Flutter vs React Native: Which Framework to Choose?

1. Company backing

React Native

React Native made its first public appearance during Facebook’s 2013 summer hackathon. The framework was open-sourced by the social media giant back in 2015. To this day, a dedicated team is working on improving the platform’s performance and is constantly adding notable enhancements. With Facebook’s direct involvement, the product gained immense popularity, as well as the trust of developers.

Flutter

Flutter is supported by Google. The framework was launched in 2018, so it’s a bit younger than React Native. Flutter also provides an advanced software development kit to developers and stands behind the same concept: to create mobile apps using a single codebase. Google is heavily backing Flutter, and it’s heavily invested in making the framework one of the best solutions to build cross-platform apps.

Conclusion

Both React Native and Flutter are backed by corporate giants, and they won’t be losing this support anytime soon.

2. Programming language

React Native

React Native uses and is entirely written in JavaScript, a programming language that is very popular among aspiring and veteran developers alike. A big advantage of JavaScript is that it ranks as one of the most widely used programming languages in the world. This means that you won’t have too much trouble finding a JavaScript developer to build your mobile app with React Native.

Flutter

Flutter, on the other hand, is written in a programming language called Dart. Even though it’s relatively easy to learn, it lacks the popularity and stability that JavaScript has. Developers who want to use Flutter will need to learn the new programming language from scratch. The learning curve is reasonable, especially for devs with a background in Java and C++, but it will mean more time invested in the development process.

Conclusion

React Native has a slight edge here, as JavaScript is more widely used. However, learning a new programming language isn’t necessarily a disadvantage. If you’re on a tight schedule, though, it might become an issue.

3. Architecture

React Native

There are two main frameworks used in building React Native apps, namely Flux and Redux. Flux is the one created by Facebook, while Redux is the community’s most popular option. These frameworks use unidirectional data flow and store your app’s state in a central place dubbed Store. You can also use the Context API, which is a new React feature.

Flutter

As Flutter is a relatively new cross-platform framework, there’s a small amount of uncertainty about which architecture is best to implement while working with it. Google recommends BLoC, which is short for Business Logic Component. The BLoC pattern heavily relies on streams and RxDart (Reactive Dart), and it’s the most popular approach among developers. You can also use Redux for Flutter, but it tends to overcomplicate things, and it involves a lot more code than BLoC, so that’s something to keep in mind.

Conclusion

Again, React Native has a slight advantage due to being a matured product. The Flux/Redux architecture is also much more widely used than BLoC, which might take some time to get used to.

4. Productivity

React Native

React Native supports Hot Reload, which speeds up the development process significantly. This allows developers to make quick UI changes that instantly show in the app. React Native provides developers with methods to quickly divide executed codes and styles into various classes.

Flutter

Flutter also supports Hot Reload. Using the Dart programming language, developers can customize the UI layout of the app, which allows them to create structures, platforms, and widgets that can be easily reused. Furthermore, Flutter is easy to install and you can effortlessly run internal checks for issues.

Conclusion

Both React Native and Flutter are easy to code and support hot reloading, however, they follow different configuration processes, which can impact productivity and take more time.

5. Performance

When it comes to the issue of performance, Flutter is the clear winner. The platform is compiled to ARM or x86 native libraries, which means it’s super fast – faster than React Native by far. Additionally, Flutter is compiled to a native code (the Dart programming language), compared to React Native, which uses JavaScript. This also greatly improves performance, as writing in native code is almost always a quicker and smoother experience.

Conclusion

Flutter wins this one, due to having its own native coding language and compiling in x86 native libraries. However, performance might not be your only concern while developing your mobile app, so you should take into account all the other aspects we covered above.

Still unsure of the differences between Flutter and React Native? Check out this table for a summarised comparison:

Although Flutter is still new, and its library isn’t as wide as React Native’s, the platform is continuously refining its features and processes. With its rapidly expanding community, it’s just a matter of time until it catches up to React Native. For now, React Native might have the upper hand, simply because it’s older, so it’s more stable and mature. But, if you’re up for a challenge, then you might give Flutter a try; just be aware that there’s a steeper learning curve involved.

Choosing the right framework to build your next mobile product depends on the team you choose to work with, as well as your own time and budget limitations. If your developers already know Dart, it’s a safe bet. If the team you are working with has extensive experience programming in JavaScript, then going for React Native is probably the best – and most effective – choice.