According to Persistence Market Research (PMR), the global cross-platform app development framework industry revenue is expected to total $120 billion in 2023. Over the next ten years, global demand for cross-platform app development frameworks is forecasted to rise at 16.8% CAGR.
The growing popularity and rising adoption of mobile phones are cited as the topmost reason for the increasing demand for cross-platform app development that facilitates writing the code once and then deploying it on multiple platforms. Thereby cross-platform development frameworks demand is also intensified, which enables mobile app development companies to build a mobile app that renders a native-like look and feel irrespective of the device it’s deployed.
However, not all cross-platform app development frameworks guarantee high performance, native-like UI, and more. in this blog, we will discuss two cross-platform development frameworks, Flutter and Xamarin that are used at scale. Before we dig deeper into side-by-side comparisons of both frameworks, we will understand these two frameworks in brief.
What is the Xamarin?
Xamarin is a popular cross-platform development framework that allows mobile app developers to build native mobile applications for iOS, Android, and Windows using a single codebase. It is an open-source framework owned by Microsoft.
It offers the advantage of code reuse, native performance, and access to platform-specific features, making it a popular choice for cross-platform mobile app development. it facilitates seamless integration with existing third-party libraries, test cloud, forms, and code sharing that takes development to the next level of convenience.
What is Flutter?
Flutter is an open-source UI framework developed by Google that allows Flutter app developers to build natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop platforms using a single codebase. It was first introduced in 2017 and has gained significant popularity among developers.
It provides hot reload, pre-built widgets, and access to native features, enables UI customization, and uses Dart programming language that makes Flutter suitable for mobile app development for startups, enterprises, and individuals. Expert Flutter developers can help if you are looking for a flexible and efficient framework to build high-quality applications across multiple platforms.
The one-to-one comparison of Xamarin vs Flutter: which is a better cross-platform development framework?
Flutter and Xamarin are the top cross-platform development frameworks that are leveraged at scale. Identifying which framework is the best for the business project requires analyzing side-by-side comparisons of Xamarin and Flutter based on various aspects. Let’s dive in!
Programming Languages
The underlying programming language on the top of which frameworks are built plays a vital role in mastering the framework at speed. See where Xamarin and Flutter stand at.
Xamarin: Xamarin uses C# as the primary programming language. It provides access to the .NET ecosystem and allows developers to leverage existing C# libraries and frameworks.
Flutter: Flutter uses Dart as the primary programming language. Dart is an object-oriented language developed by Google, which is known for its simplicity and ease of learning.
Result: Both underlying programming languages make it easy to hold a grasp on the respective frameworks. It’s a draw.
Cross-platform Development
The cross-platform framework’s capabilities define how design-rich, full-fledged applications can be built. These two frameworks’ capabilities would allow businesses to know which is the best fit.
Xamarin: Xamarin allows developers to build cross-platform applications for iOS, Android, and Windows using a single codebase. It provides native UI controls and access to platform-specific APIs that enable native-like app development. The app logic such as web service calls, input validation, and database interactions created using C# can be shared a maximum of 75%.
Flutter: Flutter also enables cross-platform app development for iOS, Android, web, and desktop platforms using a single codebase. It uses its own set of customizable UI widgets and provides access to native features through plugins.
Result: As Flutter is the future of cross platform development it clearly wins the race.
User Interface (UI)
The user-centered user interface engineering allows applications to gain maximum users’ attention and increase retention.
Xamarin: Xamarin provides native UI controls and allows the creation of platform-specific UI designs that adhere to each platform's guidelines (e.g., Material Design for Android, Cupertino for iOS).
Flutter: Flutter uses its own set of customizable UI widgets, which are rendered using Skia, a high-performance graphics engine. This allows Flutter apps to have a consistent UI across different platforms.
Result: Flutter provides a breadth of customization options that enable near-to-native-like app development. So, Flutter is the winner.
Performance
Presently, the instant gratification need has made users show zero tolerance for the app that’s taking more than three seconds to load. Take a look at which framework renders the best performance.
Xamarin: Xamarin apps offer native performance as they leverage platform-specific APIs and optimizations. However, there may be a slight overhead due to the runtime and bridge between C# and the native platform.
Flutter: Flutter apps are known for their fast performance due to the use of Skia for rendering and its efficient UI framework. Apps built with Flutter can achieve near-native performance as they compile to native machine code.
Result: Flutter takes a driver’s seat in building high-performance apps.
Development Productivity
When time-to-market the mobile application is less, development productivity is a great help that allows businesses to launch the app in the minimum time.
Xamarin: Xamarin provides excellent development productivity for skilled developers familiar with C# and the .NET ecosystem. It offers Visual Studio IDE integration, debugging tools, and extensive libraries and frameworks.
Flutter: Flutter offers high development productivity with its hot reload feature, allowing developers to see code changes instantly. The framework provides a rich set of pre-built widgets and a supportive developer community.
Result: It's a Draw in battle for development productivity between Flutter vs Xamarin.
Ecosystem and Community
The framework backed by a huge community of active developers is a boon for the mobile app developers as they get required assistance when required.
Xamarin: Xamarin has a mature ecosystem with a wide range of libraries, components, and plugins available through NuGet. It has an active developer community and is backed by Microsoft.
Flutter: Flutter is a boon for app developers because has a growing ecosystem with a rich collection of packages available through pub.dev. It has an active and passionate community, and its popularity has been rising rapidly.
Result: Flutter- being a new framework doesn’t have a sizeable community of developers as Xamarin, but it’s growing at speed.
Also Read : Flutter vs Kotlin: Which One Is Better For Cross-Platform App Development?
Which cross-platform app development framework would you choose - Xamarin or Flutter?
Xamarin and Flutter frameworks have their strength and weakness that makes them good for distinct project cases. The unavailability of in-depth knowledge of these two frameworks makes businesses confused as they choose which cross-platform app development framework for their development strategy. Realizing the need, the head-to-head comparison of Xamarin and Flutter is explained
However, ultimately, the choice between Xamarin and Flutter depends on various factors such as development team expertise, project requirements, target platforms, and personal preferences. Consider evaluating these factors to determine which framework aligns better with your specific needs.
Top comments (2)
Why compare to Xamarin and not to its Successor MAUI? Xamarin is EOL in 2024, see dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/platfor...
What about React Native?