In the digital world, businesses and startups need apps. They benefit from having these resources on hand to cater to smartphone users (which is, in reality, almost everyone) and to boost brand visibility.
With that said, Flutter can be the best choice for startup app development, and this post will explain to you why.
Why Platform Selection is Critical for Startups
Startups should not neglect a minimum viable product approach. Start with a version of the product that showcases core features for people to review and provide feedback. Then further production occurs as the product is tested and assessed. In a way, this mirrors the “beta testing” concept that has been so much a part of software development for decades, really, since the evolution of personal computing itself.
In order to build this initial version, you need the right technology stack for such incremental development. So choosing a platform is very important, and innovative Flutter solutions are a great choice.
Flutter vs. Other Frameworks for MVP
Comparing Flutter to other options shows all the advantages this technology possesses.
Flutter vs. React Native
So what do you expect to achieve when creating an MVP?
You want to test assumptions and validate your ideas/concepts first. That means having an app packed with core features only, customizable, and visually appealing. The development process should be streamlined with the right tools and strategies.
That’s where Flutter comes in. Its versatility makes it a natural fit for a lot of businesses that need to come up with quick but professional products. Flutter’s own features promote the optimization of the business processes, including scaling the product, reducing technical debt, quick testing, etc.
Let’s compare Flutter with another popular mobile app framework — React Native.
| Flutter | React Native | |
| Performance | With Flutter’s choice of Dart and Skia open-source library and schema factory, you can really get things going. | Uses JavaScript, which is one of the most popular languages in the world, and React Native for building interfaces, so you may find developers easier for this case. |
| Development Velocity | The “Hot Reload” feature that can speed up the development process by showing changes in the code in real time. |
Has a similar “Fast Refresh” option that seems to be a bit slower than Flutter’s. |
| UI/UX | A huge set of customizable widgets that follow Material UI and Apple guidelines. The interface of an app is similar on different platforms. | RN uses native components, which means there might be differences between the UI of the two operating systems, although the app achieves the native look and feel. |
| Ecosystem and Libraries | It has a smaller ecosystem due to the young nature of the framework. Official libraries that exist are managed and updated by Google and willing users. |
With JavaScript, there are a lot of libraries and resources available. |
In summary, Flutter is a young but solid framework that excels in the rapid building of prototypes and MVPs. Its ecosystem is still advancing, so it will surely have something to impress developers in the future.
Flutter vs. Native Development
| Flutter | Native | |
| Development time and cost | Faster time to market with customizable widgets and one code base. | Can take more time and require additional coding (depending on the complexities of the features required). Testing the product should be done on iOS and Android separately. |
| Performance | Close to native, consistent performance across various OSs. | Better performance for resource-intensive, complex apps. |
| Access to native functions | Get native functionality with Dart and Skia | Native functionality with JavaScript |
Native-like functionality, faster time to market, and more make Flutter a popular choice for startup app development, especially in the initial stages.
How Flutter Simplifies MVP Development
The benefits of Flutter are evident to businesses that have already created products that users love. First of all, as mentioned, the cross-platform work makes things easier and quicker. When you develop for iOS and Android at the same time, the cost-efficiency involved is a solid argument.
There’s also a lot of room for rapid testing and reiterating with Flutter and its versatile custom widget architecture.
Also don’t overlook the value of data visualization for the user. The more they can intuitively use the site, the better your responses are going to be, and you’ll see that reflected in user feedback. Whether teams are using NPS, focus groups, or other feedback techniques, the difference should be evident when survey parties are approached. Thanks to Flutter’s unit testing and beta testing support, all remarks of users are gradually taken care of (and relatively quickly), resulting in not only successful products but increased user satisfaction and trust.
Conclusion
Flutter facilitates high-quality cross-platform app development in an age when responsive design can mean the difference between the success or failure of a business model. The combination of scalability, performance, speed, and UI benefits that it presents makes it a go-to option for most startups.