Why Flutter Has Become the Best Choice To Develop a Mobile App

Choosing the appropriate framework is important to achieve high-quality, efficient, and scalable applications. With so many different options, Flutter has quickly become a top pick among developers and businesses alike. This article explains why Flutter has become the most popular mobile app development framework, discusses its features, pros and cons and compares it to native app development.​

1. Understanding Flutter: An Overview

Flutter is an open-source UI software development kit (SDK) developed by Google. It allows developers to create natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase. Flutter was launched in 2017 and has quickly gained popularity because of its strong architecture and complete set of tools.

2. The Rise of Cross-Platform App Development

In the past, creating apps for both iOS and Android meant juggling separate codebases, which often led to longer development times and higher costs. Enter cross-platform app development frameworks like Flutter, which tackle this issue head-on by enabling developers to write code just once and deploy it across various platforms. This not only simplifies the development process but also guarantees a consistent app performance and user experience.

3. Advantages of Using Flutter

• Single Codebase for Multiple Platforms: With Flutter, developers can manage a single codebase for both iOS and Android, which dramatically cuts down on development time and effort.
• Rich Set of Pre-designed Widgets: Flutter comes packed with a wide array of widgets that follow both Material Design (for Android) and Cupertino (for iOS) guidelines, ensuring that apps have a native look and feel no matter the platform.
• Hot Reload Feature: One of the coolest features of Flutter is its “hot reload” capability. This allows developers to see changes in real-time without having to restart the app, speeding up the development process and boosting productivity.
• High Performance: Flutter apps are compiled directly to native ARM code using Dart’s ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation, which means they deliver high performance and run seamlessly on both iOS and Android devices.
• Strong Community Support: Since its launch, Flutter has built a lively community of developers and contributors, which means there’s always room for improvement, plenty of documentation, and a wealth of third-party plugins available.

Cons of Flutter

When it comes to the downsides of using Flutter, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

• Large App Size

First off, there’s the issue of large app size. Flutter apps usually end up being bigger than their purely native counterparts because they come with the engine and framework libraries all bundled together. This can be a bit of a headache for apps where keeping the size down is really important.

• Limited Access to Some Native APIs & Features

Then there’s the limited access to some native APIs and features. While Flutter does a great job covering most device functionalities with plugins, there are certain platform-specific features that might need you to dive into writing some custom native code. This can definitely add a layer of complexity to your project.

4. Comparing Flutter to Native App Development

When it comes to native app development, developers typically have to write separate code bases for iOS (using Swift or Objective-C) and Android (using Java or Kotlin). In contrast, Flutter takes a more streamlined approach with a single codebase. Let’s break down the differences:

Development Time and Cost: With Flutter’s unified codebase, developers can save both time and money compared to juggling multiple native codebases.

Performance: Native apps can tap directly into platform-specific APIs and hardware, which can lead to better performance. That said, Flutter’s architecture is designed to deliver performance that often feels just as good as native apps.

User Experience: Native development shines when it comes to platform-specific UI/UX details. Flutter helps bridge that gap with its extensive collection of customizable widgets, ensuring users enjoy a native-like experience no matter the platform.

5. Real-World Applications of Flutter

Many well-known companies have embraced Flutter for their mobile applications, highlighting its flexibility and dependability:

Google Ads: Google’s advertising platform uses Flutter to create a smooth user experience across various devices.

Alibaba: The e-commerce powerhouse has adopted Flutter to ensure a consistent app experience for its massive user base.

Reflectly: This popular mindfulness app takes advantage of Flutter’s features to provide an engaging and interactive user interface.

6. Addressing Common Concerns

• Access to Native Features: Flutter comes equipped with plugins that let you tap into native device features like the camera, GPS, and various sensors, ensuring that its functionality matches that of native apps.
• App Size: Although Flutter apps might take up a bit more space because of the Flutter engine, ongoing improvements are consistently helping to shrink app sizes.
• Learning Curve: For developers who are already comfortable with object-oriented programming, picking up Dart—the programming language used by Flutter—is a breeze, making the transition feel smooth and manageable.

7. Future Prospects of Flutter

Flutter’s ongoing development points to a bright future:

• Web and Desktop Support: Flutter has broadened its horizons beyond just mobile, now supporting web and desktop applications, which makes it a truly versatile framework.

• Integration with Emerging Technologies: Thanks to its flexibility, Flutter easily integrates with cutting-edge technologies like IoT and augmented reality, opening doors for innovative applications.

• Growing Ecosystem: With a growing array of packages and plugins, Flutter’s ecosystem is expanding, giving developers more tools to enhance app functionality.

Read Blog : UI vs. UX for Mobile Apps: Key Differences in Approach

8. Conclusion

Flutter’s rich features, combined with its ability to simplify the development process, make it a compelling choice for businesses looking to efficiently launch high-quality mobile applications. Its capability to deliver near-native performance, a wide range of pre-designed widgets, and a strong community support network positions Flutter as a key player in mobile app development.

For businesses eager to harness Flutter for their mobile app projects, collaborating with seasoned professionals is essential. At Datafortune, we pride ourselves on providing cutting-edge solutions tailored to your specific needs. 

Our expertise in Flutter guarantees that your application will be robust, scalable, and deliver an outstanding user experience.

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