Modern app development is complex because users have seemingly seen it all and are very hard to impress, resulting in developers having to conduct extensive research and look for unique ways to stand out.
At the same time, these days we are seeing an unprecedented number of tools and instruments that make the developers’ life easy by offering automation or simplified ways to do certain tasks. Flutter is one such tool that was introduced not too long ago but has already established a large following.
What is Flutter?
Flutter is a cross-platform app development framework that was created by Google and released in 2017. It is open-source and contains a UI toolkit that helps build native user interfaces across different platforms through a single codebase. Flutter is using Dart programming language which is rather easy to pick up if you have knowledge of other programming languages.
Apps built with Flutter
Flutter enables us to build all types of apps:
- Mobile apps
- Web apps
- Desktop apps
Although Flutter is fairly new, it’s already become a base for many apps that we know and love today, for example, Groupon, eBay Motors, and Grab. As a Google creation, Flutter was naturally used in building iconic Google products, such as Google Ads and Google Assistant. It was also involved in projects of such respectable brands as the New York Times, where Flutter was used to build the KENKEN game.
Is Flutter right for your project?
How can one know if Flutter is the best fit for their app development project? Besides being cross-platform, Flutter offers many more benefits, such as:
- Customisable widgets are the key stars in Flutter app development. A widget is a description of the part of the user interface that developers use to build apps faster.
- The hot reload feature means that you can see changes as you make them in real-time without having to reload the entire system. This makes developers more adventurous and creative because applying little tweaks to the system is not so painful, so they experiment more, and, ultimately, create better apps.
- The Dart coding language is simple and fast when it comes to coding, so the developers’ time is not wasted on non-value-adding parts of the coding process that they would have to deal with if using other programming languages.
- Maintenance is a breeze with updates rolling out to both Android and iOS apps at the same time. Not only does this save time, but there are fewer risks to the update process because one team can work on improvements across all platforms, so there is no inconsistency or mix-up.
Besides that, using Flutter means easier adaptation to different screen resolutions and seamless use of device functionality, such as a camera or GPS. But despite all the great sides of Flutter, it is not perfect, and has its limitations too:
- Flutter is young and represents higher risks for long-term development. When the technology is new, it is hard to see which route it will take. Even though Flutter is associated with Google, which makes it more secure and reputable in the eyes of the market, it is still unclear what the future holds for it.
- Flutter is not native to iOS or Android, so there can be a delay in the support of the latest editions and features.
- It is harder to get the perfect platform look. Flutter is cross-platform which makes the development faster, but if you want to have an app looking as native as possible to every platform you support, there will be a lot more work and expenses involved in the development process.
Final thoughts on building an app with Flutter
Flutter is a great cross-platform framework for app development. It is easy to grasp, flexible, and innovative. It allows fast prototyping and quick MVP creation. The well-formatted documentation makes the framework easy to understand even for someone without vast experience in app development.
Yet choosing the right framework is not the only component of the future app’s success. You also need to research, plan, and execute excellently to make the application a success.
One smart way to avoid errors and delays is to partner with a reliable tech provider who has experience in mobile and web development. Emphasoft, for example, creates apps for businesses of all sizes and niches, and we work with different frameworks, not only Flutter. That’s why we can provide expert consultancy and execute projects regardless of the technology chosen. We’d be happy to discuss your app vision in detail and help you become the next market leader.
Read next:
Emerging Mobile App Development Trends
Low-code and no-code. Differences and use cases
Market research: predicting the product’s success
