Potential Benefits and Notable Cons of Flutter in Mobile App Development!

Introduced by Google in 2015 and officially launched in 2018, Flutter has made a buzz in the software world in a very short time. Giants like Google Ads and Alibaba have used Flutter for their projects and many more are looking forward to it.

Flutter is an open-source framework, rather a complete SDK(Software Development Kit) that includes ready-made widgets, integration APIs, rendering engine, command-line tools, and much more. This transformative technology offers a host of benefits, due to which the demand for Flutter development services has risen globally. However, being a new technology, it also has some downfalls.

In this article, we have outlined the significant pros and cons of Flutter in mobile app development. Hope this article helps you make an informed decision in your app development project.

Pros of Flutter in Mobile App Development

Ready-to-use and Custom Widgets

Flutter makes use of ready-made widgets that have extensive capabilities. Widgets are the core of this framework making the app development easier and interesting. It has two sets of widgets- Cupertino for iOS and Material Design for Android to provide a native feel to the apps. Flutter app developers can even use platform-specific widgets or develop unique and complex widgets for implementing distinctive attributes in the apps. Because of these widgets, customization of UI can be done in a short amount of time.

Better Time-to-market due to fast development

· Flutter uses a single codebase to develop apps on multiple platforms. It reduces the coding efforts and makes the app development easy and quick. So, these apps can be simultaneously launched on both platforms.
· Flutter has the ‘hot-reload’ feature engraved in its architecture. Due to this feature, any changes in the code instantly reflect in the apps, and bugs can be fixed within seconds.
· Flutter is one of the best frameworks for building an MVP i.e. Minimum Viable Product. It is compatible with Firebase, so there isn’t a need for a separate backend while MVP development. 

Due to all these reasons, the apps developed using Flutter can be launched in the market at the earliest, thus speeding up the time-to-market.

High-performing and Captivating Apps

Dart uses compilation techniques like “Ahead of Time” that compiles into the native code without the added bridge (required in React Native). This speeds up the app performance. Flutter provides a consistent 60 fps (Frames per second) which enables the contemporary screens to display clear and smooth pictures. It also improves app performance. Also, this framework uses widgets for a flexible and charming UI, making the apps quite user-friendly.

OEM widgets are not used during Flutter app development which noticeably speeds up the app performance. 

Wider Accessibility and Internationalization

For making the apps accessible to a wider range of users, it should be able to be used in different languages in different regions. So the code must be ready for localized content. This is called internationalization. The widgets in Flutter are based on Dart intl package for simplifying this process. Today, Flutter supports 24 languages. It also ensures web accessibility and supports components like large fonts, sufficient contrast, etc. for better readability.

Portable

Flutter can run on almost any device that has a screen. To build apps for iOS, Windows, and Linux, there are third-party ports in Flutter. Attempts have been also made to create TV apps with Flutter. This shows that Flutter has good portability.

Easily Learnable Technology

Flutter is based on Dart which is an object-oriented language. It has a clear and beginner-friendly syntax similar to Java, which is easier to understand and learn. As a result, people with limited knowledge and experience of programming can also start with Flutter app development.

Cons of Flutter in Mobile App Development

Limited Features and Libraries

Since this framework is new, there are not enough libraries and packages available. Also, third-party packages and libraries, which are necessary for efficient programming, aren’t still so mature. Probably, the growing community of Flutter app developers may develop new and efficient features in the future.

Larger Sizes of the Apps

Flutter uses in-built widgets and not platform widgets for its apps, which adds to the size of the apps. The smallest app built using this framework will be a minimum of 4MB. As a result, users having old devices or devices with small storage capacity may not opt for such apps. The good news is Google team is working on improving this disability of Flutter.

Unstable Framework

Flutter is not good for maximum device functionality. It is a bit unstable at times. According to some developers, Flutter isn’t mature for large, eCommerce apps, though, Alibaba has used this technology.

Not Supported by Web Browsers and issues in iOS devices

Flutter is not yet supported by web browsers, it only serves mobile apps as of now. There are many challenges being faced by developers while implementing it on iOS devices as well.

C# better than Dart

Though this framework is easy to learn, skilled Flutter app developers are not available easily. The reason behind this is the language Dart, based on which Flutter is developed. Dart isn’t a popular language and so, developers have to spend time to learn it first. Even if Dart is a great Object-oriented language by itself but it is not better than popular giants like JavaScript, C#, Objective C, etc.

Final Words:

Summing up this article, we can say that Flutter is one of the highly preferred frameworks for cross-platform app development. It has become a winning choice amongst the plethora of frameworks available in the market. It is loved by the developers as it enables faster coding, is reliable and compatible. It is also liked by start-ups and many tech companies as it helps to create modern and visually attractive, cross-platform apps, quickly. As a result, Flutter development services are popping up at a fast pace.

If you want to build native-like, custom apps for your business requirements, using Flutter, Biz4Solutions can be your reliable technical partner. It is a Texas-based app development company providing Flutter development services to diverse clients. Hire experienced Flutter app developers from Biz4Solutions now!