In this era of technological advancements, mobile apps have gained massive popularity in the last few years. In this context, the demand for cross-platform app development also increases as this is considered the best approach for mobile app development.
Now there are many frameworks available in the industry that can be used for this purpose. Among all the tools, Flutter has got more limelight as the demand for this is continuously growing with time in the app development market. According to the 2021 developers survey, Flutter is considered the most popular cross-platform framework used by developers globally.
In this blog, we will explain to you a completed detailed guide on how Flutter is beneficial for cross-platform app development.
What is Flutter?
Flutter is an open-source UI software development kit (SDK) that is launched by Google. It uses “Dart” as its principal programming language to develop mobile apps for Android and iOS devices.
Furthermore, It is a powerful and reliable cross-platform framework that is used to create powerful applications by using the same codebase. According to a report, 42% of developers preferred to use Flutter for cross-platform app development
Now it is already said that Flutter is a cross-platform Framework but what exactly is cross-platform mobile development? Now let’s understand this term a bit more.
What is Cross-Platform Mobile Development?
Cross-platform mobile development is an approach to building software applications that are compatible with different operating systems. In a Nutshell, it allows creating and deploying mobile apps that will work on both Android and iOS without having to recode them for an individual platform.
Now Flutter is one of the most popular frameworks that is used for cross-platform app development. Although, along with Flutter there are also many frameworks available that can be used such as React Native, Xamarin, Ionic, etc.
Features of Flutter For App Development
1. Use of a Single Codebase
One of the most prominent features of Flutter is that it uses the same codebase to target different platforms which makes it very easier for developers to create applications for web, iOS, desktop, and Android devices.
Also, it reduces the development cost and time and ultimately you will be able to launch your app faster.
2. Customizable Widgets
You can use Flutter’s custom widgets feature if you want to give your app a custom look and feel. These widgets can be created in a custom dart file with all the codes and defined parameters that you specifically need.
Furthermore, there are two different types of Flutter widget sets that you can use to create unique UI/UX designs for your users:
- Material Design
- Cupertino
3. Comprehensive Documentation
Flutter has a wide range of sources and comprehensive documentation that are helpful for developers in many ways. In fact, you can go through the documentation if you are new to Flutter app development and want to know more about its advantages.
Furthermore, On their official website they have full getting started extensive guides for Android, iOS, React Native, and the web.
4. Ideal For MVP ( Minimum Viable Product)
MVP or Minumum Viable Product is a technique that is used to introduce a new product in the market with some basic features. Flutter app development services are a perfect solution for those businesses who want a perfect MVP architecture. Moreover, if you are a startup owner and looking for a budget-friendly framework, then you can opt for Flutter to make a successful mobile app for your brand.
Additionally, it works perfectly with firebase which means there is no need to opt for a separate backend service.
5. Extensive Backend Services
There are many backend services that work perfectly with Flutter but among them, the most commonly used backend service is firebase. It is backed by Google that’s why it offers a broad range of features and components that are helpful for a variety of services including mobile app development and web app development.
Furthermore, it is a No SQL database platform program that follows the JSON protocol and provides various tools for tracking Analytics, marketing, product experiment, reporting app crashes, and fixing them.
6. “Hot-Reloading” Feature
Flutter has a hot reload feature that allows you to quickly add features and fix bugs in the app. This feature works by injecting the updated source code file into the running data virtual machine. After this, Whatever changes you have made will reflect in the app and its current state will keep reserved.
This feature has helped developers in many ways as they can experiment with the code and fix bugs on the go. For instance, If you are working on a new feature and want to see how it will look on the actual app, then you can immediately spot the new results in the simulator.
As a whole, this feature helps you to save time as you dont have to restart the app again and again to see the changes.
7. International Market Access
If you are looking to reach a global audience or your app will be used in different countries then Flutter can be the ideal choice if you want to deploy your app in the international market because it provides support for more than 20 languages.
This is one of the biggest reasons why Flutter is the Future of cross-platform app development in the worldwide market.
Cons of Flutter App Development
● Large File Size
The large file size of the app is one of the biggest disadvantages of Flutter. In some cases, these file sizes become a very big concern for the developers and they have to switch the programming language for the further development process.
● Dart Programming Language
As already mentioned above Flutter uses “Dart” as its programming language which is a new language in the industry. So it becomes a bit difficult for beginner developers to code in this programming language.
● Limited Plugins
Compared to other cross-platform frameworks, Flutter still has a limited number of plugins and packages. However, Flutter’s community is still working to create more packages to make the development process more efficient and streamlined.
Some Popular Apps Build With Flutter
Now, Let’s have a look at some of the popular apps made by this framework:
- Google Ads
- Refectly
- Square
- eBay, and many more.
Wrapping Up
As a whole, there are both advantages and disadvantages to using Flutter. But definitely, its merits far exceed its demerits when it comes to Flutter app development services.
That’s why when it comes to cross-platform development Flutter is one of the most popular choices.
