Quick Summary: While considering Flutter vs. React Native for mobile app development, both frameworks excel in developing high-performing applications. Read our blog and learn which frameworks impress you with unique features, like a single codebase, faster rendering, powerful native functionality integration, or more. Whether you prioritize seamless UI or native capabilities, these frameworks hold immense capabilities to build your next performant applications catering to diverse project requirements and developer preferences. Read the blog now and find the best-fit framework!

Reaching millions of users with a single code base is nothing short of a revolution, and a cross-platform app development approach has made it all possible. Building an app with cross-platform functionality eliminates the need to write unique codes for different platforms. Moreover, never mind the fact that cross-platform app development offers the option to build an app with native executables that function smoothly on various platforms.

Cross-platform development has the ability to reach a broader audience and improve market penetration. This is essential for developers to offer a consistent experience since the digital landscape is fragmented with a range of devices, operating systems, versions of iOS and Android and wearable and IoT devices. To address these challenges, cross-platform development offers a unified solution with Flutter app development and React native development, allowing developers to build once and deploy everywhere.

Therefore, these frameworks have become the hot favorite technology among CTOs since they help them save on depleting cash reserves and shortening the project’s runway. Moreover, the earlier app development approaches were crippling bottlenecks as they required synchronous app development. That is the primary reason Flutter and React Native are both on track to becoming the most popular technologies among developers and CTOs.

Flutter and React Native market position

As per Statista’s recent reports, Flutter and React native both gained significant popularity rapidly since 2019. They both topped the list as the most popular frameworks used by developers, leaving behind Cordova, Unity, Ionic, and other famous framework. These frameworks are widely adopted because they help build an app that is broadly available across various end-user devices. Moreover, it uses only single code across multiple platforms for easy portability, which keeps the software development cost really low while having maximum exposure to the target audience.

As per the Stack Overflow survey, Flutter and React Native top the list with minimal difference. Flutter is higher on the list, with 9.12%, and React Native is 8.43%.

The result of the annual tech survey by Stack Overflow two years ago showed fierce competition between Flutter and React Native, kickstarting debate among developers about using these high-performing frameworks in various commercial projects across different industries.

The heated debate and battle are still ongoing across the United States. Google Trends reveals that intense competition between these two is continuing. When looking at the trend curve starting from January 2023, Flutter has a slight lead over React Native.

Overview of Flutter

Flutter’s UI toolkit and Dart programming language have set the new high standards for cross-platform app development. Moreover, Flutters’ rendering engine enables developers to manage each pixel, and its widget library automatically adapts to every screen size. It also supports native vector animations and graphics. Above all, it offers the flexibility to write a single codebase for apps running on multiple platforms, significantly impacting cross-platform development. It instantly rose to fame since Flutter saves time on app development but maintains utmost consistency and quality across different platforms.

Don’t miss this: All you need to know about Flutter app development

Overview of React Native

React Native framework enables building cross-platform applications with a native-like experience, using a core set of platform-agnostic native elements. It maps with the platform’s native UI building blogs, allowing you to facilitate a user-oriented experience without needing to build a different application for iOS and Android and rather build one app with React Native. React Native development company allows us to use the same code across the different OSs with negligible differences between applications built with React and React Native. It eliminates the recompilation needs and speeds up the development process, allowing you to reload the application quickly.

Flutter and React Native evolution

Both Flutter and React Native are cross-platform mobile app development frameworks that have consistently evolved since their inception. Flutter rose to fame because of its extensive widget libraries, single code base, and high performance. At the same time, React Native went viral because of its single codebase and performance, similar to native applications.

As businesses aim to expand their operations and digital footprints on unexplored territories, the need for agile, affordable, and visually appealing mobile applications is essential. Flutter development services and React Native development services have surged as a solution since these frameworks not only meet but outstrip these expectations.

These frameworks are reshaping the mobile app development industry by facilitating a pool of features that streamline the application development process and improve the overall end-user experience. Their distinctive capabilities allow building iOS and Android applications with a single code base while reducing the development time and cost.

Ever since the inception of Flutter and React Native, both these frameworks have witnessed considerable progress. With a C++ rendering engine, Flutter offers its best performance in developing native-quality graphics and animations. Moreover, these applications are relatively large because of their single code base, which also streamlines maintenance and cross-platform development. Consistent updates are advisable to benefit from patches, fix bugs, and identify and address potential vulnerabilities.

Considering the maturity, React Native is much older than Flutter, with a vast and active community and broader ecosystem. Maybe its performance runs short on some capabilities of the underlying native UI components, as it leverages the native rendering engine on every supported platform. Its code-reusing capabilities across different platforms like iOS, Android, and web and desktop platforms make it the most suitable choice for many developers.

The significant difference between Flutter and React Native

Flutter renders all its elements on its own canvas.

React Native development turns JavaScript components into native ones.

Because of these functionalities, compoenents updates like iOS 16, do not excert influence on Flutter applications but does impact on React Native applications.

Considering where you are standing, the difference can be a good or a bad thing. For instance, if you want your app elements to be kept according to your preferences, then the Flutter app development approach would be the ideal match. However, if you need to catch up with the latest native component design, then the React Native development approach would be suitable. If you do not require the elements in your React Native applications to follow the latest iOS design, you need to turn off the automated element updates.

If you wish to include native components in Flutter, you need to update your application manually.

Dart Vs JavaScript: The programming languages

Flutter framework is based on the Dart programming language, developed by Google in 2011. It is a class-based programming language with C-style syntax. It offers interfaces, mixins, abstract classes, and static types to build a type-safe environment. Just-In-Time (JIT) and Ahead-Of-Time improved the Dart performance, making it faster than JavaScript.

React Native uses JavaScript, one of the renowned programming languages that allow object-oriented and functional programming, discarding the prerequisites of client-side compilation. Though it initially has a steeper learning curve, JavaScript learning resources are plentiful, making it handy for developers. Though it is rendered and faster to execute, JavaScript has been quantified slower than Dart.

UI/UX experience: Flutter’s widgets Vs. React Native components

UI designs determine the success of your applications. Flutter tops the list for its widget-based approach to building intuitive UI. It employs stateless and stateful widgets for UI, distinguishing whether a widget controls the state and summarizing the build function that creates the UI based on the existing state and configuration.

On the other hand, React Native counts on native UI elements while it offers a more native feel. It is essential for third-party libraries to maintain consistent UI across platforms to be challenging. The framework allows code reusability across different platforms, improving the app development process.

IDEs and Hot Reload

With productivity-boosting tools, developers get significant benefits. They can choose IDEs and editors like IntelliJ IDEA, Android Studio, and Visual Studio Code, which all support Dart. The Hot Reload feature of Flutter is the Holy Grail for developer productivity, enabling instant visualization of modification without an entire rebuild, making it worthwhile for startups that require a quick iteration cycle.

On the other hand, React Native developers gain significant benefits from the extensive JavaScript ecosystem, which also consists of native development. It allows developers to use a wide range of IDEs and editors with JavaScript support, improving productivity via available packages and libraries.

Framework assessment necessitates evaluating the performance of each framework. So let’s understand which framework better suits your business requirements by analyzing their capabilities and potential.

Performance comparison between Flutter and React Native

React Native frameworks require a JavaScript bridge that establishes the interaction between JavaScript and native UI elements and device-specific components such as Bluetooth, sensors, cameras, etc. With this bridge-based communication, React Native is slightly slower than Flutter. Still, if you hire React Native developers or hire Flutter developers with extensive experience, you can develop high-performing applications without a doubt.

JSI (React Native)

Now the React Native app development company has access to a new bridge that is JavaScript Interface, which makes React Native faster than ever before at element communication. JavaScript functions as a more streamlined bridge between the native layer and JavaScript. This patch in React Native structure accelerates React Native app development with responsive UI, upholding its position as one of the most favored frameworks in the cross-platform mobile app development industry.

Command Line Interface (CLI)

Flutter’s command line interface ships tools like Flutter Doctor that help you set up the chosen IDE and iOS or Android development. It looks for installed tools on the local machine and assesses its configuration. Flutter CLI, coupled with Flutter Doctor, creates the environment for a new Flutter mobile app, a smoother experience.

React Native does not facilitate enough detail to begin the project. However, React Native Expo offers tools that make the React Native app development process a seamless experience for developers. With the Expo client, you can view your application directly on your mobile devices without needing to go through Android Studio or XCODE. Expo CLI offers developing new React Native apps by facilitating tools for development, deployment logs interaction, and more.

Impeller (Flutter)

Like React Native, Flutter is not dependent on the bridge. Until 2023, the Skia library, which is a Flutters’ core machine responsible for compiling the UI to native code as the user interacted with the app. Thereafter, Flutter shifted to Impeller. Unlike Skia, Impeller is designed to enhance CPU usage, improving UI performance and efficiency. This latest rendering engine uses advanced GPU APIs such as Vulkan and Metal, offering more effective, power-efficient rendering with better frame rates. This move notifies Flutter’s commitment to use advanced hardware and offer a superior app experience.

Debugger

With React Native, Debugging is slightly tough particularly when an error develops amid the native part of your application. For instance, if there is a bug on the JavaScript side, in React Native or app’s code. There are chances that the bug may come from third-party libraries or React Native. But there is also a decent Debugger available for React Native which is – Flipper.

Flipper – It is a debugging platform for mobile applications. Flipper offers advanced integration with React Native, JavaScript code, and Native code.

Flutter app development company makes debugging easier with tools that support development in Android Studio and Visual Studio. DevTools known from the Chrome and OEM debugger assists developers in identifying and understanding errors. With Inspect, you can assess the visual layer of the app and why it appears that way.

Flutter inspector that is debugging the visual layer.

Packages and Libraries

React Native’s ecosystem is much bigger than Flutter, thanks to NPM (Node Package Manager), a repository of packages with over 1.8 million packages hosted on NPM. This straightforward library helps build domain-driven microservice architecture and has been around for many years. It is primarily beneficial for web development, however, a lot of libraries are suitable for React Native app development services.

However, there is a catch with NPM since many available JavaScript libraries are low quality and hardly beneficial for production, so you have to be very careful while picking libraries for your applications.

Flutter’s Dart pub-day repository is consistently growing, though it is still young and lacks off-the-shelf solutions. However, as we look back on GitHub, our thorough research validates that both technologies are roughly equivalent in size.

According to the latest insights on GitHub, Flutter has over 709k repository results, and the React Native library has 498k. For Flutter, these numbers have surged significantly in the last few years, as in 2023, when there were only 487k repositories, whereas React Native had 355k repositories. Still, both these ecosystems are rich with packages for animations, statement management, and networking.

Maturity

Though React Native is much older, Flutter’s documentation is more developed, streamlined, in-depth, and easier to navigate, even for novice developers than React Native’s. For instance, Flutter offers “Get Started” sections dedicated to developers with diverse technical backgrounds and metier levels.

 

So, developers who want to begin with Flutter or learn how to arrange elements in mobile applications can easily find what they need.

On the other hand, React Native documentation does not have the topical organizations and details.

You can find a huge pool of topics on Stack Overflow and Reddit, where developers guide each other on many complex challenges.

Active developer community

React Native and Flutter both have thriving communities around them, with plenty of webinars, conferences, hackathons, and events happening annually. The size of the communities is enormous, with various communication channels where you can connect with experts and resolve your development queries in no time. These robust support community channels have become an essential bridge to finding answers to the most pressing concerns. Go through the comparison table below for the most popular communication channels for every tool.

As per the above table stats, the Flutter community is more active and closes a lot more issues on GitHub than React Native. This is vital since bugs can impact the overall user experience negatively, and if you delay fixing issues, the bug persists.

Cross-platform compatibility

React Native enables developers to build iOS and Android applications, and the web with React. Recently Microsoft has unveiled a great update, where desktop applications can be written in React native for Windows and macOS.

With React Native version 0.71 now faultless, aims at enhancing the cross-platform developer experience with TyepScript by default, new structure update, and layout management through Flexbox Gap. This release offers web-inspired props for styles and accessibility to align React Native’s API across platforms. Because of its compatibility with a range of plugins and third-party libraries, the React Native app development company smoothly streamlines the cross-platform application process and helps incorporate various functionalities quickly.

Wherein with Flutter, you can build applications for iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, Windows, and embedded systems like infotainment systems in cars. Flutter 3 delivered a truly cross-platform experience. Flutter SDK enabled code sharability across all compatible platforms. Flutter 4 focuses on desktop app development. The recent Flutter version 3.7 aims to boost performance with a new rendering engine on iOS and background process enhancement, among other essential updates to DevTools, along with internationalization and Material 3 support.

Development and testing comparison

Both Flutter and React Native offer tools and mechanisms that accelerate the app development process. Flutter offers a range of tools, including VS Code, Android Studio, and various plugins, that boost the development speed. Hot Reload, one of the prominent Flutter features, enables developers to see the code modification quickly. Besides that, the Flutter app development company uses Widgets, which streamline and speed up the development process.

With the Fast Refresh feature, React Native developers can easily insert fresh code directly into a fully functional application. But do not forget that updating React Native may lead to library breakage, and you may witness functional disruption with automated version tools; therefore, you may need manual updates for specific components.

Addressing the advanced features: Native module accessibility and code

Having the ability to access Native Modules and code for extended capabilities is game-changing. React Native development company in the USA offers integration with Native Modules, which allows elements to use native iOS and Android code via a bridging system. Moreover, your developers can create and use Native Modules directly in React Native within your project’s native codebase. It promotes code reusability and direct interaction with native APIs.

Wherein Flutter leverages concurrent programming for interaction with the native platform. It offers method calls and binary serialization of values. You can use the Pigeon package to establish a structured and type-safe communication environment between the native host platform and Flutter. Flutter becomes a versatile choice since it allows you to choose and access platform-specific APIs that leverage native programming languages such as C++, Swift, Kotlin, and other operating systems.

Security analysis: Flutter Vs. React Native’s security approach

It is almost impossible to build impenetrable software; however, with Flutter and React Native, the risk of being attacked by malicious software or exposed to security vulnerabilities is reduced. Flutter surpassed React Native since it offers built-in features like encryption, storage, and sandboxing, making it one of the safest options for your best Flutter app development project.

Moreover, Flutter app development services security policies are built on five key pillars: identify, detect, protect, respond, and recover. Flutter data protection improves by implementing certificate spinning, network whitelisting, and antivirus libraries like Flutter_Jailbreak_detection that help you identify compromised devices. You can also use plugins like screen_protector that manage background snapshots.

React Native’s capability to integrate with Native Modules improves overall app security. However, don’t forget that while using SSL pinning in React Native, plan the certificate expiry to around 1 to 2 years, ensuring updates are carried out on apps and servers. React Native security tops the list when it comes to securing fintech and banking applications. However, it falls short against Flutter since the release built on JavaScrit code is accessible, which may pose a threat to an application. But still, you get a catalog of options against security vulnerabilities with React Native that help you safeguard your application and users’ data.

When to use Flutter?

Availing Flutter app development services would be an ideal solution when you,

• Budget constraints and no need to hire Android and iOS development team.
• You have a short deadline and need to launch your application quickly.
• You need pitch-perfect design and elements that offer intuitive UI.
• You need to deliver cross-platform functionalities for your users (desktop, mobile, and infotainment).

Real-world applications of Flutter

• Baidu Tieba – One of the largest communication platforms in China.
• eBay motors – A dedicated application for selling and buying vehicles.
• Stadia – Google developed this gaming service.
• Grab – A merchant application that streamlines the food delivery service.
• Google Ads – It assists in managing, improving, and tracking advertisement campaigns.
• Vivafit – Built by WTF, this fitness dancing application is powered by computer vision and AI.
• Lifely – This app lets you track important moments as it offers a secure timeline diary. It is built by WTF in just 5 months.

When to use React Native?

You can choose to partner with the top React Native app development service provider in the USA,

• When you have a desktop app or mobile app and rendered necessary reusable elements for a mobile with a single tech stack.
• Your team of JavaScript team with available assets that can leverage plugins, modules, and widgets from the NPM repositories.
• When there is a talent crunch since Flutter developers are hard to find.

Real-world applications of React Native

Facebook – Some of the elements are built leveraging React Native
Bloomberg – A business news app that offers personalized videos, content, and live feeds.
Uber Eats – This app is one of the largest food delivery platforms.
Skype – A video conferencing application, a division of Microsoft Corporation.
Walmart – A famous shopping app that has outperformed many industry giants.
Wix – A dedicated application for creating and managing mobile applications and websites.

Cost analysis: production costing for Flutter vs. React Native projects

The budgetary impact of hiring Flutter app developers or hire React Native developers plays a crucial role in determining the tech stack. The cost of hiring salary may vary to some extent, and hiring flutter app developers may cost a little more extra bucks. However, this cost varies from country to country, with an hourly rate mirroring the geographical variation.

Flutter’s popularity is increasing daily, and that has resulted in a higher demand for Flutter app developers in the USA. However, the scarcity of Flutter developers often leads to challenges in hiring and retaining project staff for a longer time. Considering the longer presence and larger adoption across industries of the React Native framework, it offers better chances to hire React Native developers on demand and within your budget.

Read also: How Can the Cost of Building React Native Apps Be Reduced in 2023?

Learning curve: Flutter vs. React Native

Determining the best-fit framework also depends on the easy learning curve. React Native shares the familiarity with React, leveraging the same syntax and principles, making developers more approachable for developers with React experience. However, JavaScript’s extensive usage and end number of learning documents have flattened the learning curve even for novice developers aiming to adopt and offer the best React Native development services.

In contrast, developers with Dart programming language may find the transition to adopting Flutter quite easy because of the language’s simplicity and readability. For beginners, particularly with a UI development background, Flutter is easy to learn because of its widget-based development and easy to learn. The smooth learning curve for Flutter, increasing usage by a wide array of businesses, is enhancing its adoption and appeal globally.

Flutter’s popularity against React Native

Well, Flutter has gained significant traction in the last few years, and Statista’s recent 2023 developer survey verifies its popularity, with 46% of developers globally using Flutter. It became the leading cross-platform framework, leaving behind the React Native by 11%. Flutter’s development company overtook React Native globally as the most popular technology category. Google Trends data also ratifies that Flutter overtook React Native in search queries globally and continues to dominate the market in 2024.

Though Flutter is witnessing surging popularity, React Native developers indicate a higher demand and supply of the best React Native development services across the United States. Considering its longer presence against Flutter and the adoption rate in the market, it continues to be a popular choice among business owners and developers. However, there is no clear winner on which framework will dominate the market, as both React Native and Flutter have distinct benefits to offer, strong support, and a considerable user base with an active and large community.

Developers availability for Flutter and React Native

The demand to hire React Native developers is equally high as the supply. But Flutter is a few companies experiencing challenges in onboarding the best talent and retaining them to deliver quality code. The table below showcases the developers’ availability on different hiring platforms.

The Future of Mobile App Development with Flutter and React Native

Cross-platform app development is the vibrant and ever-evolving world, wherein Flutter and React Native frameworks are rapidly making their way to 2025 and beyond with new features and functionality. With the global population of developers is rising, which is expected to reach 28.7 million by the end of this year. At the same time, these frameworks continue to emerge and become the most favorable framework among developers.

Flutter app development services are expected to shape the future of mobile app development. Its ongoing development indicates strategic expansion beyond mobile, emphasizing desktop application abilities with cross-platform functionalities in approaching releases.

On the other hand, React Native development services remain a popular choice among CTOs and developers because of their vast community, comprehensive libraries, and code reusability across different platforms. Both these frameworks are on edge and have become the POP favorite frameworks with no clear evidence to testify towards the divinable dominance of one over the other framework.

A few questions to ask yourself before making a final call

Let’s clear your doubts about choosing the best-fit framework for your next application so you can work with the best talent and hire Flutter developers or hire React Native developers.

Read also: How to hire Flutter developer – a comprehensive guide

Is Flutter really faster than React Native?

After the slight modification in React Native structure (JSI), React Native development services have come close to Flutter considering its performance. However, Flutter is still slightly faster than React Native, but that does not mean there is an issue with React Native since it depends on the type of application and job it does.

Are Flutter and React Native ready for 2025 and beyond?

Both Flutter and React Native have become production-ready for 2025 and beyond with more newer functionalities expected in the upcoming version. Flutter tools allow developers to create desktop, mobile, and web apps with a single codebase. So, rest assured, the future of Flutter and React Native is not gloomy, it’s shining bright! Partner with the top Flutter app development company or React Native development company to build a production-ready app in no time.

Is Flutter a hybrid or native?

Well, Flutter is an SDK that helps you build cross-platform mobile applications with native UI elements.

Is React Native hybrid or native?

Actually, React Native development services give you the best of both worlds. Well, it’s technically a hybrid platform that can be written in one language with several native features.

Is Flutter better than React Native?

Everything depends on the type of application types and functionalities that you need. However, Flutter has many prebuilt components that make Flutter more productive but we can not overlook React Native’s widespread popularity and easy availability of developers along with its intuitive and modular structure similar to React.js. There are many advantages to choosing React and Native, but it’s tough to determine which framework is better for building close-to-native mobile applications.

The definitive decision

Flutter and React Native are robust frameworks with their own strengths and weaknesses. Flutter app development company offers high-performing applications and appealing visuals with its Dart programming language and C++ rendering engine. Its widget-based approach to UI and the capability to build iOS and Android apps with a single codebase makes it the optimistic alternative for mobile app development.

Contrarily, React Native development services with its large community and JavaScript programming language, offer application development with a native feel. Its ability to code reusability across various platforms and integrate with native modules makes it the ultimate choice for many of the developers globally. You can choose the framework considering your project-specific requirements to build the next future-ready application that outperforms your competitors.

Let’s build an INTUITIVE AND PERFORMANT APP FOR EVERY SCREEN! Hire Flutter developers or hire React native developers now!

Related article:

• Flutter App Development Benefits and Why you should use
• React Native: When to use it and when to avoid while building mobile applications