Today, mobile applications entered every aspect of our life. We are using them to communicate, make friends, share moments, manage our finance, schedule doctor’s appointments, and even more. Now, we cannot imagine life without a mobile device.
Companies are considering building applications to provide services since it is not always a good idea to rely on a browser version that is hard to develop to fit all the devices and not so easy to maintain.
Yet, if you need the mobile application, you might be wondering which technology to choose. And today, we decided to cover two frameworks allowing building robust, feature-rich mobile applications. So, let’s find out the advantages and disadvantages of both before making a final decision.
What are Flutter and React Native?
Before we roll into these frameworks’ pros and cons, let’s find out what these technologies are. React Native is a JavaScript framework introduced by Facebook in 2003. The framework allows developing cross-platform mobile applications using both JavaScript and React together. As a result, it is very flexible and easy to maintain. According to Statista research, 42% of mobile developers are using React Native for their mobile apps.
Flutter is an open-source framework designed by Google that can be used not only for mobile application development but also it can be incorporated into web pages. The community of Flutter developers snowballs, and its market share is 39%.
How do they work?
Now you know the basics of these two market leaders. So, it’s time to compare them.
The Programming Language
The primary difference between these two frameworks is that ReactNative uses Javascript, a #1 language, and Flutter uses Dart, a new one introduced recently. Dart is known for amazing syntax and speed benefits, yet, developers prefer JavaScript since it is easier to learn.
Architecture
The framework’s architecture influences the speed and simplicity of the development. React Native uses Facebook Flux architecture, which involves a Javascript bridge making it a little slower and inconvenient.
As for Flutter, it uses Skia and the Dart language Virtual Machine in a platform-specific shell. As a result, the source code compiles faster, and the app works much quicker. It is one of the primary advantages of Flutter comparing with React Native.
Installation
Flutter, in some cases, is extremely hard to install. You need to install the binary of the platform that can be downloaded from GitHub. Moreover, macOS users need to perform additional steps before they can use it.
React Native is a winner here since it has a simple-to-follow installation process. Moreover, if a developer is proficient with JavaScript, it will be effortless to follow the installation process.
The Ease of Use
When developing something new, the UI plays a lot. Flutter is used b many products because it allows more customization comparing with React Native. Flutter has its widgets enabling developers to design in bot Material Design for Google and Cupertino for Apple.
As for React Native, it is not simple. It uses a mix of different components that make the code flow a little less seamlessly.
Quality Assurance and Testing
Unfortunately, React Native doesn’t provide many testing tools. Yet, you can use some third-party developments like Detox or Jest. As for Flutter, it has a lot of built-in testing features you can use. The primary advantage of Flutter is that you can test each component individually.
The future of React Native and Flutter
Are these frameworks have the future? Of course, yes. They both have regular updates and add new features and possibilities for the developers. It looks like both are here to stay for a long time.
To Sum Up
Both frameworks have their own advantages and disadvantages. Yet, to decide which one is the best fit to learn or run a new project, it’s worth consulting professionals. Each framework we covered has its own uses and disadvantages that you should consider when making a choice.