Have you decided to jump on the cross-platform app development “bandwagon”? Then the first question that comes into your mind is which technology to use for cross-platform development.
To build a Flutter app is no doubt the most preferred choice among developers, it is Google’s UI toolkit for creating native, iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS, and Linux applications from a single codebase.
In this article, we will learn about Flutter and why it is the best cross-platform app development framework.
Traditionally, mobile developers had no option other than to build a native app for each platform(Android, iOS, Web, etc). But with the innovations in the technology, they have multiple options to go cross-platform for app development.
The most popular technologies that are used for cross-platform development are,
However, Flutter is several steps ahead of these technologies and it has taken the digital world by storm in terms of cross-platform app development.
Let’s find out why to use Flutter, with the strongest reasons…
But before that, have a quick overview of Flutter technology.
A Flutter overview: Going cross-platform for app development with Flutter
According to the Statista 2021 developers survey, Flutter is the most popular cross-platform app development framework used by Global developers.
Flutter: An open-source UI development framework
Flutter is an open-source UI software development framework that enables developers to build a flutter application that works across various platforms. Its popularity is continuously growing over the last few years. As Flutter is an open-source platform it is free to use.
Flutter uses Dart for productive development
To build a flutter application, you require Dart, Google’s programming language. It is an official programming language developed to improve app performance and responsiveness.
Flutter is used by top software organizations
Flutter offers a complete package of development tools and widgets. The technology is already used by the top tech companies like Tencent, Google Ads, Square, Alibaba, etc. Its modern features allow several startups to launch their digital products with low cost and time efficiency.
But you might still face a question, why should you choose to build a Flutter app when there are other technologies for cross-platform app development.
Why choose Flutter to build cross-platform apps?
With the rise in the demand for software applications that run across multiple platforms, developers and startups need a quick app development solution to remain up in the market competition.
Flutter fulfills this requirement and that’s the reason why it is loved by many cross-platform app developers.
Here are the significant reasons why Flutter is one step ahead of other cross-platform development technologies.
1. Easy to learn
Flutter-Dart is easy to understand and quick to learn. With it, you can create a great app with less code. The Flutter documentation is straightforward and written in detail with examples. Further, it has great community support.
Building an application with Flutter saves your money and development time as its single codebase can be used for multiple operating systems. The Flutter framework can be easily installed and used for app building.
On the other hand, Dart language is strongly typed and object-oriented. It simplifies app design and also ensures standardization and consistency which is missing in the other cross-platform solutions such as Java, and C, making it easier to get started with Dart.
2. Open source and free
Flutter is open source, anyone can get free access to its original code, hence using it in your application will reduce your development cost.
3. See output in real-time with “Hot Reload”
With Flutter, developers can edit and see the changes in real-time using Hot Reload. It allows you to make the changes in the backend and view it in the front end, so you do not need to reload the entire application multiple times.
Hot Reload saves the developers time to compile applications frequently. This functionality makes cross-platform development with Flutter more beneficial.
4. Best for MVP
Launching MVP has many benefits: you can attract and win investors, test business concepts, get early feedback for improvement, and verify market demand quickly.
Flutter helps you achieve all these by allowing developers to build native applications for Android and iOS so that investors can get a clear idea about the app and its basic functionalities.
5. Flutter “Widgets”
Every element on the screen of the Flutter app is a widget. Flutter widgets offer extensive capabilities for creating intricate customized designs for apps. The look of the app entirely depends on the code structure and the choice and the sequence of widgets used to build an app.
6. Strong backend
By adopting Flutter, developers can save lots of time and resources on backend development. Flutter is naturally supported by Firebase which Google backs.
Firebase is a Backend-as-a-Service(BaaS) app development platform that provides backend hosting services such as real-time database, cloud storage, authentication, crash reporting, machine learning, remote configuration, and hosting for your static files.
Final thoughts: Flutter is the best choice if you….
Want to build apps at a low cost.
Want to (almost) match the performance of the native application.
Have a plan for cross-platform app development.
Cross-platform app development has many benefits such as large market reach, reduced cost and time of development, reduced workload, and cloud integration. On the contrary, building a native app is much more costly, time-consuming, and involves lots of effort.
Therefore, cross-platform app development is booming these days. Flutter has already acquired the first place in cross-platform development, it has strong community support and it is quickly gaining high popularity among the developers.
So, if you have any plan to go cross-platform for app development, do it right with DhiWise Flutter Builder and quickstart your cross-platform app development today with DhiWise — World’s first ProCode platform to build your web and mobile application lightning faster
Watch out for our Youtube video: Introduction to DhiWise Flutter Builder.
Sign up today to start your cross-platform app development.
Top comments (1)
Flutter and React Native are the top two for cross platform apps in my opinion.