Choosing a technology stack for mobile app development is a key decision that should be made at the planning stage. Today, Flutter is one of the most popular frameworks for building mobile applications.
We will explore the advantages and disadvantages of Flutter mobile development and explain in which cases its use is most justified.
An Overview of Flutter
Flutter is positioned as an open-source framework created and maintained by Google, but it would be more accurate to describe it as a software development kit (SDK).
In addition to the framework itself, it includes a wide range of tools, libraries, and APIs.
First introduced in 2017, it quickly gained popularity among front-end and full-stack developers who create high-quality cross-platform apps for various industries.
Let’s focus on the key aspects of Flutter app development.
The main advantage is that developers do not need to write separate code for iOS and Android. A single codebase is sufficient, which is then compiled for different operating systems:
Android;
iOS;
macOS;
Linux;
Windows, and others.
Flutter is based on the Dart programming language, which is object-oriented and can be compiled into both JavaScript and native code for mobile and desktop platforms. Because of this, it does not require additional bridges for platform interaction, unlike React Native, for example. This ensures high application performance.
Today, cross-platform development with Flutter is the most popular.
alt = Framework Usage Statistics
Source: Google Trends
To understand why this technology is so popular, it is worth taking a closer look at Flutter app pros and cons.
Benefits of Flutter
Cross platform app development with Flutter has both strengths and weaknesses. However, their impact depends on the specific project. In some cases, certain drawbacks may become critical and complicate the development process, while for other tasks, it will be the perfect solution, and all its downsides will turn out to be insignificant.
Multi-Platform Effectiveness
Developers do not need to create separate code for different operating systems. It is enough to write it once and then use it for mobile, web, and desktop applications.
Optimized User Experience
Flutter apps are known for their high smoothness, ensuring an excellent user experience.
It also provides accessibility for web users and supports three key components:
Large fonts: Allows users to adjust font size according to system settings.
Screen readers: Provide voice assistance for interface elements.
Sufficient contrast: Ensures text readability.
Although these features are automated, apps should be tested in various conditions. For example, developers can check how the largest fonts appear on a small mobile screen. For more detailed information, refer to Flutter’s accessibility documentation.
Comprehensive Collection of Widgets
In Flutter, widgets are the core building blocks. The framework offers a ready-made set of UI components that can be easily used, customized, or created from scratch, significantly simplifying interface development.
Active Community of Developers
Due to Flutter’s widespread adoption, developers can always find support within the community, get answers to questions, or discover optimal solutions for various tasks. The technology’s popularity also makes it easier to hire experienced developers.
Cons of Flutter app development
Although Flutter has many advantages and suits various project types, certain drawbacks should also be considered. As this technology is relatively young, some of its aspects are still being improved, which may lead to certain challenges.
Expanded App Storage Requirements
One of the main downsides is the significant size of Flutter-built apps. This may lead developers to choose alternative technologies, especially when app compactness is a crucial factor.
The large file size of apps can be problematic for some users, particularly those with limited device storage. This can result in undesirable consequences:
longer loading times;
taking up more space compared to smaller native apps.
Flutter typically adds a few extra megabytes, including the Engine and other project dependencies. However, this size remains static and does not increase with app scaling.
At the same time, the impact of large app sizes can be mitigated through careful optimization. For example, Flutter by default uses the tree-shaking algorithm, which scans the app for unused code and removes it during the build process.
Additionally, Flutter can create apps capable of loading extra Dart code and resources during runtime. This allows applications to have a smaller APK size, downloading functionalities and resources only when needed by the user. Each separate Dart library and resource package that can be downloaded is referred to as a “deferred component.”
Restricted Availability of Third-Party Libraries
Compared to many other frameworks, Flutter has a less developed ecosystem of third-party libraries. This can complicate development, as not all necessary solutions are available in the open.
The Difficulty in Mastering Dart
Although the Dart language provides a range of benefits, it is not as popular as JavaScript, Java, or C#. Many beginners prefer other programming languages, so finding experienced Dart developers and mentors for learning may be more challenging. However, the popularity of this language is gradually growing, which improves the situation.
Flutter's Place Among Development Platforms
Flutter cannot be assessed in isolation, so it should be compared with other technologies for cross-platform development.
Ionic vs Flutter
Ionic is an open-source framework for building mobile applications based on web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), which runs in a WebView. Here’s a comparison of the key features of Ionic vs Flutter:
Characteristic | Flutter | Ionic |
Language | Dart | HTML, CSS, JavaScript/TypeScript |
Portability | iOS, Android, web, desktop, embedded | iOS, Android, web, desktop |
Learning curve | Medium (need to learn Dart) | low |
UI customization | Fully customizable with native rendering | HTML and CSS |
Performance | High | moderate |
Thus, the choice will depend on the project requirements, the team's experience, and the specifics of the target audience. Therefore, it is important to carefully consider all these factors when determining the optimal technology for the goal.
Flutter vs. Next.js
Next.js is a framework that extends React by adding server-side rendering support for web applications. It is one of the most popular tools for working with this JavaScript library. With Next.js, developers can easily build fast and efficient websites that are well-indexed by search engines.
Let’s compare Flutter and Next.js across the following categories:
Category | Flutter | Next.js | |||
Core Technology and Architecture | Uses Dart and an architecture based on widgets. Rendering is done via its own engine, bypassing HTML and CSS. | Uses JavaScript, HTML, CSS. Supports SSR (Server-Side Rendering), SSG (Static Site Generation), and API routes. | |||
Key Features | - Single codebase for mobile, web, and desktop apps. - Custom visualization provides a consistent UI across different devices. - Large widget ecosystem for UI customization. | - Supports SSR and SSG, improving SEO and load speed. - Familiar tech stack for web developers. - Large React library ecosystem. | |||
Development Experience | - Single codebase for all platforms. - Hot reload allows real-time changes to be seen. - Dart learning required, which may be difficult for web developers. | - Familiar React architecture, making the transition easier. - Supports CSS frameworks (e.g., Tailwind CSS). - Hot reload and SSR/SSG for fast development. |
Both frameworks offer powerful capabilities for creating Progressive Web Applications (PWA), but each is focused on different tasks. If a project requires consistency in interface and cross-platform compatibility, Flutter is a reliable choice for developing apps with a single codebase. However, if the focus is on SEO optimization and fast development within an already established ecosystem, Next.js would be a more suitable choice.
Who Uses Flutter?
Today, more and more companies are choosing Flutter for rapid app development. From startups to tech giants like Google and BMW, this technology has become popular due to its developer-friendly nature and near-native performance.
An increasing number of popular apps built with Flutter framework are convincing entrepreneurs and startup founders to choose this technology for quickly creating mobile solutions with guaranteed results.
Major Companies and Top-Rated Applications
Top apps built with Flutter framework and their client companies:
Stadia. Google’s gaming platform Stadia was also developed using Flutter during the project's prototyping phase. This convenient app allows users to play their favorite games on existing screens.
SpaceX app. The SpaceX Go app is a simple yet effective launcher for SpaceX, also created with Flutter. It was designed to provide quick and convenient access to SpaceX services, and Flutter was the perfect choice!
eBay Motors. This is eBay’s native app. Flutter framework was used to simplify mobile development and maintenance, enhancing the functionality and appeal of the app. Before choosing the framework, eBay spent a month exploring the framework’s capabilities. However, Flutter demonstrated excellent performance and effectively completed all the company’s tasks.
iRobot. A popular app for learning programming, offering a personalized learning experience for users of various levels. To improve the app's accessibility across different platforms, the company used Flutter development.
Rive. Developers use Rive to create and port interactive animations to other platforms. Previously, Rive was written in JavaScript ES5 and DOM, which limited its performance on platforms other than the web. Flutter provided a seamless multi-platform solution and made the app more stable.
BMW. The My BMW app is available for Android and iOS, providing users with information on their car’s status and remote access to features.
Crowdsource. A popular platform that brings millions of people together to contribute to building AI and machine learning models for Google. The platform used Flutter to create the "smart camera" feature, which was a huge success! This prompted the Crowdsource team to rewrite their Android app entirely using this framework.
Toyota. Flutter’s multi-platform capabilities helped Toyota eliminate work delays and create a seamless experience for users in integrated car systems.
Etsy. A popular company that supports the sale of handmade creative goods. The company uses Flutter to speed up app development and create efficient solutions for its sellers.
Philips Hue. They have been using the Flutter framework since 2018. The app offers an intuitive and smart lighting system for users, allowing them to control and adjust lighting at home.
This list of famous apps built with Flutter framework could go on, as this framework is indeed widely used in development.
Examples of Flutter in Everyday Apps
Most people don't even think about the technologies behind the apps they use every day. However, it’s interesting to know that many popular services are created using this cross-platform SDK.
Top Apps Built with Flutter
Some well-known top Flutter apps include:
The results of working with Flutter are impressive. For example, an Alibaba senior engineer noted that the development team added a new feature in just two weeks, whereas using other tools, this process would have taken around a month.
The Google Pay team noted that using Flutter helped reduce development costs by 70%, and the number of lines of code was reduced by 35%.
eBay Motors specialists also highlighted the positive experience. According to them, 100% of the developers who worked on the project reported that they enjoyed developing with Flutter more than building native apps for iOS and Android. About 75% of the surveyed developers stated that the app development speed was at least twice as fast as with native solutions. Additionally, 98.3% of the code in the Android and iOS versions was shared.
These examples show that this framework is an effective tool for various types of projects across different business areas. At the same time, successful work with it requires relevant skills and a good understanding of the potential limitations of the technology.
Final Thoughts
Should you choose Flutter for app development? The short answer is yes. It opens up new possibilities for creating cross-platform solutions with unique designs and broad functionality, ensuring high quality and an attractive interface.
However, before fully committing to the Flutter SDK, it's important to assess the project's specifics, analyze the requirements, and choose the optimal solution, considering pros and cons.
If you're looking for experienced Flutter developers, the Lampa.dev team is ready to help! We have deep expertise in creating advanced solutions with Flutter and would be happy to share our knowledge and skills. Contact us to discuss potential collaboration formats.