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Vaibhav Shakya
Vaibhav Shakya

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One Decision Can Save You Months: Flutter, React Native or Kotlin Multiplatform?

#flutter #reactnative #kmm #androiddev

One Decision Can Save You Months: Flutter, React Native, or Kotlin Multiplatform?

  • Flutter → Best for pixel-perfect, custom UI and rapid iteration.
  • React Native → Best for JS/TS teams, huge ecosystem, and fast product loops (new architecture helps performance).
  • Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) → Best for native performance with shared business logic; build UI per platform or use emerging shared-UI options.

The Decision in 60 Seconds

  • Need a beautiful, consistent UI across platforms fast? Start with Flutter.
  • Have strong React/JS talent, want quick shipping + wide library support? Choose React Native (Fabric/TurboModules reduces old bridge pain).
  • Have Kotlin/Android strength, want native iOS too, and care about sharing domain/data layers? KMP shines—keep UI native, share the core.

Why This Choice Matters

Pick right, and you avoid:

  • Costly rewrites after MVP
  • Build time headaches at scale
  • UI performance regressions
  • Hiring bottlenecks due to niche skills

Quick Comparison (Pragmatic View)

Flutter

  • Pros: Consistent visuals, great animation tooling, reliable hot reload.
  • Trade-offs: Larger binaries vs pure native, big projects still need careful module/build hygiene.

React Native (New Architecture)

  • Pros: Huge ecosystem, web-to-mobile talent pipeline, faster startup & less jank than the “old bridge” era.
  • Trade-offs: JS runtime overhead remains; best results need embracing the new architecture and good native module strategy.

Kotlin Multiplatform

  • Pros: Share business logic & models; leverage native UI performance; strong for teams already on Kotlin.
  • Trade-offs: UI often built twice (Android/iOS), though Compose Multiplatform & friends are evolving; iteration loop not as instant as Flutter/RN.

Enterprise Reality Check

  • Maintainability: Larger teams benefit from familiar stacks (JS/TS for RN; Kotlin for KMP).
  • Performance: All three can hit 60fps with proper engineering; RN’s new arch and Flutter’s Impeller narrow historic gaps.
  • Hiring: RN usually wins on talent pool; Flutter talent is growing; KMP excels where Android/Kotlin depth exists.
  • Compliance & Native Integrations: KMP and RN with native modules handle complex device/APIs well; Flutter has mature plugin coverage but deep edge-cases may need custom channels.

Build & DX (Developer Experience)

  • Iteration speed: Flutter 🔥, RN 🔥 (Fast Refresh); KMP slower for iOS UI cycles.
  • Tooling: All improving; KMP’s iOS loop is the least “instant” today.
  • Long-term upgrades: Expect smoother path if you align with each ecosystem’s recommended architecture (Impeller for Flutter; Fabric/TurboModules for RN; modern Kotlin + Gradle for KMP).

A Simple Decision Checklist

  1. Team skills today?

    • JS/TS + React → React Native
    • Kotlin/Android heavy → KMP
    • Greenfield with design-heavy UI → Flutter

  2. UI demands?

    • Complex custom visuals/animation → Flutter
    • Mostly standard UI with native feel → KMP (native UI) or RN

  3. Iteration speed critical?

    • Designer-in-the-loop tweaks → Flutter/RN

  4. Long-term code sharing focus?

    • Share business/domain layers primarily → KMP
    • Share UI + logic from day one → Flutter or RN

Full Deep Dive

For more nuance, examples, and edge cases, read the original article:

Medium: https://medium.com/@vaibhav.shakya786/one-decision-can-save-you-months-flutter-react-native-or-kotlin-multiplatform-b2048dd47284

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