Since developing and maintaining native apps for iOS and Android is more expensive, cross-platform apps continue to be of considerable interest to many organizations. Additionally, cross-platform programming is less difficult than native development, which is significant for business. Since 2018, the cross-platform framework for Flutter has become increasingly popular in a variety of sectors, including e-commerce, financial, and retail.
Both native development and Flutter provide a great degree of scalability and a good user experience. However, developing your app using Flutter is quicker and easier as it requires fewer developers and requires them to spend fewer hours.
Flutter: What is it?
A combination of tools known as a cross-platform framework enables the development of a single program that works on both iOS and Android. The majority of cross-platform frameworks generally have poor performance and a user experience that is less pleasant than native. However, it does not mention Flutter.
Popular cross-platform framework Flutter uses the Dart programming language and has a single code base. Google only introduced Flutter in 2018, but it has already established itself as a useful toolkit for producing high-quality UI components and animations. Despite being Google’s innovative approach to cross-platform development, Flutter offers fluid animations and approachable UI features. You can create high-quality, performant apps with the appearance and feel of native iOS and Android apps with Flutter.
Native technologies: what are they?
Unlike cross-platform technologies, native application development is platform-specific to either Android or iOS. Native applications are developed in languages that the OS provider for the device supports:
- Kotlin and Java for Android. Android Studio is the development environment.
- Swift and Objective-C are the iOS languages. Xcode is the development environment.
Native apps often have few significant limitations and allow users to fully utilize advanced functions like an accelerometer, camera, GPS, and others. Through well-known app shops like Google Play and the App Store, users may download native apps.
At the same time, native app development and maintenance need a considerable financial commitment. This is due to the fact that two distinct platforms require two distinct development teams. Additionally, they must adapt business logic, duplicate interface logic, and layout to each platform’s characteristics.
With Flutter, the working process is significantly simpler and quicker because just one development team is required. As a result, high-tech companies are increasingly favoring low-cost Flutter over native solutions.
Speed of development for native vs. Flutter apps
The ability to write only one piece of code for two distinct platforms thanks to Flutter drastically cuts down on both the cost and time of development. When compared to native codes, flutter codes are simpler to write. Developers have to build two different scripts for Android and iOS when using native technology, which unavoidably takes longer.
App functionality
When Google first released Flutter in 2017, it had several performance issues and a low FPS. All these issues have been resolved because of the advancement of technology, and Flutter now offers performance on par with native apps.
Native apps provide the most effective memory use in terms of usage. Flutter requires more RAM than native, and React Native performs much worse.
Code Enforcement
Since there is only one codebase shared by the two apps, maintaining a Flutter application is simpler. The shortcode makes it easier for programmers to source other tools, support third-party libraries, and identify problems rapidly. In addition, Flutter’s Hot Reload function aids in swiftly resolving application problems.
Dart (Flutter) vs. Kotlin for Android: Features and Integrations
Many developers utilize the popular object-oriented language Kotlin. Because the language is comparable to Java, learning it or switching to it is simple. Though there are fewer Flutter developers, the same is true of Dart, which is utilized in Flutter.
Flutter’s ability to combine business logic and user interface (UI) while using a single code base across two platforms is the primary distinction for businesses. UI cannot be unified by Kotlin, only business logic. Better tools, such as plug-ins for development environments, are offered by Flutter. The capabilities of Kotlin tools are constrained, and debugging with it is now all but impossible.
Swift, like the majority of native frameworks used to create iOS apps, offers enhanced safety and quick integration possibilities. For Android, Kotlin and Java work similarly.
Dart makes it simple to include the distinctive features of third-party plugins or libraries. Even yet, developers who are unfamiliar with Dart’s capabilities could find it challenging. Additionally, the Flutter engine default has certain restrictions on connecting native modules through Xcode or Android Studio. The detailed instructions in the Flutter documentation address potential issues and help you effectively integrate it for Android and iOS.
Dart (Flutter) vs. Swift for iOS: Features & Integrations
For iOS, Swift is still one of the most widely used programming languages, and many developers laud it for its excellent frameworks and documentation. Swift iOS integration is easier and requires fewer settings as compared to Flutter. Swift may also have trouble integrating with some third-party technologies. Dart’s code is compatible with several platforms, including Android. Additionally, Flutter makes speedier code authoring, which is a great option for MVPs.
The availability of app developers
When Flutter technology first came out two or three years ago, there weren’t many developers using it. The absence of Flutter initiatives globally was the main cause of this. As a result, it took some time to assemble a solid team of more than 5 Flutter engineers.
The circumstance has altered today. Many developers have gained valuable expertise working on large projects during the past few years. Google reports that more than 500.000 Flutter applications have already been made available.
The quality of the teams using Flutter has also increased. It takes more than just learning Dart and producing a few examples to launch a full-fledged Flutter project. Most teams now have experience working on actual, large-scale projects. Putting together a competent team for your Flutter project is, therefore, simpler now than it was three years ago.
Cost of developing apps
Because two independent pieces of code must be developed for two distinct platforms with distinct functions, native programming is significantly more expensive.
Applications of native and Flutter technologies
The decision between Flutter and native technology is heavily influenced by organizational objectives. Currently, Flutter is largely used by medium-sized and large companies, including the applications for Alibaba, BMW, and Tencent. There are currently up to 3000 apps on an open list of Flutter-built apps. Developers use native technology to build complex, specialized apps with cutting-edge features.
The financial industry may find the usage of Flutter to be particularly intriguing. Since Flutter’s source codes are converted into native code, which cannot be read by humans, it may even be safer than native apps.
Applications on Flutter can also employ Touch ID, Face ID, or a fingerprint scanner, which are security features built into the banking platform itself. With over 20 million members outside of Asia, the biggest digital bank, Nubank, has already shared an instance of Flutter being successfully integrated into a mobile application.