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Native apps and Flutter apps are very popular in the market as they offer great functionalities and amazing experiences.
Both these offer amazing user experiences and are also easily scalable.
However, there are a few differences between the apps made with the two technologies (Native and Flutter) in terms of functionalities, development process, maintenance, cost, and performance.
Here, we have given a detailed comparison of Native and Flutter Apps based on various factors.
This will, in turn, help you to make an informed decision whether to invest in a Native app or a Flutter app.
Features That Differentiate Flutter and Native Apps
Thousands of mobile apps are developed daily using the Flutter framework and Native technologies.
While these apps provide excellent performance, they do have some unique advantages and few disadvantages.
You can go through the points listed below to make your judgment about which one of these two is a perfect fit for your unique needs.
Developmental Cycle and Cost
If you want to market your app quickly, then you should invest in developing the Flutter app.
In the Flutter app, you only have to write one codebase, and with this, you can create a mobile app for both Android and iOS platforms.
As a single team can make apps both for Android and iOS, you will find that the overall cost of making mobile apps through Flutter is much cheaper compared to a Native app.
On the other hand, if you choose a Native app, you will need developers for both platforms, thereby raising the overall developmental cost.
User Experience
If you talk about user experience, then Native apps would be ahead because they are designed specifically for either Android or iOS.
This ensures that the Native mobile apps are more compatible with the platforms compared to the apps built with Flutter.
As the Native apps are designed for a single platform, they can optimally use the hardware capabilities of the device and also fully sync with the screen size.
Flutter apps also offer great functionalities and features, but it is not comparable to that of the Native apps as the developer uses only one code base for all platforms.
Performance
When we talk about the performance of the apps, then the Native app is a clear winner compared to an app built with Flutter.
The reason for the superior performance of the Native app is that the content, visual elements, and structure are already existing on the device, which facilitates instant loading and faster performance.
In comparison, when you download the Flutter app, then chances are it may not contain all the navigational elements, and some of the data gets loaded from a server.
If the number of server requests from a large number of users using the same app is very high, then it would negatively impact the performance of the app.
Maintenance
An app created through Flutter is easier to manage because the developer has to take care of only one codebase for both Android and iOS.
This allows the developers to quickly identify the issues, select the right external tools and then integrate third-party sources.
Furthermore, the time taken to launch new updates for the app’s features and specifications for the Flutter app is much lower than that of Native apps.
On the other hand, Native app maintenance is expensive as well as time-consuming as you have to program your mobile app for different platforms.
The Size of the Application
As all users love to save space on their devices, the size of the application matters a lot.
In this segment, the Flutter apps are at a disadvantage. The Flutter app uses the C/C++ engine and Virtual machine of Dart, which makes the apps a bit bulky in size.
You can reduce the size of the Flutter app if you do not use animations and keep the image size to the bare minimum.
However, this will, in turn, affect the user experience adversely, thereby making the app unpopular.
Security
Mobile app security is a big issue, especially if classified data of the user is stored in the app or the user uses the app for any financial transaction.
In this segment, you will find that the security risk of a Flutter app is much higher compared to a Native App.
As the Native app is created for a single platform, it allows the app to better leverage the security features of the app device.
Your native app can be programmed to implement two-factor authentication and access by using the inbuilt security feature of a mobile device like the TouchID.
Conclusion
This article is written with a view of giving you an overview of mobile apps developed using two different technologies.
You can use the information to make an informed decision about whether you want to create a Native app or a Flutter app.
You should select one that will help you to meet your business needs, offers great functionalities and features, is less costly, and is easy to maintain.
You may also like: Quick Guide: Importance of a Mobile App for Your Business
Image source: Pixabay.com
