React Native vs Flutter – Which is Better for Mobile App Development in 2024

Unless you want to redevelop the same application, every year, or have unlimited funding, it is important to choose the right technology for your application development upfront.

Obsolete technology will give you satisfaction at the time but you risk being limited if you want to make changes to your application.

A technology that is too recent and used by a community of developers that is too small represents a risk in terms of maintenance and could force you into a forced marriage with your service provider.

So opt for a framework that is widely used and has a growing user community.

Native vs Hybrid Framework

First of all, a few definitions.

Native development is a specific development for each mobile OS (iOS, Android, Windows, etc.).

Developing natively is like developing a specific application because the frameworks are not the same and require different skills.

There will be little mutualization possible between these different frameworks.

If you want to be able to develop an app available on iOS and Android, it will cost you roughly the price of two apps.

Hybrid development allows a single development to serve different types of OS.

Before 2015, this type of mobile development was quite deceptive from a performance point of view, and the design leeway allowed.

Since 2015, new frameworks have allowed impressive results, largely meeting the expectations of even the most demanding.

Even if only one code is developed, it uses the native functions of the devices, which gives a user experience very similar to that obtained with native development… but with a much more attractive economic model.

Here is schematically what can guide your choice between native development and hybrid development:

• You have a lot of time and a lot of money -> Native
• You only want to develop an application for iOS or for Android -> Native
• The application is very complex -> Native
• You want an application available for iOS and Android -> Hybrid
• You want rapid and affordable development solutions -> Hybrid

If your choice turns to hybrid development, then you will have to choose between different frameworks.

React Native vs Flutter

With the launch of its Flutter framework in 2018, Google is providing an interesting new alternative for the development of cross-platform mobile applications.

Having multiple platforms for which different applications need to be developed has been a problem for some time.

In addition to having to maintain two teams, one for Android and one for iOS, there is always a gap between the applications developed because they are created by totally different teams.

This is what gave birth to the idea of ​​creating cross-platform mobile applications. 

React Native and Flutter, both are designed for developing cross-platform applications.

React Native and Flutter both deliver superior, fast, high-quality performance for apps on multiple platforms including Android, iOS.

Comparison Between React Native vs Flutter

A quick comparison of the areas that are important for the adoption of new technology will give us the trends to come and allow us to get an idea of ​​where Flutter is.

React Native vs Flutter Mobile App Development

React Native

React Native uses JavaScript, a programming language widely recognized for web development, and supported by a large and active developer community, particularly on platforms like Facebook. While React Native delivers highly satisfactory results, there may be instances where certain functionalities are challenging to implement directly within the framework.

In such cases, it’s essential to explore workarounds or, when necessary, leverage native development skills to build specific parts of the React Native application natively. To ensure your project’s success, consider tapping into specialized expertise by opting to hire React Native developers. Whether you need to hire top React Native developers or seek React Native consultants, having the right team in place is crucial.

At OneClick, we offer access to the best React Native developers, including experts capable of navigating complex challenges. Whether you need React Native developers for hire, or require a hire realm developer, our team is ready to provide top-notch React Native consultancy.

Flutter

As we’ve previously discussed, Flutter utilizes Dart, a programming language not initially designed for mobile applications. However, with Google backing it, Dart seamlessly integrates with mobile platforms, ensuring smooth performance without any API issues.

For projects requiring expert handling of Flutter and Dart, consider hiring dedicated Flutter developers from OneClick. Whether you need to hire a Flutter developer, seek dedicated Flutter programmers, or require hiring Flutter developers for your next big project, our team ensures that you have the expertise to deliver outstanding results.

Performance of React Native vs Flutter Mobile App Development

Cross-platform applications are not fully compatible with the hardware of the device, their performance is degraded compared to native applications.

The reason for this is the JavaScript interpreter (“Bridge”) that exists between the React Native application layer and the hardware components.

Every interaction with the device must go through this interpreter.

The higher the number of interactions, the poorer the performance of the applications.

React-Native is useful for simple apps, but not for apps with lots of complex screens, interactions, transitions, and animations.

So, let’s compare the performance of React Native and Flutter.

As explained earlier, Flutter does not need a gateway to interact with operating system components.

Since Flutter can solve many problems using the Skia engine, this helps minimize the interactions required with the device hardware.

In addition, Flutter uses C++ in addition to the Dart programming language.

The result of this is to allow Flutter to offer performance equivalent to native applications.

Community/Maturity

React Native was launched in 2015. In 5 years, many popular mobile apps have been developed with the help of React Native – Facebook, Instagram, etc. (not entirely, only a few screens).

Additionally, React Native has a much larger community than Flutter.

The developers have had the time to create various tools and libraries to automate and aid in the development of an application.

On Flutter’s side, immaturity is his biggest flaw.

Unveiled to the developer community in 2017, it was announced operational for production only during 2018 and has yet to expand its functional spectrum.

Developers around the world are just starting to get their hands on it, which doesn’t prevent it from already owning an impressive collection of tools and libraries.

Unfortunately, many services still haven’t started supporting Flutter, including payment systems, software, and even Apple TV and Android TV systems. Many tools are under development.

Currently, React Native is the more mature of the two but Flutter is rapidly gaining popularity in app development like Alibaba is an example and more to come.

The trend of React Native vs Flutter Mobile App Development

Since announcing the launch of its Beta, Flutter has seen strong adoption with developers around the world.

Good indicators on the adoption of technology in the development environment include the number of contributions to an “Open Source” project, the number of questions about the technology on support forums such as “Stack Overflow” or still the trend within Google searches.

Conclusion

In the debate between React Native and Flutter, the right choice ultimately depends on your project’s specific needs and goals. React Native offers a mature ecosystem and broad community support, making it ideal for projects that require stability and a wide range of third-party integrations. On the other hand, Flutter shines with its consistent performance, customizable widgets, and growing popularity, particularly for visually rich applications.

Both frameworks have their strengths, and choosing the right one can significantly impact your app’s success. Whether you prioritize a stable development environment with React Native or the flexibility and performance of Flutter, aligning your choice with your project requirements will ensure the best outcomes. At OneClick IT Consultancy, we have the expertise to help you navigate this decision and develop an app that meets your business goals.