Introduction
Building an application in 2020 is completely different than some years ago, and the rise of capable frameworks account for the most of it. Every app developer faces the ever-looming question of what is the best framework or which framework is best for cross-platform app development.
The question gets more confusing when you consider frameworks such as Flutter vs React Native vs Xamarin. Finding the best cross-platform application development has become a prevalent query in the industry, and understandably so.
With the mobile app market growing rapidly, the urge for creating the best mobile apps is also picking up pace. Therefore, every business is looking to make the most efficient apps, which won’t be possible if their have to distribute their resources on two different platforms.
This is where cross-platform development comes in. The technology emerges as the one-stop solution for questions like:
- Which is the better platform for iOS vs Android?
- What is the best technology to build an app?
- How much it costs to build an application on multiple platforms?
- How to choose between hybrid apps vs native apps vs cross-platform apps development?
If you are faced with such questions as well, then read through. Here we will find out the best framework between Xamarin vs React Native vs Flutter.
Finding the Best Platform to Build an App
In case your business needs an app for both iOS and Android, then you should opt for cross-platform application development. It allows you your developers to use the same codes on separate platforms, saving time and resources.
When it comes to the hybrid application development, the app development cost is halved while the development procedure is also shortened with almost 97% codes sharing different benefits.
Even when you figure out your needs, finding the best framework between Xamarin, Flutter, and React Native is difficult. So here we have used a comparative analysis to figure out which mobile app development framework works best for you.
Comparing React Native vs Flutter vs Xamarin
Choosing the best cross-platform application is tough, so we have prepared some parameters to get the answer.
- Performance
- Relevance/Popularity
- Framework/Architecture
- Community
Comparing the Performance of Xamarin vs React Native vs Flutter
Choosing the correct app development framework always includes a performance analysis:
React Native
React Native offers performance akin to some native apps as it is capable of rendering code functions particularly to native APIs. It also lets the developers use native models in the native languages for writing complex codes.
You can share almost 80% of the codes as per your app’s complexity. As React utilizes JavaScript, it is an issue to render large datasets. Moreover, it’s not in unification with Android or iOS, making it stay behind some native systems.
Xamarin
With Xamarin, you can easily build and release applications. Now, it also offers features such as, Hot Reload, Visual, Hot restart, and Shell for simplifying and reducing the development time. It offers,
The ideal space for describing the app’s visual hierarchy,
- The perfect UX
- An incorporated search assessor
Xamarin’s built-in apps can compete native application development’s standard, but the platform is not as effective when it comes to heavy graphics.
Flutter
Whenever the list of best app development frameworks is prepared, it would be unfair not to add Flutter in it. The platform helps developers use the native codes for offering a standard native feel with amazing UX.
Its Dart Code makes it stand out from the competition as its compilation with C-library removes the JavaScript complications. Also, you can keep track of every change in seconds with the Hot Reloading function.
Comparing Popularity/Relevance of Xamarin vs React Native vs Flutter
The list of best app development framework is modified routinely because of the new entrants. Here is how the popularity of these platforms pans out:
React Native
Calling React the most popular cross-platform application development framework won’t be a stretch. Google Trends has ranked Flutter and Xamarin right beside React Native in the list of most popular app development frameworks.
Xamarin
The period of 2015-2016 was golden for Xamarin as the platform topped the list of most popular cross-platform development then.
By 2027 mid, the competition got fiercer, and React finally overtook the competition in 2018.
Flutter
Even though React tops the list of most popular app development framework, Flutter is nevertheless a close competition.
But the Flutter community is growing rapidly, showing how promising the platform can be.
Comparing Architecture/Framework of React vs Xamarin vs Flutter
Architecture plays a big role while choosing the ideal app development platform,
React
The platform uses architecture called Flux for building client-based web applications. The frameworks usually follow the Model View Control (MVC) framework. With its intuitive approach, React helps developers modify an existing project.
Xamarin
Xamarin’s framework includes a platform based on visual designs for building native applications. It also utilizes MVVM and MVC architecture for accelerating the app processes packing shorter diameter.
- The MVVM model allows building separate procedures with identical codes.
- The MVC model aids in defining the difference between application and presentation logic, leading to an accelerated application development procedure.
Flutter
When it comes to Flutter, you see the Reactive UI practice being used. It also packs a Dart application framework with the one-directional flow of data which rises from Flux and RefluxJS.
But due to the sheer size of Flutter, the developers can get frustrated with it. Even if you minimize it, the application still remains bigger than the general platforms.
Comparing the Community of React vs Xamarin vs Flutter
Decent community support is always a good sign for every platform and the same is true with these three.
React
React was created when a developer community was searching for an alternative of the combination of Native React and better mobile application development.
React has one of the best communities with over 83k stars on GitHub alongside 2,000 + contributors working to enhance the platform.
Xamarin
Amongst the three platforms, Xamarin houses the least support from communities. Therefore, GitHub deeming Xamarin packing repositories, contributors, and users far lower than React is not surprising.
Flutter
Unlike Xamarin, Flutter packs a good community support of over 82k stars on GitHub, almost equal to React. Also there are over 500 contributors working to enhance the platform. Flutter developers can also be seen actively on differently Q&A sites.
Conclusion
React, Flutter, and Xamarin can undoubtedly be called one of the best mobile app development frameworks in 2020. However, a firm cannot invest in all three at once.
Therefore, the blog has tried to shed some light on each one of them. Read through the blog and try to find the best platform for your business.