spent on fixing issues.

What is The Popularity of Flutter vs. React Native?

Both Flutter and React Native are key players in mobile app development. They bring unique strengths to the table. Flutter is quickly making a name for itself with its extensive collection of pre-designed widgets and strong performance. It ensures a consistent user experience across platforms.

React Native, with its established history, enjoys a larger community and extensive resources. Its widespread use among developers and companies reflects its reliability and broad support. Deciding between Flutter and React Native largely depends on your project's requirements and your team's familiarity with the frameworks. 

Is Flutter Going to Replace React Native?

It’s not expected that Flutter will entirely replace React Native. Both frameworks offer unique advantages and cater to different aspects of app development. Flutter is known for its high performance and innovative UI elements, while React Native excels with its robust community and JavaScript integration. Both frameworks address different developer needs, and their coexistence reflects the diversity of choices available in mobile app development.