Flutter vs React Native: Which would take you further as a Cross-Platform Developer?

Flutter vs React Native: Which would take you further as a Cross-Platform Developer?
Flutter vs React Native: Which would take you further as a Cross-Platform Developer?

Nowadays, most businesses desire to release an application on Play Store as it plays a key role in the growth of it. However, the use of Flutter and React Native depends on the budget that you have set forth.

Choosing a technology (Flutter or React Native) stack can be tricky as it is going to take a lot of your time, money, and effort. Therefore, you are going to want it to be worth your valuable resources. So, let’s see about two of the best cross-platform development frameworks.

If your funding is sufficient, your go-to will be React Native as it helps you create a complicated application. But you should go for Flutter if your funding is limited as it helps you to make a simple app. Continue reading about both these cross-platform frameworks to know more about their distinct features.

Similarities between React Native and Flutter

To begin with, let’s look at what’s similar between the two and why exactly we are comparing them. They are both cross-platform mobile app development frameworks and they are open-source backed by huge tech companies. Flutter was developed by Google and React Native was developed by Facebook. Apart from going pure native, both of these are good options you have when it comes down to choosing a technology stack.


They offer swift, supercilious, and excellent app performances on multiple platforms including iOS, Android, and UWP. Documentation is up-to-date with API references and comprehensive resources are kept by communities of both these frameworks by putting excess effort.

React Native operates on basic UI building elements that you use in iOS\Android to take around the native experience. Flutter also makes use of the rich widget collection to give exceptional native experience on iOS and Android platforms.

Language difference between React Native and Flutter

Before coming to the language differences between React Native and Flutter, let’s understand why this will be a key deciding factor between the two frameworks. For anyone who is in the JavaScript background and anyone who’s been doing JavaScript for years, here is where React Native grabs its popularity.

React Native is based on a framework called React, which is all based in JavaScript. So, you can understand why it is easy for people that have known JavaScript for years beforehand to learn React. If you know React, it has an easy transition into React Native and you’ll be able to develop cross-platform mobile apps in no time. Looking at Flutter in comparison, it makes use of Dart which is a new language that was developed by Google. Dart is a beautiful language that has taken the best ideas from different programming languages. However, it’s still new to the developer community.

Now, anyone who has a background with C++ or Java might see some similarities but then it is still a new learning curve for people who want to use Flutter. Because of the learning curve that comes with Flutter, React Native is the go-to in comparison.

Comprehensive UI widgets: Flutter

One of the selling points of Flutter is that it comes with a comprehensive library of useful UI widgets. This means that, for any kind of application that you want to build, there are many widgets available right out of the box.

Minimal UI Widgets: React Native

However, in React Native, you have to reach out to third-party libraries so building and shipping apps with Flutter can be faster. But this also depends on your skills as a developer.

Which framework performs better?

In terms of performance, Flutter uses dart and dart doesn’t have the JavaScript bridge-like React Native does to interact with its native components. Dart directly compiles to machine code that this means that it’s so much faster than React Native.

When it comes to performance applications, in the future when you start to create much more intense software for mobile apps, the fact of performance will be extremely big criteria in deciding which framework you are going to use. In the end, based on the performance, Flutter would be the ideal choice as it has the advantage of reusing the code and because of its simplicity.

Popularity: React Native or Flutter

According to Google trends, Flutter has gained a lot of popularity recently and has overtaken React Native and that’s mainly because a lot of people are curious about Flutter and want to learn it. But when it comes to job opportunities, according to Indeed.com, there are a lot more job openings for React Native than for Flutter. Part of it is because of the time Flutter has been on the surface when compared to React Native.

However, the popularity within the developer community is in contrary to the above statement and it probably a really good sign of what’s there to come in the future and what you should be looking into and trying to learn. In the 2019 Stack Overflow survey poll of “what is the most loved framework” and we can see that Flutter has won over React Native which is quite interesting.

Job Prospects: Which places you well as a developer?

When it comes to Job prospects with regards to these two, React Native will have a bigger job market. This shows that more companies will want to hire you as a React Native Developer and it’s not just because it’s better. But, it’s been out in the market for a substantially longer period of time than Flutter. But looking into how much of a change and how much commotion that Flutter is causing in the software developer market, it seems like Flutter is starting to become a tremendous competitor.

In two to three years’ time Flutter might just become something that’s the new thing for mobile development but to go with what we already know React Native has better Job prospects when compared to Flutter.

When it comes to picking a framework that will benefit you in finding a job in the industry of mobile development it will probably be React Native. There have been some surveys done by the Stack Overflow and the results came as predicted React Native was more wanted than Flutter.

What companies are using React Native and Flutter?

Now onto the final part, how have these frameworks been adopted in other companies? React Native got a lot of its popularity due to the success of React. Any React developer can easily jump on-board with learning React Native and start developing mobile applications. React Native is used by many companies today such as Facebook, Instagram, Tesla, Uber Eats and Bloomberg. All these tech giants make use of React Native.

Since Flutter is backed by Google, obviously it has gained a lot of attention this year. Some of the things that are written in Flutter are Google ads. Apart from that, Alibaba has adopted Flutter to make one of their mobile apps. When we look into the App Store today, it’s significant that more and more apps are starting to be developed in Flutter.

There are certain concrete points which will determine either you should use one or the other. Assuming you are an individual that wants to get into mobile app development. It is important for you to look into the company and what you’re using but it is also important for you to look into the future and think of what’s beneficial.

Finally here’s the most desirable digest of this post:

With the way Flutter is growing, for the majority of people who are still at the University thinking about mobile development, Flutter is something that you should definitely learn. As great as React Native is, it’s going to be with us for many new year’s but we reckon as time moves on. Once new projects come in the way, more people will be using Flutter than React Native to development and it’s purely because of the advantages Flutter offers when it comes to performance.

To be brief, if you are still in the industry and not looking for a job right away and you have time to look into a new language, you should learn Flutter.

But if you are someone who has already graduated and in the process of looking for a job or changing their career to mobile development and you know JavaScript then you should stick with React Native. We hope that now you are familiar with both of these popular mobile development frameworks. With all the selling points as well as not so good points jolted down, do your own research and decide which is best suited for you.

Liked reading the article? Check out the Top five skills to learn before you start with ReactJs.

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