10 Advantages of Using Flutter to Develop an App

Flutter App Development is causing quite a stir in the tech world, and for good reason! One of its most prominent features is cross-platform development, enabling developers to craft captivating apps for both iOS and Android platforms simultaneously.

Beyond the seamless cross-platform capabilities, Flutter development offers substantial time and cost savings compared to native development. Gone are the days of needing to assemble separate development teams for Android and iOS platforms. 

If you find yourself curious about all the hype surrounding Flutter, wondering if it's the right choice for your next project, or seeking insights into how its advantages can fuel your business growth, you've come to the right place. This article caters to everyone, whether you're a seasoned CTO, an ambitious startup founder, or a passionate developer. We'll delve into all aspects of Flutter, highlighting its benefits and drawbacks, while shedding light on why businesses and developers alike have fallen in love with this remarkable framework.

Benefits of Flutter for Developers

1. Fast Coding with Hot Reload

In the conventional world of iOS and Android app development, coders usually write their code, patiently wait for it to compile, and then go through the process of loading it onto the device to witness the changes. However, with the game-changing hot reload feature offered by Flutter, this tedious wait is eliminated. Developers can now instantly see the effects of their code without any delays.

In simpler terms, Flutter's hot reload empowers your development team to work harmoniously with QA engineers and designers, fostering effective cooperation. They can swiftly implement changes, view the results in real-time, and iterate on their work without the time-consuming compilation and loading phases. This exceptional capability is what sets Flutter app development apart, making it considerably faster and more efficient than other approaches.

2. Readymade Customised Widgets

Flutter offers a customisable kit of widgets that simplifies the creation of applications, regardless of their complexity. These widgets are not only fast, reliable, and adaptable to various screen sizes, but they also provide a vast array of Material and Cupertino designs, ready for immediate use.  

Additionally, developers can seamlessly integrate animation and gesture processing, making the entire development process faster, more efficient, and user-friendly. With Flutter's powerful widget system, building feature-rich and visually appealing apps has never been easier.

3. Huge Community Support

Perhaps you're unaware, but Flutter is proudly developed by the tech giant, Google. As a result, Flutter developers receive consistent and extensive support through regular updates and issue fixes from Google.

The benefits of using Flutter become evident in the remarkable performance boost it offers compared to similar technologies. The Flutter app development community has experienced exponential growth, drawing in developers from all walks of life.

Since its initial release, Flutter has garnered an impressive 155k Stars on Github. The platform's strength lies in its friendly and collaborative developer community, where both experts and beginners willingly share their knowledge and experiences. Moreover, Google actively organises various events that facilitate discussions and learning opportunities, benefiting both startups and established businesses, as they explore the immense potential of Flutter in fostering business growth.

4. Own Rendering Engine

Flutter sets itself apart by utilising its unique rendering engine to ensure a seamless user experience. Unlike traditional frameworks that require UI adjustments every time they are transferred onto a platform, Flutter employs Skia, a powerful rendering engine that directly renders UI on a platform-provided canvas.

By adopting this approach, Flutter drastically simplifies and accelerates the mobile development process. Developers no longer need to struggle with platform-specific adaptations, as the rendering is efficiently handled by Skia. This streamlined workflow enables faster iterations, smoother UI rendering, and ultimately leads to the creation of high-performance mobile applications with ease.

5. Advanced OS Features

Flutter offers a wealth of advanced OS features, including GPS coordinates, sensor data collection, permission handling, Bluetooth integration, credentials management, and much more, all available through convenient and well-supported plugins backed by Google.

In the rare event that your app requires an OS-level feature not yet provided as a plugin, Flutter has a solution. It enables seamless communication between its Dart programming language and native code, utilising platform channels. This means you can easily implement any functionality that a native app would have on a Flutter app, with just a little extra effort on the native side. This versatility empowers developers to create feature-rich and powerful applications on Flutter, harnessing the best of both worlds in one unified framework.

6. Good Document and Resources

Dart, the programming language used in Flutter, boasts a user-friendly nature that simplifies the initial learning curve. Developers familiar with JavaScript or other C-like languages will find themselves at home with Dart in just a day or two.

Moreover, Flutter's plugin manager, pub.dev, is a powerful resource that facilitates the utilisation of styles, animations, and various manipulations. It serves as a comprehensive repository of plugins, providing developers with a wide array of tools to enhance their app's functionality and visual appeal. With Dart's simplicity and the support of a robust plugin manager, Flutter proves to be a developer-friendly ecosystem, enabling rapid and efficient app development.

Advantages of Flutter for Businesses

1. Quick Time to Market

For business owners, Flutter presents a plethora of advantages, such as the convenience of hiring a single team to cater to both iOS and Android platforms. However, one of the most significant benefits of adopting Flutter is its impressive time-to-market speed. 

When developing separate native versions for iOS and Android, it becomes challenging to predict which platform will deliver the product on time. In contrast, Flutter empowers cross-platform development simultaneously, ensuring a streamlined and efficient process. While other frameworks may offer similar advantages, Flutter stands out as a leader, exemplifying its commitment to providing a superior development experience for businesses of all sizes.

2. Cost Effectiveness

Cost optimisation is a critical objective for every company. Traditionally, developing native apps entails paying for both the iOS and Android versions, which means businesses need to allocate their budget to two separate teams.

However, with Flutter's powerful cross-platform capabilities, you can streamline your development process and save on expenses. By utilising a single Flutter development team, you eliminate the need for separate teams for iOS and Android, leading to substantial reductions in human resource costs. Not only does this approach bring cost efficiency, but it also significantly shortens the time required to complete development tasks, allowing you to bring your apps to market faster and more efficiently. Flutter empowers businesses to make smart financial decisions while maintaining the highest standards of app performance and user experience.

3. Access to Native Features

For businesses operating on a budget, native app development might not always be feasible, leading them to consider alternatives like mobile web pages and progressive web apps (PWAs). However, these alternatives often lack the performance and user experience of native apps. This is where Flutter steps in as a game-changer.

Flutter offers native app performance without compromising on cost-effectiveness. It provides a free and convenient solution by harnessing a single framework for both iOS and Android app development. What sets Flutter apart from most cross-platform frameworks is its unique approach. Unlike other solutions relying on intermediate code representations or interpretations, Flutter directly compiles apps into machine code. This eliminates any performance bugs associated with the interpretation process, ensuring a smooth and high-performing app experience for users. With Flutter, businesses can now achieve the best of both worlds—native app performance and cost efficiency—in one powerful framework.

4. Perfect for a Minimum Viable Product

Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) serve as a valuable strategy for businesses to validate their ideas in the market without committing substantial resources to a fully-fledged product. These compact and straightforward app versions provide an avenue to test your business concept, gather essential feedback, and secure funding for further app development.

Flutter emerges as the ideal framework for building MVPs, thanks to its rapid development cycle. With Flutter's abundance of ready-made widgets and extensive libraries, you can swiftly assemble a functional and polished app without unnecessary complications. This streamlined process empowers businesses to swiftly bring their concepts to life, enabling them to gather valuable insights and make data-driven decisions to refine their app for a successful market launch.

Conclusion

It becomes clear that Flutter boasts unparalleled advantages, ranging from accelerated development to significant cost savings. For startups with limited budgets and a desire to reach a broader audience, Flutter can prove to be a game-changer.

The ability to build Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) at a faster pace, without the need to assemble an extensive team of experts, is a significant perk that Flutter offers. If these benefits resonate with your business goals, consider embracing Flutter app development to propel your venture forward. With Flutter's robust features and efficiency, your business can thrive in the competitive digital landscape while effectively managing resources and maximising growth opportunities.

Guru TechnoLabs offers Flutter app development services and is dedicated to helping you bring your vision to life with this innovative framework. Through our expertise and experience, we have witnessed the incredible results Flutter can deliver, providing high-quality apps without significant investments in time and finances.

Why not take the opportunity to experience the benefits of Flutter firsthand? If we have piqued your interest, we encourage you to reach out to us. Let us work together to create exceptional apps that captivate your audience, enhance user experiences, and drive your business forward.