Unlocking the Potential: Why Flutter is the Preferred Choice for Development

Flutter is revolutionizing app development. Why do developers choose it? It's all about making things easy and fast. It lets you create beautiful apps for phones, computers, and the web with just one set of code. In this article, we'll learn about flutter and why it is used. We will also discuss Flutter's key benefits - from its rapidly hot reload to its expressive widget system. You'll find out why Flutter's unified codebase means faster development across iOS, Android, web, and more. Let's dive in and discover how this framework is setting a new standard for efficiency, design, and overall developer satisfaction.

What is Flutter?

It is an open-source UI SDK (software development kit) introduced in 2015. However, the first stable release was by Google in 2018. It's now used to develop applications for iOS, Android, Google Fuchsia, Windows, Linux, Mac, and the web from a single codebase.

More than 1 million published Flutter-based apps were noted in 2023 by Google, up from 500,000 in mid-2022. Over 2 million developers embracing Flutter was witnessed in 2023, a substantial increase in its developer community, compared to previous years.

This framework uses the Dart programming language. It provides a wide selection of customizable widgets and tools to make native interfaces on both mobile and web. It also has hot reload functionality, which lets you view changes instantly without restarting your app. Let’s take a look at why we use flutter.

Key Features and Capabilities

Some of the key capabilities and features of Flutter include:

• Cross-platform development. Apps can be built for iOS and Android from a single codebase.
• Fast development. The hot reload feature shows changes instantly without restarting your app. This improves developer productivity.
• Hot Reload. This feature allows developers to see the changes they make in the code right away in the app. You don't need to wait for the app to restart. This makes fixing bugs or trying new things quick. So, it speeds up the development process.
• Expressive and flexible UI. Flutter has a layered architecture. It allows you to customize and control even a single pixel on the screen. Its powerful composability model helps build beautiful UIs.
• Access native features. Flutter provides APIs and widgets to access core platform services like the camera, GPS, storage, etc. This allows building full-featured apps.
• Rich motion APIs. Flutter is manned with a rich set of APIs to manage animations and gestures, providing a smooth and responsive UX.
• Open source. Flutter is free and open source with a supportive community of developers and contributors.

Understanding the Cross-Platform Advantage

You can create your app for both Android and iOS users only with one codebase. This is a big win for saving time and resources. This unified codebase approach ensures consistency and quality across platforms.

Here are some benefits of cross-platform development with Flutter:

• Write once, and run anywhere. Flutter allows you to write your app once and run it everywhere. This means less time coding for different platforms. You save a big amount of time that would be spent on writing and testing the same thing for iOS and Android.
• Consistent UX. Flutter's customizable widgets ensure your application stores its look and feel across platforms.
• Code sharing and reuse. A single codebase allows substantial code reuse across Android and iOS versions.
• Faster go-to-market. Launch your app on both iOS and Android at once with minimal additional effort.
• Smaller and more agile teams. Reduced codebases allow smaller teams to develop full-featured cross-platform applications.
• Cost-effectiveness. A unified codebase translates into reduced development and maintenance expenses, as the need for platform-specific teams diminishes.
• Simplified updates. Alterations and enhancements need to be implemented only once. All users can benefit from the latest updates at the same time.

For businesses, Flutter allows faster app development and a consecutive UX across devices. This strengthens brand identity.

For developers, Flutter allows them to learn one framework that can make highly polished, complex apps that work on phones, tablets, desktops etc.

In a nutshell, Flutter combines professional-quality apps with practical speed and flexibility. This makes the framework a good choice for today's app development needs.

Why Use Flutter?

Why use Flutter is a nice question when deciding options for building a mobile app. Flutter presents plenty of good reasons to use its framework over alternatives. It is made to ease the development process. This SDK provides an effective way to design mobile apps. There are two main reasons to choose Flutter: a streamlined development process and extensive customization options.

Streamlined Development Process

One of the reasons why Flutter is used is its effectiveness. With it, you can create one codebase complying with multiple platforms including Android, iOS, web, and desktop. There's no need to write a platform-specific code. With Flutter, the need for separate development teams for different platforms is resolved. This reduces coordination efforts and ensures a unified vision throughout the development cycle.

With a framework, you can quickly view changes made to your code without restarting the entire app. It allows you to add features, tweak UIs, fix bugs, and see the results instantly. This real-time feedback enables iterative development and faster build cycles.

Flutter's reactive widget-based framework makes it fast and easy to build beautiful UIs. Compose layouts by nesting widgets, and add effects like scrolling and animation in just a few lines of code. The unified codebase also decreases repetition and maintenance. Developers can access over 25,000 pre-built widgets to accelerate development. This cuts development time and cost.

Extensive Customization Options

Flutter's rich library of customizable widgets is a dream for developers who want to create unique user interfaces. These widgets are the building blocks of a Flutter app. They can be layered, combined, and customized to achieve a specific look and meet your demands.

In addition to the visual customization, the framework grants powerful control over the functionality of these widgets. This level of control extends to animations and gestures. In the end, it gives users a smooth and intuitive experience. So, the question of why is Flutter used by many developers is answered.

It also comes with a complex suite of development tools that make the design process more intuitive. From integration with popular code editors to performance profiling, these tools support developers in creating optimized and good-looking applications. The framework has a growing ecosystem of plugins, packages, and widgets built by the community. Developers can find ready-made solutions for any needs or design their customizable widgets.

Reasons to Choose Flutter

Flutter is increasingly becoming the go-to framework for developers around the world. This is due to its unique features that streamline app creation across different platforms. Its toolkit provides a generous canvas for developers to craft engaging user experiences while ensuring consistency and speed. There are many compelling reasons why developers prefer this SDK for app development. Let’s have a closer look at them.

Seamless Cross-Platform Development

One of the main reasons developers flock to Flutter is its seamless cross-platform mobile development option. The framework allows you to build apps that run on Android and iOS from the same codebase. This means you do not need to create platform-specific code. It saves you time and resources while maintaining a high-quality standard for your app on both platforms.

The single codebase approach not only simplifies the development process but also simplifies testing. With just one version of the app to test, you can more quickly identify and fix issues, providing a robust final product.

In two words, it gives you:

• Up to 80% code reuse across Android and iOS versions.
• The same business logic is shared across platforms.
• Equal UI design system and widget toolkit.
• Write once, run on billions of iOS and Android devices.

Consistent UI Across Different Platforms

Flutter maintains that your app's user interface remains consistent across a variety of platforms. It comes with a generous set of widgets that are pixel-perfect and customizable. This enables the creation of a responsive and attractive UI. This homogeneity is crucial for brand identity and user experience. It provides users with a familiar interface, despite of the device they use.

Moreover, the widgets are rendered directly by the framework's graphics engine, avoiding the native platform completely. This means there's no need to worry about UI consistency across different versions of Android or iOS.

Hot Reload Feature for Rapid Iteration

Flutter's stateful hot reload feature improves developer productivity by instantly updating changes. Its benefits include:

• See changes instantly without restarting your app.
• Tweak styles, add features, and fix bugs faster.
• Allocate more time to perfecting app logic and UX.
• Speeds up the development process.

This quick iteration not only boosts developer productivity but also enables better collaboration between developers and designers. It smooths closely with agile development practices. It supports continuous feedback and corrections throughout the app development process.

Why Flutter is Widely Used

Flutter is gaining popularity and is widely used for several reasons. It addresses many of the challenges confronted by developers and businesses when creating apps for multiple platforms.

• Single codebase. A single codebase approach lets programmers write the code and deploy it to both platforms, iOS and Android. It saves development time and effort. It also provides a faster time to market for new apps.
• Rich widget library. It ensures a comprehensive collection of pre-designed widgets. Developers can customize them to create complex UIs that look and work great on both Android and iOS. This generous widget library speeds up the development process. It also helps maintain visual consistency across platforms.
• High performance. Apps built with Flutter compile to native ARM code and aim for performance do not differ from native apps. Flutter's high performance results from the Skia Graphics Engine usage. UI can be redrawn each time with every frame, providing clean animations and transitions.
• High Performance. Flutter apps are fast and feel natural because they compile to native device code. The secret behind high performance is the use of Skia. Skia redraws the user interface on every single frame. This provides silky-smooth animations and transitions as the user navigates through the app.
• Hot reload. This feature is a favorite among developers, as it lets them see the changes they make in the code almost instantly.
• Strong community and support. The framework is supported by a strong community of developers who contribute to the framework’s growth and offer support. There's a fortune of resources available. Documentation to forums and third-party tutorials makes it easier to learn and solve problems.
• Versatility. Flutter is not for mobile apps only. It's also being developed to run on the web and desktop. Thus, it is a universal framework for developers who want to reach the widest possible audience with their applications.
• Google's backing. It was developed by Google. So, it benefits from robust support and constant updates. Google's backing provides that Flutter is a cutting-edge tool that continually improves and integrates with the latest technologies.

Potential Limitations and When Not to Use Flutter

Like any technology, the framework has its own limitations and may not always be the best choice. Here is why not to use Flutter.

Potential Limitations of Flutter

• Large application size. Flutter solutions tend to be bigger than native apps. This is because it includes a Dart runtime and the Flutter engine within the app, which increases the minimum size.
• Limited third-party libraries. Although Flutter's ecosystem is growing, it still might not have as many third-party libraries as more ripe platforms like iOS (Swift/Objective-C) or Android (Java/Kotlin).
• Performance overheads. For most use cases, Flutter's performance is as well with native apps. However, for apps that demand intensive CPU work, such as high-end games or complex calculations, native development might be more efficient.
• Platform conventions. Flutter allows you to make a highly customized UI. Yet, adhering to platform-specific conventions (iOS Human Interface Guidelines or Material Design on Android) can demand more effort if you aim for a native look and feel.
• Learning curve. Flutter applications are written in Dart, which is not as commonly used as languages like Java or JavaScript. So developers need to learn Dart.

Scenarios When Not to Use Flutter

• Highly customized platform-specific apps. If your app relies heavily on platform-specific features or needs to look and behave exactly like a native app, it may be easier to use the platform's native SDK.
• 3D games or intensive graphics apps. If your app demands sophisticated 3D graphics or game-engine features, a specialized framework such as Unity or Unreal Engine could be a better choice. Yet, it is worth mentioning that Flutter is suitable for 2D gaming.
• Ultra-high performance requirements. For apps where performance is crucial, native development might provide the edge in speed you need. These apps can be real-time financial trading apps or high-frequency signal processing.
• Existing large codebases. Integrating Flutter into an existing massive native codebase can be challenging. It may not bring significant benefits compared to continuing with native development.
• Complex CI/CD pipelines. If your current CI/CD pipeline is highly optimized for native app builds, introducing Flutter may demand significant adjustments. Moreover, it may not integrate as smoothly.

Recap of the Benefits of Using Flutter

To summarize, the key advantages:

• Write once, run anywhere allows large code reuse across iOS and Android.
• Hot Reload boosts developer productivity for rapid iteration.
• Customizable widgets and controls to build slick, responsive UIs.
• Access native features like camera, location, and alike from platform channels.
• Full stack potential beyond mobile with web and desktop support.
• Dart language enhances development speed with improved syntax and type safety.
• Open source with great documentation and a supportive community.

FAQ about Flutter Usage

Here are some popular questions about using Flutter.

What are the primary advantages of using Flutter over other cross-platform frameworks?

The primary advantages of using Flutter include its single codebase, native performance, custom UI, and hot reload feature. Its ability to deliver a consistent User Interface across different platforms and its quick development cycles stands out.

How does Flutter enhance the development process and improve the overall user experience?

Flutter uses a single codebase that reduces development time and effort. It offers various pre-designed UI components, saving design and development time. Its customizable widgets allow for a consistent UX across platforms. It also provides smooth animations and transitions for a polished user interface.

What alternatives could be considered?

You now know why not use Flutter. Here are some alternatives to it.

• React Native. It’s a commonly used cross-platform framework using JavaScript.
• Xamarin. This is the framework that lets you build apps using C# and .NET.
• NativeScript. The framework uses JavaScript or TypeScript to build native apps.
• Ionic. This framework is for designing hybrid mobile solutions using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript web technologies.

These frameworks and languages have their own set of pros and cons. The choice depends on the specific demands and context of the project.

Final Word

Flutter has proven itself to be more than a fad. It's an open-source powerhouse for cross-platform application development that enables developers to make beautiful, natively compiled apps from a single codebase. Its advantages are clear, but it's essential to consider the pros and cons of any framework or platform.

That's where an experienced development company like Stfalcon can help. The Stfalcon team has expertise in developing Flutter applications for iOS, Android, and cross-platform use. We designed robust iOS apps with features like integrated Touch ID or Face ID authorizations, Apple Pay system, and machine learning technologies. For Android, we develop applications with embedded third-party services, real-time synchronization, GPS tracking, and more. Our cross-platform applications have high capacity and can be run across multiple platforms.

With Stfalcon, you get more than a development team. You gain partners who are committed to excellence. We make apps that don’t just work across platforms, they excel. We focus on delivering performance, scalability, and a great user experience, every time.

If you want to turn your app idea into a reality with Flutter, Stfalcon is the partner you need. Connect with us, and let’s create something great together.

Originally published on the Stfalcon blog