In this blog, you will get an in-depth comparison of our two-favorite cross-platform frameworks Flutter vs React Native. React Native is a project started by Facebook internally that they open-sourced in 2015. On the other side is Flutter, a project started by Google which they have been heavily promoting since I/O 2017. Both of these technologies help app developers build cross-platform apps faster by using a single programming language. Here is a simple comparison between both of them:

Programming Language

React Native uses JavaScript to build cross-platform apps. Thanks to React Native, web developers can build mobile apps with a little bit of training. As JavaScript is widely used by most web developers, it’s easy to adopt the React Native framework.

Flutter uses Dart programming language which is easy to get started with, as there is a great and easy-to-follow documentation available on the official Dart site. But it’s rarely used and less known in the developer community.

Technical Architecture

React Native architecture heavily relies on JS runtime environment architecture, also known as JavaScript bridge. The JavaScript code is compiled into native code at runtime. React Native uses the Flux architecture from Facebook. In short, React Native uses the JavaScript bridge to communicate with the native modules, which results in poor performance.

Flutter uses the Dart framework which has most of the components inbuilt so it’s bigger in size and often does not require the bridge to communicate with the native modules. The Dart framework uses Skia C++ engine which has all the protocols, compositions and channels.

Native Components

React Native provides the essential elements to develop an app, namely, UI rendering capabilities and device API access. For other functionalities, including accessing native modules, React relies on third-party libraries, which is usually less convenient than having all the tools you need in one package.

Flutter offers numerous libraries, navigation, testing tools, and an extensive set of widgets alongside the standard device API access and basic UI rendering to create visually appealing interfaces with minimal effort. The functionality that the framework comes bundled with is usually sufficient to handle all necessary tasks and fulfill the design requirements.

Community

In terms of community, React Native holds its position as the absolute winner. This framework is older than Flutter, and the community that contributes to it is more extensive, active, and generally inspiring.

Flutter may be lagging behind for now, although with its rapid growth, it is expected to catch up to the level of interaction and engagement that the React community has fairly quickly.

Both Flutter and React Native are incredible frameworks that can help you build a cross-platform application faster and easier than with the majority of native tools.

“Technology is a world full of adventures, opportunities, risks and exceptional chances. Come on, be brave and Surf with me”

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