Flutter vs React Native: Which Tech to Choose for Developing Your App?

Imagine spending months and thousands of dollars building your app, only to realize the technology behind it is slowing you down.

That’s the risk many businesses face when choosing the wrong development framework.

If you're here, you're probably torn between Flutter and React Native, two of the most talked-about cross-platform frameworks for app development. And it's no surprise. Both let you build apps for iOS and Android using a single codebase, and both power apps used by millions daily

But which one is right for your app idea in 2025, and coming years?

This blog breaks down Flutter vs React Native for business owners, startup founders, product managers, and anyone who wants to build an app but isn’t sure whether Flutter or React Native is the better choice.

Let’s walk through the differences, similarities, pros and cons, covering performance, development experience, community support, and everything else you need to make the right decision for your project.

What is Flutter?

Flutter is a cross-platform app development framework created by Google. It allows developers to build apps for Android, iOS, web, desktop, and even embedded systems, all using a single codebase.

It uses the Dart programming language and comes with its own rendering engine, giving full control over the app’s design and behavior. This makes Flutter an excellent choice for apps that demand highly customized UI, smooth animations, and performance consistency across platforms.

Flutter is known for:

• “Write once, run anywhere” approach
• Hot reload for quick iterations
• Rich widget library for UI customization
• Great performance with native ARM compilation

What is React Native?

React Native is an open-source mobile development framework built by Meta (formerly Facebook). It allows you to build mobile apps using JavaScript and React, making it highly approachable for web developers.

React Native bridges the gap between web and mobile by letting you write most of your app in JavaScript while still accessing native components under the hood. This means you can create fast, responsive apps with a native look and feel, using the tools and language many teams already know.

It’s especially popular among startups and tech companies that want to reuse web development skills to build cross-platform apps quickly and efficiently.

React Native is known for:

• Rapid development and a shallow learning curve for JS teams
• Mature community and plugin ecosystem
• Flexibility with native code when needed

Flutter vs React Native: A Detailed Comparison

1. Flutter vs React Native: Which is Easier to Learn?

• If you're coming from a JavaScript or web development background, React Native might feel easier since it uses JavaScript and React concepts.
• However, Flutter uses Dart, which is easy to pick up, especially for developers with Java or C# experience. It might take a little longer to get used to Flutter’s widget-based approach, but it’s consistent and clean.

React Native is quicker to learn for web teams, but Flutter offers a more unified learning path for long-term scalability and UI control.

2. Flutter vs React Native Performance

• Flutter generally has the edge because it compiles to native ARM code and doesn’t rely as much on native components. It renders everything using its own engine (Skia), resulting in fast UI rendering and low latency.
• React Native performs well for most apps but uses a JavaScript bridge to interact with native components, which can cause slight performance drops in complex scenarios like animations or high-performance tasks.

For animation-heavy, graphic-rich, or performance-sensitive apps, Flutter usually has the edge.

3. Flutter vs React Native Architecture

• Flutter uses its own rendering engine (Skia) and UI toolkit, it doesn’t depend on OEM widgets. This results in predictable UI across platforms.
• React Native relies on native components, and your JavaScript code communicates with them through a bridge, which adds some overhead but provides flexibility.

Flutter = Consistent, all-in-one UI system

React Native = Flexible, especially when integrating with existing native modules

4. Flutter vs React Native GitHub Popularity

As of 2025:

• Flutter has more GitHub stars (171k+), showing its growing popularity.
• React Native has a large and stable developer base and is used in production by many major companies. It has 122k stars currently.

While React Native has been around longer, Flutter’s popularity is rapidly growing, especially as businesses look for multi-platform solutions beyond mobile.

5. Flutter or React Native: Which is Better for Your App Idea?

6. FlutterFlow vs React Native

FlutterFlow is a no-code/low-code builder built on Flutter, great for prototypes or simple apps.

• Ideal for startups wanting to validate ideas quickly
• For full customization and scalability, custom Flutter development is recommended

React Native doesn’t have a direct equivalent, but Draftbit and Expo are close alternatives that simplify the development process.

7. React Native vs Flutter Benchmark

Real-world performance matters. Here’s what to know:

• Flutter often performs better in UI-heavy or animation-rich apps because it renders everything itself and avoids the JS bridge.
• React Native works well for most apps but can lag slightly under heavy UI or frequent state updates due to bridge communication.

Both frameworks deliver great performance, but if your app requires complex visuals, real-time updates, or animations, Flutter might be the better bet.

8. React Native vs Flutter Trends 

• Flutter is gaining adoption across startups and enterprises, especially for apps targeting multiple platforms.
• React Native remains steady in usage, thanks to its ease for web developers and Meta’s continued support.
• Flutter is becoming the go-to for custom UIs and multi-platform reach
• React Native continues to shine in MVPs and quick product rollouts

Real-World Apps Built with Flutter and React Native

Popular Apps Built with Flutter:

• Google Ads: Manage ad campaigns with real-time insights
• eBay Motors: Vehicle buying/selling with interactive UI
• Alibaba: Seamless cross-border ecommerce experience
• Reflectly: Personal journaling app with rich animations

Popular Apps Built with React Native:

• Instagram: Uses RN for parts of its mobile UI
• Facebook: Internal and experimental projects
• Shopify: Merchant tools and dashboard
• Bloomberg: Real-time financial news app

Successful Apps We Built Using Flutter and React Native

Parivar

A community and family management app designed to keep families and groups connected. Parivar offers a shared space for updates, event planning, celebrations, and more. Built with React Native, it delivers a smooth, synchronized experience across all devices.

→ Available on Android and iOS 

EMI calculator

A user-friendly loan calculation tool that helps users quickly compute their EMI (Equated Monthly Installment) and view a detailed payment schedule. Developed using React Native, it ensures fast calculations and a consistent interface on both mobile platforms.

→ Available on Android and iOS 

Expense Manager

A comprehensive financial tracking app, Terran Expense Manager helps users manage their expenses efficiently. With its Flutter-based architecture, it ensures a seamless experience on both Android and iOS, providing features like budgeting, transaction tracking, and insightful analytics.

→ Available on Android and iOS 

The MakeOver Guys

A property management and renovation app, The MakeOver Guys helps users plan, manage, and execute home makeovers seamlessly. Built with Flutter, it delivers a smooth user experience across Android and iOS, streamlining renovation workflows with real-time updates and communication tools.

→ Available on Android and iOS 

Flutter or React Native: Which Framework Should You Choose

Let’s simplify it:

• Choose Flutter if your app needs a custom UI, high performance, and a consistent design across platforms (mobile, web, and desktop).
• Choose React Native if you need faster time-to-market, have a JavaScript-savvy team, or want to focus on mobile-only MVPs.

At Softices, we’ve worked on both Flutter and React Native for a wide range of apps, from early-stage MVPs to full-scale products. We don’t pick favorites. We help you choose what’s best for your app, your goals, and your budget.

If you’re still unsure which framework fits your project, we’d be happy to walk you through your options.