Flutter versus .NET MAUI

There are various mobile frameworks on the market that allow developers to create mobile apps. Also frameworks which promise to create a unified solution across platforms (essentially Android and iOS).

In this article, we would like to briefly highlight the two development frameworks Xamarin/.NET MAUI from Microsoft and Flutter from Google. In addition, we want to explain why we, as a long-time Microsoft partner and specialist in .NET development, nevertheless decided to use Flutter.?

Xamarin/MAUI

Xamarin, a framework from Microsoft, has been around for a few years. With this, essentially IOS and Android applications can be developed cross-platform. The advantage of Xamarin for our purposes is primarily the fact that Xamarin is based on .NET / C#. So our .NET developers can develop in their familiar programming language, and the framework then translates the code for the respective target platform.

?The successor or extension of Xamarin is .NET MAUI, for Multiplatform App UI. MAUI not only enables the development of mobile apps for iOS and Android, but also desktop apps. MAUI is thus a technically very powerful construct that would fit nicely into our tech stack.

The problem is, however, that the Microsoft framework is not yet final, but is still in the beta phase and is also only designed for the upcoming .NET version. It is therefore out of the question as a tool for us, as we want to offer our customers stable production solutions. This is not given with a beta.

Flutter

We received more and more requests from customers to develop an app for them with Flutter. Since we primarily use Microsoft technologies, but are always open to new things, we took a closer look at Flutter.

Flutter is Google's counter design and for our purposes (as a cross mobile platform) similar to Xamarin/MAUI. And Flutter has been used to develop not only mobile apps but also desktop apps since July.

Almost half a million apps use Flutter, it became the most popular cross-platform UI toolkit in a very short time (source: it-intouch and Statista).

The disadvantage in our eyes was initially that Flutter is based on another programming language, namely Dart, which was mainly developed by Google. However, since Dart is based on C#, we want to take on the challenge and test it as a tool for us at this year's VIALUTIONS Summercamp and establish Flutter as a new technology. We could already inspire some of our developers for it.

Technologically, Flutter stands on better (because younger) feet, .NET MAUI continues to drag the past and disadvantage of Xamarin with it.

For us, Flutter has the potential to become the third technology we integrate into our tech stack, alongside .NET and Typescript.

You want to know more? Don’t hesitate to contact us!