Pros & Cons of Flutter Mobile App Development

Operated on a single code base, Flutter is undeniably the cross-platform we need to build seamless apps and software. It is highly manageable; artefacts are centralized, no duplicity in logic and what else could be demanded. Around 2 billion developers are utilizing this platform for building extra-advance software. There are various Pros & Cons of Flutter Mobile App Development.

But still, many software companies have moved towards Flutter App Development due to its sustainability and performance. The article is about the Good & Bad of Flutter Mobile App Development today. Since its inception in 2017, Flutter has become an integral part of the software industry. 6 out of 10 companies are leveraging Flutter app development services. So, let’s take into account this impressive framework. 

What is Flutter Used For?

Flutter is one of the powerful app development tools that can be used for various purposes beyond building apps. Let’s explore some popular use cases of flutter:

1. Cross-platform Mobile App Development

Flutter is popularly known for building cross-platform mobile app development. It can build high-quality, robust and high-performance mobile apps for both Android and iOS with a single code-base. This means single code can run on both OS and make the entire app development process faster and also enhance the user experience across different devices.

2. Progressive Web Applications (PWAs)

Another key use of Flutter is for building progressive web apps (PWAs), which means those apps that support both features of web and mobile apps at once. Flutter is lightweight, fast, and can work offline with app-like functionalities, which is the reason behind building PWA development.

3. 2D Game Development

The Flutter is also used for building 2D games with more interactive and immersive experiences for users. As Flutter has a rich set of UI capabilities, it is best fit for game development, especially in 2D.

4. MVP Development

When it comes to building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), then, Flutter is also considered the best option for this development. Because it’s fast, feature-rich and has extensive widgets it allow developers to quickly build the prototype, test it and validate it with user feedback.

5. Web App Development

Flutter allows developers to build single-page or multi-page web applications in the most fast and interactive manner. Plus, flutter-based web apps are more responsive and interactive, which enhances user interaction and makes the web app more engaging.

6. Desktop App Development

Flutter also supports desktop app development for Windows, Linux and MacOS. This means it supports cross-platform desktop app development and makes the UI experience more friendly across the OS.

7. IoT and Embedded Systems

Nowadays, Flutter plays a crucial role in building IoT devices and embedded systems. These apps can run on various devices, including smart devices, wearables and home automation systems.

What is Flutter Mobile App Development?

The process is framed from three crucial terms: Fluter, App & Development. Flutter is an open-source, cross-platform SDK created by Google in 2017 and officially released in 2018. The app means the produced applications, and development means building that Flutter-based app. 

Flutter is known for its excellent functionality written on a single code base. Simultaneously, one can quickly check and follow the codes to build applications. The platform allows developers to build barrier-free custom apps.

This cross-platform SDK converts into native codes and doesn’t need web view components in applications. It utilizes its user interface components despite being platform-specific. After reading the use and definition of Flutter Mobile App Development, you might be thinking about why it is so popular. So, let us share some of the Pros & Cons of Flutter App Development with you. It will provide the answer to this question. 

Pros of Flutter Mobile App Development

The Flutter app development leverages some exciting benefits for the developers. The platform offers seamless development of software, and codes are accessible universally. So, here are the pros of Flutter application development:

Dart

It is undeniable that programming languages sometimes encounter trouble bringing up the expected standards, and various versions of these languages vary in functionality. In addition, many great developers are shifted in the same development direction. 

The benefit of utilizing the DART language is that it has no competing standards. The developer community adopted no impositions of language tools. Simultaneously, it has a clean and precise architecture syntax that rules out ideal conditions for the building’s systematic applications. 

Growing Popularity

Flutter has surpassed React Native in both segments, i.e., GitHub and Stack Overflow. The source is power-packed with resources for training, more qualified developers, etc., to work on the application. 

Since its inception, the platform is gaining immense popularity, and businesses are gaining the proper audience traction. Thus, providing high-end audience reach and business leads to the organizations. 

High Performing

Flutter apps are combined into machine code utilizing the graphics & visualization engine to create C/C++. So applications are high-speed and high-performing. Flutter enhances productivity as the developed apps are swift, lag-free, and have high-end functionality. 

This was a deciding element for the transition to Flutter for many mobile app developers. We are speaking about cross-platform (or platform-independent) technologies, where Flutter has a promising benefit over its competitors in performance and visualization while gaining such prime & unrealistic native apps.

Mild Learning Curve 

One more justification behind the rapid development of Flutter’s prominence among designers (notwithstanding high efficiency) was the accessibility of itemized documentation and many models. Also, this is vital for designers who need to become familiar with another stage, a bunch of apparatuses, or a language.

Also, it is particularly significant for experienced software engineers now to have an eye on them. They can find mistakes in the language plan or the tool compartment without much stretch. They immediately become baffled by the innovation when during the time spent concentrating on it is found that it has unfortunate documentation or instances of taking care of essential issues that go against one another.

One UI Design

Flutter makes extraordinary UI designs for Android and iOS mobile applications. Utilizing a single-handed code base, you can foster just a single UI design and use it for both platforms. This will save you time and the cost of the designer’s work. 

For the most part, the Flutter cross-platform application follows the standards of Material Design, with minor changes for various platforms (which Flutter typically processes all alone) or makes the whole UI look individual, with components given the best arrangements taken from iOS and Android.

Save Money & Time

Flutter also helps eliminate the cost barriers and saves enough time. The designers can produce some admiring apps without extravagance and reserve enough time for other designing tasks. 

The application development through the Flutter platform allows designers to utilize the same code for multiple platforms. Moreover, its MVP can be developed in 2-3 months, and its full development will be around 30% cheaper than other developments. 

Powerful Community 

Flutter has a robust community of people building apps & software through it. Google and company personnel leverage tremendous tech support to both developers & users. Not only this, Flutter has real-time documentation and real cases that are available on its original platform. 

What Are the Flutter Mobile App Development Cons?

Speaking of flaws, Flutter may have some shortcomings, just like other software. Let’s readout out what can cause trouble while utilizing the Flutter SDK tool.

Flutter Developer Flaws

It may be observed that everything is a phenomenon while working with the framework. An undeniable difficulty is assembling a development team. Any business project will inevitably face these risks for significant reasons. It includes:

The labour market for flutter technology is only just formed. While documenting this information, no more than 200 resumes were posted on work sites for the Flutter keyword for all CIS countries, while Android developers’ offers in Ukraine alone were 7-10 thousand.

Limited Set of Tools & Libraries 

Flutter is a new standard cross-platform app development framework. Many Flutter functions are in alpha and beta testing and may not always work correctly. In addition, you can’t get the necessary functions in the current library in some cases because the platform is still being finalized. Flutter will take time to create the necessary tools, expand functionality and develop the community. 

Large File Size

Flutter apps can end up being quite big, which can be a hassle for some users. Developers work hard to keep app sizes small by avoiding unnecessary animations, reducing image sizes, and using only essential packages and libraries. However, there’s still room for improvement.

Limited iOS Support

While Flutter works well on Android, it doesn’t always provide the same level of quality on iOS. Some functions, like photography on Apple devices, can lead to issues such as missing data in the photos, like location and date. This might affect the overall user experience on iOS devices.

When Should You Consider Flutter for Your Project?

There are several situations where Flutter can be considered as the best option. Here are some most common scenarios where you can consider Flutter:

1. When You Need to Quickly Build Your App or Need MVP

If you want to build a mobile app in less time, then Flutter is a perfect option to consider. It’s a cross-platform tool that can help you build an app for both Android and iOS with the same code. Plus, it has ready-made tools and other elements that make the development faster and speeds up the testing process. On the other hand, building an MVP is super easy with Flutter to easily create the basic version of the app, test an idea, and adjust as per the user’s feedback.

2. When You Required Complex UI/UX Design

Flutter gives you unparalleled control over customization and that’s why you can do complex UI/UX design for your app with Flutter. So, if your app requires an impressive and custom interface then this tool will make the development much easier for developers.

3. When You Need Your App Perform Faster

If your app requires high performance, then Flutter can help to perform faster because Flutter-based apps don’t rely on JavaScript or other frameworks. Which means smoother performance and quick responsiveness.

4. When You’re Under Serious Time Pressure

When there’s an urgent need to add features or fix bugs, Flutter makes the process much faster with its features like Hot Reload. It also reduces the testing time and makes the development quicker.

World Famous Applications Built with Flutter 

Some of the biggest real-life examples of apps created with Flutter are:

• Google Ads
• Google Pay
• Alibaba
• Reflect
• eBay Motors
• Tencent
• My BMW
• Groupon
• Hamilton Musical App

Is Flutter Good for Development?

Yes, Flutter is a great platform for building customized cross-platform support mobile apps in less time. It allows you to build faster performance, attractive, and robust mobile apps that can smoothly work on both Android and iOS.

Conclusion

So, these were the pros & cons of Flutter mobile app development. Flutter is no doubt an excellent platform for building software & other apps. But sometimes, good things come with some challenges, and it is witnessed that the main challenge comes with iOS app development in Flutter development. The Google team must be working on this aspect and improvising the platform to make it the ultimate development SDK platform. 

FAQs

Q1. How does Flutter compare to other cross-platform frameworks?

Flutter offers faster development and better performance than other cross-platform frameworks due to its unique architecture and reactive programming.

Q2. What is reactive programming?

In reactive programming,  the program responds to changes in the system automatically rather than needing to be manually triggered. It is useful for handling multiple things happening simultaneously, like different data streams or events, and can respond to them in real-time.

Q3. Can I develop complex mobile apps with Flutter?

Flutter is suitable for developing complex mobile apps with its rich widget library and support for custom widgets and animations.

Q4. Is Flutter suitable for developing games or multimedia-rich applications?

Yes, Flutter’s support for 2D and 3D graphics rendering and integration with various multimedia platforms make it suitable for developing games or multimedia-rich applications.

Q5. Can I use Flutter to build apps for both iOS and Android platforms?

You can use Flutter for iOS and Android app development. It uses a single codebase to develop desktop and web applications.