Ever since Apple Store and Play Store were introduced, the way people work, travel, meet, do business, and more keep changing quickly. The phenomena have made mobile app development insufficient for brands targeting broader audiences. That’s why cross-platform app development has existed.
Cross-platform SDKs allow you to write once and deploy to multiple platforms with relatively little duplication of effort. The same application code will run on iOS, Android, Windows, and other platforms with relatively minor modifications. This saves time and money and makes it easier to provide a high-quality service to customers.
Google’s Flutter has grown by leaps and bounds among all cross-platform app development technologies. Flutter is used eminently because of its true cross-platform nature coated with a native look. Moreover, you can produce apps for up to six operating systems by using Flutter for app development.
We will explore why you should use Flutter for app development in more detail. But first, let’s check out what companies have hopped on the Flutter cross-platform app development trend.
What is Flutter?
Flutter is an open-source UI toolkit, brought to you by Google that includes
A rich library of reusable code that allows developers to develop mobile, web, and desktop apps at lightning speed,
A framework that provides a structure, making it easier to create a robust foundation of your app to build desired functionalities.
An SDK that boasts a wide collection of tools, including packages, documentation, APIs, widgets, and everything that you need to create a native-like cross-platform application.
Basically, Flutter empowers you to craft stunning applications for mobile, web, and desktop – all from the comfort of a single codebase. No more juggling platform-specific languages and frameworks – Flutter leverages Dart, the sleek and adaptable programming language designed to optimize performance across any device.
The duo translates to a unified workflow brimming with flexibility and expressiveness. It’s like weaving together captivating UIs that seamlessly adapt to different platforms, retaining their visual coherence and eliminating the need for redundant codebases. With Flutter, you can achieve high-performance, platform-agnostic applications that feel like natural extensions of each other, delighting users on every front.
Why Flutter is the most popular cross-platform mobile SDK
From startups to enterprises, leverage a cross-platform approach for their native development. And many cross-platform app development frameworks and SDKs are available, such as Xamarin, React Native, Ionic, etc. Then, why use Flutter for enterprise app development? There are a few areas where Flutter outshines its competitors and has become the primary choice for cross-platform development. For example,
- Flutter is budget-friendly
Flutter offers staggering code reusability. It allows you to write code once and use it to create apps for mobile devices, web, and desktop, together with extensive support for IDEs. Consequently, you won’t have to code the same features separately for different platforms or maintain multiple codebases. And that’s how Flutter saves you tons of time and money. We have a dedicated post on how much Flutter app development costs, just in case.
- Native-like Look and feel
Besides SDK, Flutter is also a UI framework, and everything in it is a widget that you can customize as per your requirements. Moreover, it offers special widgets for Material UI for Android apps and Cupertino for iOS-specific apps. Using such widgets, you can create a user interface that looks similar to native Android and iOS apps. This is one of the top reasons to why use Flutter for your business app.
- Default High-Performance
Flutter apps are usually performant and highly optimized for speed, surpassing existing cross-platform application development platforms, such as React Native or Apache Cordova. By default, Flutter aims to provide 60 frames per second performance, or 120 fps performance, on devices capable of 120Hz updates. And all thanks to Flutter’s unique rendering mechanism.
Unlike transitional frameworks that compose native widgets on the screen, Flutter renders UI components using a high-performance graphics engine, Skia. Skia is a two-dimensional, highly optimized graphics engine that gives Flutter an advantage over other cross-platform SDKs with default performance. Now you have another reason to why use Flutter.
- Flutter Migration
Flutter is a highly flexible cross-platform app development framework, and its add-to-app functionality is the biggest proof. Google’s brainchild offers unique functionality to integrate Flutter into your existing app piecemeal. In other words, if you want to use Flutter in your existing app, you don’t have to rewrite your app in Flutter altogether.
It is very quick to get your app running on Flutter without affecting the performance. If you want to convert your existing iOS or Android app to Flutter, here is the key.
Advantages of Choosing Flutter Cross-platform App Development
Flutter is built differently to develop modern-age applications that need to run across multiple platforms. Google has solved one of the biggest problems of businesses by producing such a magnificent cross-platform app development framework. Consequently, enterprises and even startups can enter the digital terrain of their industry saving, significant time and cost.
So, let us explore the primary benefits Flutter offers that businesses must not overlook.
Reduced Development Costs
Companies that use Flutter to build their app write only one codebase and can use the same to create apps for multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, web, and desktop. Since there’s no need to code for other platforms separately, businesses save costs of hiring developers for each platform, tools, and more.
Faster Time to Market
Not having to write different codebases for different platforms also accelerates the time to market the business app. On top of that, Flutter’s “Hot Reload” complements the development speed, allowing developers to see the results of code changes in real-time.
Consistent UI Across Platforms
Flutter’s power goes beyond developing multiple apps from a single codebase. It’s also a UI framework that assures a consistent user interface and experience on all platforms, regardless of the device.
Natively Compiled
Thanks to Dart, Flutter apps are compiled into native code. So, achieving superior performance becomes similar to native development, including smooth animations and transitions.
Customizable and Flexible UI
There is a widget for everything in Flutter. Besides, every widget is customizable. So, you can create apps that are visually appealing and as unique as your brand is, giving a personalized touch. Thus, standing out in the market is also easy with Flutter.
Ease of Maintenance
In addition to a broader reach, using the same codebase for all apps simplifies updating the app and accelerates fixing bugs. As a result, businesses can be free from the worries of maintaining performance and user experience on different platforms.
Access to Native Features
Being a cross-platform framework doesn’t stop Flutter from harnessing the native features. Google has ensured that startups or enterprises don’t have to compromise on leveraging device-specific functions that are crucial in offering personalized user experience.
Strong Community Support
Flutter has one of the fastest-growing and most supportive communities and ecosystems. Flutter community actively contributes to a wealth of resources, libraries, and tools, empowering you to overcome development challenges without wasting time and resources.
Scalability Power
Flutter’s architecture inherently supports large-scale applications. From startups to enterprises, Flutter excels at creating scalable apps for major industries, including Banking, Fintechs, Retail, Healthcare, etc.
Flutter is Future-Proof
Flutter emerges as a reliable solution for building mobile, web, and desktop applications in the current market condition. The Flutter team works rigorously on the framework, introducing advanced functionalities and making it one of the most used worldwide. So, businesses using it will never regret it and will be the first to benefit from Flutter’s latest features.
Top Apps Built with Flutter
Flutter has become the fastest-growing open-source SDK and UI framework for cross-platform app development. Hiring Flutter developers is the first choice of leading companies because of its reliability and versatility, which helps in boosting app performance. Because Flutter is designed from the ground up to build high-performance, high-quality native apps.
Google products (Stadia, Google ads, Google assistance)
Google is not only the creator of Flutter but also an early adopter that uses it for most of its products. And Google Ads is one of the Google products, giving a reason why to use Flutter. It’s an online advertising platform that allows the creation of ad campaigns based on tangible data, targeting mobile applications, websites, and any online platform. You can track your ads in real time and also contact fellow Google experts.
Reflectly app
Reflectly app was built in React Native for iOS initially. However, they started facing problems when they wanted to launch an Android app. The team turned to Flutter to grow faster and decided to rewrite the code. Thankfully, their app was ready to launch on Android and iOS in just two months. Since then, Reflectly has appeared as an inspiring example of Flutter.
Alibaba Group
The greatest retail platform, Alibaba Group also uses Flutter for Xianyu, a secondhand goods app, Taobao Special Edition, Hema Fresh (Freshippo), Youku, and Fliggy. They believe Flutter’s technical features, such as cross-platform capabilities, highly expressive UIs, and efficient delivery, attract developers.
eBay Motors
eBay Motors application allows users to buy and sell vehicles without hassle. Users can browse the offers in just a few taps, post advertisements about new cars, and bid for the car they like. To launch their app on both Android and iOS in 2019, the team opted for Flutter. Now their apps share 98.3% of the code.
Hamilton Musical app
Hamilton Broadway Musical’s owners wanted to develop a musical app for Android and iOS. And so they opted for Flutter as they perceive it to be agile, faster, and more fun to work with. Consequently, Flutter helped them provide a delightful user experience.
Philips Hue
Philips has used Flutter since 2018 and also built Philips Hue– a smart-home lighting mobile app with Flutter. The app allows users to organize, control and customize Philips Hue smart lights and accessories. Flutter helped them achieve the complex functionality and made it user-friendly and accessible for everyone.
The New York Times
When Flutter extended programmers’ ability to use the code for desktop and web apps in 2019, the New York Times took advantage and created the KENKEN puzzle game app. As a result, it produced a beautiful, native experience for web and mobile apps from a single codebase. It was one of the apps built using Flutter for the web.
Hire in-house developers or hire remote developers?
There are many reasons to choose Flutter over other cross-platform SDKs. However, one factor that also needs your attention is Flutter app developers. To your surprise, you don’t have to rely on freelance developers or hire a Flutter app development company. You also don’t need to hire in-house Flutter developers and bear their maintenance more than your project costs.
You must be wondering, then, how to develop a Flutter app if you are not a programmer, right? So, you have the most cost-effective and efficient solution, i.e., outsourcing Flutter development. Yes, you can hire developers from a leading Flutter development company like us and get your project developed in a stipulated time.
Benefits? You can hire our one, two, or a team of Flutter developers as per your project requirements. There are multiple flexible hiring models you can choose to onboard our developers. Not to mention, you get experienced Flutter developers at no additional cost.
Our Experience as a Pioneer Flutter App Development Company
Kody Technolab Ltd is one of the leading Flutter app development companies in India, providing a range of services. We are one of the early adopters of Google’s open-source, cross-platform SDK, Flutter. With extensive experience in native app development, it didn’t take us long to grasp Flutter.
Today, after helping reputed companies and various industries across the globe leverage cross-platform development, Flutter has become second nature for our developers. One of our most admired services is Flutter developers for hire. This service allows our clients to hire expert developers according to their project needs.
Moreover, our flexible engagement models empower you to scale up or down your team easily. Or you can extend your existing development team by hiring as many Flutter developers as you need. Some reasons why our client retention rate is higher include:
- Customized Approach: We tailor solutions to match your project’s unique requirements perfectly.
- Transparent Communication: Regular updates and open channels ensure you’re always in the loop.
- Cutting-edge Technology: Our team stays ahead with the latest Flutter features and updates.
- Cost-Effective Solutions: High-quality development services at competitive pricing.
- Timely Delivery: We honor deadlines, ensuring your project is delivered on schedule.
So, what are you waiting for?
As a business at the forefront of your industry, looking for ways to innovate and stay competitive, Flutter offers a compelling solution. Its ability to deliver apps across multiple platforms efficiently and cost-effectively aligns with the needs of businesses aiming for growth and excellence.
With Kody Technolab’s expertise in Flutter, you can rest assured about the success of your development. Be it an Android, iOS, or web app, our team will help you build similar experiences to native apps.