Our digital world is brimming with an infinite number of gadgets that operate on multiple operating systems. So, how do you go about creating a mobile app for your business that can reach broader audiences efficiently and effectively without any glitches? Well, that’s a tough nut to crack! As the resources necessary to develop applications for multiple platforms and choosing the best mobile app development company may be cumbersome for small businesses.
So, how can small businesses overcome such problems to stand out in the crowd?
Well, that’s where native cross-platform innovation comes to the rescue! And, Flutter takes the first spot when it comes to cross-platform app development.
Based on the 2021 survey, it has been found that 42% of software developers use Flutter. Flutter is a mobile development platform that has only been around for a few years but has already taken over the development industry. Its innovative approach, which combines the best of cross-platform as well as native development, enables businesses to create functional apps quickly. This is the reason why Flutter application development services are becoming increasingly popular and also answers your query of why should I choose Flutter for App development.
But, to understand how and why Flutter is becoming this popular in such a short span and why Flutter is used, let’s keep exploring!
Flutter is an open-source software-development kit that allows for the rapid and convenient development of cross-platform mobile apps. Google developed Flutter and launched it in May 2017. You can quickly create high-quality natively compiled applications for iOS and Android without needing to develop code for each app independently. You only need one codebase for both operating systems.
You’ve probably once used Flutter apps without even realizing it. Flutter is used by Google for several panels of the Google Assistant as well as the user interface of such Google Home hub. You’ve probably seen the results of Flutter’s still-relatively brief history if you’ve shopped on Alibaba, run an ad campaign on Google Ads, paid with Google Pay, or utilized a digital coupon.
Creating apps for both Android and iOS without having to write a separate codebase for each framework is amongst the best answers to the question of why Flutter is used. The smartphone variants of these apps work as true native apps on iOS and Android devices and are compiled for each platform before publication. They do not require a browser or a runtime control unit. It is also feasible to develop web apps for web browsers as well as native programs for Windows, Linux, and macOS utilizing the same codebase.
Following the release of its alpha version in May 2017 as well as the official stable version in December 2018, Flutter quickly gained enormous popularity, as demonstrated by the number of stars on GitHub which is143k, whereas React Native’s lies around 104k. This gives us the major reason why Flutter is better than react native, i.e. because of the incomparable functionalities. And it continues to attract more attention than competing technologies, giving developers more answers to the: why flutter?
Flutter is a cutting-edge mobile technology that is currently available in the digital world. It (like all innovations) does have some limitations. So, is Flutter beneficial to your business? The answer is, ABSOLUTELY! The benefits of the Flutter app far outweigh the few drawbacks.
So, if you are planning to introduce your mobile app in2023, but are confused about the cross-platform framework then Flutter would be the best option for you. Moreover, it also helps in rolling out feature-rich mobile apps without spending fortunes.
To understand why choosing Flutter is actually beneficial for the development process as well as the business ventures as a whole, let’s delve deep into the Flutter advantages.
Flutter makes use of the Skia Graphics Library, an open-source visuals library that is both fast and mature. Every moment a view changes, the UI is redrawn. As a result, the app loads quickly and runs smoothly. Flutter also does not require any platform-specific UI components to produce its UI. The only thing Flutter requires to display the application’s user interface is a canvas to draw on. It provides an unambiguous API for building UI, which significantly improves performance. This is especially noticeable when it comes to visual modifications.
Google provided the best characteristics of native Android languages to the Flutter framework. Flutter is essentially a wrapper –like an app that connects Data to native languages via a special mode of communication known as Platform Channels. Throughout most cases, Flutter application performance will be barely distinguishable from native app effectiveness, and even better in advanced UI animation instances. Flutter applications help you get fast operation on any platform. This is because it employs the Dart programming language, which really is fast, simple, and easily compliable into native code.
The hot reload feature speeds up app development because you can easily make constant changes in real-time to your app, which gives you more opportunities to keep experimenting on the go. Any updates are immediately available to both designers as well as developers. This increases developer productivity as well as reduces the time required to create a robust application. This saves a significant amount of money in the overall process of development.
Flutter is one of the best-performing frameworks, even when compared to native languages, and it easily outperforms other cross-platform technologies. The benchmark is 60 frames per second (FPS), which is quite high. Flutter uses JavaScript Bridge to initialize screens smoothly, allowing them to appear seamlessly.
Flutter enables you to do so many things with your apps that other platforms do not. In fact, without a strong cross-platform rendering engine, the effectiveness would be impossible. Flutter renders itself onto a canvas provided by the platform using Skia. Due to the engine, Flutter UI can be launched on almost any platform. To put it another way, you no longer need to modify the UI to transmit it to a platform, which greatly simplifies project development.
Dart is a programming language that will be used to create Flutter applications. Google launched the language in October 2011, but it has evolved significantly over the years. Dart is a front-end development language that can be used to create both mobile and web applications. It would be a typed object programming language for those who are familiar with programming. Its syntax is similar to JavaScript syntax.
Flutter has become a preferred choice for many developers, however, like any technology, Flutter also has its limitations and drawbacks. So, let’s delve into some of the disadvantages of Flutter to provide a balanced perspective.
Flutter allows developers to create visually appealing and highly customizable UI components. However, when it comes to accessing device-specific features and APIs, Flutter relies on platform channels and plugins. This indirect approach can lead to limitations in accessing certain native functionalities. Although the Flutter community actively contributes plugins to cover many common use cases, there might still be instances where certain device-specific features are not readily available or might require additional effort to implement.
One of the concerns with Flutter is the size of the resulting application package. Flutter apps include a complete rendering engine, widgets, and other necessary components, which can significantly increase the app's size compared to native applications. Although Google has made efforts to optimize app size, it remains a challenge, especially for simple applications where the size-to-functionality ratio can be unfavorable. The larger app size can be a disadvantage for users with limited storage capacity or slower internet connections.
While Flutter boasts excellent performance, especially in terms of UI rendering and animations, there are instances where it may face performance limitations. Flutter applications use a bridge to communicate between the Dart code and the underlying native code, which can introduce slight performance overhead in certain scenarios. Although the impact is minimal for most applications, heavy computational tasks or real-time processing might benefit from native code implementation.
Accessibility is a crucial aspect of modern application development, ensuring that apps are usable by individuals with disabilities. Flutter, being a relatively young framework, still has room for improvement in terms of accessibility support. Although Flutter provides some accessibility features, such as screen readers and focus management, it may not offer the same level of support as mature native platforms. Developers need to put in extra effort to ensure that Flutter apps meet accessibility guidelines and standards.
While Flutter simplifies cross-platform development, it still requires developers to learn the Dart programming language and the Flutter framework itself. For developers with a background in other languages, this learning curve can be a challenge. Additionally, finding skilled Flutter developers might be relatively harder compared to more established platforms like Android or iOS, where developers have had more time to gain expertise.
While Flutter excels at building cross-platform applications, it may present challenges when integrating with existing native codebases. In scenarios where an organization has already invested heavily in native app development, incorporating Flutter into the existing codebase can be complex and time-consuming. When integrating Flutter into an existing app, developers may face hurdles in bridging the gap between the native and Flutter codebases.
With its rich set of features, Flutter has gained immense popularity among developers worldwide. Let's explore some of the key features that make Flutter a preferred choice for building high-quality mobile applications.
One of the popular features of Flutter is its ‘Hot Reload’ capability. It allows developers to see the changes they make to the code almost instantly in the app's user interface. This significantly speeds up the development process, as developers can experiment, iterate, and fix bugs in real time without the need for a full application restart.
Flutter enables developers to create applications that run seamlessly on multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, web, desktop, and even embedded devices. With a single codebase, developers can build applications that provide a consistent and native-like experience across different platforms, reducing development time and effort.
Flutter offers a wide range of pre-designed and customizable widgets that help in building stunning user interfaces. These widgets follow the native platform's guidelines, ensuring a native-like look and feel on every platform. Whether it's buttons, sliders, navigation bars, or complex animations, Flutter provides a comprehensive set of widgets to cater to diverse application needs.
Flutter benefits from a vibrant and supportive community of developers, which has contributed to a thriving ecosystem. The Flutter community offers numerous packages and libraries that extend the framework's capabilities and help developers solve common challenges. This vast ecosystem provides a wealth of resources, tutorials, and tools, making it easier for developers to learn and build Flutter applications.
Flutter provides robust testing and debugging tools that simplify the development process. With Flutter's built-in testing framework, developers can write comprehensive unit tests, integration tests, and widget tests to ensure the stability and reliability of their applications. Additionally, Flutter integrates well with popular development tools like Android Studio and Visual Studio Code, offering powerful debugging features.
Known for its ability to build high-performance and visually appealing apps, Flutter has been utilized by developers worldwide to create a plethora of innovative and successful applications. Let’s have a look at some of the popular apps developed using Flutter…
As the creators of Flutter, Google has fully embraced the framework and utilized it in multiple applications. One notable example is the Google Ads app, which allows advertisers to manage their ad campaigns on the go. By leveraging Flutter's rich widget library and hot reload feature, Google has created a responsive and visually consistent user interface across platforms. The app's intuitive design and real-time updates enhance advertisers' productivity and efficiency, demonstrating the power of Flutter in business applications.
Instagram, one of the world's most popular social media platforms, has also adopted Flutter to enhance its user experience. Flutter's ability to deliver visually appealing and performant interfaces has allowed Instagram to revamp its video-sharing feature, Reels. By utilizing Flutter, Instagram has created a smooth and immersive video playback experience, complete with interactive elements and stunning animations. This integration has elevated the Reels feature, providing users with a seamless and engaging environment for content creation and consumption.
Zomato, a popular restaurant discovery and food delivery platform, turned to Flutter for its restaurant app development needs. Flutter's ability to deliver a native-like experience on both Android and iOS platforms allowed Zomato to streamline its development process and maintain consistency across multiple devices. With Flutter, Zomato successfully implemented features like personalized recommendations, interactive menus, and seamless online ordering.
BYJU'S, India's largest ed-tech platform, chose Flutter to create an engaging and immersive learning experience for students. Flutter's rich set of UI components empowered BYJU'S developers to build interactive and visually appealing educational app. The platform's smooth performance, cross-platform compatibility, and rapid development capabilities aided BYJU'S in delivering high-quality content and features to its user base.
Paytm, one of India's leading digital payment platforms, adopted Flutter to enhance its app's user interface and overall performance. With Flutter's customizable widgets and flexible layouts, Paytm created a visually appealing and intuitive interface for seamless digital transactions. Flutter's extensive community support and regular updates also enabled Paytm to incorporate new features quickly and keep up with evolving user demands.
Did you know?
Flutter has been rated among the top ten most popular frameworks of 2022 and holds second place among cross-platform frameworks.
Now, do you need any more reasons to choose Flutter in building a robust and cost-effective application for your startup?
If you are still unsure about choosing Flutter for your startup, here are some strong reasons:
With several million startups mushrooming every year, it is challenging to stand apart as a brand in this cutthroat competitive market. If you want to build an app for your business without burning a hole in your pocket, consider using Flutter for a cross-platform framework.
The Flutter framework is one of the most rapidly evolving of all the existing technologies, and it is supported by Google, which means excellent supporting documents and constant evolution. This is a direct answer to why to use Flutter. After deciding on the type of app you are building and the framework to be used i.e. Flutter, all you need is a leading Flutter app development company. And Antino stands first in the queue for quality flutter development services.
Flutter is considered among the best choices for app development, especially when it comes to cross-platform app development. Its innovative approach, which combines the best of cross-platform as well as native development, enables businesses to create functional apps quickly. You will only need one codebase for both operating systems i.e. iOS and Android.
Flutter is a fast-growing app development framework that is surely worth using in 2022. It includes numerous features that allow you to create appealing mobile apps with improved user experiences while saving time and resources.
Yes, Flutter is a good choice for web development due to its efficient cross-platform capabilities and impressive user interface capabilities.
