Source: Flutter vs Kotlin
Gone are the days when cross-platform development meant the app would be built either using React Native or Flutter.
This was because the developers and entrepreneurs were relying on these platforms to make a strong presence on iOS, and Android in a budget-friendly way.
But today, Kotlin has also managed to enter the competition, making everyone confused about which platform to choose for development.
This is an article that will give a clear picture of the overall comparison between Flutter and Kotlin.
Table of Content
What is Flutter?
Companies are using Flutter?
What are the features of Flutter?
What is Kotlin?
Companies are using Kotlin?
What are the features of Kotlin?
What did developers say about Kotlin Vs Flutter?
What is the difference between Flutter and Kotlin?
How will Flutter look if Kotlin supports Flutter?
The Ultimate Winner between Flutter & Kotlin
What is Flutter?
Released in 2015, Flutter is an open-source platform that had an intent to organize a marketplace for Google Fuchsia.
This SDK helps to create native-looking apps, web, and desktop utilizing a single codebase.
Flutter is a framework compatible with iOS, Android, Web, and Desktop. Its library offers a single API to define views for multiple platforms at once.
Following is a sample of a Flutter application:
import ‘package:flutter/material.dart’;void main() => runApp(MyApp());class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return MaterialApp(
title: ‘Welcome to Flutter’,
home: Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text(‘Welcome to Flutter’),
),
body: Center(
child: Text(‘Hello World’),
),
),
);
}
}
Google UI framework focuses on prevailing technological and market challenges.
As a result of which Flutter became an ideal cross-platform app development framework within a very short time.
What Companies are using Flutter?
Here is the list of giants that use Flutter:
Companies Like Google, Groupon, eBay, and many others take advantage of this platform.
This must have made you curious to know what are its features making it a popular platform.
What are the Features of Flutter?
a) Free to Use
Flutter is a free and open-source platform that allows documentation, publishing of queries within the open developer discussion board and then implementation of the code.
b) Reload Performance
Scorching reload performance is one of the reasons why Flutter has become popular.
This performance makes it easy for everyone to make backend changes and analyze the front-end distinction.
This determines whether the change is excellent with various components of the appliance or not.
c) Highly Customizable
When you invest in Flutter application development, developers use different widgets.
This helps them in creating mobility that gives a personalized look and feel.
d) Less Development Cost
One of the major benefits of Flutter app development aims to create native-like apps for iOS and Android with the help of a single codebase. This helps in reducing the development cost.
e) Google Firebase
Firebase Integration allows Flutter app developers to give the backend facility in the event surroundings.
f) Ideal for MVP and App Prototypes
Flutter helps in building Android and iOS apps in less time, cost and energy.
This is why Flutter is considered as the perfect option for MVP development and building prototypes.
Once you have understood what is Flutter and its benefits. Now is the time to know all about Kotlin programming language.
What is Kotlin?
Developed by JetBrains, Kotlin is basically a general-purpose, open-source language.
It is statistically typed as a ‘pragmatic’ platform for Java Virtual Machine and Android combining object-oriented and functional features.
Released in 2010 with a small project, its first release came in 2016. Kotlin Multiplatform is an important feature of Kotlin that complies with the JVM bytecode, JavaScript or LLVM code.
This is why it can be ideally used for Android, iOs, Web, Desktop and Backend development in Java framework like Spring. Here is an example of an app sample of Kotlin:
What are the Companies using Kotlin?
Although the idea of investing in the Kotlin app development is new, it is surprisingly embraced by various companies. And some of them are mentioned below:
What are the Features of Kotlin?
Here are the features making the language popular:
a) An SDK, not framework
When you plan to build your app in Kotlin, there is no need to shift the complete app. Developers you hire to start with a single module, decide the working model and then progressively migrate different components.
b) Simple Language
Kotlin has its syntax quite similar to the programming languages like Swift, Java, Groovy, and Scala, it is fairly simple to understand the language.
c) Reuse of the Logic
This is not the only platform that allows separating UI and enterprise logic.
Xamarin and React Native are other frameworks that also provide this kind of service.
There is one thing making I different from others i.e. shared logic and libraries within the UI layer.
This makes the Kotlin developers work together in the native surroundings:
Swift and XCode for iOS
JavaScript for the Internet
Kotlin
Android Studio
All this is done without utilizing any bridge in an extra native manner.
d) Native UI Expertise
Kotlin Multiplatform doesn’t demand any instructions for creating UI. The Kotlin developers can work on the design, appearance, and efficiency appliance similar to native.
e) Scalability and Flexibility
The developers can scale up the applications without utilizing any virtual machine (VM). This makes it an ideal choice for creating an app where scalability and flexibility are necessary.
What Developers have to say regarding Kotlin Vs. Flutter?
“Dart is just a wannabe amateur hobby me-too project compared to Kotlin.”
Mike Milpot, Software Architect, Inventor
“Apart from the fact that you can still call Android/iOS APIs, building Flutter UIs is a bit more exhaustive than it is on Android.”
Wilberforce Uwadiegwu, Mobile Software Engineer, NCK Tech
“You can, of course, use the Flutter knowledge to develop iOS apps later, so it can be more useful knowledge if you want to focus on mobile app development, but learning java will give you a step if you want to work on Back-end web development.”
Maycon Miranda, Web Developer, Bio Extratus
“Currently flutter lacks a library/guide in comparison to Kotlin/Java. Therefore sometimes you’ll need to transfer or wrap the Android library to flutter by yourself. It’ll make the time of developing your application increased.”
Phạm Anh Minh, Samsung Vietnam Mobile R&D Center
What is the Difference between Flutter & Kotlin?
Flutter and Kotlin, both platforms have the ability to create amazing applications. Still, there are many differences that we will be discussing below:
Comparison Table Flutter vs Kotlin
Features
FlutterKotlin
Popularity
More popular with 88.7k stars & 11.7k forksLess popular with 31.1k stars & 3.8kforks
Released
20172010Programming Language
Dart
JVM, JavaScript & Native
Pricing
Free & open source
Free & open source
UI experience
Best User Interface
100% interoperable in Java
Testing Support
Operates with Firebase (Baas platform)
Rich set of testing feature
Performance
Excellent speed
Better in security syntax & compatibility
1) Popularity
Kotlin and Flutter both are open source platforms giving free access to everyone.
This is one of the reasons why developers have a lot of curiosity about working on these platforms.
Flutter is gaining more popularity than Kotlin and it can clearly be depicted from the GitHub presence.
This clearly depicts that Flutter gets an enormous momentum available in the market when compared to Kotlin.
2) Performance
Flutter
The biggest benefit of using Flutter is that it gives the hot reload functionality.
This feature makes it easy for the users to make different changes in the backend, and depict the difference in front-end concurrently.
This ensures if the element and design are perfect or not.
Kotlin
Using Kotlin programming language for this cross-platform development gives the advantage of multiplatform that compiles the code explicitly with the same format.
Therefore, it is a reliable platform for good performance in their native counterparts.
3) UI Experience
Flutter
When you invest in Flutter app development, you get the opportunity to take the help of various widgets available.
This further helps in creating mobility solution ions in a quick, effective and customized manner.
Kotlin
In Kotlin app development, the user doesn’t have to follow any kind of instructions for creating the UI.
The mobile app developers you hire to take care of the app appearance, behavior and performance of the app.
And this is quite similar to the way they would like for native.
4) Programming Language
Flutter
This cross-platform app development framework takes the help of the Dart programming language. The language was introduced by Google in 2011.
The syntax of Dart is quite reliable, easy to understand and learn. One of the reasons is because it manages to support the object-oriented elements.
The developers can access Dart as there is massive follow documentation available on the official website of Dart.
Kotlin
This is a general-purpose and statically typed programming language that helps to interoperate completely with Java.
It is quite similar to Java and targets JavaScript, Native and Java Virtual Machine.
5) Pricing
Flutter: The open-source platform, Flutter, and Dart are both free to use platforms. This helps in empowering the developers to view:
Documentation
Post queries in the development forum
Learn and implement code
Kotlin
This one is also free of cost and open source code available on Git-Hub. The user simply has to download and install the app once it is created in this platform Kotlin.
6) Testing Support
Flutter
Flutter gives the user a rich set of testing features that do unit testing for widget while integrating the level.
Having great documentation on testing, it also has an interesting widget testing feature.
With the help of this feature, the user constructs widget tests to examine the UI, and operate them at unit test speed.
Kotlin
When you are considering the backend development services, Kotlin is one such platform that has an advantage over the ones that are in the market.
Although Flutter operates with Firebase, which is an efficient Backend as a Service Platform securing backend opportunities, Kotlin allows developers to create the backend code.
7) Integration
Flutter
Flutter offers the functionality of creating an app and is compatible with both iOS and Android platforms with less code.
This eventually makes Flutter the ideal option for MVP development while creating a prototype.
You should test the waters beforehand.
Kotlin
The multi-platform framework is within the native ecosystem.
The hired mobile developers can operate the same tools and libraries that they use during native development. This involves Jetpack Compose and SwiftUI.
This clearly depicts that they require third-party libraries and tools to bridge combinations with the native environment.
8) Community
Flutter
Flutter is a platform that is constantly flourishing in the marketplace.
The Flutter community is also increasing simultaneously. As it has been created by Google, it has many huge plans for it.
Kotlin
Google is developing itself to become Kotlin-oriented and this is one of the reasons why mobile app developers are getting inclined towards it.
Not only this, but there is also a long list of Java apps that are rewritten in Kotlin having smart features. Kotlin has been considered as the future of app building and development.
This is How Flutter will look if Kotlin supports Flutter
import flutter.material.*fun main() = runApp(MyApp())class MyApp: StatelessWidget {
fun build(context: BuildContext) = materialApp {
title = “Welcome to Flutter”
scaffold {
appBar = AppBar(title = “Welcome to Flutter”)
center {
text(“Hello World”)
}
}
}
}
The Ultimate Winner between Flutter & Kotlin
Flutter and Kotlin, both the platforms are reliable and aim at decreasing the time and cost of application development.
For the development of both the natives as well as cross-platform mobile applications, both these platforms are known to be reliable and aim at decreasing the time and expense of the app development alongside improved app performance.
Although both the platforms Flutter and Kotlin are good but cross-platform development is expected to reach its height in the near future.
Many experts have clearly predicted that it is going to have a bright future. So, it is advisable to hire Flutter developers for application development.
Flutter today has a stronghold in the cross-platform app development competition it’s here to stay for long.