React Native vs Flutter: Which Mobile Development Framework is Better?

by

React Native vs Flutter: Which Mobile Development Framework is Better?

The phenomenon of mobile apps has significantly changed the development industry. The development of mobile apps requires new approaches that take less time and effort, as there are more mobile users worldwide. It is made possible by the popular mobile app development frameworks, React Native and Flutter. 

They create interactive apps for iOS and Android. It is essential to comprehend their differences and pick the one that is best for you because they both serve the same purpose. You can learn more about Flutter vs React Native in this article. 

Overview

Now we’ll look at both mobile app development frameworks to see which is better. Both are ideal solutions for cross-platform development. Both have features, open-source frameworks, and the power to create almost any application. So, which one of them is better? 

React Native

It is a cross-platform framework created by Facebook engineers. The framework is used to developing apps like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Uber Eats, Walmart, and Tesla. These mobile apps are available for download from the Apple Store and the Google Play Store. It is built with ReactJS. It employs JavaScript to create a mobile application for both Android and iOS.

Flutter

Google created the cross-platform mobile app development framework. It offers programmers a simple way to create and distribute visually appealing, natively compiled applications for desktop, web, and mobile (iOS, Android), all from a single code base.

  • It is written in the Dart programming language, which enables faster code compilation than JavaScript. 
  • Additionally, it always shows animations at 60 frames per second. 
  • All apps typically have an excellent performance by design. 

However, it is essential to consider a few typical issues that could impact the rate. The framework offers users suggestions to help them get the outcomes they want. Following are some of these suggestions:

  • Optimisation of performance using deferred loading and tree shaking 
  • Performance enhancement using precaching, image placeholders, and disabled navigation transitions
  • Making functional Flutter widgets

In addition, the framework advises limiting build costs, using effects and widgets only when necessary, using lazy methods for grids and lists, and building and displaying frames in 16 ms. We should be aware that it does not perform better than RN in terms of performance. Many developers acknowledge that Flutter has too many other benefits that make it a better option.

Which One is Better?

Here are a few factors to consider when comparing the frameworks that will help you choose between them. It includes:

  • User Interface
  • Performance
  • Development
  • Documentation
  • Popularity
  • Community Support

1. User Interface

React Native relies heavily on native components for both Android and iOS devices. It provides an extensive collection of external UI kits that aid in the creation of beautiful user interfaces for your applications. The other framework uses exclusive interactive, visual, structural, and platform widgets. These built-in UI widgets take the place of native platform components. 

2. Performance

React connects to native components using JavaScript as a bridge. The development and running times are, therefore, slower than with Flutter. For starting interactions with the native parts of the device, the other framework lacks an interconnecting bridge. As a result, native component interactions are quicker, which enhances the application’s overall performance.

3. Development

React Native is well known for its fast development time. It can also save you time during the development process by providing access to a few third-party UI libraries with ready-to-use components. 

  • It enables the rapid delivery of new functionalities to supported platforms, thereby speeding up the development process. 
  • The Hot reload feature allows the developers to make instant changes and view the results immediately.

Even though Flutter is one of the cross-platform frameworks with the fastest app development speed, it is slower than React Native. The issue is that adding different code files for the Android and iOS operating systems is crucial when using the framework. Nevertheless, it only occurs when an app needs more intricate UI elements. 

  • It has access to several external UI libraries with pre-built components. 
  • The development period can be shortened as a result. 
  • In addition, these libraries make the development process more practical. 
  • ” Hot Reloading” is another excellent feature. 
  • These features enable developers to see all changes right away.

4. Documentation

General documentation is available for React Native. External development kits play a significant role in the framework’s development. It’s more complex to read the documentation than it is for the other framework. Due to its format and specific content, it offers documentation that is easy to read. Additionally, the documentation is simpler and more organised.

5. Popularity

React Native is more widely used and well-liked than the other framework as an app development framework. Because React developers can create native mobile apps quickly, more developers are choosing to use this framework. Although it has recently attracted some attention, the other framework still needs to catch up regarding the number of developers. Dart is a new language, so developers’ adoption rate is lower.

6. Community Support

With over 310,507 tagged questions, React Native is the most popular framework on Stack Overflow. GitHub released it as open-source in 2015. The community for the newer framework, Flutter, is smaller. However, a growing number of developers are gradually embracing it. Stack Overflow contains over 89,638 questions about it.

React and Flutter Native Apps Examples

The following are some of the most popular ones you can find online. Applications written in React Native include:

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Skype
  • Pinterest
  • Afterpay

Here are a few apps you may be familiar with that were created using Flutter. Here are some examples of apps. 

  • Google Ads
  • Alibaba
  • Square
  • eBay
  • Hamilton Musical
  • Reflection

As you can see, both frameworks share many characteristics and have advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we’ve covered their fundamental aspects and the various vital factors to consider when deciding which is best. But in my opinion, Flutter and React Native are excellent options for saving time and money when creating mobile apps. The choice of framework depends on the developer’s preferences and the company’s needs.

Interesting Links: 

Flutter vs React native | Which one is the best? 

Key Differences Between Flutter and React Native

Leave a Comment