Decoding Flutter App Development: Why opt for Flutter?

Imagine Flutter as the Swiss Army knife of app development, offering you a versatile toolkit to craft stunning and functional mobile experiences.

The best of businesses all over the world embed Flutter app development in their arsenal to create beautiful and performant apps for every screen out there.

Brought into the world by the tech giant, Google, Flutter is a powerful framework for developing multi–platform apps for all sorts of screens including mobile, web, desktop and embedded devices.

Whether you want to build apps on a tight budget and timeline or create apps that can help you reach on every device and screen, Flutter application development is something that you can consider for your upcoming mobile app development project.

But before we talk about the unique aspects and benefits of Flutter development, let’s first take out a few moments to get on the same page on the definition and basic features of Flutter.

What is Flutter?

There are tons of resources on Flutter. Unfortunately, most of them are filled with technical jargon. So to keep it simple here, we will use plain old English.

Put simply, Flutter is an agile and scalable app development framework from Google for building truly next-generation apps for all possible screens and devices out there.

Flutter is a Google product. The framework uses Dart which is a programming language, again developed by Google. Introduced to the world back in 2017, Flutter is a great enabler for developing, testing, and deploying apps at a pretty fast pace.

What I especially like about Flutter app development is the significant reduction in the overall development time and effort as you generally need just one codebase that can be run across multiple platforms including iOS and Android. Otherwise, you are required to develop two separate codebases to run an app across different platforms.

This approach, called Native app development, turns out to be pretty resource intensive (as you require two separate teams of developers for iOS development and Android development) and costly.

Some of the features of Flutter include:

• Widgets
  Customizable, built-in UI components that make up the entire graphical interface
• Dart
  An object-oriented programming language that is concise, simple, and intuitive
• Performance
  Uses the Dart programming language, known for its speed and efficiency
• Hot reload
  Allows developers to see changes almost instantly after the code is changed
• Testing tools
  Flutter's widget testing framework allows developers to write tests that simulate user interactions and verify the behavior of the app

Pros and cons of Flutter development

All app development frameworks have their strengths and weaknesses. And Flutter is also not an exception. Over the years, its adoption rate in development has grown massively; however, the framework has its own set of disadvantages as well. In this section we will explore each of these sides of Flutter.

Advantages of Flutter development

• One codebase is all you need: Flutter enables multi-platforms app development. This means that Flutter developers write just one codebase for all the platforms and screens. Unlike native app development, they do not need to create or write separate codebase for different platforms such as iOS and Android. The ‘One-codebase for every device,’ approach helps accelerate development lifecycle and time to market.
• Native-like performance: No matter cross-platform or native, apps have to live up to the expectations of the modern customers who do not want lag, annoying navigation, unresponsive design, etc. This is where the Flutter framework wins the hearts of developers all over the world.
  
  As the apps built using the Framework are compiled to native ARM code, which makes them ‘so much like Native apps.’ Besides, its efficient rendering engine helps deliver smoother animations and high-speed execution.
  
  Flutter also supports a range of hardware acceleration features, such as Skia. The Skia rendering engine, GPU acceleration, and efficient widget-based architecture also contribute to the world-class performance of apps built using Flutter architecture.
• Hot reload feature: Hot reload is a powerful feature in the Flutter framework. It allows Flutter developers to rapidly apply changes to the application code without needing to restart the app. Development teams building apps on Flutter use Hot reload for quick iteration and instant feedback while making changes to the UI or logic.
• Shorter learning curve: Your developers will be able to master the framework in a significantly shorter time period because Flutter has rich documentation and community groups representing a diverse network of Flutter developers.
• Faster time-to-market: Start-ups and established brands can leverage Flutter and Dart to build next-generation apps at an accelerated pace. Since developers require one codebase for all platforms, such as mobile, web, and embedded devices, they can ensure rapid development and reduced time to market and thus help build a competitive moat around their business.

Flutter disadvantages

Flutter is very popular among developers. And over the years, it has grown both in popularity and functionality. However, Flutter might not be the best option for every app development project.

Some disadvantages of Flutter include:

• App sizes: Flutter apps can be larger than native apps. This is due to the Flutter engine being included in the app package.
• Limited libraries: The Flutter community is growing, but it is not as extensive as some other frameworks.
• Issues with iOS: Although Flutter is a cross-platform technology platform that supports every platform including iOS and Android, one thing to note is that Flutter is a Google product. And it definitely helps when you use Flutter development to build Android apps. At present, there is no issue as such while using Flutter for iOS development, but you better keep an eye on the future.
• Lack of third-party libraries: Third-party libraries can enable features for developers.
• Not suitable for complex apps: Flutter may not be suitable for developing more complex apps that require extensive native device features or integrations.

Apps built using Flutter

Flutter is for everyone. And it’s improving each day. Recently a new version of Flutter was shipped - Flutter 3.19. Dart is also undergoing continuous improvements. And this is good news for every business and team out there that has anything to do with apps or app development.

However, if you choose to build your app with Flutter, you will not be the first one. There are hundreds of thousands of brands and businesses that have already been enamored by the elegance and functionality of Flutter. From startups to established businesses, such as Google and eBay, have trusted Flutter to strengthen their app ecosystem.

Top apps built with Flutter

• Google Pay: Going Global at Google Pay with Flutter
• ByteDance
• eBay
• Nubank
• PUBG Mobile
• Alibaba Group: Scaling China's Largest Second-hand Marketplace with Flutter
• Cryptograph: A Cryptocurrency Tracking App Built Using Flutter
• Philips Hue: The Smart Lighting App by Philips
• Toyota: Improving Infotainment Systems at Toyota with Flutter
• Hamilton: The Official App for the Hit Broadway Musical

So, is Flutter a good choice for mobile app development?

It is. Flutter is a great choice for every kind of business out there looking for better customer experience and faster development, such as start-ups with plans to target customers across devices and screens while ensuring faster time to market.

Having said that, it might not be the best choice for all development projects. When considering Flutter for an app development project, answering the following questions can help:

1. Is the app for a specific platform or multiple platforms?

• Flutter might not be the best development route if you are building a software application for a specific platform such as iOS or Android.
• If you are seeking to build an application that looks beautiful across multiple platforms, including Web, Desktop, and Embedded Devices, Flutter’s ability to perform across multiple platforms with a single codebase can be a significant advantage.

2. What are your performance requirements?

• Of course, we all want to develop high-performance applications. However, Flutter is a clear winner if you are looking to build an application that not only runs across devices and screens, but also delivers smooth animation and transitions.
• Dart, the programming language that powers Flutter Framework, and its fast rendering engine are designed to allow developers to build highly agile and scalable applications.

3. How well-versed is your team with the Flutter ecosystem?

• See how familiar your developers are with Flutter and Dart
• If Flutter is new to them, see how willing they are about adopting a new mobile app development framework or programming language or tech stack

4. How critical are rapid iterations and development speed?

• Do you want to empower your developers to rapidly iterate and change the app UI for better customer experience?
• Developers can use the hot reload feature of the Flutter framework to make changes in the code and see the results almost instantly without having to restart the app.

5. What is the complexity and scale of your project?

• Determine the scope of the project - how large and complex is your project?
• While Flutter is suitable for a wide range of projects, it may not be the best choice for every scenario. So, always consider factors such as project size, complexity, and specific platform requirements before selecting Flutter for your development project.

Parting thoughts

We hope that you now have a better understanding of Flutter framework and how it can help your development team accelerate time-to-market and build a broader customer base.

However, we must not forget that Flutter is still a newer development platform (in comparison to many of its development platforms). Yet, Flutter has managed to break into the league of the best app development platforms in the world. Over the years, it has built a wider ecosystem of developers who contribute to its development from around the world.

At Kellton, we draw on our years of experience building Flutter solutions for clients across industries and an ever-expanding talent pool of consultants, product managers, designers, and developers, to build next-generation web and mobile applications that deliver performance.

To connect for a quick or detailed discussion on whether Flutter development can be advantageous for your next development project, please reach out to our experts.

FAQs

What is Flutter?

Developed by Google, Flutter is a free, open-source framework for building beautiful and performant apps for multiple platforms from a single codebase. Flutter supports Android, iOS, Web, and Linux. An increasing number of teams and businesses use Flutter such as Google, ByteDance, and Alibaba. Flutter's major components include: Dart platform, Flutter engine, Foundation library, Design-specific widgets, and Flutter Development Tools (DevTools).

What is Flutter used for?

Flutter is used by software engineers to build native-like applications faster and with lower development costs. Flutter is powered by Dart, a language that's optimized for fast apps on any platform. Flutter code compiles to ARM or Intel machine code as well as JavaScript. Flutter also offers automated testing to help users control their codebase.

Is Flutter better than React Native?

Flutter and React Native are both developers’ tools for rapid and cross-platform app development. Both have unique strengths and have played a significant role in the evolution of mobile app development. Whether to use Flutter development or React Native development depends on a number of factors such as the nature of the app development project, the expertise of the in-house development team or the hired development team.

What is FlutterFlow?

FlutterFlow is a next-generation tool for app development companies to develop apps with greater ease and less coding. It's built on top of Google's Flutter framework, an open-source UI toolkit, and uses Dart, the primary language behind Flutter. FlutterFlow makes development a visual-driven approach with its drag-and-drop interface, pre-made blocks for adding common app components, and support for Flutter widgets.

What are top Flutter app development tools?

Here are some of the best Flutter app development tools for making efficient and user-friendly apps in 2024: Flutter SDK, Android Studio with Flutter Plugin, Visual Studio Code with Flutter Extension, DartPad, Firebase, Codemagic, Panache, Testmagic, and Supernova. These powerful tools allow Flutter developers to automate and accelerate the app development process while reducing manual errors and improving overall customer experience.

Recommended Reading: Mobile App Development: An essential guide for business executives