As mobile apps have become more and more essential to our lives, more than 100,000 Android apps are launched each month, along with over 30,000 iOS apps. Many businesses have the opportunity to create an application, yet an overwhelming majority of these projects fail. Developers are no longer required to choose different frameworks or technologies for creating universal mobile apps and native apps.
Native apps often outperformed universal ones because they were specifically written or designed for their respective platforms. To solve this problem, Google developed Flutter to deliver native-like performance in universal apps. Flutter is a popular choice among mobile app developers & is gaining significant popularity over the past few years. Many businesses of all sizes prefer Flutter for faster, more reliable, and cost-efficient app development.
If you are a business wondering whether Flutter is the perfect choice for your app, then this blog is for you. In this blog, we will discuss the cost-efficient Flutter app development and explain why it remains a great choice for your business in 2023 and beyond.
So, let’s get started with the basics!
What is Flutter?
Flutter is a cross-platform framework designed and developed by leading tech giant Google. The framework is popular for building mobile applications on a wide range of devices & operating systems: Android, iOS, Windows, Fuchsia, etc. It has taken Flutter a long time to gain popularity as a cross-platform application development tool after initially existing in alpha and beta versions.
Flutter is now becoming more & more popular because of its cost-efficient development, faster time-to-market, growing talent tool, and large community support. Flutter will likely displace other cross-platform frameworks soon because of its active and faster app development.
How Is Flutter Different from Other Frameworks?
If you have just released a Flutter-based app or switched over to Flutter, it might be easier for you to describe how Flutter has changed your development process. Today apps powered by Flutter are used by some of the world’s most renowned brands. BMW, Google Adwords, Alibaba, Cryptograph, Dream11, Nubank, Google Pay, and many others are on the endless list. Many unique features make Flutter apps stand out over other frameworks, which are included but not limited to
Single Codebase for Multiple Platforms
Since it is a cross-platform framework, developers can use a single codebase across multiple platforms, so they can build iOS and Android apps simultaneously without requiring to write a separate code line. It is a great alternative to native frameworks for developers who want to write code for multiple platforms. In addition to Mac, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux, Flutter lets you create apps for different platforms and operating systems without any hassle.
Custom Widgets
Developers can create user-friendly interfaces much faster and with a much simpler process with Flutter because the program is fully loaded with widgets that can assist them in their creation process. The Flutter library offers industry-standard UI elements that resize, reposition and alter automatically when a screen is resized or resized. Thus, Flutter offers many ways to customize its designs and widgets the way you want them depending on your requirements.
Cross-platform App Development
Creating an Android application or launching an iOS app can be overwhelming for those who are new to app development. Rather than developing apps for iOS and Android separately, why not combine the two? The Flutter framework provides access to streamlined cross-platform tools for mobile app development, saving time and minimizing challenges. It allows developers to use the same codebase for both Android and iOS platforms, making the job much easier, faster, and time-saving.
Dart Programming Language
Flutter uses the Dart programming language designed & developed by Google. It is an object-oriented language that supports various powerful features, such as just-in-time (JIT) compilation and garbage collection, which makes it faster and more efficient for app development.
SDK and Native Features
With Flutter, developers can access native code, APIs, open-source libraries, and third-party integrations, which provides a fast, efficient, and convenient development experience.
Rendering Engine
Flutter comes with its rendering engine, called Skia, a 2D graphics library. Skia is used to design animations and can handle user input as well as draw widgets on the screen.
Hot reload
You can identify any updates that need to be done or made to the code as well as track the changes that have been made right away with this feature.
Ahead of Time (AOT) compilation
The code for Flutter apps can be compiled into native code before they are installed on the device because the app can be integrated ahead of time. Everyone can enjoy the efficiency and speed of a native application by using it.
Benefits of Flutter App Development
Flutter is the most popular cross-platform framework that facilitates faster, more efficient, and cost-efficient app development for businesses of all sizes. Here are the top benefits of using Flutter for your web and mobile apps.
Cross-platform Compatibility
Developers can build applications working on Android and iOS with Flutter due to its cross-platform app development capabilities. Flutter allows developers to use a single codebase for both Android & iOS, saving time and money by reducing the effort involved in building two separate applications.
Faster development
The Hot Reload feature in Flutter reduces development time by allowing developers to change or modify their code instantly. When developers need to test different features & functionalities during the development phase, this feature is more valuable and helpful.
Cost-Efficient Development
Developers can build apps for iOS and Android, reducing development costs, using Flutter’s cross-platform app development feature. As a result of the shorter development time, the development costs are also reduced more significantly.
High performance
High performance and fast implementation are what make Flutter apps so popular compared to other app development frameworks. Rather than requiring a JavaScript bridge, it can integrate directly with native code easily.
Best suited for MVP
MVPs serve as prototypes and early versions of an app, allowing you to gather early feedback and reviews before launching the final product. When your MVP is ready, you can present it to investors with all the features they needed. In addition to providing a robust backend, Flutter is also a great choice for creating a feature-rich front end.
Easy integration
Flutter enables developers to integrate their apps with third-party tools and services quickly and easily. Apps built using Flutter are more robust and feature-rich because they can integrate different functions and features.
Animation
It is easy to create intricate animated features with Flutter’s robust animation support. The Flutter framework allows you to incorporate animations easier into your software solution than native tools, although it still takes a bit of time. So, you should consider Flutter if you intend to build an app primarily focused on animation.
Responsive design
Widgets in Flutter are highly responsive, which allows them to adapt to various screen sizes and orientations. The platform and device capabilities are responsible for ensuring that applications work efficiently and effectively on a wide variety of devices.
Improved User Experience (UX)
The Flutter app does not interact with the native components of the device, resulting in a smoother app experience and better user experience (UX). Is there anything else you can do to establish a loyal customer base for your app, apart from ensuring a seamless user experience? Flutter can support your app idea regardless of whether you want to launch it before your competitors do.
Scalability
In addition to being highly robust and scalable, Flutter can easily incorporate new features and functionalities into applications as they grow, allowing them to meet the needs of users as they grow.
Community support
The thriving Flutter community provides support and resources for developers working with the framework and actively contributes to its growth.
Challenges of Flutter App Development
Although Flutter provides so many benefits to businesses and developers, there are some drawbacks too, which include;
Limited access to native APIs
The cross-platform compatibility of the Flutter framework means that it may not be fully compatible and accessible to native APIs across all platforms, which results in limited app functionality.
Learning curve
Flutter supports the Dart programming language and has its unique architecture, which shows a learning curve for beginners or developers who are just getting started with the framework.
Limited Third-Party Libraries
Despite being so a popular cross-platform framework, Flutter is still new on the market, which means that there are fewer third-party libraries, tools, and resources available as compared to other app development frameworks.
Large app size
Flutter has pre-built design systems and architecture, which result in larger app sizes as compared to other app development frameworks.
The Cost of Flutter App Development
On average, the cost of building cross-platform mobile applications will range somewhere between $25,000 to $150,000 and can go higher up to $300,000. Flutter app development costs in India are significantly lower than $120 per hour for developers building these applications. However, the cost of hiring a Flutter app developer in India can be anywhere from $20 to $50 per hour. The average cost of your Flutter app will vary based on the complexity of the project, the number of added features, custom functionality you want to add to it, so you must conduct detailed research on your business and app’s needs to determine the actual cost.
Moreover, the cost of an app will differ depending on whether it is a messenger app or a video streaming app; for example, if you are upgrading a messenger app or a streaming app, then the cost will also be different. Depending on what you’re trying to achieve with your app, functionality, and features will differ & the cost and quality will also differ based on whether you’re hiring a freelancer, team, or professional app development agency.
The cost of a professional-looking mobile application with extensive functionality and added features will be lower with freelancers and individual developers, but only leading companies that specialize in mobile application development can deliver quality, scalable, and high-performance apps within your deadline. Therefore, the cost of building Flutter apps basically depends on specific business requirements, feature sets, and third-party integrations.
Why Flutter Is a Great Choice for Your Business in 2023
Flutter is a highly flexible technology suitable for both small and large apps, enabling startups and enterprises to tailor their apps to custom requirements. In addition to allowing fast and seamless application development, the final product is delivered at a significantly reduced cost, making it ideal for small-scale applications.
On top of that, it is also a good choice for enterprise projects since Flutter is a scalable solution that is already being used by many, even in the banking industry, which has high standards of technology and more complex needs. ING Bank Polski, Nubank, and Rosbank are among the top banks that rely on it. Alibaba, Google Ads, Realtor.com, Reflectly, and Xianyu are some examples of top-rated and successful applications built on Flutter.
Conclusion
Hence, Flutter is one of the most popular and robust app development frameworks that offers numerous benefits and features to developers and businesses. The framework comes with pre-built design systems, customizable widgets, hot reload functionality, and cross-platform compatibility, allowing developers to create scalable, robust, and high-quality web & mobile apps for businesses of all sizes. For businesses looking to develop high-quality and scalable mobile apps, Flutter is a reliable and cost-effective option, despite some challenges related to app development.
In addition to being a preferred choice for greenfield apps, Flutter is also a viable option for enhancing native apps with add-ons. Flutter is an ideal choice for you and your business if you are seeking faster and more cost-efficient app development for Android & iOS.
