The Pros and Cons of Flutter for App Development

Wondering if you should start using Flutter for app development? Not sure if Flutter is right for you?

If you want to be successful in the world of app development, then you need to have the best tools to use for the job. Flutter is an open-source UI framework that you may want to consider using for your next mobile app development project and offers a lot to anybody who is willing to try it out.

If you want to learn more about Flutter, you’re in the right place. Below we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of Flutter.

The Basics of Flutter

Flutter is a free and open-source software development kit (SDK) by Google. It’s a cross-platform framework that includes tools and widgets and offers more simplicity and speed than the alternatives.

By using Flutter, developers can easily build mobile apps for Android, iOS, and the web simultaneously and with a single code base. Apps created with Flutter are fast and visually appealing and developers have a lot of control over the UI.

Flutter is based on Dart, an object-oriented programming language that can be learned easily and is incredibly fast. Flutter serves as a great alternative to React Native and to native app development.

Pros of Flutter

To begin, we’ll look at a few of the best features of Flutter. Here are some of the top things that make Flutter worth using.

1. Cross-Platform Development

One of the best things about using Flutter is that you’ll be able to create iOS and Android apps simultaneously. Developers can use Flutter to move quickly through the development process and to build iOS and Android apps with the same code base. If you’re looking for a cross platform app development framework, Flutter is one of the best options out there.

2. Web Usage

While Flutter is a great option for building iOS and Android apps, its use doesn’t end there. There is also Flutter for Web and Flutter Desktop Embeddings as well, and these work well for additional uses.

The same codebase can be used to make apps for web and desktop purposes, further expanding Flutter into a fully functional framework for creating apps in a faster and simpler way.

3. Faster Development

One of the best things about Flutter is how fast it is. Because there is one code for multiple platforms, less testing will be necessary overall.

With the hot reload feature, it’s also possible to change the code and to see the results instantly when previewing the app. There will be no need for recompiling.

4. Extensive Customization

Another great thing about Flutter is that it offers fast rendering and extensive customization capabilities.

The layered architecture that Flutter has can give developers an immense amount of control. It allows for endless tweaking and customization when it comes to graphics, animation, video, and text. Any UI complexity is possible. Flutter also makes it simple to create and customize widgets as well and completed apps are fast and smooth.

5. Ease of Use

In addition to the benefits above, Flutter is also easy to use. The coding language of Flutter, known as Dart, can be learned easily. Dart is a fast object-oriented programming language in which fewer codes are needed.

For those with programming experience, it’s not difficult to get comfortable with Flutter and setup is also easy. It’s not necessary to have a high-end machine to use Flutter, so this means that developers will likely have everything they’ll need to get started right away.

Cons of Flutter

While there are a lot of benefits of using Flutter, there are some disadvantages as well. Here are the primary cons of Flutter.

1. Still In Its Infancy

One of the main disadvantages of Flutter is simply that it is new to the development scene.

Because it hasn’t been around for a very long time, it’s also not as stable as some alternatives that are out there. It’s also missing some more advanced features as well, and compatibility with features is limited. Dart itself is also not incredibly advanced and is a bit behind when compared to Kotlin or Swift.

2. Not Quite Native

While Flutter works pretty well, it’s not exactly the same as native solutions. The libraries and support provided with Flutter are pretty significant, but they don’t quite meet the demands of native development.

Flutter makes an attempt at replacing native design with Android’s Material Design and iOS-specific components with its Cupertino library. However, it doesn’t quite do it well enough and Flutter can’t create native components.

3. Limited Libraries

Flutter also lacks a lot of third-party libraries and packages that can help with the development process. Flutter is new to the game, so not all packages and libraries can be found right now.

Because of this, developers may have to build some libraries themselves. This can make working with Flutter more difficult than expected.

4. An Uncertain Future

While Flutter is a great option for many types of apps, the truth is that its future is still uncertain. The framework and the Dart language it uses are both in their infancy, so it’s not clear to what extent they will be supported as time goes on.

Maintaining the code could prove to be a challenge depending on what the future holds for Flutter and depending on what changes may come. It’s important to be aware of this if you choose to use Flutter, as it may not have the same level of longevity or stability that many alternatives have.

5. Larger App Sizes

Another problem with Flutter is that the finished apps are usually large in size.

While performance and runtime are improved with the help of Flutter, app sizes are bigger than usual and this can be a problem for some users. Those who have limited storage space on their phones may have a difficult time making room for the apps that are created in the framework.

Deciding If Flutter is Right For You

If you’re wondering whether you should give Flutter a try, you’ll want to pay careful attention to the above list. Flutter can be a great tool to use when developing mobile apps, but it’s not without its disadvantages. Be sure that you consider the good and bad and try it out for yourself before you make your final decision.

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