React Native vs Flutter: that's the question when you want one app built that works on both iPhone and Android. Both are cross-platform technologies. You write the code once and turn it into two apps. The honest answer: both are mature and suit most business apps. The best choice depends mainly on your developer, your existing systems and what the app needs to do.
In this article we explain the differences without technical jargon, so you can understand the choice and ask your app builder the right questions.
What is cross-platform app development?
In the past you built an app twice: once for iPhone and once for Android, each in its own programming language. That's called native development. It gives you the most control, but you also pay twice for building and maintenance.
With cross-platform development you mostly write one codebase. Out of that come two apps that you publish in the App Store and Google Play. For many business apps this saves a lot of time and money, while users often can't tell the difference from a native app. Still unsure whether you need an app from the store at all? Read native app or web app first.
What is React Native?
React Native was created by Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram. Developers write the app in JavaScript or TypeScript, the same languages widely used for websites. React Native uses the real buttons and components of iOS and Android. That makes an app feel familiar on every phone.
- Pro: many web developers already know the language. If you also have a website or web application in React, code and knowledge can often be shared.
- Pro: a large range of existing building blocks for common features.
- Pro: with tools like Expo, small updates can sometimes reach users faster.
- Con: because it relies on each platform's components, an app can look or behave slightly differently on iPhone and Android.
- Con: very heavy animations or complex graphics sometimes take extra work.
What is Flutter?
Flutter was created by Google. Developers write the app in Dart, a language mainly used with Flutter. Flutter draws every screen itself, pixel by pixel. That means your app looks exactly the same on every phone.
- Pro: the design is identical on iPhone and Android. Handy if you want a strong brand look of your own.
- Pro: smooth animations and good performance in graphics-heavy apps.
- Pro: Flutter can also be used for web and desktop from the same code.
- Con: Dart is less well known than JavaScript, so fewer developers already know it.
- Con: because Flutter draws everything itself, you have to make a deliberate effort to make the app feel the way iPhone and Android users expect.
React Native vs Flutter: the differences at a glance
- Language: React Native uses JavaScript or TypeScript, Flutter uses Dart.
- Look: React Native uses the platform's components, Flutter draws everything itself and looks the same everywhere.
- Sharing knowledge with your website: easier with React Native if your website or web application is also built in React.
- Graphics-heavy apps: Flutter often has a slight edge here.
- Developer availability: the pool is bigger for React Native, because it builds on web technology.
- Maturity: both have been used for years by large and small companies and are actively maintained.
In practice, for an ordinary business app such as a customer app, ordering app or employee app, it makes little difference to the end user. The difference lies mainly in building and maintaining it.
How to choose for your business app
Don't choose based on which technology is 'most popular'. Ask these questions instead:
- Which technology does your developer know best? An experienced builder in one usually delivers more than a beginner in the other.
- Do you already have a website or web application? What's it built in, and can code or knowledge be shared?
- How important is an identical design on iPhone and Android?
- Does the app have lots of animations, charts or heavy graphics?
- Who will maintain the app in a few years' time? Will you easily find someone who knows the technology?
- Do you need features deep inside the phone, such as Bluetooth with special devices? Then check that good building blocks exist for them.
An example. A company already has a customer portal built in React and wants an app alongside it. React Native is the obvious choice, because logic and knowledge can be shared. A brand that wants an eye-catching, playful app with lots of movement and its own look is often well served by Flutter. So both routes can be right, depending on where you're starting from.
When should you go native after all?
Cross-platform isn't always the best choice. A native app, built separately for iPhone and Android, is a better fit when:
- The app relies heavily on the phone's newest features, right from the day they're released.
- Performance matters down to the smallest detail, as with games or complex camera features.
- You're only on one platform, for example only iPhones for your staff.
For most apps at small and medium-sized businesses that isn't necessary. Then cross-platform gives a good balance between cost, speed and quality.
How Violexa makes the choice
At Violexa we choose the technology based on your situation, not on a preference. We look at what the app needs to do, which systems you already have and who will maintain it later. We explain that choice to you in plain English. Read more about how we work under websites and apps, and how the process runs in how an app is built.
A custom project starts from €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT). Larger apps get a fixed price in writing up front.
Torn between React Native, Flutter or a web app after all? Book a free quickscan. In 30 minutes, online or on site, we look at your plans. Afterwards you get short written advice with a price indication, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
Is Flutter better than React Native?
No, not in general. Flutter is strong for an identical design and graphics-heavy apps, React Native for sharing knowledge and code with web projects. Your developer's experience and your existing systems usually matter more than the technology itself.
Is React Native or Flutter cheaper for an app?
Both are usually cheaper than two separate native apps, because you mostly build one codebase. The price difference between them is small. Costs depend mainly on the number of features, integrations and the design.
Can users tell whether an app was made with Flutter or React Native?
With a well-built app, usually not. The difference is more in the details, such as whether the controls feel the way users are used to on their phone. That depends more on the design and the builder than on the technology.
Can I switch from Flutter to React Native later?
You can, but it means rebuilding most of the app, because the languages differ. You can reuse the backend and the design. So it's better to choose deliberately up front.
