Cross-Platform App Development: React Native vs Flutter
As developers, we’re constantly on the lookout for tools that can help us save time and effort. Two popular options for building cross-platform apps are React Native and Flutter. Both allow us to write code and run it everywhere, including Android, iOS, web, and desktop. But which one is better?
Comparing Underlying Platforms
Before diving into their web capabilities, let’s compare the underlying platforms. We’ll consider factors such as beginner friendliness, community, plugin support, developer productivity, app performance, web support, and testing and deployment.
Beginner Friendliness
React Native requires a multi-step process to set up, including installing Node.js, Git, Watchman, Expo CLI, and generating a new project. Flutter’s setup is more straightforward, involving downloading the SDK, installing prerequisite tools, and adding the SDK to your system path.
Community
Flutter has a strong community, with 125k stars on GitHub and around 100k questions on Stack Overflow. React Native has a similar number of questions on Stack Overflow, but fewer stars on GitHub.
Plugin Support
Flutter has a decent plugin system, but React Native wins in this category, allowing us to use almost any npm module.
Developer Productivity
React Native is a more viable option for web developers, as it uses JavaScript and a subset of CSS for styling apps. Flutter’s documentation is more organized and detailed, but can be overwhelming for beginners.
App Performance
Flutter is the clear winner when it comes to app performance, as it compiles directly into native code.
Web Support
Both platforms have web support, with React Native’s being more mature. Flutter web uses the CanvasKit renderer, which offers great performance but has a poor startup time.
Testing and Deployment
React Native relies on community-built testing and deployment tools, while Flutter has built-in testing support and can be used with various deployment tools.
Flutter Web Overview
Flutter web allows us to compile Dart code into HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code. It uses two renderers: the HTML renderer and the CanvasKit renderer. The main advantage of the HTML renderer is its compact size, while CanvasKit offers great performance but has a poor startup time.
React Native for Web Overview
React Native for Web makes it possible to use React Native components and APIs on the web. It allows for code-sharing between multiple platforms and supports server-side rendering.
Pros and Cons of Each Platform
Flutter pros include its performance, inbuilt widgets, and detailed documentation. Cons include its steep learning curve. React Native pros include its beginner friendliness and access to the JavaScript ecosystem. Cons include slower hot reloading and limited native UI components.
Which is Better: Flutter Web or React Native for Web?
The answer depends on your project’s performance needs and your team’s experience. If you need butter-smooth UI interactions and animations, Flutter web might be the better choice. If you’re willing to explore third-party solutions and have existing JavaScript experience, React Native for Web could be the way to go.
Conclusion
Both React Native and Flutter offer exciting possibilities for cross-platform app development. By considering their pros and cons, you can make an informed decision about which platform to use for your next project.