When it comes to mobile app development, there are many alternatives to choose from. In our article, we would like to compare two options of development – Flutter and Native. While Flutter allows for cross-platform development, Native involves developing an app specifically for a particular platform. What does it mean exactly? Whether you are tech-savvy or not – we’ll try to explain it easily. In this article, we will compare Flutter to Native Development and help you decide which one to choose for your next mobile app project.
What should you know about Flutter framework?
Flutter is an open-source mobile app development framework. The creator of Flutter is Google, who released the framework for the first time in May 2017. The framework uses Dart – programming language, which was also developed by Google.
Cross-platform development
It’s one of the most important features of Flutter. Cross-platform let develop software applications that can run on multiple operating systems. Using a single codebase, the developer can create an app for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Thanks to that, application is available on different platforms and more users can have access to it. This approach reduce time and costs.
Developers’ partner and supporter
Flutter has a significant advantage – it’s ability to provide a fast development experience. It gives the opportunity to see changes in real-time thanks to its hot reload feature. It can save time and improve productivity. Developers can quickly make changes and test them on the fly, without the need for a full app restart.
This framework offers a platform support, with widgets and APIs that are designed to look and feel native on both – Android and iOS systems.
Unique performance on different platforms
The system provided by Google helps build mobile apps with complex user interfaces. It’s based on a reactive programming model that makes it easy to keep track of the app’s current state. Developers can be sure that everything works together smoothly, even when the app gets more complicated. Flutter also uses a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) rendering engine, which makes better performance. Animations and transitions look polished and impressive.
Learning how to fly with Flutter
The framework provides many libraries and packages available to help developers get started. Its official documentation is also well-organized and easy to follow.
It gained popularity among mobile app developers on the whole world and this community is still growing. If you decide to know more about Flutter, you should definitely check their YouTube channel. Don’t forget to say hello to Dash – blueish bird, their mascot!
Flutter summary
It’s a powerful and flexible framework that allows for fast development, excellent performance, and cross-platform development. Its growing community and provided documentation make it easy for developers to get started quickly.
Exploring the Advantages and Disadvantages of Native Development
Native development involves developing an app specifically for a particular platform. In this approach, we have to use the respective platform’s programming language and tools. For example, for Android app – it could be Java or Kotlin, for iOS app – we should use Objective-C or Swift.
Access to specific features
One of the biggest advantages of Native Development is providing access to all the platform-specific features and APIs. It can give more control over the app’s behavior. This control can be essential for developing apps that require advanced functionalities or interactions with the device’s hardware.
Speed and efficiency
If you want to develop using native framework, you don’t have to worry about the performance. This feature can be critical for apps that require a high level of performance, such as games or multimedia apps.
Multiple sources of knowledge
Another advantage of native development is a large community and a wide range of third-party libraries and tools available. Both Android and iOS platforms have extensive documentation and resources. It may be easy to start, but at the very beginning the developer should know which language and platform to choose. Once developers have learned these skills, they can apply them to other projects, but only developed on the same platform.
Platform support in Native Development
When developing mobile apps, it is essential to consider platform support. Using native framework requires separate development efforts for each system, but it also allows for complete control over the app’s behavior and performance.
Native App Development summary
Native Development offers excellent performance and access to all the characteristic features and APIs. It provides developers with complete control over their app’s. Native Development also has a large community and extensive resources available, making it easy for developers to get started. However, learning Native Development can be a challenging task.
Flutter and Native App Development comparison
As you already know more about Flutter and Native development, we prepare a comparison between these two development options. We took into account multiple features like the development experience, performance or possibility of learning. We hope that this summary will help you to choose what would be better for you. Whether you want to run a new mobile application or start learning new or other languages.
Development Experience
When it comes to development experience, Flutter offers some advantages over Native Development. Flutter allows developers to see changes in real-time, what can save time and improve productivity. Native Development, on the other hand, offers access to all the platform-specific features and APIs, providing more control.
Performance
Performance is a crucial factor to consider when developing mobile apps. Flutter provides excellent performance through the use of a programming model and rendering engine. Native Development also provides excellent performance, as the app is developed natively for the specific platform, allowing for optimization.
Community and Ecosystem
The community and ecosystem of a framework can also play a significant role in its adoption. Flutter has a growing community, with many libraries to help developers. Native Development has a large community as well and also give access to many libraries.
Possibility of learning
Learning a new framework or language can be a challenging task. Flutter offers many resources available to help developers get started quickly, and it’s quite easy to learn. Native Development requires developers to learn the respective platform’s programming language and tools, making it more challenging.
Platform Support
When developing mobile apps, it is essential to consider platform support. Flutter provides excellent support for different platforms. It allows developers to create apps that work smoothly on both. Native Development, on the other hand, requires separate development efforts for each platform.
Time effort and cost-effectiveness
In this case, the undeniable winner is Flutter. Thanks to cross-platform development, you can run a project on multiple systems. It can help you reach to your audience more efficiently, saving time and money. In native development, it has to be developed multiple times, depending on the environment. What is more time-consuming and less profitable.
Conclusion
Flutter and Native Development offer different advantages for mobile app development. When choosing between the two, it is essential to think about your needs. Whether you are a developer – take a look at the market, think about the frameworks which will be used in the future. Consider your development experience and what can give you more opportunities. If you want to create a mobile app – think about your product and audience. Does your app is only for iOS or should be available on multiple platforms? How much time do you have for the project and how much money can you spend? Answering these sample questions may help you to choose. Ultimately, the decision will depend on your specific project requirements and preferences.
P.S. If you like this text, you can check our other articles: Artificial Intelligence – powerful tools in the design industry or ChatGPT: Taking Conversations to the Next Level with AI.
