In the past few years, approximately 160k flutter apps have been positioned in the app stores. This is why thousands of developers have applauded this open-source app development framework. Considering their tagline: ‘Flutter- Build apps for any screen,’ it will be true to say that you can use Flutter code for any device.
As an SDK (software development kit), Flutter helps you build an app that looks and works like native apps. Needless to say, if you are planning to learn how do I hire a Flutter developer or want to create an app with a robust framework, or want to hire a flutter app developer, read the blog. Flutter is the framework you can trust.
What is Flutter, and Who created Flutter?
Flutter is a robust mobile app development framework that is used to create cross-platform applications for both Windows and Android. Since its inception in 2015, the popularity of Flutter has been growing. It uses Google’s Dart programming language that comes with its graphic and material design, allowing faster app development. In addition, flutter has two essential components:
- A software development (SDK): A SDK is a collection of tools that help flutter developers compile coding into the native machine code.
- A framework or widgets-based UI library: It's a collection of UI elements that developers can use to customize and personalize the application. This framework comprises various UI elements you can reuse, like buttons, text inputs, and sliders.
Is Flutter Good for App Development?
Yes, the Google UI framework Flutter is a good choice for app development as it gives high-performance apps offering a native feel and speed.
What Are The Different Types Of Apps You Can Build Using Flutter?
Flutter is a good choice for developing a 2D cross-platform flutter developer app. Also, these apps are available on Android and iOS and are ideal for building desktop and web-based applications. Many popular companies like Yandex, Airbnb, Uber, and Alibaba are already using Flutter. With that said, you can use Flutter for:
Retail: Most retail apps do the same basic functions like catalog management, product comparison, find nearby stores, promotions, and more. Flutter-based retail apps are more user-friendly and fast.
Fintech: For the finance and banking sector, it is very important to pay attention to security and stay updated with the latest trends. Many companies from the banking sector rely on Flutter for building their apps, as it's safer. Also, apps built with Flutter can use technologies like Face ID, Touch ID, or fingerprint scanners to make fintech apps more secure.
Franchises and Suppliers: Building internal apps are more affordable than client apps; thus, businesses choose Flutter. Flutter comes with a ready-made library of codes, which opposes the need to do everything from scratch.
Large businesses: Businesses with complex internal processes like call centers can benefit from Flutter developer hire.
Most Popular Apps Build On Flutter:
Some of the most common well-known apps built on Flutter are:
- Xiaynu by Alibaba: Alibaba uses Flutter on its shopping platform Xiyanu. Alibaba chooses Flutter for its development features and excellent design. Today, this shopping app is used by more than 50+ million users to buy and sell millions of products.
- Google Ads: Google Ads is one of the most popular tools for those who want to manage their ad campaign. The app is quite intuitive and aesthetically pleasing.
- Grab: Grab is a popular food delivery app that is built with Flutter that allows businesses to add items, menu, order, and view earnings with ease.
- PostMust: It’s a story editing app that provides a plethora of amazing templates to design the app. Moreover, it gives an amazing performance and is quite easy to use.
- Reflect: Reflect helps you put your thoughts in one place in a specific order. Initially, the app was built by using React Native, but later it got shifted to the Flutter framework.
- Hamilton: It’s an official app of the hit American Broadway musical, showing everything related to Hamilton.
- Realtor.com: It’s a real-estate app built with Flutter.
How Flutter works:
Unlike other popular frameworks, Flutter is built in a completely new way. It works more like a gaming engine than a traditional app framework. The central idea of Flutter development is the use of Widgets. Each widget defines a structural element like a menu or button, a stylist color theme, and a layout aspect like padding.
Platform:
From the platform level, Flutter offers a shell that hosts the Dart programming language. The shell is platform-specific and allows native platform APIs and hosting access to establish the platform-specific canvas. Moreover, if you want to use Flutter like a library, you can embed the API rather than hosting an app.
Engine:
The engine is the next layer, which provides the Dart runtime, Skia platform Channel and more. The flutter engine runs inside the relevant platform Shell.
Framework:
The Flutter framework is the most important for app developers. It contains everything you need when interacting with the app. Flutter apps look like native iOS or Android applications. But, irrespective of the theme, you can also make your app look the way you want.
Widgets:
Widgets are the building blocks of the app. Flutter doesn’t have native controls and components. Instead, it draws the UI output on Skia Canvas and reduces the complexity. The central idea of building Flutter is the use of widgets.
It’s by combining different widgets that developers can build the complete UI. Each of these widgets is used for defining structural elements like a button, menu, font, layout aspect, and more.
Keep in mind that Flutter doesn’t use OEM but allows developers to use their already built widgets from the library that look native to the android or the iOS applications. Flutter also provides developers with Reactive-style views to avoid performance issues that may occur by using the compiled programming language to serve the javascript.
Additionally, Flutter is the only mobile SDK that provides reactive views without needing a JavaScript bridge.
Which Programming Language Is Used By Flutter?
Flutter uses Dart programming language like other systems that use reactive views. The Dart language is optimized to develop the UI quickly and productively on various platforms. It is the official language developed for the Flutter framework. It uses the view tree for every new frame. In addition, Dart used generational garbage collection, which is very efficient for such systems.
Dart also comes with a ‘tree shaking’ compiler with the code you need in your app. Whether you want one widget or two, you can pick it from the widgets library for free. It has a repository of software packages for extending the app’s capabilities.
For example, it comes with a few packages that help access the Firebase so that the developers can build apps without needing servers. Another Dart package allows access to the Redux data store to make it easier to access platforms services and hardware like Camera.
What’s So Good About Flutter?
Flutter is an open-source and free mobile UI framework. Therefore, developers need to use one programming language and one codebase to create apps for most platforms. Apart from this, there are various other benefits of Flutter; some of them are:
Cross-platform development:
With Flutter, you can create cross-platform apps, which means you need to write code only once and run it on various multiple applications.
Quick code compilation:
Flutter is fast, which means it can compile with Intel machine code or ARM and Javascript for fast performance. With the hot reload feature, you can change the code in Flutter and see results in real-time.
This will save you time when adding features, designing apps, or fixing bugs in the application. Also, you can deliver apps that work on the latest devices instantly by using native platform development. This will also help the developers who are short of budget but need more features.
Aesthetic design:
Flutter’s aesthetic design and a graphic library make the framework quite attractive and functional. Widgets help libraries to make it possible to build user interfaces by using widgets and making them together. Think of UI components as the building blocks that describe how your application looks and how material design specifications are made through your custom design. Flutter comes with an extensive set of widgets that matches your iOS counterparts, featuring a high-fidelity replica of every component.
A single codebase:
With a single codebase, you can reach maximum users on mobile, web as well as desktop devices. Since Flutter offers fast code compilation, you can put your business logic and code in at a single location. Also, you can deliver the apps with the same features on various platforms,
Perfect for startups:
Flutter is great for startups who want to create a minimal viable product quickly. Apart from this, Flutter is easy to learn and use; without relying on code much, you can build a native-looking application using widgets. You can also control the workflow with automated testing, frameworks, and developer tools needed to build production-quality applications.
Read More: Tips To hire Flutter Developers
Features Of Flutter:
High productivity:
Flutter allows developers to use the same code to create an application on both Android and iOS. This will save time and resources as developers don't have to build two individual apps. The native widgets of Flutter also reduce the time spent on testing, thereby ensuring compatibility with different operating systems.
Low cost:
Since flutter developers can use the same code on different platforms, it slashes the code time by half. This will affect the cost of the app development, and you will be able to save a lot. Also, you get two apps at the cost of one.
Better performance:
Flutter offers smooth performance; in fact, many users say that it's difficult to find the difference between a Flutter app and a native mobile app.
Easy-to-learn:
Flutter developers can easily create mobile applications without using the OEM widgets or lots of code, making the process easy and simple.
Improved time-to-market speed:
Flutter developers only need half the time required to build the same app individually for both platforms. Also, developers don't have to write any platform-specific code to get desired visuals. Flutter offers a declarative API for building user interfaces, which helps increase performance.
Ready-to-use widgets:
Flutter comes with a wide variety of ready-to-use widgets, and most of them are customizable. Additionally, Flutter comes with a large set of Material and Cupertino widgets that shows the behavior of every design language.
Similar to native app performance:
Application performance is important for a good user interface. And, flutter application performance is indistinguishable from the native app. Why? Because contrary to the popular belief that it is required to have different codes for different platforms, Flutter doesn't rely on any such things. The applications with Flutter are built on machine code, which eliminates the bugs that occur in the interpretation process.
Platform-specific logic implementation:
Apart from the UI, most real-life mobile applications depend on advanced OS-level features like GPS coordinates, gathering sensor data, Bluetooth communication, permission handling, etc.
Most of them are available when the Flutter application is a ready-to-use plugin. Therefore, Flutter provides an easy-to-use way of communicating between Dart and platform-native code through different platform channels. This way, you can implement anything that a native app can do with the Flutter-built app.
Flutter is not restricted to mobile:
Flutter allows developers to create apps beyond mobile. Flutter for Web and Flutter Desktop Embedding lets developers run Flutter applications in the browser without developing any new source.
Flutter has a Strong community and robust documentation:
Another reason why developers choose Flutter is its robust documentation and resources that allow developers to solve all problems. Moreover, the Flutter community and Flutter Awesome hubs allow developers to exchange ideas and resolve issues.
Quick development:
Flutter is also gaining huge traction among mobile developers because of the 'hot reload' feature. Hot reload lets you instantly view changes that are applied to the code on simulators, emulators, and hardware.
The changed code is then reloaded, and all this happens when the app is running. This makes building the UI, fixing bugs, and adding new features easier. If an app encounters an error, it usually fixes it. Even if you want to do a full app reload, you can be sure that it gets completed quickly.
What Is Flutter 1.0 Capable Of Doing?
Flutter 1.0 is Google's open-source framework, used by developers for iOS and Android. After a few updates, Flutter 1.0 was updated with the following features:
- Increased Dart 2.1 speed and flexibility
- Powerful composition capabilities
- 2D dimensions to build vector animations
- Offering pixel-perfect experience
- Wide variety of comprehensive widgets
Flutter 2.0- What Has Evolved?
As compared to Flutter 1.0, Flutter 2.0 is efficient and more versatile for building portable, fast, and smooth applications for different operating systems like Linus, MacOS, Android, iOS, and Windows. Additionally, there's a lot that Flutters 2.0 has to offer. Some of the updates are:
Flutter for web:
Initially, the framework faced a few restrictions when it came to using Flutter for the web. To build a responsive framework, widgets have to be developed, or some functionality has to be implemented, like a hover, for a smooth experience. Since the web is a tricky platform, flutter 2.0 is the stable platform that focuses on performance and renders fidelity.
Flutter 2.0 has a rich platform API for building 2D and 3D flexible layouts and graphics. In addition to the HTML, it also has a Canvas-kit-based renderer. The update also has a Link widget, which enables developers to have a web-app-like fee in the browser.
Acknowledgment of Web performance:
One of the best pieces of news for developers is the increased web performance. The new update shows that the Flutter for the web can display the app by:
Rendering the CSS, HTML, and Canvas; will allow users to download and load faster
Rendering using the CanvasKit
Latest iOS features:
Flutter, with the 2.0 version update, is strengthening iOS support with the latest features. It has come with the 17039 PRs, out of which the 178 PRs are iOS related. It includes 23495, which has State Restoration to iOS.
There are 67781 enabled developers that allow building IPA directly without opening the Xcode. Furthermore, there's 69809, the update that has the CocoaPods version that matches the latest tooling. The update also has new iOS widgets in the Cupertino design language implementation.
Sound Null Safety:
Sound null Safety is one of the most popular features of the Dart language. It allows developers to identify between the nullable and non-nullable types. Also, it will help developers to prevent null error crashes during the development period.
By default, the non-nullable type is important as it enables static checks and compiler optimizations, which ensure that null-dereference errors should not happen at the runtime as they occur when the app is getting compiled and can be fixed too.
Multiple Flutter Instances With Add-To-App Features:
Flutter is the first choice of developers as it allows them to reuse the same code on different platforms. You can also add Flutter to the existing application by using its App-to-app feature. This feature is important as it saves the native-code base and allows developers to run code for both (iOS and Android) platforms.
Flutter For Desktop:
This is one of the major changes that have occurred in Flutter 2.0. The desktop status is more efficient and stable as compared to the Alpha stage of 2.0. Also, the current version supports keyboard shortcuts that give the feel of using Native applications of Windows, Linux, or macOS. This will be an important change for users, so whether they are using the mobile or laptop or accessing the web, the experience will remain constant.
New Features And Widgets:
The latest update supports various web-specific features and flutter widgets like deep web-app linking, text auto-fill, custom URL strategies, hyperlinks, PWS, and more. This will help developers make use of web-specific features that are important for building mobile applications.
Updated Google Mobile Ads:
The latest Flutter 2.0 supports the Google Mobile Ads SDK beta version, which will help developers indulge in native ads and inline banners in the pre-existing overlay formats. This will help developers to customize advertisements by using Ad Manager and Admob.
Practical Use Cases With Flutter 2.0:
Toyota with Flutter: Toyota changed its development approach to work with next-gen vehicles. To build the next-gen vehicle, Toyota uses the Flutter framework for its infotainment system. This has improved the credibility in favor of flutter app development.
Ubuntu and Flutter 2.0:
At the release of Flutter 2.0, the Ubuntu creator came forward to contribute to the development of the new update. This means that for the Ubuntu application, the default choice equals the Flutter framework.
Flutter vs. React Native:
Both Flutter and react native are quite popular and young; while react was released in 2015, Flutter came in 2017. Each of them has unique features and functionalities. Here's the difference between the two:
Programming Language:
React Native uses JavaScript to build cross-platform apps; this makes it easy for web developers to create mobile apps. However, with Flutter, we use the Dart programming language. Dart uses various object-oriented concepts which are easy to learn and start with.
Configuration and Setup:
Flutter has a very easy setup process as compared to React Native. It comes with the features like automated checkup of system problems, which is missing in React Native.
Performance:
Flutter gives an amazing performance compared to React Native. Since it is written in the Dart language, it allows compiling the code quicker than JavaScript. Also, it displays animation at 60 fps as a standard.
User Interface:
React Native comes under native Android and iOS with the help of custom components. Also, React Native has various ready-made components that can be used as building blocks.
On the other hand, Flutter has UI widgets packed within itself, which means creating native-like apps is easy. You don't need to search for a third-party library. Besides, Flutter is consistent for all platforms; you don't have to create different codes for different platforms.
Flutter Vs. Ionic:
Flutter is known for its ability to create original animations that are important when it comes to delivering a great user experience. In other words, Flutter makes apps more engaging and eye-catchy.
Ionic, on the other hand, uses front-end technologies for rendering and making apps slower as compared to Flutter apps. Also, Flutter apps are easy to maintain, as the simplicity of code allows developers to spot issues and source external tools instantly. But, the Iconic developers have to rewrite code to ensure the stability of the app. This makes the code maintenance of Ionic quite challenging.
Also, the Ionic framework is easy to learn as compared to flutter.
Flutter Vs. Xamarin
To understand the difference between the two, you need to consider the project’s complexity. Complex projects need a high focus on testing and development. As Flutter offers excellent tooling support for CI/CD and testing, it is the first choice of developers for creating complex projects.
Another point to think about with the Flutter and Xamarin is the framework’s popularity. Lastly, it's more expensive to use Xamarin on a commercial scale than Flutter.
How To Get Started With Flutter?
Flutter is the first preference for projects which are tight on budget and have time constraints. You can also use flutter app builder if seamless UX and aesthetic design are your top priority. But, if you are still unsure of where to get started and how to create the app, here are a few key points to consider:
Market research:
Before building the Flutter app, it's important to do in-depth market research. This will help you understand your competitors' different strategies and mistakes.
Know your targeted audience:
When building the Flutter app, it is very important to know your targeted audience. This will help you decide the features list for your minimum viable product. If you already know what your users are demanding, it will be easier to put the unnecessary features behind and focus on important things. You can also take opinions from the users and align your objectives with their demands.
Choose the right development company:
A mobile app development company plays a very important role in making an app user-friendly, intuitive and aesthetic. So, it is very important to hire top flutter developers that work remotely, the company you choose has good knowledge of delivering amazing app designs to offer the best customer experience.
Build MVP:
It is very important to test the Flutter application on the targeted devices before making it out in the market. MVP is the version of your app that only consists of important features. This will help you understand if the app will be successful. You can hire a trusted product development agency that can guide you through the entire process.
How To Get Started With The Flutter App Development:
Starting the flutter app development is a straightforward process. Let’s discuss how to get started with the development process:
Step1: Setting the required environment:
To start with Flutter app development, you need to create the environment first. For that, you need the Flutter SDK and an editor.
Step 2: Create the Flutter Project:
Once you have installed or created the environment for Flutter app development, you are ready to create a new project. For this, open the terminal window and go to the directory where you want to create the project. Once done, type flutter creates the ‘hello_flutter’ command; then change into the project directory (cd hello_fluter) and open the project with the editor.
Step3: Launch the project
Check the documentation for running the code, either in the Android or Visual Studio code. Let’s say you choose the Visual Studio code. You would want to Run the Debug option and pick Flutter and Dart from the list.
Now, select the hello_fluter configuration and specify the simulator of your choice. Click on Start Debugging. In this, you will be able to see the demo app in the browser or simulator.
Step4: Create The Flutter App:
Open lib/main.dart in your code editor. You can delete the code from lib/main.dart and replace it with the code “Hello World” in the center of the screen. Now, you can run the app.
Read more: For Building Enterprise Mobile Apps on Flutter
How Much Will The Flutter App Development Cost?
The app development cost of using Flutter depends on various factors like supported platforms, locations of the Flutter development, the complexity of features, and more. Let’s discuss all the factors that impact the cost of flutter app development:
The complexity of features:
Features are the most important factor that affects the cost of Flutter app development. Features like ‘login’ take minimal effort and need minimal cost. However, the integration of video calls may take 2-3 weeks, and costs will increase accordingly. In short, the more complex features, the more time and cost will be required for the development.
App design:
Users love apps that are intuitive and have a pleasing user interface. The more intuitive and user-friendly design, the more users will be able to connect with the app. However, sometimes this intuitive design may increase the cost; for instance, if you want to create a shopping app, adding high-definition animations and graphics will increase the cost of designing the application.
Location of developers:
The location of the development team and the flutter app development company also influence the cost of Flutter app development. Also, the cost of development may vary according to the country. Asian countries, as compared to Western Europe, offer Flutter app development services at affordable prices.
Platforms:
Once the app is created, the next step is putting it on suitable platforms like the Play Store and App Store. These platforms charge some type of fee with the added share for every in-app purchase for your application. These factors will come together as an added cost of flutter app development services that you would give.
Read more here for Price Guide & Hourly Cost Comparison to Hire A Flutter Developer
Frequently Asked Questions:
How Does Flutter Help Reduce The Cost Of Application Development?
Considering the cost to hire Flutter developers is one of the major things businesses consider. Flutter app development services come with various cost-saving factors like low maintenance timeline, low developmental effort, etc. These factors came together to get the cost down.
How Much Time Does It Take To Build The Flutter App?
The average time taken to develop the mobile app is usually 4 to 6 months. This can be extended depending upon the complexity and functionalities of the app.
Conclusion:
Flutter development offers more benefits to businesses and development teams. It helps you create stunning, high-performance mobile applications that are as per your specifications and demands. Moreover, Flutter is becoming the most usable technology.
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