13 Experts Chime In on Flutter vs. React Native

It’s estimated that 230 billion mobile applications were downloaded worldwide in 2021 and it’s looking like there will only be an upsurge in downloads from here on out. When it comes to choosing a cross-platform mobile development framework for these apps, the developer community can be quite polarized about whether to employ Flutter or React Native. Both frameworks create software applications that work on a range of operating systems, including Android and iOS.

Despite the plethora of information out there, many developers are still left contesting the “better” platform. Then there are those among the developer community who make arguments for both frameworks with no definitive answer. While this may be frustrating for those in the throes of deciding, it’s also an opportunity to take a closer look at the features and drawbacks of each platform.

This is an ongoing conversation and one we’re eager to do a deep dive into. In addition to already covering the pros and cons of Flutter and React development, we have culled perspectives from 13 experts in varying fields for a more holistic approach to this topic. We hope their responses below go beyond shallow comparisons to help you make an informed decision about the right framework for your unique project!

1. What are the pros and cons of Flutter and React Native for mobile app development?

React Native has been around longer and is more well-known among developers but Flutter has been winning the hearts of many developers even in its nascent stages. Let’s look at some of the strengths and drawbacks of these frameworks through the eyes of our trusty experts.

Though A Fledgling, Flutter Has Wings

Angela Blakenship, CEO of BestNeighborhood.org, has a talent for culling massive amounts of data and resources into clear, helpful guides. Likewise, Blakenship outlined the pros and cons of Flutter for us! She explains:

“Flutter is a portable toolkit for developing natively compiled enticing UI for mobile, web, and desktop applications from a single codebase.

Pros:

• Multiple device support – Flutter ensures that the user experiences the same UI and functionalities regardless of whether they are using an outdated smartphone or an older version of iOS or Android. It contributes to consistency and guarantees that a broader range of clients may benefit from its offerings
• Faster code writing and implementation – Flutter is a dynamic and adaptable platform…another unique feature of Flutter is hot reload, which allows the developer to code and see the immediate impact of those changes on the app, making the testing process much more manageable

Cons:

• Lack of enough libraries – Because Flutter is a young platform while being open source and having pre-built libraries, the number of such functionality is limited. The developer's responsibility is to construct libraries from the ground up and provide them to the community to assist others
• Large file sizes – Due to its large size, the Flutter file size might be massive and difficult to maintain. It is viewed as a disadvantage since this feature may force the developer to switch to a platform that creates smaller files”

Chief Executive Officer at Luckybobbleheads, Alex Smith knows a thing or two about the importance of customization when it comes to satisfying the client. Likewise, he told us a bit about the great customization options when it comes to design in Flutter, among other pros (and cons) within the framework:

“Pros:

• Faster Quality Assurance: QA process is lots faster as the same app can work on both platforms
• Faster apps: Flutter makes use of the Skia Graphics Library, and so the UI is redrawn each time a view changes. Flutter UI is easy and offers 60fps (frames per second)
• Brilliant designs: Flutter has its set of customized widgets, and the apps have an uncomplicated UI. The attentiveness to visible details is an introduced gain for Flutter

Cons

• Slowly growing developer community: Flutter nonetheless wants some catching up to do to match its counterpart
• Library guide is not as prosperous as native development: At times, developers may also want to build custom performance that takes time
• Platform risk: Flutter is open-source, however if Google chose no longer to guide the project, it may…be disastrous.”

Michael Hess, eCommerce Strategy Lead at Code Signing Store sums up a few additional pros:

“Google's Flutter is a modern development kit that makes it easier to create mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Google Fuchsia, a new platform in development.

• Reload in a hurry
• Ideal for creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
• There will be less code”

Steven Walker is the CEO of Spylix, a platform that helps parents and employers monitor devices they may be concerned about in order to keep the users safe. He has the following to say about Flutter:

“Pros:

• Popularity: Flutter has outperformed ReactJS in both GitHub and Stack Overflow

High performance: Flutter apps use machine code, utilizing the graphics and visualization engine which is built into C/C++, making the applications to be very fast with a high-performance

Flutter cons:

• The labor market for Flutter technology is only being formed
• Has weak iOS features support: The mere fact that Flutter is a Google product makes its support quality for iOS applications worse”

While React Native is widely known and utilized in the developer community, according to some Flutter is not lagging far behind on its own speedy growth trajectory. And sure one can develop apps in a vacuum, but creating an app necessitates considering the other team members and providing support to those who require assistance or advice. Edward Mellett, Founder of WikiJob touches on the generosity of the community available to Flutter developers. He says:

“Without any prior Flutter expertise, the official Flutter.dev is sufficient to get started constructing projects. When information or tools are missing, the community steps in to fill the void with bespoke articles and open git repositories for specific use cases.”

Gerrid Smith, Chief Marketing Officer at Joy Organics, has a diverse background in high-end digital marketing strategies ranging from Modern and Responsive Web Design to Video/YouTube Promotion. With his knack for visual elements, Smith lauds the best Flutter apps but also has some critique for the framework:

“Flutter UI is distinct from native UI in the following ways: It offers error-free performance and a uniform view on all supported systems whenever native visual components lack features or fail to display completely. Insight Timer, Stadia, Reflect, and, of course, various Google services, like Google Ads, are among the greatest Flutter apps.

…Because Dart and Flutter are still relatively new, their users haven't had the opportunity to think of a wide range of use cases: a team is in deep water when it comes to developing very sophisticated or specialist applications.”

Adam Farb, Founder & Head Of Design at Adam Fard UX Agency, also has a few qualms with what Flutter is lacking. He adds:

“Flutter features are still in alpha and beta testing, thus they may not always work. Furthermore, because the platform is still being finalised, you may not be able to find the essential functions in the existing library. It will take some time for Flutter to develop the necessary tools, improve functionality, and grow the community.

Programmers employ a variety of techniques to reduce code size, including avoiding animations, reducing pictures, and using the bare minimum of packages and libraries. The framework produces bad outcomes. The Flutter app is 4 MB in size, while it only weighs 500 KB on other platforms. Perhaps Google will address this flaw, but not until it takes effect.”

Tried-and-True But React Native Is Not Without Issues

React Native has allowed apps to develop faster as more than 1.6k people have shared code to React’s codebase and reusing code means reduced costs. In addition to commenting on Flutter, Blakenship remarked on the glories and not-so-great qualities about React:

“Pro:

• Third-party plugin and library support – Many third-party libraries with complicated functionalities may be readily imported and used in your project; this reduces the overall complexity of the process, and the libraries have been thoroughly tested, so there are few possibilities of writing problematic code when using them.

Cons:

• Challenging to learn – To get started with React Native, you must have prior expertise in developing native apps. As a result, React Native isn't the most excellent place to start if you're new to app development
• Poor memory management – React Native struggles with memory management because of its Javascript-based structure. React Native also inefficiently handles complex computations. As a result, it's the most excellent framework for creating apps that need to execute complicated analytical tasks”

Smith provided another list of helpful strengths and drawbacks for React:

“Pros

• Freedom of choice for developers: A developer can decide how to handle the global country or choose a router library, and more
• Vast community: React has a big developer community and has a sizable set of tutorials, UI frameworks, and libraries

Cons

• React Native has a full-size set of libraries, however many of them are low-quality or abandoned
• Compatibility and debugging issues: Developers might also come across a number of troubles with package deal compatibility or debugging tools
• Fragile UI: React Native uses native components, and after each and every OS UI update, your app factors need to be upgraded. However, this can ruin the app’s UI, which is very rare”

Walker, too, had a list of pros and cons:

“Pros:

• It is very easy to learn and use because It comes with a very good supply of documentation, tutorials, and training resources to guide the user
• Enhanced performance: ReactJS improves performance because of its virtual DOM. The DOM is mainly a cross-platform and programming API that deals with XML, HTML or XHTML

Cons:

• Has poor documentation. ReactJS technologies updating and accelerating are so fast that there is no time to make proper documentation
• ReactJS uses JSX and developers complain a lot about its complexity in the learning curve”

Respond Before You React: Team Flutter or Team React?

Must developers choose a team per se or can they be cheerleaders for both frameworks?

Smith is generous with hope for both Flutter and React Native:

“It seems to me that React Native is more popular and frequently utilized due to its usability and substantial support, but this does not indicate that Flutter is lagging. Flutter is very new compared to RN, but due to its characteristics and efficacy, it may soon get widespread attention.”

As an expert on cybersecurity trends, Chief Editor of vpnAlert, Bram Jansen, is likewise an expert at forecasting other technological trends, such as the future of React and Flutter. He says:

“It is only a matter of time before both React Native and Flutter have their own sizable audiences. Currently, React Native is more stable than Flutter, but the growth trajectory of Flutter is evident. Both of these options are perfect for developing applications in a timely manner and affordably. Each application necessitates consideration of distinct factors; therefore, the decision is entirely dependent on the company and the developer.”

2. Which of these is better for cross-platform development and why?

Max Benz, Founder and CEO at BankingGeek, emphasizes the importance of considering your project’s specific needs:

“When deciding between Flutter and ReactJS, it is important to consider the specific needs of your project. If you need a fast development cycle and good cross-platform compatibility, Flutter may be the better choice. However, if you require more flexibility and advanced features, ReactJS may be a better option.”

CEO of The Great Brain Experiment, Laurence Lee has the smarts about not only brain science and nootropics, but Flutter and React Native as well. He says:

“Flutter is better for cross-platform development because it is based on the Dart language, which is designed for cross-platform development. Reactjs is better for developing single-platform apps because it uses JavaScript, which is more suited for that purpose.

Flutter has some advantages over Reactjs. It is faster and more stable, and it has a more user-friendly interface. Reactjs has some advantages over Flutter. It is more mature, and it has a larger community of developers.”

Venkatesh CR, CEO and Managing Director of Dot Com Infoway, is well-versed in taking new businesses to the next level. When asked whether his business uses Flutter or React Native, Venkatesh did not choose one side, but chose to generously extol and gently problematize both frameworks:

“The battle may have been in favor of Flutter in the past, but that’s arguably no longer the case with the improvements that React Native, as a whole framework, has undergone. On the whole, it’s still a tie.

• Different code files are only ever needed in Flutter if the app requires a more sophisticated user interface. Also, it has UI components that can be used like templates, which only hasten overall development. However, the same can be said for React Native
• Flutter wins a bit when it comes to performance since compiling codes with its Dart language is noticeably faster compared to a mainstay like JavaScript, which React still uses
• Lower cost and quicker development, a combination of perks that almost any developer wants, is pretty much assured in React Native
• Flutter may be a bit slower in overall development time, but its finished apps are often faster and require fewer tests, just like React Native. The documentations are overall well-structured as well
• Flutter is developed by Google and offers support for mapping and geolocation
• It’s easy for Reactjs developers to get the hang of React Native as a whole since the former is included in the latter, which serves as a whole framework for React cross-platform development

He, too, emphasized getting clear on your project’s unique needs:

“Again, this depends on your primary goals. If it’s about saving time, money, and other applicable resources, both React Native and Flutter can guarantee it. If you want a faster turn-around time, it may be better to prefer ReactJS developers because of the reasons said above. If your focus is on developing the UI over time, it’s better to use Flutter. Be prepared to slightly invest more money compared to React Native, though.

To answer the question directly, both require less time to be spent on testing, so overall, post-launch app maintenance is not really that big of an issue in Flutter and React Native. As far as post-development support goes, you can rest assured that these two platforms will be able to help you polish your app in the long run.”

As PR Executive & Growth Director at Notta, David Glasser helps ease the process of transcribing important conversations and meetings from various media platforms and apps. A pro at easing communications, we knew Glasser had strong opinions on React and Flutter. He said:

“React Native adopts Javascript, which is easy to learn and adapt. On the other hand, since Dart has lesser adoption among the developer community, React Native is definitely the winner here.

Flutter is a modern development kit by Google, that will facilitate the development of mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Google Fuchsia, a new platform being developed by Google. React Native relies on Javascript bridge to connect with the native modules, whereas on the other hand, Flutter that uses the Dart framework, has most of its components in-built and so does not always require a bridge for communication with its native modules.”

3. Which of these are you using in your business if you have launched an app recently, and why?

Michael Rispoli, Co-Founder & CT of Cause of a Kind, is invested in finding solutions to complex digital problems in the realm of software engineering and product development. He gave us a thorough explanation of why his team prefers React:

“Of the two, we continue to choose React Native for a number of reasons…it is written in Javascript or typescript, which is effectively the Lingua franca for the software we build all around…with Flutter you have to learn Dart as well as the Flutter framework itself. Dart is not terribly difficult to learn…but when you ask yourself what am I really gaining here over just using React Native, the performance improvement isn't so immense that it would be worth switching.

I think if you are already invested in the Google ecosystem and using Angular on your web front-end, Flutter may make more sense, but as a React and Typescript shop it makes a lot less sense for us to take on the learning curve of Flutter.

…React Native is also more battle-tested as it's been around longer and is well known in the community by non-technical and technical stakeholders alike at this point.”

Walker was emphatic about his support of Flutter:

…the mere fact that Google backs Flutter up makes it a serious ReactJS alternative to consider. I would go with Flutter because…“hot reload”...helps you quickly and easily experiment, build UIs, add features, and even fix bugs. I'm using Flutter because it is the only framework that allows me to share both the UI code and the UI itself and also because of the hot reload functionality.”

As you can see, positing that Flutter or React Native is better than the other is near-impossible, even amongst developers and other trusted experts. With the passage of time, these mobile development frameworks will evolve and improve, expanding their benefits while decreasing their limitations. This requires developers to be flexible, adaptable, and willing to shift opinions as needed. At Pangea.ai, we would be thrilled to help you make a decision regarding Flutter or React Native after considering your needs and what would make the most sense in order for your project to succeed!