Flutter for Cross-Platform Application Development

What is Flutter?

Flutter is a software development toolkit used for simultaneously developing cross-platform applications for devices running Android and iOS. The technology was developed by Google and, by common consensus, in practice allows increasing speed, quality, and reducing the overall project cost.

The language Flutter is based on is Dart, which is an object-oriented, statically typed language. Moreover, Dart has become relatively easy to learn because its creators aimed to create similarities with other programming languages rather than pioneering new concepts. Mobile applications written in Dart can look and behave almost identically on both platforms, and their performance is comparable to that of native applications. 

Knowledge of Dart allows developers to leverage all of Flutter's capabilities—both UI rendering and application logic. A widget is a key element of this framework, as it is the building block of the application's UI. A widget can be anything from text to images and everything in between. Widgets can be nested within other widgets, enabling the creation of very complex objects in a relatively short time.

Moreover, the Flutter ecosystem is already well developed and is growing very rapidly, despite its relatively short history.

Native vs. Cross-Platform Applications

As noted by a manager at ESK Solutions: 

In my opinion, Flutter is the best platform for building cross-platform applications because development is relatively simple and straightforward. Its main competitor, React Native, is more complex (though not overly complicated). Over the past few years, React Native has undergone several changes that have made development more challenging.

Whenever Flutter is mentioned, its main competitor in cross-platform applications is React Native. Which alternative is better? Undoubtedly, React is a more mature tool, and its advantage at this point is a large community and a vast number of available libraries. Of course, both platforms have their pros and cons, but both promise fast and reliable applications.

However, there are certain factors that could tip the scales in favor of Flutter in the future. The Fuchsia operating system has been under development by Google for several years and uses Flutter as its user interface layer. There are already rumors online that this system will eventually replace Android, eliminating its main drawback. Importantly, it will also support all existing Android applications.

Should you develop a mobile application using only one method, or can you mix them? Find out our opinion on this matter. 

Cross-platform applications? Well, it usually depends on the situation. Applications built with Flutter always lag slightly behind their native counterparts, so if something new is urgently released for Android or iOS, hybrid apps may have to wait until it's ready for them. In the Flutter framework, as in React Native, module developers contribute significantly. This is beneficial because they are open source, and anyone can contribute a plugin, but on the other hand, it sometimes affects the overall quality of those plugins. Additionally, Flutter itself has many minor imperfections and bugs that lead to some UI glitches. If we want to develop a serious application or a large project, we shouldn't rely solely on a hybrid architecture, as there is always room for errors.

Technical and Business Bits for Cross-Platform Applications

Flutter Helps Optimize Costs

Theoretically, simple applications written in Flutter can lead to significant financial savings (up to 30%). How does this work in practice? What makes Flutter powerful (and cost-effective) is that it is based on a single, unified codebase. All platforms share the same common code, written in one language—Dart.

It's important to note that this rule applies equally to every part of the application, including the user interface. Since Flutter relies on a single shared codebase when building cross-platform applications, rather than two separate native apps (which often requires hiring additional staff or allocating extra resources), Flutter delivers significant cost optimization.

Flutter is Efficient

From an efficiency standpoint, Flutter is not much different from native applications.

Thanks to the Skia rendering engine, applications using this technology run as fast as native apps. A typical Flutter application should run at 60 FPS (frames per second).

As a result, project development pace and response time to changes are significantly accelerated, allowing developers to focus on business logic without getting bogged down in platform-specific details. Since Flutter applications use a single syntax, they have a consistent and transparent implementation, making them easier to test and understand.

Flutter is Trustworthy

Since Flutter is developed, maintained, and promoted by Google, a global tech player whose products are used by thousands of people worldwide, it inspires trust and is constantly updated not only by Google itself. Flutter relies on community contributions, which largely define its strength and popularity. Therefore, it is very dynamic, and it's crucial that community feedback is considered during its development.

Challenges with Flutter

It goes without saying that Flutter has many advantages, but no technology is perfect. The following challenges should be considered when deciding whether native development is better for a particular project or whether to go with Flutter.

• Flutter is still at a very early stage of development, so it's important to remember that some areas are still awaiting completion. 
• Although the number of community-created extensions is impressive, they are not always well-written and should be double-checked before implementation.
• Despite numerous advantages, embedding native views in Flutter is not without difficulties.
• To write applications in Flutter, not only is knowledge of Dart required, but also having team members who understand Android and iOS.
• Implementation can be complex because Flutter is an adapter, not a "native technology". Too advanced solutions will still use native tools, so Flutter may not be suitable for everyone.

Cross-Platform Flutter Apps You May Know

Cross-Platform App: Alibaba

The development team from Alibaba Group's Xianyu created an application using Flutter. 

Alibaba already had an existing application. So the first step was to integrate Flutter capabilities, then add additional features based on the framework. 

Over 50 million downloads resulted in more than 10 million daily active users. Choosing Flutter saved time because the app could be easily built and maintained with a single codebase. 

Using Flutter is not a replacement for native app development but rather complements cross-platform solutions. Alibaba integrates Flutter into their native apps to provide the best user experience.

Hybrid App: Groupon

Groupon, another example of a company with an existing app, chose to integrate Flutter into the existing system rather than building it from scratch. 

Groupon decided to build two types of apps in Flutter—one for customers and one for merchants.

Groupon's apps allow merchants to track campaign performance and customer feedback. Additionally, they help customers with support and improve their experience.

Philips Hue App

Philips Hue is a smart home lighting system and accessories for customers wanting intelligent lighting. The Hue Sync and Hue Bluetooth apps are built on Flutter. With these controllers, Philips customers can set the mood, change lighting colors, sync lights with multimedia devices, and quickly and easily control them via mobile devices.

Philips has been using Flutter since 2018 and concluded that it works well for their project, despite having other suitable alternatives. Flutter apparently perfectly matched their needs, so they continued using it. 

SpaceX Go Mobile App

All information about SpaceX is available through this app, which contains detailed