Flutter vs Kotlin: Which One to Choose in 2021? | Major Difference Between the Both

Summary: Today’s technology is a booming market full of exciting and innovative software developments. With an increase in tech adaption, the millennials are driving SMEs and entrepreneurs towards the digital space. So, with every day’s groundbreaking tech-stack emergence from consumers to developers everyone is curious to know more facts about the app solutions world. Here, in this blog, our experienced app developers have discussed the most popular cross-platform app developments- Flutter and Kotlin. Let’s have a good read at Flutter vs Kotlin and know which one of the tech trends is better for your software solution.

What new technology does is create new opportunities to do a job that customers want done- Tim O’Reilly

From single platform app development to multiple ones, we have surely come a long way. Technological advancements have turned the tables of reaching and engaging with customers in every niche. At present, the burning question in everyone’s mind is how to develop a successful and trend-setting software solution? Which tech stack should we use? 

In the middle of these questions, the emergence of cross-platform development gave a new turn to the app development cycle. The developers and organizations started looking at the new development framework and technologies which made it popular in no time.

Cross-platform app development gained a new hype. It is the best alternative to native development. The major reason for this popularity is, it allows running apps on multiple platforms iOS and Android. Also, reduces a project’s cost, allows engagement on both platforms at a time, single codebase formation, and more. Before moving to the Flutter vs Kotlin differentiation let’s have a look at some cross-platform development criteria and statistics of the app world.

How will one decide to opt for cross-platform development?

• If you plan to have your service for more than one platform, or desire to reuse the code, design, database. And plan to maintain app visibility.
• If UI is the major concern for you, then cross-platform application tools are capable to deploy identical UI designs across the platforms. It also gives the app acceptability in the digital world.
• Most important is the deadline for deploying an application. It plays a crucial role in selecting a framework, as the time of development varies a lot between each platform. 

Now, let’s have a look at the overall app development world and the popularity of such software solutions across the globe. 

Global App Development Statistics

• The cross-platform applications are very much popular among the audiences of the United Kingdom, Philippines, Germany, United States. 

• The global mobile app revenue is projected to generate more than 935 billion U.S. dollars in revenue via paid downloads and in-app advertising.

So, if you are planning to create an app development then do not worry as people are ready to buy applications. Collaborate with a successful brand of your niche for in-app ad campaigns. 

• Apple app store globally is projected to generate $41.5 billion in consumer spending in the first half of 2021. The Google Playstore is estimated to reach $23.4 billion in the same period.

These statistics are truly accelerating cross-platform application development. The numbers from the Apple store and Google Playstore ensure a bright future for the engagement of software solutions. 

So, by now you are pretty much clear about the cross-platform essentials and the scope of the app development world. There is n number of possibilities when you decide to build an online venture for your business. The online world is all set with increasing revenue and user-centric downloads awaiting your presence.

Gone are the days when readers only thought about React Native when they heard the word cross-platform. After the advent of Flutter vs Kotlin, the app development market has seen potential to dominate the digital market. And, so there is a cut-throat competition between the app frameworks to provide a seamless online experience. 

Flutter vs Kotlin: Basic Details

Flutter 

It is the most popular programming language is the most popular open-source UI toolkit. It helps design natively compiled applications. The efficacy of this tech advancement is it allows development on the web, mobile, desktop, and embedded devices. All these Flutter developments are possible just by using a single code. The frontend framework is a no “default” backend for a Flutter application.

Major advantages of using Flutter:-

• Fast development: This development helps easy reloading and allows user-friendly UIs, features, and fix bugs faster. The developers are able to use the finest combination of fully customizable widgets to build native interfaces.   
• Expressive UIs: Engage your users with rich motion APIs, smooth natural scrolling, and platform awareness. It allows an intuitive and user-friendly interface. 
• Native performance: The programming language incorporates all critical platform differences such as scrolling, navigation, fonts to provide full native performance on Android and iOS.
• Easy coding: Dart coding facilitates developers to create fully functional apps with less code. Its reactive programming language makes it simple for developers to execute routine tasks. 

Disadvantages of Flutter App Development:-

• Performance issues on iOS 
• Large file sizes 
• Lack of third-party libraries and integrations
• Dart language

Kotlin

Kotlin is an open-source programming language, designed to interoperate with Java. The superlative capabilities of this framework make Java look primitive. It never imposes common UI and reuses business logic modules. This saves much time and makes the process hassle-free.

Major advantages of using Kotlin:-

• Java-compatible: Kotlin for Android is Java’s object-oriented nature. The programming language allows smooth migration from Java to Kotlin. A user can easily maintain old apps with Java and build new Kotlin ones. It easily converts applications one file at a time without disrupting the process. 
• Clear & compact coding: Kotlin’s straightforward syntax makes your code concise. It makes a development team efficient by saving them time through minimal coding. Less coding means free bugs, especially when the framework handles all the mundane coding. It allows building a reliable, simple, and accelerated app development process. 
• Imposes no runtime overhead: The standard library is compact and focused, consisting primarily of Java standard library extensions. Because of the extensive usage of compile-time inlining, functional constructions such as map/filter/reduce pipelines compile similarly to an imperative version of the same code.
• Strong community: The community behind the development of Kotlin is constantly evolving the programming language. They are improving their quality with each passing day.

Disadvantages of Kotlin App Development:-

• Lower compilation speed than Java 
• Fewer Kotlin experts

So, by now, you have understood the idea of Flutter & Kotlin individually. Further, you will read the specific parameters on which our app developers have differentiated the framework for you.

Various Parameters for Comparing Flutter vs Kotlin

#1 Performance

Flutter app development provides the facility of using the same language in the front-end and backend. Such functionality helps in improved speed and qualitative performance. It also has hot reloading which allows developers to make new changes in the code in real-time without reinstallation.

On the other hand, Kotlin organizes the code as per its targeted platform’s format. This facility makes the framework much easier to customize and provides higher performance.

#2 UI experience

Flutter was formed as an SDK to support UI development. It provides custom widgets that shorten the development time. The programming language provides an app solution that is quick and efficient.

Whereas Kotlin provides the freedom of developing a unique app as per the developer’s skills. It does not have any pre-conceived guidelines, thus, developers get control over the app’s appearance and conduct.   

#3 Popularity

This one is a very important one. Popularity automatically speaks about user favorite, developer’s preference, and a brand’s likeability. Among the other cross-platform mobile app frameworks, Flutter has been on the top. The software developers are consistently using the language. According to the survey, the likeability across the globe is 42%.

According to GitHub, the popularity of the framework has 2.8k+ stars & 300+ forks. Popularity wise in the recent years of 2019-20, Flutter has gained a lot of attraction from the software developers. The growth seen is 30% to 39% while Kotlin has been used by only 2% of developers throughout the stipulated period. 

#4 Compatible with third-party libraries & tools

Being an SDK, Flutter easily integrates with third-party libraries and tools. While in Kotlin multiplatform the development is done in the native ecosystem. An app developer is allowed to deploy its existing libraries and tools SwiftUI, Jetpack Compose, and all the others used in native development.

When Flutter is a good choice? 

Flutter mobile app development significantly saves time and development costs. It is a great choice for developing MVP apps that are built with limited time and resources. The framework works best where one has to develop a user engaging application majorly for an online store, Fintech app, business app. 

When Kotlin is a good choice? 

Kotlin is widely used by Java developers. It tries to overcome several drawbacks of Java. The framework helps in developing existing applications, cross-platform apps, and write server-side code in Kotlin. It is the best choice to start a project on Android for cross-platform applications regardless of their size and complexities.

Flutter vs Kotlin: Key Differences

Criteria	Flutter	Kotlin
Definition	Framework from Google	Object-oriented programming language targeting JVM and JavaScript
Developed by	Google	JetBrains
Releases	2017	2011
Supportive Platforms	Android, iOS, Google, Linux, macOS, Windows	Android, JVM, iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux
App Size	Bigger	Less than Flutter
Performance	Native performance on all platforms	Slower but overall compatible with other platforms
Community	Fast-growing community	Evolving community
Best Features	Hot reload, fully customized widgets, and platform awareness for UIs	Interoperability with Java, concise, safe, and functional programming support

Which one’s better Flutter or Kotlin?

Both the frameworks have the capability of changing the future of cross-platform. Flutter and Kotlin both offer the best performance and save time for the software developers. Every programming language has its own pros and cons. But both are significantly best in the market. Kotlin is here for long, and Flutter has been around for a while. It is too early to say which one will excel the other, as there are yet many digital innovations to come. If you are planning to develop an app on either of the two platforms, consult an experienced web and mobile app development company like us. Our developers will guide you based on the idea, budget, feature complexity, and time period of your development.