A Complete Flutter App Development Guide: The What, Why, and When

Mobile apps have become so integral to us that it’s hard to imagine our lives without these apps. Shopping, entertainment, healthcare, chatting, you name it and there is an app for it. While users get the convenience of doing almost anything from their mobiles using these apps, businesses get the opportunity to offer their services and products more effectively.     

However, when it comes to creating a mobile app, there is always a dilemma for businesses which is whether they should build native apps or cross-platform apps. Certainly, building cross-platform apps is more beneficial and cost-effective because they can function on both Android and iOS devices. Therefore, investing in a cross-platform app is a wise decision. 

Flutter framework has become a primary choice for many businesses wanting to build a cross-platform mobile application. If you want to know what is Flutter and how it is useful for developing your own mobile app, stay tuned to this Flutter app development guide for all details. 

Let’s Know a Bit About the Flutter Framework

Starting with understanding what Flutter is and why it came into being. Basically, Flutter is a feature-packed UI toolkit, which is not a framework or library that is used with other technologies, but a complete SDK (Software Development Kit). Google has created the Flutter UI framework and it’s open-source. 

An SDK is a complete package of libraries, frameworks, APIs, tools, and other components required to develop a software or application. Thus, Flutter has all the features and tools to build robust mobile apps. It can be referred to as a framework that not only provides the necessary functionalities but also a structure to build an app from scratch.   

Flutter has solved many problems for app developers faced when developing apps for multiple platforms. Thanks to the Flutter framework developers can now build apps that are supported on every platform such as Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, and macOS. A single codebase is sufficient to make a cross-platform app. 

Hence, businesses can leverage Flutter app development services to create mobile apps that are supported on both Android and iOS mobiles. While you require multiple versions of your code each for different platforms with native apps, with Flutter a single codebase will function on all platforms. 

Now you know what is Fluttter, you might be thinking what does it benefit? It is good to look at Flutter’s pros and cons before making a decision. There are many benefits of Flutter for app development and let’s see some of them here. 

What are the Benefits of Flutter Framework?

1. Rich Libraries

One of the pros of Flutter development is the availability of many feature-rich libraries. Skia is one of the excellent libraries in Flutter which is a graphics library for creating some amazing visuals. It’s a 2D graphics library that offers APIs to work with different hardware and software platforms. 

Skia redraws the UI whenever there is a change in a view. Consequently, this offers a smooth user experience and makes the UI more responsive. The library is also a graphics engine for Chrome browser and ChromeOS. 

2. Engaging UIs

Flutter app development provides ready-made widgets and other UI elements that can be directly used. Unlike other UI approaches like views, layouts, and controllers, the widget-based UI with Flutter provides an easy development process. In Flutter everything is a widget be it a button, font, or anything else. Developers can use various widgets to build complex UIs. All you need is to hire Flutter app developers to develop engaging and complex UIs. 

3. Speedy Development

Speed counts when it comes to app development and the Flutter framework nails it. Flutter offers a “hot reload” mechanism that shows the immediate effect of changes in code on the app. This feature provides many advantages, especially when it comes to developing and testing the app. Hot reload is quite beneficial in quickly and easily fixing bugs, adding features, building UIs, and experimenting. 

In order to work with hot reload, developers need to inject the files with updated code into running Dart Virtual Machine. Flutter automatically recreates the widget when the classes and functions are updated. In simple words, it is useful for faster development and testing. 

4. Cross-platform Development

Flutter is meant for cross-platform application development. So, choosing the framework allows you to make one app that functions on all types of mobile devices. So, there is no need to create separate apps for Android and iOS devices. Flutter development will make your app compatible with both Android and iOS devices. So, you can choose either Android app development services or build a cross-platform app. 

5. Compatible with Older Devices 

It is really a challenge for developers to quickly keep up with the updated versions of platforms, especially when they are pushed out to users regularly. However, Flutter application development reduces this risk by making an app compatible even with older devices. An app feels the same even if it runs on an older device. 

Are There Any Downsides with Flutter App Development?

After going through the different benefits of Flutter app development, you may wonder if there are any drawbacks to using Flutter. Don’t worry! This section is dedicated to dispelling your suspicion and highlights some of the cons of Flutter. Let’s check them out. 

1. Hefty File Size

The typical file size of a Flutter app is comparatively large because of the widgets it uses. These files take up more space and are difficult to update. A mobile app development partner can help to optimize the app and keep the size in check. 

2. Complex Updates 

Flutter module updates are required to update the requirements with a particular OS. Since modules are intertwined with an app, this needs to be recompiled or rebuilt to incorporate changes. 

3. Limited Tools

As a newer framework, Flutter is packed with limited tools and libraries that will keep growing over time. 

You can overcome many of these challenges with the right development team. Choose a mobile app development company with the right skills and experience. 

How Do Businesses Benefit From Flutter Mobile App Development?

Businesses looking for a framework to develop their mobile application can choose Flutter development for many reasons. The following are the top reasons for choosing Flutter to build mobile apps. 

1. Versatile Framework

For the comprehensiveness of the Flutter UI framework, you can use it for multiple solutions. Therefore, it is not just suitable to create cross-platform applications but also for developing an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). There are lots of features that make Flutter a good choice for developing MVPs. 

Besides MVP and mobile apps, Flutter is used to develop applications for web and desktops. Benefits such as scalability, cost-efficiency, improved performance, and compatibility with multiple platforms make Flutter a go-to choice for web application development. There are many features to develop a Flutter web application. 

Hence, businesses can deploy Flutter to build a single app that targets all platforms be it mobile, desktop, or the web. So, it’s no surprise that you can even think of Flutter Windows app development. 

2. Cost Efficient

The cost of developing native apps is quite higher because of the different codebases for various mobile platforms, Android and iOS. Luckily, Flutter mobile app development eliminates the need to create separate codes for different platforms. Therefore, the cost of developing mobile apps is comparatively lower with the Flutter framework. 

Another way Flutter saves costs is by not forcing to use other technologies for app development. Indeed, many other frameworks or libraries require other technologies to use them in development. But as an SDK, there is no need for additional technologies with this framework to create apps. In addition, the apps built with Flutter are readily functional on multiple platforms. 

3. Fast Time to Market

The advantage of using Flutter for app development is also in terms of faster delivery of the app. In comparison, Flutter will take half the time than what it would take to build the native Android and iOS applications separately. There is a simple reason for this, your app doesn’t need any platform-specific coding, and a single codebase is created for all platforms. 

Therefore, Flutter app development allows you to quickly develop and launch your mobile. In today’s neck-and-neck competition developing and launching a product faster can provide you an edge over competitors. Flutter is the right toolkit to make this happen. 

4. Full Support from Google

You can rest assured of technology as long as it is provided by a credible developer. In the case of Flutter, you can be confident, because it is backed by one of the top tech giants Google. So, you can be sure that your app will not break due to outdated software. Due to Google’s support, Flutter is constantly updated, new versions are rolled out, and bugs are fixed. 

When is Flutter a Good Choice for App Development?

So, what types of apps is Flutter suited for? When should you use it for developing apps? These are some of the questions that this sector will answer. Flutter mobile app development is suitable for a wide range of applications no matter which platform you plan to target. Let’s see the types of apps where Flutter is best suited. 

• On-Demand Sevices Apps
• Health and Fitness Apps
• Education and eLearning Apps
• Social Media and Networking Apps
• Productivity and Business Apps
• Multimedia Apps
• Entertainment Apps
• Banking and Fintech Apps

Examples of Apps Built with Flutter

• Google Ads
• Alibaba Group
• BMW
• Google Pay
• ByteDance
• eBay

Why Choose Flutter and No Other Framework?

There are lots of app development frameworks out there to choose from, then why should you choose Flutter only? There are many reasons why Flutter app development is a better choice than other frameworks available out there. Let’s check these reasons with a quick comparison of Flutter with other top frameworks. 

1. Flutter vs React Native

One of the biggest competitors of Flutter is React Native which is a pretty amazing UI toolkit for developing cross-platform apps. It’s based on JavaScript and builds apps for almost all platforms out there. 

Nevertheless, Flutter outperforms this framework in many aspects. Flutter provides you with natively-compiled apps for mobiles, desktops, and the web. That means the source code is converted to the machine. So, these apps can work at a low level. 

With Flutter’s Dart programming language, Flutter offers Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation which means the code is compiled at the time of execution. It also works on a reactive programming model. 

More on Which one to Choose Flutter or React Native?

2. Flutter vs Ionic 

Ionic is also a very good app development framework used for creating hybrid apps. It uses basic web technologies like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS to build apps. This framework provides features to develop excellent apps but lacks compared to Flutter in many ways. 

Apps built with Flutter are way more fast than Ionic because Dart code is compiled into native code. Since Ionic uses web technologies, the apps built with it fail to offer native-like performance. 

As a relatively new framework, Flutter offers modern features and development practices compared to Ionic. Flutter apps offer a native-like look and feel compared to apps built on Ionic. 

3. Flutter vs Xamarin

Xamarin is created by Microsoft and it is also a popular mobile app development framework. It uses the .Net platform for developing apps. While it is a feature-packed framework to build mobile apps, it is not as good as Flutter. 

Xamarin uses two separate codebases for developing apps for Android and iOS. On the other hand, Flutter builds a single codebase that can function on every device whether iOS or Android. Flutter has a shorter learning curve while Xamarin has a steeper learning curve. 

Due to its unique widget approach, Flutter app development yields faster apps than Xamarin. The Flutter community is growing and there are tons of resources for this framework where Xamarin lags behind.  

4. Flutter vs Titanium

Appcelerator Titanium is one of the popular app development frameworks. It helps to build cross-platform apps with custom features. Just like React Native, it uses JavaScript for developing apps for Android and iOS devices. It offers many excellent features, but there are areas where it falls behind the Flutter framework. 

With its built-in rendering engine, Flutter offers smooth transitions and animations than Titanium. It also offers better performance with many in-built features. The hot reload feature of Flutter empowers developers to see the effects of their changes in code in real-time. Thus testing and development are faster with Flutter than with Titanium. 

Flutter offers more customization of UI with various widget options. It allows developers to build complex UIs with different combinations of widgets. 

How Much Does Flutter App Development Cost?

There are lots of things on which the cost of developing a Flutter app relies. So, it is not easy to answer this question until you specify your requirements. The cost can vary based on the type of app, complexity, features, third-party integration, and more. 

Typically the cost of Flutter app development can be between $20,000 – $250,000 which can rise further with the requirements and complexity. 

Should You Choose Flutter for App Development?

Flutter is undoubtedly a great framework for app development, but it may not always be the best choice. But is Flutter good for app development? It’s a question that needs to be answered to pick the best technology for developing your mobile app. Going through the pros and cons, business benefits, and comparisons with other frameworks can help you make an informed decision. 

Flutter is one of the best mobile app development frameworks today used by various businesses to create their apps. The statics by Statista is a testimony to this fact that shows it is used by 49% of developers and a very popular framework. Flutter outperforms most frameworks in terms of performance, UI customization, and development speed. 

It has amazing features like “Hot Reload” which no other framework offers. You need the right Flutter app development company like MobileCoderz that has solid experience in Flutter development. Our developers are proficient in this framework with all the ins and outs of it. We are one of the leading mobile app development companies with years of experience. 

FAQs

What is Flutter Mobile App Development?

Flutter is a popular cross-platform app development SDK which is open-source. It is used to build different types of apps with speed and quality. 

How much it costs to develop a Flutter App?

Flutter development cost varies with the complexity of your project, requirements, third-party integrations, features, and more. 

Is Flutter suitable to build startup apps?

Yes. Flutter is a versatile framework and can be used to build apps for various businesses. Startups can leverage it to develop engaging apps and save money with a cross-platform app. 

Is Flutter a UI library?

Flutter is a collection of libraries and other development tools. It is a complete UI SDK (Software Development Kit) that offers everything to build excellent apps.