Kotlin vs Flutter vs React Native
There are 3 major tools that are being used by Android Developers these days: Native Android (Kotlin), Flutter and React Native.
Trying to decide which one to go for can be quite a brain warming task especially for learners who are new to android app development. Each framework has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of which one to use would depend on the specific requirements of a project and the skills of the development team. Here I’ll be discussing all the frameworks with pros and cons of each one of them.
Kotlin
Introduction to Kotlin:
Kotlin is a general-purpose statically typed programming language developed by Jet brains that first appeared in 2011 and was released in 2016. It can support the object-oriented and procedural programming paradigm. The word statically typed means the type checking, and the type of the variable is known at the compile time. Kotlin language is inspired by other languages like Java, C#, etc. The syntax of the Kotlin language is also quite similar and less strict to Java. The users who already know Java find the Kotlin language very familiar and easy to understand. Also, because of its interoperable nature with Java, both languages can co-exist, making things easier for developers. Although now Android Development using Java has become obsolete, and most Native Android developers now use Kotlin in their projects.
Native Android development using Kotlin is a modern and efficient way to build mobile apps for the Android platform. Kotlin is Google’s most preferred language for developing Android apps since 2019.
Now you can even develop cross-platform apps with the help of Kotlin and KMM (Kotlin Multiplatform-Mobile). Although KMM is still in beta as of now, it will simplify the development of cross-platform projects in Kotlin.
Advantages of Native Kotlin Development:
One of the main benefits of using Kotlin for Android development is its improved safety features. Kotlin is a statically-typed language, which means that it can catch errors at compile-time rather than at runtime. This can significantly reduce the number of bugs and crashes in an app, improving the overall user experience. Additionally, Kotlin’s null safety feature ensures that null values cannot be assigned to variables without explicit notation, reducing the risk of null pointer exceptions.
Another advantage of Kotlin is its compatibility with Java. As Kotlin is fully interoperable with Java, developers can easily integrate existing Java code into their Kotlin projects and vice versa. This means that developers can use the extensive libraries and resources available for Java, such as the Android SDK, without having to rewrite them in Kotlin. This can save a significant amount of time and effort for developers.
Additionally, Kotlin’s co-routine feature allows developers to write asynchronous code in a more straightforward and readable way, reducing the complexity and improving the performance of an app. Apps developed in Kotlin have better performance compared to both Flutter and React Native apps. The reason being that Kotlin apps can directly interact with the device. Moreover, Kotlin code compiles in the same format as the platform, which makes the app more robust. Android components like Bluetooth and Camera are also easy to access using Kotlin as there is no need for any third-party libraries.
Drawbacks of using Kotlin:
One of the main challenges faced by developers is the learning curve associated with the language. Kotlin is a relatively new language and may require some time and effort for developers to fully understand and utilize its features. Additionally, while Kotlin is fully interoperable with Java, it may require some additional configuration and setup to integrate with existing Java projects. This makes it less popular among students and learning professionals.
An additional drawback to app development in Kotlin is the high development costs and large time frame. But Kotlin can be added to any big-scale or cross-platform project. So in conclusion, it is a perfect choice if you need an Android app that makes use of hardware components and provides better performance.
Some of the apps developed using Kotlin are VMware, Coursera, Zomato, Pinterest and Uber.
Flutter
Introduction to Flutter:
Flutter is a user interface toolkit that Google developed in 2017. It is an open-source framework and offers a complete package of widgets, tools, etc., for development purposes. It is used to develop mobile applications, web applications, desktop applications, and some embedded devices as well. It gained widespread popularity among developers due to its fast development cycle, expressive and flexible widgets, and the infamous hot reload feature.
Flutter uses Dart programming language, which was developed by Google in 2011 and is very suitable for mobile and web applications. Flutter contains all the necessary libraries, tools, documentation, etc., to build a software application. It operates with existing code and is freely and openly used by developers and organizations worldwide.
Flutter’s engine is written primarily in C++, which provides low-level rendering support. Additionally, it interfaces with platform-specific SDKs such as those provided by Android and iOS to implement accessibility, file and network I/O, etc.
The basic component in a Flutter program is a “widget”, which can in turn consist of other widgets. A widget describes the logic, interaction, and design of a UI element with an implementation similar to React. Unlike other cross-platform toolkits such as React Native which draw widgets using native platform components, Flutter renders widgets itself on a per-pixel basis. Flutter has two sets of widgets: Material Design and Cupertino widgets that help to provide a glitch-free experience on all platforms.
Advantages of Flutter:
Flutter or Dart as a language is very easy to learn. One of the main benefits of using Flutter for mobile development is its fast development cycle. The hot reload feature allows developers to see the changes they make to the code in real-time, without having to manually rebuild and run the app. This can significantly speed up the development process and improve productivity. Additionally, Flutter’s expressive and flexible widgets make it easy to create custom and visually attractive UI elements, which can be used across multiple platforms. This makes it the best choice for start-ups and small to medium scaled businesses.
Flutter is also the best choice for cross-platform app development. This is possible due to Flutter’s use of Skia, a 2D rendering engine that allows for the creation of high-performance and visually attractive apps. This means that developers can write code once and deploy it on both platforms, saving a significant amount of time and effort.
Flutter has an advantage over Kotlin as it has more active members as we’re growing with advancement. Since its release, Flutter has gained a large following of developers and companies. This means that there are plenty of resources and libraries available to help developers with their projects.
Drawbacks of using Flutter:
The main drawback of developing apps in flutter is that apps tend to be heavier in size. There are also performance issues when compared to native app development. It may require some additional effort to optimize the performance of an app on older or less powerful devices.
For websites (blogs and other text-heavy sites), Flutter web isn’t suitable. It has issues with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) as it doesn’t lay out the site using HTML, meaning that search engines can’t really index it. While Flutter is popular, it has not been around long enough to have a huge resource base. This means that you will have to write a lot of stuff from scratch.
But it is still the best solution where the motive is to save time and money and is perfect for creating minimum viable products (MVPs), working prototypes, and applications. Some of the apps developed using Flutter are Cryptograph, Postmuse, Hamilton, Apptree, Google ads.
React Native
Introduction to React Native:
React Native is a JavaScript framework developed by Facebook (Meta) in 2015 for Native app development. Along with JavaScript, React Native uses React JS, Objective C, C++, and Python. It is one of the most widely used frameworks for building cross-platform mobile apps. React Native allows developers to build mobile apps for both iOS and Android using a single codebase, which can significantly save time and resources.
React Native uses the same principles and syntax as React for web, so developers who are already familiar with React JS can easily transition to building mobile apps. This also makes it easier to maintain code consistency across web and mobile platforms, which can be especially useful for companies that have both web and mobile apps.
Another important aspect of React Native is its flexibility. React Native allows developers to use either JavaScript or TypeScript for writing code, which can be especially beneficial for developers who prefer TypeScript for its improved type checking and error handling capabilities. React Native also allows developers to use third-party libraries and tools to access native features and APIs, which can be especially useful for building complex apps.
Advantages of React Native:
One of the key benefits of React Native is its ability to leverage the existing knowledge of web developers.
Another advantage of React Native is its performance. React Native apps are known for their high performance and smooth animations, thanks to the way the framework interacts with native components. React Native uses a bridge to communicate with the native components on the device, allowing it to access the device’s full range of features and capabilities. This allows React Native apps to feel and perform like native apps, providing a seamless user experience.
As it is older than Flutter, it is more stable and efficient, and provides better performing API’s. It allows you to work from a single codebase and makes it possible to insert code while the app is running.
This makes it more convenient for the developer to have a visual in real-time instead of rebuilding. React native apps also allow third-party plugins, which make it even better. The best part is that development is native but debugging too is uniform across all operating systems.
React Native apps are quite like native apps. Since it is cheaper than native development, it gains positive points here. The involvement of JavaScript makes it a top choice for many developers, as it is also used in Web Development. React leverages JavaScript to connect to native components via a bridge. As a result, the speed of development and running time is slower than Flutter.
Disadvantages of React Native:
React Native is not without its limitations. One of the main challenges faced by developers is the lack of full support for all native features and APIs, which can make it difficult to build certain types of apps. For example, React Native does not currently have built-in support for advanced features such as augmented reality or machine learning. Additionally, React Native’s ability to access native features and APIs relies on the use of native modules, which can be difficult to implement and maintain.
Another limitation of React Native is the potential for increased development time. While React Native can save time and resources in the long run, it can take longer to set up and configure a React Native app compared to building a native app.
Overall, React Native is a great option for companies and developers who want to build high-performance mobile apps with a single codebase while leveraging their web development skills. Some popular examples of apps developed using React Native are Discord, Facebook, Skype, Netflix.
Conclusion
So in conclusion, each of these frameworks or tech stacks for mobile app development have their benefits and shortcomings, and choosing one depends totally on one’s use case or type of the project.
Personally for students who are new to Android Development, I would recommend Flutter as it is easy to learn, has a fast development cycle so one can get a project ready within days. Also, there are many internship opportunities for novice developers in Flutter and its popularity seems to keep on increasing day by day.
