(When) is Flutter Going to Replace React Native?
Recently I encountered this question and it intrigued me to write a few words on it. We tend to think Flutter and React Native as the most prominent cross-platform native frameworks out there, but both of them are just part of something bigger.
So, this question is tough to answer because it’s not simply a matter of Flutter vs React Native. They may have technical advantages and disadvantages, but when it comes to mobile app development, it’s always about the future.
There are two unpredictable major points that affect the answer of this question directly:
1. If and when Fuschia will replace Android:
Flutter is the primary SDK for Fuschia and even though many details are still vague, it is being built to overcome the current weaknesses regarding Android (especially with regards to the updates and device compatibility), so we can expect that it will replace Android at some point.
In such a case, all other cross-platform frameworks will have to find ways to support Fuschia while Flutter apps will work fine right away.
Consider this point: What if it is too costly to port React Native to Fuschia. Will Facebook drop it, ignore it or just leave it to the community?
2. The future of React:
React is very popular at the moment and even though there is no way that it will disappear overnight, there is an increasing concern about its learning curve and just how it surpassed Angular, there may be a time when it will be surpassed by a better framework.
Bonus concern: The demise of Parse:
You may remember Parse as a highly promising and popular mobile backend as a service. Facebook acquired Parse and simply killed it in 2–3 years.
There is no telling if the same will happen to React Native one day since it’s not Facebook’s core business and cross-platform frameworks are hard to maintain without such a sponsor.
So the answer is:
Depending on how these points progress, Flutter may surpass React Native at one point. (But it is a fact that Flutter community is flourishing fast.)
