Cross-Platform Development in 2025: Flutter vs. React Native vs. New Players
Vishakha Rai
Vice President Operations at Networsys Technologies | Software Development, Mobile App Development, ERP, CRM, HRMS, and Digital Marketing Solutions
What is Cross-Platform Development?
Cross-platform development means building apps that can run on multiple platforms, like iOS and Android, using a single codebase. Instead of creating separate apps for each platform, developers write the code once and it works on both, saving time and effort.
But why is it essential in contemporary app development?
In today’s world people are different; some use iPhones, while others use Android phones.
People and companies need their applications to be installed on any device possible whichever is used.?
It becomes easier and faster to do through tablet app development which does not require developers to start a new design from scratch to make an application that would fit the iPad and tablets developed or running on Android.?
This holds cost and at the same time increases the turnover rate hence fast market entry.
Why is it relevant in 2025?
The need for rapid application development increases even more in 2024 when reaching its apex.?
Customers want single interface experience and companies want their apps released as quickly as possible to remain relevant.?
Across the platforms, using tools such as Flutter and React Native, cross-platform development is much more powerful today, therefore one can easily develop good-quality, performant applications for any device.?
Moreover, fresh comprehensive guidelines are being developed, providing even more opportunities for developers to build multifunctional applications quicker and without much effort.
What is flutter and react native?
Cross-platform applications development can be done with the help of several frameworks and tools, the most known and used are: Flutter and React Native.
Flutter is developed by Google and developers can develop an application for both IOS and Android, web and desktop applications using the same code.?
Written in Dart and classes highly in terms of speed, many of their UI are also very aesthetically appealing.?
Flutter allows developers to use provided widgets, and this makes it very easy to design a beautiful app.
Meta (formerly Facebook develops React Native). It is written in JavaScript (or TypeScript) and lets developers create mobile applications by using the React Library which is widely used for Web Development.?
It is important to note that React Native has always been famous for its opportunity to work with native code, which helps the programmer to be rather versatile in accessing the platform’s features.
At the current time, it is being actively applied by such giants as Instagram, Airbnb, or Shopify.
Current Status in the Cross-Platform Development Space
As of 2024, new frameworks and technologies are emerging in the cross-platform development space. One notable newcomer is Microsoft's .NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI), which is gaining attention.
How Does It Compare?
Performance and Efficiency in 2025
In 2024, the capabilities and productivity of the cross-platform frameworks are advanced than this year: But the amendments that exist between Flutter, React Native, and the new technologies, for example, .NET MAUI.?
Let’s break it down:
1. Which framework out of the bunch would be the best suited for 2025?
Flutter:
Speed: Flutter seems to be a hair faster than React Native, primarily because Flutter has a direct rendering of pixels using its own Skia. This makes animations smooth and have faster rendering of the UI where the complexity of the UI is large.
Stability: Flutter is robust across platforms and excels in supporting both the mobile and the web or the desktop version of an app but big-scale app development might need some tuning in terms of memory.
React Native:
Speed: The interaction between JavaScript and native components is done through a bridge which entails very small amounts of lag but the latest innovations (Hermes engine and TurboModules) have minimized this input delay.
Stability: Likely not suitable for complex animations or graphics intense UI since the performance cutoff seemed too slow when dealing with those elements hence can be stable though used in the production apps.
New Technologies (e.g., .NET MAUI):
Speed: In terms of performance,.NET MAUI is comparable to other frameworks and close to Flutter but still less effective in terms of the UI rendering engine.
Stability: In its current state, it isn’t as stable as flutters, react native and it may not support all the platforms in the same manner.
Comparisons with Memory and CPU
Flutter:
Memory Usage: A Flutter app is often heavier because the Skia engine handles every frame of the UI, including rendering. This is admissible for most of the current gadgets but may put pressure on most of the low-end gadgets.
CPU Usage: It’s usually optimal, but large-scaled animations can be problematic because they require a lot of processing power thus using up a lot of resources.
React Native:
Memory Usage: React Native aims for being lighter-weight for UI creation, but it can suffer from memory leaks, especially when JavaScript is running in the background and is not efficient.
CPU Usage: React Native relies more on the CPU when computation-intensive operations have to be performed at the JavaScript end of things but with updates like the Hermes engine, this was done in 2025.
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.NET MAUI:
Memory and CPU Usage: NET MAUI is in the middle of Flutter and React Native. It is decent with memory and CPU but being a newer framework I found it not as efficient as flutter specifically when it comes to heavy usage such as real-time animations.
4. Which of the frameworks is more resourceful?
Flutter:
May take more memory to draw the UIs than most frameworks, but is the one with the least amount of hitches in terms of User Interfaces. This can cause a minor drain in battery power whenever used under applications that demand high graphics.
React Native:
Usually takes less amount of memory and processing power but may consume more power in applications where use of JavaScript logical constructs is high. As we can see in our test in 2024, optimizations such as Hermes have minimized this problem, but the performance gets a little slower when operating resource-intensive apps.
.NET MAUI:
Resource utilization is reasonable, yet again the effectiveness of.NET MAUI heavily relies on the platform and tools applied. This one does not compete with the Flutter environment in high-level graphical applications but consumes less resources in business or enterprise applications.
Battery and App Implications
Flutter:
Impact on Battery: Even the best and most efficient applications can cause battery discharge to occur much faster if it uses animating formations or real-time functioning. But for most of the applications, the effect is moderate.
App Performance: Yes, specially for applications with lots of images and animations as is the case with modern UI and metro styled applications.
React Native:
Impact on Battery: It can be more battery friendly than Flutter when used in simple applications whereas applications employing a lot of background JavaScript operations are known to cause faster battery drain.
App Performance: While very efficient for most typical applications, with complicated UIs and animations it begins to lag.
.NET MAUI:
Impact on Battery: Moderate, not consuming too many resources, while not being more efficient than the medium either. Most suitable for business purposes which do not involve high graphics animation.
App Performance: Less better than Flutter for the animation-based apps meant for consumers but good for the apps that require data and business.
Ease of Development
Ecosystem Maturity
Hot Reload & Development Cycles
Cost and Time to Market
Future-Proofing and Long-Term Support
Platform Integration and Flexibility
Scalability and Project Suitability
Real-World Use Cases
Community and Resources
Security and Compliance
CONCLUSION
In 2024, the cross-platform development space is more dynamic and promising than ever, with Flutter, React Native, and newcomers like .NET MAUI shaping the future of app creation. Each framework has its strengths: Flutter shines with its superior UI performance and adaptability across mobile, web, and desktop platforms, making it ideal for visually rich, high-performance applications. React Native continues to dominate due to its JavaScript familiarity and strong native code integration, excelling in delivering smooth mobile experiences. Meanwhile, .NET MAUI is emerging as a robust option, particularly for enterprises and developers entrenched in the Microsoft ecosystem.
Ultimately, the choice of framework depends on your project's needs. For speed and exceptional design flexibility, Flutter is your go-to. If you're leveraging existing JavaScript expertise and need seamless native integration, React Native remains a top contender. And for businesses seeking deep platform support across Windows, macOS, and mobile, .NET MAUI offers exciting new possibilities.
As cross-platform frameworks continue to evolve, the landscape remains vibrant and competitive, enabling developers to build more powerful, efficient, and scalable applications across all devices. The future of app development is here—and it's cross-platform.
Vishakha Rai Very interesting and informative!
Information Technology Firewall Engineer, specializing in Network, Security, Cybersecurity, & DevOps
3 个月Recent advancements, such as the Fabric architecture, TurboModules, and enhanced tools, improve performance and flexibility, positioning React Native for integration with emerging technologies like AR/VR and IoT. By 2025, its adoption is expected to grow in startups and enterprises, driving innovation in cross-platform standards and reducing reliance on pure native development. While competition from Flutter and Kotlin Multiplatform may increase, React Native’s adaptability and continuous improvements will solidify its market relevance. Great post.????