React Native vs Flutter: how to choose for your app
By FluxsStudio Team. Published . 2 min read.
React Native and Flutter are the two main ways to build one app for both iOS and Android. Both are mature, both are used in large production apps, and both let you ship to two platforms from one codebase. The right choice depends mostly on your team and your interface.
What is the difference between React Native and Flutter?
| Compared | React Native | Flutter |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Meta | |
| Language | JavaScript or TypeScript | Dart |
| How it draws the UI | Uses each platform's native components | Draws every pixel with its own rendering engine |
| Look and feel | Feels native on each platform by default | Looks identical on every platform by default |
| Code sharing with a website | Strong, especially with React or Next.js | Possible, less common |
| Over-the-air updates | Yes, for example with Expo | More limited |
When should you choose React Native?
- Your team, or your website, already uses JavaScript or TypeScript.
- You want the app to feel native on iOS and Android: standard navigation, controls and gestures.
- You want to share code (types, API clients, validation) with a React or Next.js web app.
- You want to push small fixes to users without waiting for store review, using over-the-air updates.
When should you choose Flutter?
- The interface is heavily custom and brand-led, and must look exactly the same on every device.
- You have, or plan to hire, developers who know Dart.
- The app is animation-heavy and you want full control over every frame.
What do we use at FluxsStudio?
We default to React Native with Expo, because most products also need a website, and sharing TypeScript between a React Native app and a Next.js site saves real time, and because over-the-air updates suit our weekly release rhythm. We use Flutter when a project's design calls for it. Either way, the choice is made in week one and written down with the reasons.
The short version
If you're unsure, choose the one your developers already know. Both can build an excellent app. If you're starting from zero and also need a website, React Native usually wins on shared code. See our mobile app development service for how we take an app from first build to both stores.
Questions people ask
Neither is better for every app. React Native suits teams that already use JavaScript or TypeScript and want platform-native components. Flutter suits apps with heavily custom, brand-led interfaces that should look identical on every device.
For most business apps, both are fast enough that users can't tell the difference. Performance problems usually come from how the app is built, such as large lists or heavy animations, not from the framework choice.
With React Native, yes: business logic, types and API code written in TypeScript can be shared with a React or Next.js website. Flutter can also target the web, but it is less common for content-heavy sites.