Is React Native of Flutter Better for Developing Mobile Apps?

The number of mobile apps is increasing every single day. When you think about it carefully, you will see that the development of these has become a necessity. The reason is quite simple. These are much more convenient than websites, especially for potential customers who spend a lot of their time on mobile phones.

As a result, practically all businesses do not only create a website, but they also strive towards developing a mobile app that will attract much more potential clients. The two main competitors in this field are two operational systems, Android and iOS. So, before you proceed to make one of these, be sure to select the system.

At the same time, the trend of mobile phones becoming much cheaper, therefore, more available to people, has pushed developers towards creating cross-platform apps. That way, it is possible for the app to be used by every potential user interested in it.

Now, we want to talk about two frameworks, Flutter and React Native, to help you make the best possible choice regarding this question.

Flutter: Google’s Framework

We will start with Flutter. We are talking about a cross-platform framework, which was created by Google. It was made available to the public back in 2017, and its popularity has risen significantly since. It allows you to create an application for numerous platforms by just developing one single code. Before that, companies would need to invest additional money into other tools and teams of programmers.

As you can presume, hiring a couple of teams of developers is a hefty investment. Not to mention that testing all these codes, and making them work well with each other was an additional thing that could make the company invest significant amounts of money over time. Therefore, nobody should be surprised that Flutter is in use these days.

By using this one, you can create an app for numerous platforms. Not only that, you can create one everybody can use on different operational systems. Imagine the potential of creating an app that can be used on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, without investing the additional effort. The best version of this framework now is Flutter 3.

Pros and Cons

The most important advantage of using Flutter is that it offers the developer a chance to edit the current code, without interrupting the process by reloading it. As a result, the developers will not waste the time they can invest in more urgent things surrounding the project, which is a big plus.

Another one is that you will have a chance to make the testing much simpler and less time-consuming. What do we mean when we say this? Well, you do not need to conduct it for all the platforms when you are about to create a cross-platform app. So, you can see that this process is reduced by 50%.

When it comes to downsides, it needs to be said that the biggest one is platform dependency. As is the case with any third-party platform, this one faces a risk of dependency. If one day the company that created it decides that it wants to find an alternative for it, then all the apps that were created with it will face a lot of problems. With no updates, they will be forced to seek another solution for their software.

React Native: Facebook’s Framework

React Native is a framework created by Facebook’s development teams. The code for the framework was written in JavaScript, which simplifies the process of creating practically every sort of app you want. Everyone with substantial experience in creating mobile apps knows how easier it is to do so using JavaScript.

As a result, you can see that all the leading companies in the world are using this framework for creating their software. Probably one of the most interesting cases was it being used by Microsoft, which says a lot about its quality. If this doesn’t add up to the credibility of React Native, we don’t know what will.

The most important feature of React Native is its architecture, which has become a reality in the latest version, 0.68. It needs to be said that this version is a new one, and all the libraries are yet to make a transfer to it. In any case, the future of React Native looks pretty bright since it offers numerous benefits to the user.

Pros and Cons

The most powerful thing React Native has to offer to its users is a lightning-fast refresh. So React Native developers will not have to wait too long to see the results of the edits that have been made to the code. All the changes will become visual instantly. It also helps with preventing limitations caused by native modules.

The second most important benefit of React Native is, well, JavaScript. JavaScript has become so widespread that there’s practically no major project that doesn’t involve it. As a result, React Native makes it possible for your project to be compatible with various platforms, and possible integration with other similar software.

Flexibility adds to the popularity of this framework. When we say flexibility, we mean that programmers can decide when they will use React Native, and when they will shift to the native environment.

When it comes to the problematic side of things, we would like to point out that unstable UI is the biggest downside of this concept. So, nobody should be surprised when the complete framework breaks down for no obvious reason. It can lead to the code being not usable, which is always frustrating.

The Verdict

Deciding which one of these is a better choice for your project is not an easy decision to make. First, you need to take all your needs and preferences into consideration. Later, it is important to know what your development team is capable of. Sure, someone would say that a capable team can adapt to anything, but this is not always the case. Arm yourself with patience and see which one of these is better for you.