Why Has Flutter Emerged as a Xamarin Alternative?
As cross-platform development gains prominence in the tech industry, the demand for hybrid frameworks is increasing. This surge in popularity has resulted in a multitude of frameworks available in the market, making it increasingly difficult to choose the most suitable option for a specific cross-platform development project.
Among these frameworks, Flutter and Xamarin have emerged as popular choices for cross-platform mobile application development. They allow developers to create apps using a single code base, saving valuable time and effort.
Xamarin, originating in 2011, was initially developed by engineers who created Mono, enabling the creation of Android and iOS apps with a native-like appearance. In 2016, Microsoft acquired Xamarin, integrating it into Microsoft Visual Studio and expanding its reach within the developer community.
In contrast, Flutter, introduced by Google at the Google I/O conference in 2017, has gained significant traction. While Xamarin benefited from its establishment in 2011 and its association with the Microsoft community, Flutter has experienced rapid growth and adoption rates since 2017.
In this blog post, we will compare Flutter and Xamarin, exploring the reasons behind Flutter's emergence as a viable alternative to Xamarin.
Flutter and Xamarin Comparison
While comparing Flutter and Xamarin, we discover specific resemblances that make them both suitable for cross-platform development. Let's explore some of the shared similarities between these two options.
Cross-Platform Development
Both Flutter and Xamarin enable developers to build cross-platform apps, allowing them to write code once and deploy it on multiple platforms such as Android, iOS, and more.
Native-Like Performance
Both frameworks strive to provide native-like performance by leveraging native APIs and hardware acceleration, resulting in smooth and responsive user experiences.
Reusable Code
Flutter and Xamarin promote code reuse, enabling developers to write shared code logic that can be used across different platforms, reducing development time and effort.
Access to native APIs
Both frameworks provide access to platform-specific APIs, allowing developers to incorporate native features and functionalities into their apps.
Community Support
Flutter and Xamarin have active and supportive communities where developers can seek help, share knowledge, and contribute to the ecosystem.
While Flutter and Xamarin share common ground, Flutter has several distinctive features that have contributed to its rise as a Xamarin alternative, including:
Language and Tooling
Flutter uses Dart as its programming language, which is easy to learn and has a familiar syntax for developers coming from languages like Java or JavaScript. Additionally, Flutter provides a comprehensive set of tools and libraries for app development, including a rich set of widgets and a powerful hot-reloading feature, which allows for faster iteration and debugging.
Code Maintainability
Flutter simplifies code maintenance by allowing developers to make changes in the source code and see the updates reflected immediately in the app. This makes it easier to fix bugs, add new features, and iterate quickly during the development process.
Performance and UI Rendering
Flutter's performance sets it apart from its competitors, as demonstrated by various tests. Unlike Xamarin.Forms, which sometimes lags behind native apps in terms of performance, Flutter consistently delivers impressive results. Flutter apps achieve a constant 60 frames per second (FPS) with rendering times under 16 milliseconds, resulting in smooth and responsive user interfaces(UI). By utilizing the Skia graphics library and native components, Flutter eliminates the need for a bridge, ensuring efficient communication and optimal performance.
Ecosystem and Tooling
Flutter benefits from being supported by Google, which provides extensive documentation, tools like Flutter DevTools, and a growing ecosystem of packages and plugins. Xamarin is backed by Microsoft and integrates well with Visual Studio and Azure services, offering a mature ecosystem and a wide range of libraries and plugins.
Market Share
Flutter has emerged as a true powerhouse, surpassing Xamarin in popularity and usability. While Xamarin holds a modest 0.6% market share among software frameworks, Flutter boasts an impressive 12.64% market share, ranking as the 6th most-used cross-platform framework. A remarkable 68.03% of developers worldwide have fallen in love with Flutter's capabilities, highlighting its superiority. The framework's success is evident in the staggering number of apps built with Flutter, surpassing 26,000 and accumulating a remarkable 13 billion downloads globally. Flutter's widespread adoption and exceptional performance solidify its position as a leader in the global app market.
Growing Popularity and Community Support
With over 60,000 contributors from 37,000 companies, Xamarin has a thriving open-source framework. Engaging with the Xamarin community is easy through platforms like Xamarin Blog, Stack Overflow, Xamarin Q&A, Reddit, and more. Flutter, although younger than React Native, has a growing community. It has 662+ professional contributors and around 13.7k forks of live projects, offering development support. Popular platforms to connect with the Flutter community include Slack, Discord, Gitter, Reddit, Flutterday, and Stack Overflow.
Hiring Developers
When it comes to hiring developers, Flutter offers several advantages. The average cost to hire Flutter developers ranges between $20 and $100 per hour, making it a cost-effective choice. Additionally, Flutter has gained popularity due to its vibrant community and increasing demand, resulting in a larger pool of available developers. In contrast, the job market for Xamarin developers faces a shortage, making it challenging to find the right talent. The cost to hire Xamarin developers can range from $20 to $50 per hour.
Modularity
Flutter excels in providing outstanding support for modularity, surpassing many other frameworks. Its pub package system enables the effortless division of project codes into separate modules, allowing teams to easily add, change, and collaborate on code. BMW architects themselves praised Flutter for seamlessly empowering diverse teams with varying skill sets at the Droidcon NYC conference 2019. Although Xamarin also offers modularity through tools like Prism and ReactorUI, it doesn't match the inherent modularity and ease of use that Flutter provides.
To Wrap Up
As Flutter continues to establish itself as a superior alternative to Xamarin, selecting the right development partner becomes crucial for businesses looking to create exceptional apps. At The One Technologies, we are a leading Flutter development company dedicated to helping businesses unlock the full potential of this cutting-edge framework.
Our team of skilled developers possesses extensive expertise in Flutter app development, leveraging its powerful features and tools to deliver visually stunning and high-performing cross-platform applications. With our deep understanding of Dart programming language and Flutter's customizable UI framework, we can create tailor-made apps that align with your brand's unique requirements and engage your target audience.
Partnering with an accredited Flutter development company like The One Technologies ensures access to a talented pool of developers who have embraced the superiority of Flutter. We stay up-to-date with the latest trends and advancements, ensuring that your app incorporates the latest tools and technologies for optimal performance and user experience. Need more information? Contact us today.
