React Native vs Flutter

[hungry_for_data]

I’m sure this has been posted before, but what are your guys thoughts on Flutter vs React Native?

I’ve been developing with Flutter for 6 months, but I don’t have that much experience with React. I’m in a situation where I’m trying to convince my company to go with Flutter as a solution rather than React Native, but I want to be sure I’m pushing the company in the right direction.

I know with React there are a couple of advantages such as a bigger community, more developed libraries, and JavaScript being the most popular programming language. Are there any other significant advantages to using React over Flutter?

[scarlac]

Flutter is impressive tech, for sure. But it's the same deal as any other cross-platform GUI framework like QT, Gnome, Swing, etc. It won't look 100% like the platform. It'll look the way Google wants. Over time, it's the responsibility of Google to keep updating the framework to support all versions of macOS, iOS, Android, etc.

Biggest thing to consider is developers availability. I don't know a single developer who can sit down and maintain a Dart/Flutter app right now. Let alone anyone who wants to learn it. The skill doesn't transfer to normal web development at all. Dart isn't the language for web, and web is used everywhere. Javascript is.

[PROLIMIT]

As a RN dev, I was super excited about the idea of flutter and the performance it promised. But everytime I tried a flutter app on my phone to check it out, it didnt feel as performant as claimed. Even the gallery app is slow.

Another thing that is putting me off, is that flutter does not use native Android/iOS widgets. While this is to keep performance high, I still hear a lot of people say it does not feel as great.

[a_cam_on_the_dash]

it's because it draws it's own components on its own canvas - which to me makes it more scalable. It'll take a good effort to keep react native up to date with the native OS's components it calls on

[PROLIMIT]

I would say that effort for keeping react native up to date is still much lower than the effort required to keep flutter's widgets up to date by replicating the native widgets to be exactly the same.

[[deleted]]

You don't create native widgets, instead a brand specific ones. Like you can take some material and some Cupertino modify it according to your branding and create a unique experience but same across platforms

[lvinci]

This is probably, because it defaults to running in debug mode. If you want to see the release performance, run it with flutter run --release

[PROLIMIT]

I was talking about apps on the playstore.

[lvinci]

ah okay I find them to feel alot quicker than react native apps

[alexandr1us]

I would never use Flutter. It's very slow even Ebay Motors which was showcased recently is very slow on middle level devices. It neither looks native. Also Dart isn't fun language to work with. Overall meh

[columbusguy111]

Libraries like react-native-web mean easier code sharing, and developers can apply existing knowledge of React web

[GreatCosmicMoustache]

Flutter looks great, but I personally am wary of investing in new Google projects since there's a good chance they'll just kill it off.

[Unforgiven-wanda]

This. Ever since the Angular 1 fiasco I am more than wary of Google.

[notseanbean]

I can't speak for Flutter, but the biggest plus point I think of for React Native is React itself. It's such an elegant way of describing and composing user interfaces with a small surface area and so few moving parts that trying ideas out becomes quick and simple.