Do you think Flutter is a good choice over Swift for creating iOS apps?

At a broader level, there is an app for everything. If you are running your business without an app, you miss out on potential revenue. There is a massive demand for reliable, user-friendly apps by customers. Interestingly, tech advances in mobile technology have made things easy for developing high-performing iOS and Android apps. One of the most important decisions you’ll make in your business is building an app for your customers to use. The proliferation of affordable mobile devices has meant that companies no longer have an excuse for not having a user-friendly app. But, before you start coding the next blockbuster app, you’ll need to determine which framework and language to use. But the contest between Flutter and Swift becomes interesting when it comes to creating iOS apps.

Know Flutter and Swift

Both Swift and Flutter are the most wanted technologies to create iOS apps. Flutter is a cross-platform UI toolkit, and Swift is a programming language. Even we should compare them because both are popular solutions for web and mobile apps, especially iOS apps.?

Swift is an open-source, multi-paradigm, and general-purpose language by Apple. It has been designed for native iOS development. On the other hand, Flutter is also open source, but Google developed this multi-platform mobile SDK. A perfect mix of Dart programming language and Flutter is a deadly combination for building iOS, Android, Mac, Google Fuchsia, Linux, Windows, and web apps, using the same source code. Both come with different benefits.?

Swift benefits

? Advanced functionality

? Dynamic libraries for easy scaling

? Excellent documentation

? Free and open source

? Good code readability?

? High speed

Flutter benefits

? Free and open source

? Graphics engine

? Great documentation

? High speed

? Hot reload

? Support for older devices

? Unique tools to speed up development

? Widgets for easy interface creation

Comparison base: Flutter vs. Swift

When it comes to mobile apps, both Swift and Flutter look good. But developers have a divided opinion on using both tools. Let’s move ahead and compare both Flutter and Swifts based on the following aspects.?

Speed

When you use native programming languages, app build time is faster. That is why the Swift and Kotlin languages are ideal for having clean build times. Dart/Flutter builds increase speed, and they look competitive when looking beyond the initial clean build.

Time-to-market

When it comes to deciding time-to-market for iOS development, Flutter matters the most. Only a handful of companies demand a single-platform app. Using Swift to build an iOS can be expensive because developers must develop separate apps with two different code bases for iOS and Android.?

Flutter utilizes one code base to develop apps for many platforms. This way, you can curtail development tenure, maintenance time, and overall expenses. Moreover, apps will function smoothly on their relevant operating systems and devices. It is easy to develop apps fast with Flutter.??

Flutter has many lighter and faster Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) like Visual Studio Code to speed up Flutter app development. Interestingly, app development enthusiasts can have an essential Flutter minimum viable product (MVP) on the market within two months. Furthermore, they can add new app features over time and launch a fully developed app in the least possible time.?

Plugins and code reusability

The thing that makes Flutter the first choice of app developers is its fantastic code reusability and single codebase for several platforms. That is why Flutter can reduce test time as it prevents developers from spending excess time on testing app performance for two separate apps. The same advantage doesn’t come with Swift and other native frameworks. Flutter also has numerous plugins for faster and easier app development.

Performance

You can go the Swift way if you have a bloated budget for developing mainly separate apps for each platform. Then, native frameworks will let you get smooth, fast, reliable apps. When you have budget constraints, you have to compromise on performance.

If you are looking for native-level performance across all platforms, Flutter apps can help you. Such apps run applying natively compiled code but without interpreter interference. Also, there is a Flutter animation package you can utilize for building a sleek, intuitive UI. The Flutter animation widgets feature also comes with pre-set effects that you can customize as per your specific needs.

Popularity and use cases

If you go through older Stackoverflow surveys, you will find Flutter ranked above Swift in the topmost preferred frameworks, libraries, and tools. Although, both frameworks are unique for creating impressive apps.?

? Popular Swift Apps: Eventbrite, Firefox, LinkedIn, Lyft, and SlideShare

? Popular Flutter Apps: Alibaba, eBay, Google Ads, Groupon, SpaceX Go, and Square

Flutter can build giant apps for businesses of all sizes, from retailers to financial organizations to suppliers. However, a few Flutter limitations can move you to a native framework. You may look for a different option if?

? Your app size is tiny,

? You need hot code pushes to avoid the App Store review process, and

? You are developing a game complex game like PUBG.

Does Flutter have the edge over Swift?

With the above comparison, Flutter looks better over Swift. Additional features of Flutter like AppleHelathKit, HomeKitsupport, and Machine Learning are easy to integrate into any Flutter app. Also, check the following reasons why Flutter makes a big difference. These include:?

? Faster code writing (Hot reload)

? Faster time to market

? Good app performance?

? Less code is needed

? Less-testing?

? Ready-made and user-friendly UI components

? Simple app updates for several platforms

Inextensible libraries, platform risk, immature framework, and software complexities are some reasons that can stop you from developing your next app with Flutter. But, expert and professional Flutter app developers know how to make the most out of Flutter and give you a competitive edge.?

Summing up

It is known that all languages and frameworks are not suitable for your upcoming project. It would be best to consider your own project needs and preferences concerning different business aspects.?

Still unable to decide on a better framework for iOS Apps between Flutter and Swift? Ask iOS app development companies how they can help your next iOS app development project.?