This document compares React Native and Flutter, two popular platforms for cross-platform app development. It highlights their performance, architecture, pros and cons, and provides guidance on when to choose each platform based on project requirements. The article aims to assist developers and companies in selecting the appropriate technology for their mobile app projects.

1. React Native Vs. Flutter:
Which Platform to Choose
for Cross-Platform App
Development?
Last updated on June 8, 2022 Dash Technologies Inc App Development
Summary: Are you looking for a Mobile App Development Company to
build a hybrid application? But, not sure which cross-platform app
development platforms —React Native vs. Flutter to choose from. This
article helps you compare the two widely used platforms in terms of
performance, technology, project preferability, architecture, pros and cons,
and others. Let’s explore;

2. Selecting between two different technologies or app development platforms has
always been arduous, especially if you are new to the tech arena. It becomes even
more challenging when you have to choose between the top performers, like React
Native and Flutter. Selecting the right platform, especially between React Native vs.
Flutter, entirely depends on your knowledge of the platforms and project
requirements.
We often receive questions from our clients and readers asking which platform from
“React Native vs. Flutter” is the right option for a cross-platform app development
project. It’s a question that we have been receiving for many years. And the
ubiquitous answer for this is “it depends.”
Indeed, the selection of the proper development platform depends on various
factors, such as;
• The type of project you have
• What programming language is suitable for the project
• What do you want to achieve from your app
• What features do you want in your app, and so on and so forth?
So, in this article, we have explained all the factors you need to consider while
selecting the right technologies from React Native and Flutter.
Table of Contents
• Flutter VS. React Native from Market Perspective
• React Native Vs. Flutter: At a Glance
• What is React Native —An Overview
• Top Features of React Native
• Top Use Cases of React Native
• Top Apps Built Using React Native Framework
• What is Flutter —An Overview
• Top Features of Flutter
• Top Use Cases of Flutter
• Top Apps Built Using Flutter
• React Native Vs. Flutter: Comparison
• Performance
• Architecture
• Learning Curve

3. • Technologies
• React Native Vs. Flutter: Pros and Cons
• Flutter Vs. React Native: Which One Suitable for Building Complex App
• React Native VS Flutter: Which One to Choose for Your Project
Flutter VS. React Native from Market
Perspective
When it comes to plurality, React Native and Flutter both are giving equal fight to each
other. However, according to the report by Statista, Flutter is at the top followed by
React Native.
React Native Vs. Flutter: At a Glance
This comparison is based on the research online and interviews with the experts
(interviewed experienced React Native and Flutter developers in-house). You will find
complete overviews and comparisons —Flutter V/S React Native. Let’s explore;

4. What is React Native —An Overview
If I have to say in a simple sentence, React Native allows developers to build cross-
platform applications with Native performance. Facebook created this app
development platform in 2015, and it will enable developers to use the technology in
the existing Android and iOS applications or build a cross-platform application from
scratch.

5. Source: React
React Native combines Native development with React’s JavaScript Library along
with easy-to-use tools to build an interactive user interface. It’s an open-source

6. platform with several built-in core components to help develop functional applications
for both iOS and Android platforms.
Top Features of React Native
React Native is the first choice for developing a hybrid application. It is so because
there are plenty of features to help developers create great applications with rich
components. Let’s explore the top features of React Native;
Declarative Components: Declarative components enable developers to create
interactive UIs by offering declarative views. That means with declarative views, code
becomes more predictable, making it easier to debug.
Component-Based: Creating complex UIs becomes easier —thanks to their
encapsulated components that help manage their state. Then compose them to
make complex UIs.
Developer Velocity: When it comes to making any changes in a new and existing app,
developers are empowered to see local changes in seconds.
Live Reloading: Any changes to JavaScript code can be live reloaded, and the
changes are visible within seconds without rebuilding the native app.
Portability: React Native slogan “Write Once, Use Everywhere” became widely
popular. That means developers can reuse code written for a particular platform
across iOS to Android and vice versa.
React: A framework enabling developers to create web and mobile apps on top of
JavaScript.
Native: This is the best feature of the framework that enables developers to write
code using JavaScript and render it using native components.
Cross Platforms: Using React Native, startups can get cost-effective solutions for
both platforms —IOS and Android.
Top Use Cases of React Native
React Native is used for building hybrid applications and is widely known for the
following use cases;

7. • Building simple yet effective cross-platform application
• Creating prototype applications faster and quicker
• Designing complex apps with simplified UI
• Requiring nearly native apps on the top of hybrid technologies
• App requiring responsive UI/UX using FlexBox
• Apps require reusable components
Top Apps Built Using React Native
Framework
There are plenty of apps, from Fortune 500 to hot new startups use React Native. We
have listed out some of the top apps; check them out.
• Bloomberg
• Facebook
• Uber Eats
• Airbnb
• Discord
• Instagram
• Skype
• Pinterest
• Oculus
• Coinbase
• Shopify
• Tableau
What is Flutter —An
Overview
Built and released in 2017, Flutter is the most popular open-source software
development kit for building interactive UI for smartphones. The SDK is used to create
high-performing cross-platform mobile applications while using the Dart
programming language developed by Google, making it the perfect mobile app
development platform. Apps built using Flutter can be deployed across all devices
from a single codebase.

9. Top Features of Flutter
Flutter became the talk of the town in the tech arena soon after its release in 2017,
not because Google maintained it but because of the features and functionalities.
Let’s take a look at the features from Flutter;
Hot Reload: This feature is also provided by React Native, though Flutter has made it
exceptional. It allows developers to see the changes instantly in the app. Hence it
becomes a handy feature for developers to write code while visualizing the impact
right in the app.
Cross-Platform Development: Like React Native, Flutter is also an open-source,
cross-platform SDK. That means it allows to write code once, maintain it and use it
for iPhone, iPad, and Android applications.
Easy to Use Native Features: Whether it is through native codes, third-party
integrations, and platform APIs, the Flutter app development process is extremely
easy with these features. That means the developers can easily access native
features and SDKs and utilize them while building android and iOS applications. Even
the Swift and Kotlin programming languages can be used.
Minimal Code: Less code means less loading time. Flutter applications are built using
Dart programming language along with JIT and AOT compilation, enabling faster
starting time and accelerated performance.
Widgets: Flutter makes building customizable and complex widgets easy while
encapsulating all widgets from Material Design and Cupertino pack, making the SDK
a glitch-free experience.
Top Use Cases of Flutter
Flutter is best known for building UI for Android and iOS mobile apps. It was released
in 2017, though its use case made the platform widely famous in the tech arena. First,
take a look at its use cases.
• Suitable for building MVP mobile applications
• Cross-platform applications with material design
• Practical applications functioning with top-level OS features
• Intuitive UI/UX with maximum flexibility

10. Top Apps Built Using Flutter
Flutter is widespread, and most Fortune 500 companies use Flutter and getting
benefits. Here are some of the top examples;
• Google Ads
• KlasterMe
• Reflectly
• Xianyu by Alibaba
• Postmuse – Instagram photo editing app
• Hamilton
• Lunching
• Pairing
• BMW
• Beike
• Google Pay
• ByteDance
• CrowedSource
• Dream11
• eBay
React Native Vs. Flutter:
Comparison
React Native and Flutter platforms are almost identical in performance, features, and
functionalities, making them classic rivals. That’s why it may be hard for clients or a
new-age startup, or a fresher developer to distinguish between the two and decide
which platform will be the right choice. So, we have made this easier for you by
comparing the top points.
Aspects Flutter React Native
Performance Have an edge over React Native
A little sluggish performance as
compared to Flutter
Architecture
Based on Skia and Layered
architecture with reactive user
interfaces
Based on Flux, heavily relies on
JS runtime environment
Learning Curve Medium Stiff

11. Performance
When it comes to performance, both are doing great in their respective niche. As you
have seen, top business leaders use both Flutter and React Native platforms.
However, based on the app development requirement, both differ a bit in terms of
performance;
React Native: React Native uses JavaScript programming language to communicate
between modules, and the app grows higher as the number of frames drops in the
‘hello world.’
Flutter: Flutter has the edge over React Native in this case. The reason is Flutter
requires no bridge to communicate between modules. Besides, the native
components are available by default.
Architecture
Platform architectures become essential when you have to adapt to the changing
tastes of technologies to do away with the complex system. It ensures the app
functions well, even if it has many parts. Here is what architecture both Flutter and
Reactive Native has;
React Native: React Native follows an exemplary architecture, though there’s always
a bridge between native and JavaScript threads. As the function suggests, JavaScript
code communicates with the platform and Native API. Unfortunately, in some cases,
it increases the app size, resulting in sluggish performance.

12. Flutter: Based on layered architecture, cross-platform app development is flawless,
offering segregated hierarchy to platform-specific widgets —from top-level widgets
to basic level widgets.
Learning Curve
The learning curve is not always about developers, whether it is easy for developers
to understand how to utilize the technologies or the platform. It can also be for
projects, as platforms with easy learning curves offer simplified features and take a
shorter time to build applications, saving a significant amount on app development
costs. Let’s explore what these two technologies have in to offer;

13. Flutter vs. React Naive: Pros
and Cons
Both Flutter and React Native have good and bad parts, making the technology unique
and used for a particular type of hybrid app development. Comparing Flutter vs. React
Native with their pros and cons will help you choose the right technology based on
the kind of project you have. Let’s explore;
Pros and Cons of Flutter
Pros
• Faster development as the same codebase can be used for different
platforms
• “Hot Reload” saves development time with quick bug fixing support
• Smooth and layered architecture to provide maximum customization abilities
• Rich documentation
• Excellent User Interface design
• Codesharing allows developers to write once and use it across cross
platforms
Cons
• New as compared to other frameworks and hence common issues take time
to be solved
• Sluggish performance as apps consumes a lot of space
• Rich libraries and support, but lags behind as compared to native
development

14. Pros and Cons of React Native
Pros
• Widely popular JavaScript programming language
• Write once, use it everywhere means the code written for the Android app can
be used for iOS as well
• Huge cost saving as developers get freehand on code reuse
• Mature platform
• Vast community
• Easy to use and learn
Cons
• Poor performance as it does not support parallel threading
• Native rendering of API may not be suitable for UI elements
• Outdated third-party libraries, in some cases
• Debugging issues occur, especially with the Chrome browser

15. Flutter Vs. React Native:
Which One Suitable for
Building Complex App
We have simplified this by introducing the type of applications suitable for React
Native and Flutter platforms.
When should You Use Flutter?
• When you have small budgets
• When you have a stricter timeline
• When apps require unique UI/UX
• When you Required Iteration
When should You Use React Native?
• When you have a large project and a reasonable budget
• When you require high performing application

16. • When you want to reuse code for both mobile and desktop applications
React Native VS Flutter:
Which One to Choose for
Your Project
It’s really hard to say which technology you should use unless we go through your
project requirement. However, we have given you the neck-to-neck comparison, which
you can go through to do a self-assessment and decide if Flutter or React Native fits
right into your project development. Both are perfect, though the type of app you
choose will make them even better.
Conclusion
We hope you have understood React Native vs. Flutter and can decide better if you
should go with Flutter app development or React Native app development. You can
also go through some case studies built on React Native and Flutter to have better
ideas. Besides, you can connect with us and get the excerpt’s opinion.