According to data from Comscore that mobile users spend 87 percent of their time using apps and only 13% of their time on the internet. From waking you up in the morning to aiding you to sleep, there's an app to do it all. Apps and smartphones are expanding at an unprecedented pace. Unfortunately, the situation will not change soon.
In this competitive marketplace flooded with applications, getting an edge is an excellent opportunity. Creating a stunning application with top-quality functions with an unbeatable user experience is an enormous task to contemplate. But, with the proper framework, it's an easy task.
The article will discuss the three most popular frameworks, Flutter, React Native, and Native, and how they compete against one another.
Let's get started on this battle.
What is Flutter?
Flutter is a suite of open-source development software for creating modern cross-platform applications for Google. It was first introduced in 2015 and was dubbed the Sky. At that time, it was only compatible with Android and rendered 120 frames at a time.
Three years after, Google carried out a massive coup by announcing Flutter's first stable release. Flutter. It has enhanced its performance by working in conjunction with Android and iOS, Windows, Linux, and event updates. All of these can be accessible on the internet in the public domain.
Flutter Usage Statistics
As per Statista, Google Flutter was the second most used technology for mobile app development in 2019. Around 7,000 participants participated in the survey, and 30 percent said they were loyal to this framework. Below, we see React Native taking the lead with 42 percent. Furthermore, Cordova and Ionic are just a little less effective than Flutter (by 1-2 percent).
In February 2020, a Stack Overflow survey showed that nearly 70% of the 65,000 developers in the world are committed to Flutter. This makes Flutter the third most popular development tool in the world of frameworks, libraries, and other technologies. Its .NET Core framework takes the first place, and the third is taken by Python's high-level libraries PyTorch. Flutter is also the leader in its direct competition, including React Native, Xamarin, and Cordova.
Quick facts about Flutter
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There are more than 3000 Flutter apps.
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There are more than 200 million users of Flutter-made apps.
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Flutter is the 34th most popular application available on GitHub
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3,00,000+ developers use flutter for app development
Benefits of Flutter Development
There are many advantages with Flutter application development, but here we'll discuss the most important points that should be considered from a business perspective.
Large Community Support
Flutter is a Google technology that is free. We've all observed how the tech giant continuously provides platforms and technologies that are part of them, with regular fixes to issues and updates.
Since its launch, Google has provided constant support to the young Flutter developers. It's an interesting fact that the Flutter community has grown ever since. The 25K stars on GitHub is exemplary evidence of the growing popularity. Google also hosts meetup events to help developers and companies to connect and share ideas with fellow Flutter bugs.
If you have a business application, use Flutter. Don't worry about developer support or updates. Google will handle it!
Hot Reload and Development
This is an exclusive feature unique to Flutter that allows developers to see any changes made to the code in a matter of seconds. Updates are made available to both the designers and developers within minutes. As a result, they don't have to wait for updates and can continue using the framework to build additional features with no interruption.
This increases the developer's efficiency and cuts down the time it takes to build a solid application. This can save a significant amount of costs on the overall creation of the application.
Faster Time to Market
The time required to commercialize software refers to the time needed for a project in programming to be completed after it is conceptualized.
When you're trying to test an innovative and new feature instead of a basic software program or creating an entire software with a new concept, speedier time to market increases the likelihood of success for the software.
The SDK does not require the team that codes to create specific code for each platform. In cases of mobile apps, they can be run on Android devices and Apple devices.
Speedier time to market provides the software product an advantage in the marketplace and will significantly boost the ROI to up to 33%, as in McKinsey's research report.
Custom Widgets of Any Complexity
Flutter offers a variety of widgets that are platform-specific, which means developers can adhere to Material Design and Cupertino designs guidelines. In addition, all widgets can be customized with form, colour, changes, shadow manipulations clipping, or other changes without hassle.
One Codebase for all Platforms
There is no longer needing to write a codebase for Android and a different source codebase to be used on iOS devices. Flutter's code reusability lets you write one codebase that you can use not just smartphones, Android, iOS but also for desktop, web, and more. This reduces development time dramatically and removes the cost, and lets you launch your app significantly faster.
What is React Native?
It is an open-source JavaScript framework that can be used to create native apps for various platforms such as Android and iOS. JavaScript, however, is a very popular as well as stable language for programming, most notably for its permutable structure.
As per Facebook's React Native site, "React language is built on the same building blocks used in the regular iOS and Android applications. The only difference is that you put these elements together with JavaScript."
Many people mistake React Native with ReactJS. While the same guidelines make them yet, they have a small distinction.
React Native outperforms other cross-platform frameworks in StackOverflow's 2020 Developer Survey, like Google's Flutter, Microsoft's Xamarin, or Adobe's Cordova by an inch.
It's not without reason. As with any other product available, it has its faults; however, the advantages overshadow its disadvantages in most scenarios, making it an ideal choice for start-ups.
Benefits of React Native Development
Let's discover the most convincing arguments why you should choose React Native for your next mobile app development and discover how this framework could significantly lower the development cost.
Community-Driven
React Native is an open-source framework it allows react developers to access all documentation pertinent to their work at no cost. They can also freely contribute to the framework anytime they'd like.
Another of the major reasons to select React is the accessibility of experienced developers to guide beginners by guiding them through forums. They can also look over the code, or current React projects for novices to provide constructive feedback. Overall, it is an amazing and interactive experience for the developer community.
Great Mobile Performance
When React Native was initially released in the early days, many businesses didn't want to move away from native programming to cross-platform because of the huge variations in performance. Most of the time, this was the case for a couple of years; however, it's true.
However, as time passed as React Native was matured, with the help from its developers at Facebook and a devoted community and users, it became a formidable tool that could not only match the performance of Native counterparts but often even beat its native counterparts.
Faster and Cost-Effective
Making an app for two different platforms can take longer than you imagine. You don't want to miss the attention of Android and iOS users. One of the biggest advantages to React Native app development is that it allows for faster development thanks to its code reuse capability. Instead of writing separate codes for each platform, developers can reuse code for components of the other operating system.
Cheaper than Native Development
If you are using React Native, you only have to create an app only once in JavaScript. But, the native method will require you to create two applications to run on iOS and Android by starting from beginning from scratch. However, because React Native needs you to write just one line of code, you won't require two developers and will also save on the costs that would otherwise be required for construction and maintenance.
Close to Native Performance
Many believe that native apps ' performance can't be beaten. It is the case in certain instances; however, a product that uses React Native is nearly similar to native apps' performance.
It is a key component in the improvement of performance that is made by native controls and modules. React Native connects to both the OS native components to create codes that connect to native APIs in a re-usable manner.
What is Native Development?
In the case of native application development, it is designed for only a specific operating system like Android and iOS. Users can download the apps through specific stores like The App Store and Google Play. Google Play store.
These apps can use specific hardware for the device, such as GPS microphone, camera, and others. Native apps require no external help from browsers or other tools to launch. Instead, the data will be saved in the device's memory or a cloud service.
The developers use programming languages like Objective-C or Swift to create native iOS applications. Contrarily programming languages like Kotlin or Java are required to develop native Android applications.
Benefits of Native App Development for Businesses
If you're looking to give the most enjoyable user experience regarding the appearance and the feel of the app, developing native apps could be the best option for you. Why? Because when an app adheres to the standards of well-known platforms, users are quick to get familiar with the best ways to use it. There are a lot of reasons to make it more compelling for you to consider:
Security
While most hybrid applications (written using frameworks like Ionic and Cordova) depend on security in the system browser, Native and cross-platform applications (React Native or Flutter) are protected by a variety of layers of the operating system, making them extremely difficult to attack.
They don't rely on third-party frameworks or frameworks but only use official APIs that have been extensively tested across various systems. In addition, due to the extensive development of the official platform SDKs, they are more likely to ensure that they can eliminate any emerging security problem.
In addition, official releases for platforms also happen less often than framework updates. Therefore, you will likely receive more secure, reliable, well-tested, and tested software with longer release cycles. Conversely, shorter release cycles due to a lack of time may be less prepared and possibly fixed later.
Scalability
Native apps are easier to set up because they have to be compatible with just one platform. Even if you have two native applications, each one is completely distinct. Therefore, you don't need to think about compatibility issues with app dependencies between different versions of operating systems (Android, iOS). You can use all new features available on a particular platform. The fewer restrictions there are that are in place, the easier it will be to scale.
However, if you wish to take advantage of native and cross-platform solutions, it is possible to start with native code and then expand some of the lesser modules of the app by adding cross-platform code. This is a secure method used by some of the largest players in the market, such as Facebook or AirBnB.
More Intuitive and Interactive
The native applications for mobile devices are likely to be more smooth when compared with web-based apps. Native apps can inherit their device's OS interface, which makes them appear as an integral device component. An amazing user experience is one of the top benefits provided by native applications. Native mobile applications are usually developed for a particular OS. This improves the user experience who is using a specific OS.
The flow of the app becomes more neutral because of the UI standards that apply to every platform. This allows users to get the app up and running quickly and complete actions quickly.
Stability
Android and iOS are the flagship products of Google and Apple, respectively. It is highly unlikely that they'll stop supporting these apps. So what do these mean for native applications? Fully supported platforms of these tech giants indicate that they're more reliable in maintaining and developing.
The cross-platform frameworks are created by third-party firms that typically aren't even making an income from these frameworks. It is, therefore, more straightforward for them to cease supporting or slow down development.
Better UX/UI
UX/UI is unifying within the same platform, which means it is well-known by users. Moreover, the UX patterns repeat in different native applications, which means that people are also aware of how to move around within your application. Also, the user experience is superior due to the greater performance. Ensures that everything runs smoothly.
It's also much easier for creators to adhere to the standards set by the industry when creating applications. Simply put, developing native apps is a good way to implement UX/UI development patterns for a particular platform. Additionally, you can build features specific to your platform within an app's native interface, for example, the integration of Google Pay or Siri.
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Flutter Vs React Native Vs Native: Performance Factor
The software you select will depend on your particular product and business needs. If you want to create a single-platform MVP, make sure you use native methods, but bear in mind that Flutter applications can be designed in various desktop, mobile, and web environments. It's a good feeling that Flutter could become the King for cross-platform design not far off the horizon.
Even today, Flutter is an extremely competitive contest with native developers' tools, particularly if your budget for development isn't overly stretched. However, you're still searching for the decent performance of your app.
Choose Native app development if:
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The app is designed to scale and upgrade the app regularly.
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You're looking for comprehensive features that require in-depth interactions with different modules on your device, like contacts, camera, messages, etc.
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You'll need an Android-only app or an iOS-only application.
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It is essential to have a powerful application to keep up with the competition.
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Your app must support new features for the mobile OS when they're made available.
Choose React Native app development if:
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You must create an application for both platforms within the shortest time.
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Your app should appear and behave exactly identically on both platforms.
Choose Flutter app development if:
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You want a simple yet expressive UI.
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There's no need to worry about the dimensions of the application.
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You're looking for an instant application that works on the two platforms: IOS as well as Android.
