Flutter App Development Framework: Comparison, Features, Benefits

Last updated on April 4th, 2023

Why is Flutter’s app development growing in popularity? We’ve looked at the advantages, features as well as all the other reasons that make Flutter the ideal framework to create cross-platform apps.

Are you thinking of developing an app that you want to put in motion? Do you own an application that you think needs an upgrade? We can discuss the development of Flutter apps!

We would like to offer you an in-depth tutorial on how to build your application with ease. This guide will aid you in meeting your growth goals with Flutter, the most recent UI framework set to become the next big thing in the world of UI.

What is Flutter App Development Framework?

Flutter is an open-source UI framework developed by Google. It allows developers to create native apps for mobile and multi-platform platforms using a single source code base. Since its launch in 2017, Flutter has assisted developers to improve their processes and increase efficiency. The framework lets developers develop apps for both iOS and Android applications from an identical code base, using only one programming language.

The Google-built framework is made up of the following components:

01. Software Development Kit (SDK)

An SDK is a set of tools to help developers create their apps. It lets them compile their programs into machine code that can be used for each iOS or Android.

02. Widget-based UI Library

This framework comes with a range of UI elements that can be reused, such as buttons, sliders, or text inputs.

The language used in Flutter programming is Dart which was developed by Google in the year 2011. Dart is an object-oriented programming language that is focused on front-end development, similar to JavaScript.

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What Kind of Apps You Can Develop in Flutter App Development Framework?

Flutter is an excellent choice for those who want to create 2D cross-platform applications that you would like to release on both iOS as well as Android phones. It’s also a great option to build interactive web and desktop applications.

In general, you can create any kind of cross-platform application with Flutter. A variety of companies around the world have already adopted Flutter, including Alibaba, Yandex, Airbnb, and Uber. However, you can make use of Flutter to develop applications for:

• Retail

A lot of retail apps offer the same essential functions like catalogs, comparison of products and find stores near you promotions, and so on. Because the same look and functionality are needed in the two platforms, iOS and Android it is unwise to develop distinct apps for both platforms.

• Fintech

Because the banking industry has to pay particular attention to security and security concerns, it is required to stay up-to-date with the latest technology developments. Numerous companies in the banking industry choose Flutter for their apps as opposed to native apps because it’s safer. Native applications can also be reverse-engineered to recover their original programming. Applications built using Flutter can’t be reverse-engineered. Flutter-based applications can utilize security technology such as Touch ID, Face ID, or even the fingerprint scanner. One of the most prominent online banks, Nubank is the most exemplary example of how banks can incorporate Flutter into an application for mobile phones.

• Suppliers and Franchisees

Because the budget for internal apps is smaller than the client apps, many businesses choose to build internal apps using Flutter. Flutter offers a pre-made platform instead of having to build everything by hand.

• Large Businesses

Businesses that have contact centers and courier controls and other complex internal processes could benefit from Flutter’s apps because of the advantages described below.

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Popular Apps Built on Flutter App Development Framework

Here are a few examples of famous apps created with Flutter.

• Google Advertisements

Apps built with Flutter enable marketers to manage Google advertising campaigns via their mobile phones.

• Alibaba

This is among the largest eCommerce platforms around the globe that has chosen Flutter for their cross-platform preferred option.

• Google Pay

Since Google is a product, it’s not surprising that this application is developed using Flutter. Since payment applications need to be safe, fast with no bugs, and secure, consider this as the most prestigious Flutter endorsement.

• Grab

Grab is the most popular delivery application built using Flutter, which allows local businesses to make menu items available, track orders, and track earnings.

• Realtor.com

A real estate application that can help homeowners find their dream homes and is built by using Flutter.

Why Use Flutter to Build Your Applications?

While Flutter is a brand new framework and is being used by a lot of companies, they are using it instead of older frameworks, such as Cordova, Xamarin, or React Native.

Let’s look at the reasons.

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Top 11 Advantages of Flutter App Development Framework and its Features

1. Improved Productivity

Flutter lets developers use the same program to develop iOS and Android applications. This way it saves time and money as they don’t need to create two distinct applications. Flutter’s native widgets can also cut down on the amount of time spent testing, by making sure that it is compatible with various operating systems.

2. Easy to Learn

Developers of Flutter can design mobile applications without the need for OEM widgets or lots of code. This makes the process much more simple and more simple.

3. Better Performance

Many users claim it’s almost impossible to differentiate between a Flutter application and a native mobile application and that’s a major benefit for developers.

4. Lower Costs

In allowing developers to create applications to be developed for Android and iOS using the same code base Flutter cuts the time needed to code by at most half. The costs associated with developing apps are reduced. The result is two apps for the price of one.

5. Robust Documentation and Strong Community

One of the main reasons companies pick Flutter is the comprehensive documentation and resources to help developers to solve their problems. Additionally, Flutter has great community hubs like Flutter Community and Flutter Awesome in which developers can discuss ideas and work on issues.

6. Improved Time-to-Market Speed

In general, development with Flutter takes up to half the time it takes to develop the same app independently for Android and iOS. Developers do not have to write any specific code for each platform to get the desired look within their app. Additionally, Flutter offers an API that can be used to build user interfaces, which can help improve the performance of your application.

7. Allows Customization

One of the major advantages of Flutter. Flutter is the capability to alter what you see on your screen regardless of the complexity. While native platforms can also support modification, it’s typically difficult to accomplish the exact result.

8. App Usage Beyond Mobile

Flutter lets developers extend their mobile application development. It also has Flutter with Web as well as Flutter Desktop embeddings that permit developers to run Flutter applications within a browser without having to modify the source code. While the non-mobile components that make up the Flutter framework haven’t been commercially available, an experienced developer can create an application that runs on the web, Windows, macOS, and Linux.

9. Flutter Has its Rendering Engine

Businesses that use Material Design for Android and Human Interface for iOS can benefit from Flutter. The Flutter framework offers applications that include custom widgets that can be used on both iOS as well as Android.

10. Hot Reload Feature

Flutter’s hot reload feature is an excellent feature that lets developers cut down on hours. Hot reload allows developers to modify the code and see them be implemented in real-time without having to reboot the entire application.

11. Pixel Rendering Feature

Flutter handles every pixel of the screen. This makes sure that widgets appear identical on any mobile device, eliminating any issues related to device support. This allows developers to design user interfaces that look identical across Android and iOS with a single codebase.

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Drawbacks of Using Flutter App Development Framework

We’ve now discovered the advantages of Flutter application development, let’s look at some of the disadvantages

01. Finding Flutter Developers Remains Challenging

Although Flutter is not a seamless process the problem is in the difficulty of finding developers who are familiar with working with Flutter. The market for labor in Flutter is only beginning to expand, and currently, the majority of applicants are novices to Flutter.

02. Large File Sizes

One of the most important tasks that app designers have is to develop an application that doesn’t take up more space on the smartphone of the user. To achieve this, app developers should avoid animations, decrease the size of images or make use of a small number of libraries and programs. Flutter is a poor example and the apps they create tend to consume too much space.

03. Insufficient iOS Support

Because Flutter is a Google product that supports iOS, functionality for iOS is quite different to support for Android. However, it could be the case that many of the SDK functions that function properly on Android have issues when used on iOS.

04. Lacks Password Management Support

If you’d like to make use of your features in place of standard widgets then you’ll have some issues. For example, Flutter apps frequently have difficulty when it comes to autocomplete fields. There are some issues with extracting passwords from built-in or third-party password management software.

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Comparisons With Flutter Alternatives

If you’re still debating what platform you’ll use this is a short analysis of Flutter, React Native, Iconic, and Xamarin.

1. Flutter vs. React Native

Each Flutter as well as React Native is well-loved and relatively young. React Native was released in 2015 and Flutter came out in 2017.

React Native has an easier learning curve because it is based on JavaScript in comparison to Flutter. Flutter has its programming language (Dart). Developers must master Dart before creating apps using Flutter.

Each of the Flutter SDK as well as React Native installations are straightforward. The documentation available is in line with the other mature platform.

The components of React Native are pretty basic. Keep this in mind when you’re looking to add something new because it will require an enormous amount of effort. When using React Native, only a few components are adaptive so you’ll be spending many hours making use of various components for iOS as well as Android.

But, with Flutter, the widgets can be customized since they are built on Material Design. If you opt to use Flutter you’ll notice that the majority of widgets are adaptable and it is possible to use the same widgets on Android as well as iOS.

If we are talking about performance, it is easy to declare that Flutter is a clear winner. When React Native uses Javascript to connect with native elements, Flutter eliminates that need. This means that Flutter is more efficient than React Native.

2. Flutter vs. Ionic

If you’re unsure whether to choose between Flutter as opposed to Iconic here are some points to take into consideration. Flutter is popular for its ability to create unique animations that are a hit in terms of user experience.

They make apps more enjoyable. However, Iconic utilizes front-end technology to render, which makes its apps less responsive compared with Flutter apps.

The primary distinction between Flutter and Ionic concerning performance lies in the code used and its size. application. Flutter is a large amount of code, even for most basic apps. Ionic runs on regular browser runtime.

Another aspect to be considered is maintenance. It’s usually simple to maintain Flutter applications. The ease of programming lets developers quickly identify problems, create external tools, and use third-party libraries. Hot reloading features assist in the resolution of bugs in an approach that isn’t available in Ionic.

Ionic developers frequently have to write new code to make sure that the stability of their apps. This can make Ionic maintenance of the code more difficult.

However, the Ionic framework is much simpler to master than Flutter. You must know Dart to be able to understand Flutter but Ionic is a web framework with Web technologies, which makes it simpler to comprehend for the majority of developers.

3. Flutter vs. Xamarin

Before deciding whether to go with Flutter or Xamarin, it is important to take into account the complexity of your project.

Complex projects need a greater concentration on development and testing. Because Flutter provides excellent tools to support testing and CI/CD, it’s typically an ideal option for projects with a lot of complexity. If you require faster development and testing, Xamarin may be a better choice.

Another thing to consider is the popularity of the framework. A lot of developers favor Flutter over Xamarin, which could mean that Flutter is likely to be used more shortly. Because more and more people are using it, it’ll be much easier to find an employee for Flutter and other Flutter-related applications.

It is also more costly to utilize Xamarin on a commercial scale as compared to Flutter. The costs for licensing Microsoft Visual Studio IDE need to be taken into consideration when evaluating the use of Xamarin.

Important Article: Flutter Vs Xamarin: Which Framework is best for Mobile App Development

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How Can You Learn Development in Flutter?

Learning Flutter is relatively easy as mobile, web, or desktop development skills are not necessary. But, those with previous experience in developing apps for different platforms can master Flutter quicker.

As there is extensive documentation for developers who come either Android, iOS, React Native, or Web The time to learn Flutter could be less steep than it appears.

Before beginning with Flutter it is important to be aware of:

• Object-oriented programming

This is an essential programming model that you must master to build applications.

• Dart

It is Flutter’s language of programming called Dart and you’ll have to master it before starting with Flutter development of apps. Learn Dart by going to Dart’s code lab, Tour Dart laboratory for code, Tour of Dart, or by viewing Dart instructional videos.

In addition, before you can learn Flutter it is necessary to have the SDK installed. You can use the SDK using Android Studio, IntelliJ, or Visual Studio Code.

In addition, you can master Flutter through:

• Video Watching: There’s a vast selection of videos that show how to master Flutter either free or paid Some of them are also accessible via Youtube.

• Reading documentation and blogs: It’s better to read the official Flutter documentation that is short simple, clear, and simple to comprehend.

• Learning from Experiments: The best part of the documentation for Flutter is the examples. You can find short examples of Flutter on flutter.dev, GitHub as well as other websites.
  

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How To Get Started With Flutter App Development Framework in 4 Steps

Beginning with Flutter application development is an easy process. We’ll go over the fundamentals to assist you in getting up and running.

Step 1: Setting Up the Environment

To begin with Flutter application development, you’ll need to build the necessary environment first. You’ll require the Flutter SDK as well as an editor. While it is assumed that you’ll be using Android Studio, you can select the preferred environment. You can run the lab using the physical Android or iOS device that you connect to your computer, and setting it in the developer setting, or employing either the iOS emulator, Android Emulator as well as the Chrome browser.

Step 2: Create a Flutter Project

After installing and creating the environment needed for Flutter application development, you’re now ready to create a brand new Flutter project. The first thing to do is start the terminal and navigate to the directory in which you’d like to start a Flutter project. Once you have done this, you need to type the hello_flutter flutter create command. Change into the directory of your project (cd hello_flutter) and then open the project using the editor you prefer.

Step 3: Launch the Project

Read the document for the code’s execution whether in the Visual Studio Code program or Android Studio. Let’s say that you choose Visual Studio Code. It is recommended to launch the Run and Debug option, then select Dart and Flutter from the dropdown menu. Choose the hello_flutter option and select the simulator you prefer. Click Start Debugging. You should be able to view the demo application in the simulator or your browser.

Step 4: Create the Flutter App

In this next step, you will need to start by opening lib/main. dart within the code editor you are using. You can remove all code in lib/main. dart then replace the file with the following code that displays ” Hello World” at the center in the center of your screen.

Once you have completed this you are now able to run the application.

If you’ve got an idea of what you can do following the steps that were mentioned above, you can proceed to build your application.

Build a Mobile App With Flutter App Development Framework

Making a mobile application using Flutter is easier than ever before! Based on the feedback we’ve received from our users, We decided to launch our Flutter SDK (currently in beta version).

The communication platform of iTechnolabs is a simple solution that boosts the engagement of users. With iTechnolabs developers can quickly add group and one-on-one chat capabilities to their apps that include features like:

• Take receipts and read them
• Sharing media (images and videos)
• Lists of Friends and Users
• Typing Indicators
• Authentication
• Short messages
• Other extensions for compatibility

If you’re looking to learn more about the ways iTechnolabs SDK can aid the development of your Flutter app be sure to find out more here.

Related Article: Crucial Steps to Develop Your First Flutter Application

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Do You Want to Build Android and iOS Mobile Apps Using Flutter App Development Framework?

In all likelihood, it’s been said and we’re seeing how Flutter application development will be the next major technology in the next few years.

If you’re employed in a business that is based on finance, retail, or E-commerce that has a large user base, developing your app cross-platform using Flutter will allow you to get in front of a greater number of customers at fewer development costs than native build.

With a shorter development cycle and expenses, as well as improved productivity, and higher performance, we are certain that businesses will select Flutter over other platforms.

Although it might be challenging to form a Flutter development team, getting started is much easier than you think. iTechnolabs will help you get started. iTechnolabs provides all the tools you require.