Flutter For Cross-Platform Development: Pros & Cons

The acceptance of cross-platform mobile app development has been gaining momentum in recent years. It is the best solution to fulfil the needs of forward-thinking startups.

We know it as competitive, fast-paced and time-driven. In the early days of mobile applications, developers depended on native technologies to create a reliable app, but we now have plenty of options.

Therefore, cross-platform development has become essential for the developers to track the recent tools, libraries, and frameworks introduced in the market. If you are developing apps on these platforms, then it is essential to write unique code. 

However, with cross-platform app development, one can save valuable time and effort. To facilitate cross-platform development, it has developed different advanced tools.

The developer always seeks advanced tools online to serve their clients to earn more profit and fulfil their requirements. Thus, they prefer Flutter to solve their specific needs. Cross-platform app development with Flutter is always coming online with the most updated form. 

You must have heard about web-based tools like Xamarin developed by Microsoft, PhoneGap by Adobe and react-native developed by Facebook. Xamarin and ionic frameworks have gained tremendous popularity in the recent five to six years. Today in this blog, we will go into details to know about Flutter app development.

What is Flutter? 

Flutter is the most powerful and useful Google app framework for cross-platform app development that provides an open-source UI software development kit to build applications across different platforms. This flutter framework is useful to develop native-like apps for android, iOS, Mac, Windows, Google Fuchia, and Linux. 

Flutter from Google is the best choice for businesses and the flutter app developer to strengthen the original apps that ensure an excellent result. Flutter is a mobile development framework that came into the limelight only a few years back and captured an enormous market in the development arena. 

Its entrance that took all the accessibility from the cross-platform and native development permits the small and large businesses to get working applications fast so, flutter application development services are gaining popularity.

This framework is popular among expert developers and will continue to expand further. It provides a major toolkit along with frameworks, widgets, and flutters API to create useful and quick apps.

It leaves businesses with less argumentation to proceed with inhabitant app development for our business growth. Among other options flutter is one of the best cross-platform mobile development tools. 

Considering the name, it allows functioning applications on multiple platforms and helps business organizations to draw maximum customers, which results in a huge revenue generation. Apps built with flutter integrate a host of features that have immense importance for developers. It equipped Flutter with various features, which are absent in other app development platforms.

As per my research, I realized that flutter for the web is going to dominate cross-platform development and gain popularity in the coming years. Flutter combines the ease of development along with outstanding performance during managing visual flexibility across the platforms.

These valuable features make it popular worldwide among the developer community.

What is a Cross-Platform?

A cross-platform system is a product or system that can function across multiple platforms or operating environments. It includes both hardware and software systems. It involves separate builds for each platform. They work the same way across various platforms. 

The term cross-platform, we use differently across many areas in the information technology sector. A standard cross-platform system is a virtual product that runs in a cloud computing or wireless network environment. We also call it multi-platform or platform-independent. 

Cross-platform operations include not only functioning with application programming interfaces but also with any licensing requirements that exist. Using traditional open-source software and operating system has decreased software licensing agreements. They still provided all the top operating systems under conventional licenses.

Why Flutter is Best For Cross Platform Development

Since this platform holds reliability and power efficiency, and most of the features offer a cluster of readymade features that is an optimal option for app development. Other positive aspects of the flutter are that the maintenance of the application is fast because of hot reload, a feature that reduces the loss of your organization. 

The app made by Flutter supports various platforms like android, iOS, Windows, Mac platforms. To produce flutter app development, always hire android app developers from reputed information technology enterprises.

In this blog, you will learn why cross-platform app development with flutter plays a vital role to achieve high-grade success. If you are planning for an online business, then cross-platform app development with flutter may be a wonderful decision for you to achieve splendid success.

It is essential to know the features of flutter before using this cross-platform app development. This platform comes with a vast range of features.

Why Flutter is Best For Cross-Platform Development

• Flutter Application is Easy to Use and Learn.
• An Open-Source.
• Packed with Essential Widgets.
• Self-Rendering Engine.
• Hot Reloading Option.
• Identical to Native App Performance.
• Essential Core UI Components.
• High-Tech Performance.
• Flutter is gaining momentum.
• Flutter has a Clear Code Structure.
• Cost-effective and Quick to Develop on.
• Great User Experience with Cloud Integration Option.

1. Flutter Application is Easy to Use and Learn

Dart-coding combination is easy to use and simple to grab everything they offer. While using flutter for the web, developers will fill the difference with flutter modern framework. The app made with flutter uses less code and can create a fully functional app. They also allow users a fast and simple installation process in lesser time.

2. An Open-Source

Flutter is open-source, you’ll get free access to the original code and all the other features you need. Flutter widgets are user-friendly and easy to navigate, making it fast to find answers to all your questions.

3. Packed with Essential Widgets

This framework has capabilities for creating custom widgets as per needs because it comes with various sets of widgets. Here flutter is available for the views, screen, and app itself. 

It provides the developer with a complete package of widgets through Google material design. Again it needs a canvas to render the widgets which allows them to appear on the screen and offers access to camera, Bluetooth and others.

4. Self-Rendering Engine

Flutter framework allows users to try maximum stuff with your applications that are not available to another cross-platform framework. It requires a most robust framework and I would not justify it without a good performing cross-platform rendering engine. 

This platform uses “SKIA” for rendering itself onto a platform-rendering we know as the canvas. Because of the self-rendering engine, UI created in the flutter can be launched on any platform virtually.

5. Hot Reloading Option

Hot reloading is the most important feature of flutter which is most useful for the developer. This feature allows developers to change the code and watch the same thing on hardware, simulator, and emulators. 

You may watch the changed code quickly with the application in the running mode, eliminating the requirement for any kind of restart. Another advantage of this feature is for fixing bugs or adding additional features in the cross-platform mobile application.

If you are planning to start a new business, read the most informative blog

Also Read, “Ideas for Apps in the year 2021 That Haven’t Been made yet”

6. Identical to Native App Performance

The performance of any application plays a fundamental role and is crucial for good UX. The performance of the flutter application is identical to the native app and even superb in complex UI animation outline. This application does not rely on any intermediate code interpretation contrary to the approach of other cross-platform frameworks.

The apps made with the flutter application are built into the machine code, which excludes any performance bugs from the interpretation process. So, you will get your release app compiled ahead of time with these frameworks. 

The apps built with flutter are very popular because renowned applications are using flutter frameworks. A developer likes these positive features and uses them as per the demand of their clients and they say flutter is the best choice for Cross-platform application development.

7. Essential Core UI Components

Are you thinking about why flutter is the best choice for Cross-platform application development? The reason is very simple: flutter uses widgets as its core component, like other dynamic languages. 

These widgets allow the mobile app developer to view what they are developing with their coding language quickly, which saves their time on developing UI components. 

They can easily see basic UI elements for each screen and resolution that make flutter architecture most useful for the developer. But create a UI element once and it will adapt to any kind of screen.

It will also save valuable time for the quality analyst because they do not require any further test of the flutter mobile app design on most of the devices with various kinds of screen sizes. 

As I have mentioned, flutter has its widget package, but someone rendered natively all the elements, which gives a native feel and enhances performance.

Now one question that may come to your mind is fluttering the future? Here we say yes!

8. High-Tech Performance

Flutter is the best choice for Cross-platform application development because it is the best framework and it wins over other cross-platform technology. The app built with flutter uses “JavaScript Bridges” to boot screen which allows them to appear simple.

Dart analysis and flutter Inspector are the special developer tools that help flutter app developers to verify their code and update them with quality standard performance. Even in the Android studio, you will find the same tool to debug and optimize the code. 

Therefore, it shows that flutter for the web offers high performance which attracts developers and new business owners to use this application.

9. Flutter is Gaining Momentum

Several benefits have proved that flutter is the best choice for Cross-platform application development so this is the best choice for a flutter app developer. Do you want to know why flutter is the best choice for Cross-platform application development? Let’s have a look at these authentic reasons which prove its claims.

It equipped a flutter cross-platform with essential widgets and other options which are favourites among developers which provide the best options to them. These tools help them create mobile app development simple and save time. Every business client demands their product on time and flutter technology helps developers to do so.

Flutter framework supports six kinds of operating systems which are as follows helps developers with just one base code and just minor tweaking can launch their application on these systems.

1. Windows.
2. Linux.
3. Web.
4. Android.
5. iOS.
6. Mac OS.

Native code is the most important reason to choose flutter that supports and this shows that a developer can essentially do any trial a native language can.

10. Flutter has a Clear Code Structure

Flutter code structure inspires developers because it is near to the native android code structure and its credit goes to Google which has given the flutter framework the useful features of native android languages.

Another important ability of cross-platform framework is to separate styles and execute codes in different sections, which is the key selling point of flutter. These features boost development as you can have one custom view with all the sections that will work for every part of your application.

11. Cost-effective and Quick to Develop on

Price factor plays a vital role in cross-platform development because it is cost-effective and quick when an app is made with flutter. But what are the reasons behind it? It is so simple because of widgets and various development tools. It is so easy to grab and quick to develop on.

If your choice is flutter, you will save a good amount of money because developers will spend fewer hours on development. It shows apps built with flutter are cost-effective. 

Therefore, if you’re seeking a technology that will save you both time and cost, flutter is the best choice for Cross-platform application development.

12. Great User Experience with Cloud Integration Option 

Cross-platform applications integrate easier with the cloud by requiring a single source code. Cloud-based technology is growing quickly and most companies are using it to boost their business because this is the future of software development. Application with cloud integration increases accessibility and offers a great user experience.

If you are interested to know about the Ionic/ Flutter comparison, click the link below to read our important post.

Also read, What is Agile Software Development? How Does it work?

The App Built with Flutter

Because of the outstanding features and programming language, various industries prefer this application like retail, sports, shopping, entertainment, and healthcare use flutter cross-platform to create a mobile application to boost their business. 

All top-class companies have recognized the flutter framework’s advantages and have used it for mobile app development.

Some leading applications build by using flutter programming are:

• Healthcare-water maniac.
• Ecommerce -eBay.
• Entertainment-Music tutor, topline.
• Shopping- HuYu.
• Business- Google Ads, Alibaba, BMW.

Flutter Vs. Other Cross-Platform Frameworks

When there is a concern about mobile app development, two types of applications come to our minds. It is Android and iOS.

We use Java while developing Android apps and use Swift and Obj-C for iOS development. Most developers build these applications to have high-quality performance. But when we look into developing these apps, the process is costly and time-consuming. All it happens because they needed the same code to be written twice.

The simple solution to this issue is the cross-application platform, which helps developers in every component. But with this approach, apps do not perform like native apps. The tools that are the best on our list are Xamarin, React Native, Ionic, and Flutter. We will compare these tools on this blog.

The following characteristics define the tool, which lets you determine the device correctly.

Flutter Vs. Ionic:

As compared to Flutter, ionic has the following features and advantages.

Single Codebase

When we publish or deploy code on mobile and web, both Flutter and Ionic perform equally because both platforms are recognized and have gained popularity among the developers.

Flutter is the perfect choice for creating user-friendly iOS and Android apps from a single codebase set.

Ionic is the best option if you are interested in deploying your app as a progressive web application.

Therefore, the use of Flutter or ionic relies on the need for your business requirement so that you may decide accordingly.

Sustainability

The meaning of sustainability is the shelf life and flexibility of the project. In the battle of Flutter and ionic comparison, sustainability is a significant component.

The ionic equipped project offers greater susceptibility. While creating an application on the Ionic framework provides a comprehensive platform, and you accept open web standards.

The Flutter framework offers the best standard and builds an informed script.

Performance

When you discuss flutter/Ionic performance, their quality level plays a vital role in deciding the best for your business.

Flutter is a perfect choice if you are searching for exclusive animation. However, if you are eager to create a more user-facing mobile application, Ionic provides the same performance.

Flutter needs heavy code to build a basic application, while Ionic uses a quality runtime and primitives.

Programming Language

Ionic uses the following web Technologies like HTML5, CSS JS, and typescript for developing and operating the mobile application. While working with this framework, the code matters a lot and plays enormous importance.

For writing code, Flutter uses the Dart programming language.

User Experience

The user experience with Flutter is charming. It offers simplified tools, customized widgets and elements. After knowing the feature like Stream Builder, Future Builder, and Animation Builder, you can customize your interface in any form. It also has a generational garbage collection feature, a part of Dart that helps create UI frames for object codes.

With Ionic, you can get a seamless in-app experience for Android and Ios applications to get quick UI navigation. Ionic framework hybrid approach eliminated the requirement of a new update version to the app stores. These components allow developers for the fast development of features within a native mobile app.

Choose Flutter, if

• You have a low budget and a delivery timeline.
• You are eager to publish the app quickly.

Choose Ionic, if

• You are planning for a new business, and your application idea is fresh.
• You are struggling with low capital and have a desire to keep development cost minimal.
• You have a not a huge application.

Flutter Vs React Native:

Flutter and React Native are the two most prominent cross-platform frameworks on the market that mainly target mobile app development and beyond. Let’s compare the features of these frameworks.

Programing Language

The developer prioritizes React Native when you choose this framework based on the programming language. It is based on JavaScript, the most dynamic language for creating a hybrid app.

React Native framework bonds all the benefits of JavaScript and React. It offers the ability to write a few components in Swift, Objective-C, or Java when needed.

Flutter depends on Dart for the most class programing language. This is a direct competitor to JavaScript in the area of web development. However, a developer can easily understand the syntax of Dart who knows Java. It also supports several object-oriented theories.

The most significant difference between these two frameworks lies in their architecture. Flutter uses its rendering engine SKIA. While writing Flutter apps, your code doesn’t call the Flutter engine APIs. Instead, it uses a set of top-class APIs offered by the Flutter framework.

React native open architecture is far flexible and makes it possible to focus on more platforms than Android and iOS.

Performance of the Framework

React native offers apps with performance just like native apps. It only happens because it takes up components of the code equivalent to React Native APIs. For heavy and complex operations, React Native lets the developer use native modules.

It scripted native modules that use the native languages, making it easier for the developers to access anything. So, if you judge performance, React is the best.

Flutter offers faster rendering and optimal resource use, which is essential for a smooth user experience.

User Interface

React native works in tandem with a native user interface controller. It offers a better user experience similar to native apps. Because of the use of React. JS libraries and UI components merge the UI development.

Flutter user interface comprises the following things; text widget, row, columns, stack and container widget. A centralized user interface is the major attraction of the Flutter framework. Widgets are important layout components that can be associated with states.

Graphics Capabilities

Flutter and React native have superb graphical features, but they use different approaches to attract customer interfaces.

The pixel-perfect graphics and comprehensive animations are possible with each of these advanced technologies.

With React Native which inherits natural visual elements, button, navigation and menus. All these elements offer a fantastic experience to the users.

If you are using Flutter, the app will look the same despite the OS version. You will not find any changes in navigation and elements. The overall look and feel of the application remind more about hybrid frameworks rather than native ones.

1. React Native is popular among the JavaScript community because of its connection with online development. Flutter’s Dart is not so popular as another programming language.

2. Flutter provides its collection of the platform supported advanced widgets but React Native leverages native components.

Choose Flutter, if

• Top quality mobile application from a single codebase.
• You have plenty of animation, and it makes it easier to describe great design into code.

Choose React Native, if

• You are planning to create a cross-platform based on mobile and web with a single codebase.

Flutter Vs Xamarine:

Programing Language

Programming language is the major tussle while developing any app.

With Xamarin, developers use C# and XMAL, one of the widespread languages among developers, to develop the cross-platform mobile app. You can use it easily if you know it well. C# is a modern programming language used in the Microsoft community. Their cool features are portability, metaprogramming, and functional programming.

Flutter uses the Dart language for writing code. If you have an idea about the concepts of OOP languages, then Dart will be the most comfortable for you. It has the following key features.

It can be trans-complied into JavaScript using the Dart2JS compiler. Dart supports AOT and JIT compilation, which makes the processing quicker. However, its similarity to JavaScript and solid documentation made it the undisputed leader in the market.

Community, Support and Documentation

If you talk about community support, Xamarin has a larger community. They packed this community with experienced developers and are always eager to share information with the users. These committed developers share their experience and code whenever required. The Xamarin community has more user engagements because it is the oldest development framework.

Microsoft also supports this platform, which updates documentation at regular intervals.

Flutter framework is a recent cross-platform framework, having a weaker community but very serious in terms of support, transparent documentation, and support. Google is regularly improving its community support.

Performance

Xamarin offers the best result similar to the Native app. A developer may build mobile apps through Xamarin. Android and Xamarin, iOS and Xamarin. With Xamarin, you can quickly get outstanding performance similar to Native applications. Xamarin performs well because of the broad code sharing, which is not platform-specific.

Flutter uses the easiest and high performing language named Dart. One can monitor its ability to compile into native code for Android and iOS.

Flutter is renowned for its powerful performance, and it happens only because of “Dart”. Another positive point in this SDK is that the widget reduces communication between the mobile platform and the mobile app. Therefore, these two factors produce a quick app startup time.

User Interface

You may develop the UI using Xamarin. The traditional method consumes much time but offers a more fantastic look. When you use Xamarin with forms, the development process becomes much more convenient and consumes less time. The Xamarin interface is not user friendly because it renders everything in HTML and CSS.

Flutter has an excellent user interface in comparison to Xamarin. It is a free open source UI framework, and Google is behind it, which is suitable for creating native mobile applications.

Hot Reload

Xamarin does not have a theory of hot reload factor. However, it offers loads of modules and development API and relies on visual studio IDE. Flutter provides support for the desirable reload feature.

Also read, What Is Progressive Web App? How Does PWA Work? Complete Guide 2021

Which is the Winner Between Flutter and Xamarin?

We know Xamarin as the most mature framework, and you can use its feature in a broader range of projects for your business. As per the recent survey with a developer, they prefer Xamarin to Flutter. Again, the use of a framework depends on the actual need for your business. Flutter is also a suitable framework for some specific companies.

Xamarin and Flutter are both the best choices and are equally helpful to work with. Both frameworks have some pros and cons. Before you hire a cross-platform app developer, we have given the best information to you in this blog post.

Why is Flutter an Optimal Choice For App Development?

The cross-platform flutter framework reserves a better choice over other platforms. Flutter is the best cross-platform mobile app development framework, therefore; all top-class companies are using it to generate huge revenue and high performance.

It uses “Dart”, a programming language based on Java and C/C++ that contributes to high-performance apps. The Dart apps built using this cross-platform mobile app development framework offer high-grade performance.

It offers an unmatched interface to the users as compared to other cross-platform app development. Flutter being open source also comes for free.

If you cannot understand all these technical things, consult a cross-platform mobile app development company. With these benefits one can easily understand Is flutter the future for some business owners?

Why prefer Flutter for Cross-Platform development? After going through all this information on flutter, it is essential to know why flutter is the best choice for cross-platform application development. 

Is Flutter a Good Solution For the Business?

Yes, flutter is the best choice for Cross-platform application development. You must know some important points that posture a good value for the business. Please read these points which may help you.

• Flutter lowers risks for your business.
• No issues with product development.
• Using flutter won’t create any trouble finding engineers.
• Relaxation of integration.

The list of multinational companies is countless who are using flutter technology and some big names are “Alibaba”, a big eCommerce company with international fame, Google Ads, My leaf, and others, which is proof of the uncompromised quality of flutter. 

All these expressions make flutter the best clarification for a business to prevent any troubles to seek experts. Compared to the alternative cross-platform approaches available, the Flutter framework poses minimal risks to a business and therefore is worth being the best choice for your business.

Is Flutter is Future

As we know, Google has launched this flutter framework a few years back and is gaining momentum in the marketplace. Today several top companies are using it; therefore, we can say Flutter is the future for the users for the following reasons.

• Flutter is a single code base for most platforms.
• It supports platform-centric widgets.
• This framework has the power to expedite the testing and development process.
• Having a source of several free open source packages supports a fast development process.
• It comes with best-in-class IDE support through plugins.
• Offer more excellent developer experience.
• Development cost is minimal.
• Suitable for MVP.

Final Thoughts

Flutter is the rapid way to deliver the best result-oriented cross-platform mobile application. I can confidently say that flutter will officially become the ultimate cross-platform UI framework in the upcoming days.

Flutter is expanding fast and the future of cross-platform development will view the framework regulating the entire sectors and industries. The above quality of this application shows flutter for cross-platform application development may be the best choice for any business owner.

If you are planning to create your digital solution on the best future assured platform, consider flutter as the best choice for Cross-platform application development that allows you to build an app with a single code base for all platforms, including Android and iOS. Therefore, if you plan to create a Cross Platform Application and face any issues, then contact us. “Hackerkernel“ s expert team will guide you in every step of the development process.

FAQ

Why is Flutter Development Better For Business?

Flutter is from Google’s mobile app equipped with a framework, widgets, and tools that offer developers a fast way to create and deploy visually attractive, fast mobile applications. We may integrate it with both android and iOS platforms.

Is flutter the best choice for app development?

Flutter is a cross-platform app development framework. It helps app developers to write code once and build the application for all platforms- iOS and Android.

What are the reasons to choose flutter?

This is one of the most prominent cross-platform app development technologies. It’s convenient for both a native and cross-platform mobile app developer to grasp because it’s near to native languages. Exceptional performance and lots of amazing features make this application attractive for business view.

What are the cons of flutter?

The major cons of the flutter are the followings

• Platform-specific look.
• Open-source.
• New but powerful technology.
• Suitable for iOS and Android.
• Easy to use.