Flutter vs. React Native – Which is Better for Your Project in 2024?

Which Programming Language is Better: Dart vs JavaScript

The choice between Flutter and React Native often hinges on their programming languages: Dart and JavaScript. Dart, used by Flutter, is a statically typed language with Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation, which offers performance benefits. In contrast, JavaScript, the language behind React Native, is dynamically typed and interpreted, which provides flexibility but can lead to performance differences.
Dart, the language Flutter uses, has its static typing, ahead of time (AOT) compilation, which results in better performance and stability. Dart’s syntax is easy since developers who have worked with Java, C#, or Angular will find it easier to handle Dart.
JavaScript, which React Native is built upon, is a well-established language with a large-scale environment. This makes it more dynamic in the sense that it develops quite quickly and is very flexible, but runtime errors can occur. JavaScript has numerous libraries and frameworks and is thus reliable for building web and mobile applications.
Both frameworks offer unique approaches to building user interfaces: Flutter leverages a widget-based system, while React Native relies on components native to each platform, making it essential to explore how these design systems impact UI/UX development.

UI/UX Compatibilities: Flutter’s Widgets vs React Native’s Components

Who Performs Better: Flutter or React Native? How and Why?

Performance Comparison: Flutter vs. React Native

When comparing the performance of Flutter and React Native, several technical aspects stand out. Each framework has strengths in different areas that influence the overall user experience and development process. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

Compilation

How: Flutter uses Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation, which compiles the code before runtime, making it more optimised and ready for execution. React Native uses Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation, which compiles the code at runtime.
Why: AOT allows Flutter to execute tasks faster because the code is precompiled, whereas JIT in React Native adds a delay during the initial execution phase, impacting performance. However, React Native’s JIT compilation offers more flexibility, allowing faster code changes during development.

Startup Time

How: Flutter’s AOT compilation leads to faster app startup times, whereas React Native’s JIT approach takes longer during the initial app launch.
Why: Flutter is quicker to launch because the code is already compiled, meaning it can be executed immediately when the app starts. React Native’s slower startup is a result of JIT compilation, but newer updates are closing this gap by optimising the startup process.

Runtime Performance

How: Flutter generally exhibits faster runtime performance due to its compiled nature, while React Native's runtime performance has historically been slower but is improving with optimizations.
Why: Flutter’s use of AOT and its direct execution of compiled code provides it with a performance edge. React Native’s reliance on JavaScript introduces an extra layer of processing, but ongoing optimisations, such as improved memory management, are narrowing the performance gap.

UI Rendering

How: Flutter leverages the Skia rendering engine to provide smooth, consistent animations across platforms, while React Native uses native UI components that are platform-specific.
Why: Flutter’s Skia engine renders UI consistently on both iOS and Android, providing uniformity and smooth animations. In contrast, React Native uses native components to give each platform a more authentic look, though this can lead to slight performance variances depending on the platform’s optimisations.

Animation Performance

How: Flutter supports complex animations with minimal frame drops, while React Native may occasionally struggle with animation performance, particularly in more complex scenarios.
Why: Flutter’s reliance on Skia allows it to handle high-performance animations seamlessly, providing a smoother user experience. React Native’s animation performance depends on the underlying platform’s ability to handle JavaScript animations, which can sometimes result in lag or frame drops.

Platform Integration

How: Flutter provides a consistent development experience across platforms by using a single codebase, whereas React Native's performance may vary depending on the optimisations for each platform.
Why: Flutter’s uniform rendering engine ensures that the app performs consistently, regardless of the platform. React Native’s use of platform-specific native components can result in differences in performance, especially if one platform is better optimised than the other.

Code Execution

How: Flutter executes compiled code directly, optimising performance, while React Native runs JavaScript, which introduces some overhead due to the need for interpretation.
Why: Compiled code in Flutter allows it to bypass the need for real-time interpretation, making it more efficient. React Native’s execution of JavaScript introduces a layer of abstraction that can slow down code execution, but it benefits from the flexibility and dynamic nature of the language.

Memory Usage

How: Flutter efficiently manages memory usage, optimising for mobile devices, while React Native’s memory consumption is higher but improving with newer updates.
Why: Flutter’s memory management is built with mobile devices in mind, reducing the strain on resources. React Native’s JavaScript-based architecture consumes more memory, though recent updates have introduced improvements to make it more competitive.

Community Feedback

How: Flutter generally receives positive feedback for its performance, while React Native had some initial concerns that have been addressed in recent updates.
Why: Developers appreciate Flutter’s performance consistency across platforms, whereas React Native’s early performance issues have largely been resolved through regular updates, restoring confidence in its capabilities.

Optimisation Efforts

How: Flutter continues to improve with each release, focusing on performance enhancements, while React Native is constantly refining its architecture and memory management.
Why: Flutter’s AOT compilation and consistent performance across platforms make it a strong performer. React Native’s optimisation efforts are focused on improving its JavaScript engine and reducing the overhead associated with its architecture.

Tooling Support

How: Flutter provides robust tooling, including the hot reload feature, which allows developers to instantly see changes in the app. React Native offers fast refresh, which also supports quick development iterations.
Why: Flutter’s hot reload is a favourite among developers for improving productivity, as it allows immediate feedback without restarting the app. React Native’s fast refresh is also highly beneficial but is slightly behind Flutter in terms of speed and flexibility.

Flutter outperforms React Native in many performance metrics due to its AOT compilation, efficient memory usage, and smooth rendering engine. However, React Native has made significant strides in optimising its architecture and continues to improve its startup time, memory management, and performance, making it a viable option for many projects. The choice between these two frameworks depends on specific project needs, such as platform consistency, animation requirements, or developer familiarity with programming languages.

Ecosystem and Community Comparison of Flutter and React Native

Development Cost Comparison of Flutter and React Native

Comparison of the Advanced Features: Flutter vs React Native

Security Measure Comparisons: Who is More Safe to Use, Flutter or React Native?

Conclusion