Last year, a startup I advise faced a choice: build their mobile app in Flutter or React Native. They had web developers familiar with JavaScript but no mobile experience. After two weeks of prototyping the same feature in both frameworks, they chose React Native—not because it was objectively better, but because their team was productive faster. Six months later, they're happy with the decision. Would Flutter have been wrong? No. But React Native was right for them.
Flutter and React Native are the two leading cross-platform mobile frameworks. Both let you build iOS and Android apps from a single codebase. Both have strong communities and backing (Google for Flutter, Meta/Facebook for React Native). But they differ in significant ways that matter when choosing between them.
Language and Developer Experience
React Native uses JavaScript or TypeScript. If you know modern JavaScript, React, and ES6+ features, you can start building React Native apps immediately. The vast JavaScript ecosystem is available—you can use most npm packages. If your team builds web apps with React, React Native feels familiar. The component model, hooks, state management patterns—they all transfer.
Flutter uses Dart, a language developed by Google. Dart is modern and well-designed, with features like sound null safety, strong typing, and async/await. But it's less common than JavaScript. Learning Dart isn't hard if you know Java, C#, or TypeScript, but it's another thing to learn. The upside is Dart was designed for UI development and Flutter specifically, so it fits the framework well.
This language difference affects hiring and team composition. Finding JavaScript developers is easier than finding Dart developers. That said, good developers can learn Dart in a week or two—it's not a huge barrier, just a consideration. If your team already knows JavaScript, React Native has an advantage. If you're building a mobile-first company and hiring for it specifically, Dart's unfamiliarity matters less.
Rendering and Performance
React Native uses native components. When you write a View in React Native, it renders as UIView on iOS and android.view on Android. This means your UI is genuinely native. The trade-off is that JavaScript code and native code communicate across a bridge, which can bottleneck for frequent updates. React Native's new architecture (Fabric, TurboModules) improves this but isn't universally adopted yet.
Flutter renders its own widgets using Skia, a 2D graphics engine. Flutter doesn't use native components—it draws pixels directly. This means consistent UI across platforms (a Flutter button looks the same on iOS and Android unless you use platform-aware widgets). It also means smoother animations and less bridge communication. The trade-off is larger app sizes and potentially less "native feel" since you're not using platform UI components.
In practice, both frameworks deliver good performance for typical apps. React Native has slight overhead from the JavaScript bridge, noticeable in animation-heavy apps or apps with frequent state updates. Flutter's rendering engine delivers very smooth 60fps animations. For most business applications (forms, lists, maps, standard interactions), the performance difference isn't significant.
UI and Styling
React Native styling feels web-like. You write style objects in JavaScript using camelCase CSS properties. Layouts use Flexbox. If you know web development, React Native styling is familiar. The catch is subtle differences from web CSS and debugging layout issues requires understanding React Native's layout system.
Flutter uses a widget-based approach where everything is a widget—layouts, padding, text, buttons. You compose widgets in Dart code. Flutter's layout system uses composition rather than CSS-like styling. This is powerful once you understand it, but different from web approaches. Flutter provides Material Design widgets (Google's design system) and Cupertino widgets (iOS-style) out of the box.
React Native generally aims for platform-native look and feel by default. A button looks like an iOS button on iOS and an Android button on Android. Flutter widgets look the same on both platforms unless you explicitly use platform-aware widgets. Some see this consistency as an advantage (brand consistency across platforms). Others prefer platform-native appearance.
Development Tools and Workflow
React Native development typically uses VS Code, Android Studio, and Xcode. Hot reload lets you see changes quickly without rebuilding. Debugging uses Chrome DevTools or Flipper. The tooling is solid and familiar to web developers.
Flutter development often uses Android Studio or VS Code with Flutter extensions. Flutter's hot reload is notably fast and reliable—in my experience, slightly better than React Native's. Flutter DevTools provide inspection, profiling, and debugging. The developer experience is polished, though learning widget composition takes time initially.
Ecosystem and Community
React Native has been around longer (since 2015 vs Flutter's 2017) and has a larger ecosystem. More third-party packages exist. Any problem you encounter, someone has likely solved. The JavaScript ecosystem means many libraries work with React Native. The community is large and active.
Flutter's ecosystem is growing rapidly but smaller. You'll find packages for most needs, but occasionally you'll need to write custom platform code yourself. Google's backing means core functionality is well-maintained. The community is enthusiastic and helpful.
Both frameworks have good documentation. React Native's docs assume React knowledge. Flutter's docs are comprehensive and include codelabs for learning. Both have active Discord/Slack communities, Stack Overflow presence, and tutorial content.
Platform Integration
React Native's architecture makes platform integration straightforward—you write native Swift/Kotlin code and bridge it to JavaScript. The React Native community has created bridges for most common platform features. When you need custom native functionality, the pattern is well-established.
Flutter also supports platform channels for native code communication. Writing platform-specific code in Flutter means writing Dart for common logic plus Swift/Kotlin for platform-specific parts. Flutter's plugin system is clean, and many platform features are already packaged.
Both frameworks let you mix native code when needed. React Native might have more existing bridges due to its age, but Flutter catches up quickly. For most apps, you won't write much native code either way.
App Size and Build Times
Flutter apps tend to be larger out of the box. A minimal Flutter app might be 15-20MB because it includes the Flutter engine and framework. React Native apps tend to start smaller because they use native components. With proper optimization, both can produce reasonable app sizes, but Flutter requires more effort for size optimization.
Build times favor Flutter for full rebuilds. Flutter's ahead-of-time compilation means release builds are fast. React Native builds can be slower, especially for iOS. Development builds are fast for both with hot reload.
Learning Curve
React Native's learning curve depends on your background. If you know React, it's gentle. If you're new to React, you learn React concepts alongside mobile-specific concerns. The JavaScript ecosystem has quirks and the tooling setup can be finicky, especially for iOS development.
Flutter has a steeper initial curve if you don't know Dart. Understanding Flutter's widget composition model takes time. But Flutter is self-contained—you learn one framework, not a web framework plus mobile adaptations. Once concepts click, Flutter development flows smoothly.
Making the Choice
Choose React Native if your team knows JavaScript and React. If you build web apps and want to reuse knowledge. If you have tight timelines and need familiarity to move fast. If you prefer platform-native UI by default.
Choose Flutter if you want cutting-edge performance and smooth animations. If you're building a mobile-first product and hiring for it specifically. If you want absolute UI control and custom designs. If you value consistent cross-platform appearance.
Both frameworks are mature and capable. Both can build excellent apps. The "right" choice depends more on your team, timeline, and requirements than technical superiority. That startup chose React Native because their team was productive immediately. Another company might choose Flutter for different valid reasons.
Can You Switch Later?
Switching frameworks is possible but expensive. You're essentially rebuilding your app. Some companies have switched—both directions. Usually because initial framework choice didn't work out or requirements changed dramatically. But it's not something to do lightly.
Better to choose thoughtfully upfront. Prototype in both if uncertain. Build the same feature in each framework. See which feels better for your team. A week of exploration beats months of regret from the wrong choice.
Final Thoughts
Flutter versus React Native isn't about which is better in abstract. It's about which fits your team, product, and constraints. Both are excellent frameworks backed by major companies with strong communities. Both can build professional, production-ready apps.
Talk to your team. Assess their skills and preferences. Consider your product's needs. Try both if possible. Make an informed decision based on your specific situation, not hype or trends. That's how you choose the framework that's right for you, not the one that's theoretically "best."