Flutter vs React Native: Quick Comparison Table
| Factor | Flutter | React Native | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | Compiles to native ARM, own rendering engine | JavaScript bridge, native components | Flutter |
| UI Consistency | Pixel-perfect same UI on both platforms | Uses native components, slight differences | Flutter |
| Learning Curve | Learn Dart (easy language) | JavaScript/React knowledge transfers | React Native |
| Developer Pool | Growing rapidly, smaller than RN | Large JavaScript/React community | React Native |
| Hot Reload | Excellent, sub-second reload | Good, Fast Refresh feature | Flutter |
| Code Sharing with Web | Flutter Web available but less mature | Shares code with React web apps | React Native |
| Custom UI/Animations | Excellent widget system, smooth animations | Good but requires more effort | Flutter |
| Company Backing | Meta (Facebook) | Tie |
When to Choose Flutter
Flutter is the better choice in these scenarios:
- You need pixel-perfect UI consistency across iOS and Android
- Your app is animation-heavy or requires complex custom UI
- You are building a new app from scratch without existing React code
- Performance is critical for your use case
- You want to target multiple platforms including web, desktop, and mobile
- Your designers want exact control over every pixel
Popular Flutter apps: Google Pay, BMW, Alibaba, eBay Motors, Toyota, Philips Hue, Nubank
When to Choose React Native
React Native is the better choice in these scenarios:
- Your team already knows React and JavaScript
- You have an existing React web app and want to share code
- You need to hire developers quickly from a larger talent pool
- You prefer using native platform components for platform-specific look
- Your app integrates heavily with native modules
- You want to leverage the npm ecosystem
Popular React Native apps: Facebook, Instagram, Uber Eats, Discord, Shopify, Pinterest, Skype
Performance Comparison
Flutter generally outperforms React Native in benchmarks. Here is why:
Flutter Performance
- Compiles to native ARM machine code
- Uses Skia rendering engine
- No JavaScript bridge overhead
- Consistent 60fps animations
- Smaller app size with tree shaking
React Native Performance
- JavaScript thread communicates via bridge
- New Architecture reduces bridge overhead
- Uses native UI components
- Hermes engine improves startup time
- Good enough for most business apps
Bottom line: For most business applications, both frameworks perform well. Flutter has an edge for animation-heavy apps or games. React Native's new architecture is narrowing the performance gap.
Development Speed and Cost
Both frameworks significantly reduce development time compared to building separate native apps:
- Code reuse: 70-90% code shared between iOS and Android
- Single team: One team builds both platforms instead of two
- Faster iterations: Hot reload enables rapid development
- Cost savings: Typically 30-40% less than native development
Flutter's widget system can be faster for building custom UIs. React Native may be faster if your team already knows React. Overall development speed is similar between the two.
Our Recommendation
At Cartoon Mango, we work with both Flutter and React Native and choose based on each project's needs:
- For new projects without existing React code: We often recommend Flutter for its performance and UI consistency
- For teams with React expertise: React Native leverages existing skills and enables web code sharing
- For enterprise apps: Both work well; we consider the team's skills and long-term maintenance
Need Help Choosing?
Our team can help you evaluate Flutter vs React Native for your specific project requirements.
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