Mobile applications, or apps, are extremely popular and can generate billions of dollars in revenue. To make these apps, developers use programs like Swift and Flutter.

Swift may be the trusty veteran of the two, but rookie Flutter’s structure and adaptability make it a great competitor.

The Veteran: Swift

This programming language is the successor of Apple’s previous language, Objective-C. Released in 2014, Swift has been continuously updated since then and remains exceedingly popular.

The Rookie: Flutter

Unlike Swift, Flutter isn’t a programming language. It’s actually a UI toolkit that uses another programming language, Dart, along with widgets. Flutter was released in 2015, while Dart came out in 2011, both of which were created by Google.

The Comparison

–      Coding Speed: Swift was built with iOS systems in mind and can handle the entire process of making an app. Flutter, however, relies heavily on widgets to put apps together. It also is faster when modifications need to be made due to that reliance on third-party elements.

–      User Interface: iOS systems like Swift because of their compatibility, though it does require developers to build apps from the ground up. Pre-made UI elements are what Flutter thrives on since it simply uses tools that have already been created to make something new.

–      Performance Speed: Swift can handle larger, more complex structures with its battle-tested features, which can be a huge advantage with graphic designing. Flutter’s programming language, Dart, contains two important things—garbage collecting and compiled AOT (or Ahead of Time).

–      Stability: With daily use from their creators, Swift and Flutter’s level of stability is high. Both Apple and Google use their own software, which they ensure are updated often enough to have ironed out most issues young software like these generally have.

While there are many other categories by which to compare the two, their impact is substantial in the app development industry. Big-name companies utilize one or the other according to their needs.

Companies Using Swift

Firefox for iOS uses Swift due to the secure nature of the iOS system it’s based on. Asana is a Software as a Service (Saas), which relies on Swift for its extensive project management capabilities. Lyft, a popular delivery and taxi-like app needs Swift to maintain the complexity of the app’s features smoothly.

Companies Using Flutter

For Realtor.com, Flutter comes in handy for marketing and allows for quickly locating real estate properties. The app for Philips Hue is vastly popular, thanks to Flutter, when changing smart lights throughout homes easily. Google Ads utilizes its own app to manage its online advertising.

Summary

While Swift and Flutter could essentially compete in some areas to see which is a better tool for app development, the fact remains—the two are still very different. The most obvious difference is that Swift is a programming language while Flutter is a toolkit that uses a programming language and builds on it with the help of widgets. Nonetheless, both tools continue to be popular for mobile app development.