Flutter vs React Native: Understanding the Difference

Flutter is extremely convenient for developer as it offers them with the capability to perform multiple tasks at a time. On the other hand, React Native ensures that the app becomes truly native. In terms of being faster between the two, Flutter takes the crown.

In this article on Flutter vs React Native, we will discuss React Native and Flutter individually as well as the difference between the two in detail.

Table of Contents

• Flutter vs React Native
• What is Flutter?
• Features of Flutter
• Advantages of using Flutter
• What is React Native?
• Features of React Native
• Advantages of using React Native

Flutter vs React Native: Differences

Following are the differences between Flutter and React Native. 

What is Flutter?

Flutter is an open-source technology that is used for developing cross-platform applications for iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows and web from a single codebase. The Flutter application is written in Dart language.  The app comes with many upgrades for developers as well as users. 

For developers, this Google’s open source technology reduces the need for multiple resources to create an application. A single developer can perform multiple tasks in less time through Flutter. It is a complete Software development kit containing libraries, APIs, documentation, and everything else that developers require.  

It has three architectural layers that are as follows:

1. Embedder uses platform-specific language to run applications on any operating system.
2. An engine that is written in either C or C++ to provide a low-level implementation of core APIs of Flutter.
3. Dart-based framework that offers a rich set of libraries.

Features of Flutter

1. Ready-made widgets: Flutter offers a range of ready-made widgets that are customizable in nature. These are built using a modern framework that allows developers to build UI out of widgets.  
2. Automated testing toolset: It offers automated testing toolsets from a unit test, widget test to integration test. This feature helps in ensuring that the tested app is not error-prone at the time of publishing. 
3. Hot reload: This feature allows developers to instantly view changes reflected in the UI. Developers can correct errors quickly due to this feature which saves them effort and time. This speeds up the process to work on outlook of an application.  
4. Accessible Native Features: Flutter’s native codes, platform APIs, and third-party integrations make the app development process easier. You can easily access the native features on both iOS and Android platforms. 

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Advantages of Using Flutter

Following are the advantages of using Flutter:

1. Allows sharing of both UI and UI code. 
2. Enables flutter developers to view applied changes instantly without losing the current application state. 
3. Saves time consumed in app development with its features such as hot reload and a wide range of widgets. 
4. Requires fewer resources since mobile developers do not have to write platform-specific code. 
5. Can implement any 2D-based UI in Flutter without interaction with native application counterpart. 

What is React Native?

It is a JavaScript framework that is used for writing real and natively rendering mobile apps for Android as well as iOS. The framework targets mobile applications that are truly native. The React Native applications are written using JSX, a combination of JavaScript and XML-Esque markup. You can use this framework in new as well as existing Android and iOS projects. 

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Although React Native styling has a syntax similar to CSS, it does not use either CSS or HTML. Instead, it uses messages from the JavaScript thread for manipulating native views. The framework does not rely on web views but on real materials provided by native platforms. React native developers can utilize native-written codes that allow them with API access to OS-specific features within the application.

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React Native works on the following three threads:

1. Shadow Thread: This background thread uses the React library for calculating the layout of an application.
2. UI Thread: This is the main application thread that can access the UI of an application.
3. JavaScript Thread: This is an execution thread containing the React (JavaScript) code.

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Features of React Native

The following features facilitate the use of React Native:

1. Hot reload: Just like Flutter, React native also offers hot reloading that allows developers to view changes in the live preview. 
2. Hermes: This high-performance default JavaScript engine boosts performance to React Native apps.
3. Auto linking: This allows the incorporation of native codes via JavaScript modules using package managers. 
4. Codegen: React Native can automatically generate native code bindings that are based on specs written in JavaScript. 
5. Full CMake Support: The new release of React Native offers full CMake support for Android builds. 

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Advantages of Using React Native

Following are the advantages of using React Native:

6. Code reusability: It allows utilization of the same code base for different platforms. This ensures faster development and cheaper maintenance. 
7. Native look: The components of React Native map 1:1 with native development components. They combine building blocks from native user interface with its JavaScript to provide a truly native appearance to the app. 
8. Third-party plugins: The framework allows use of third-party plugins which enhance the functionality of an app by eliminating need for specific web view functions.  

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Conclusion 

We have discussed the differences between React Native and Flutter in this article. Both do same certain similarities. Both are free and open source. They both offer hot reload to developers. Both have excellent native performance. However, while choosing between the two, you will have to consider your requirements to find the best fit.

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