Mobile Development · head to head
React Native vs Flutter
React Native
Mobile Development
Build native mobile apps with React and JavaScript
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Flutter
Mobile Development
Google’s open-source framework for building apps from one codebase
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: React Native the JavaScript bridge has historically been a bottleneck for animation-heavy and list-heavy screens, though the New Architecture addresses much of it; Flutter dart is used almost nowhere else, so the language itself is a hiring and learning cost
- They diverge on capability: React Native covers Renders to native components, Flutter covers Single codebase, many targets.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which React Native and Flutter actually diverge.
| Attribute | React Native | Flutter |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web | iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Mobile Development).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in React Native
- Renders to native components
- React programming model
- Native modules
- Fast Refresh
- Wide platform reach
- Large package ecosystem
Only in Flutter
- Single codebase, many targets
- Own rendering engine
- Hot reload
- Widget library
- Ahead-of-time compilation
- DevTools
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
React Native
- Teams with React experience on the web extending into mobilenot Flutter
- Apps that should feel like the platform rather than look identical across bothnot Flutter
- Adding a mobile client to a product whose engineers already write JavaScriptnot Flutter
- Reusing business logic between web and mobile codebasesnot Flutter
Flutter
- Shipping one app to iOS and Android with a small teamnot React Native
- Interfaces with heavy custom design that need to look identical on both platformsnot React Native
- Adding web or desktop builds to an existing mobile codebasenot React Native
- Prototyping quickly where hot reload shortens the design loopnot React Native
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
React Native
- The JavaScript bridge has historically been a bottleneck for animation-heavy and list-heavy screens, though the New Architecture addresses much of it
- Upgrading between versions has a reputation for being painful, particularly with many native dependencies
- Anything the framework does not wrap requires native code in Swift or Kotlin, so a purely JavaScript team can still get stuck
- Because it renders to real platform components, small behavioural differences between iOS and Android surface in your code rather than being hidden
Flutter
- Dart is used almost nowhere else, so the language itself is a hiring and learning cost
- Because Flutter draws its own widgets, apps can feel subtly unlike the platform unless deliberately styled per-platform
- Binary sizes are larger than equivalent native apps because the engine ships with the app
- Access to a brand-new platform API waits on a plugin, or on writing platform channel code yourself
Pricing, plan by plan
React Native
Free- React NativeFree
- Full framework
- iOS and Android targets
- Native module system
Flutter
Free- FlutterFree
- Full framework
- All platform targets
- Dart toolchain
Which should you pick?
Choose React Native if
- You need renders to native components.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web.
- You also want react programming model.
Choose Flutter if
- You need single codebase, many targets.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
- You also want own rendering engine.
Questions people ask
- Is React Native or Flutter better?
- Neither clearly leads. React Native starts at Free and Flutter at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, React Native or Flutter?
- React Native starts at Free and Flutter at Free.
- Does React Native or Flutter run on more platforms?
- React Native runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web. Flutter runs on iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
- Can I use React Native for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is React Native best used for?
- React Native is most often used for teams with react experience on the web extending into mobile, apps that should feel like the platform rather than look identical across both, adding a mobile client to a product whose engineers already write javascript, reusing business logic between web and mobile codebases. Of those, teams with react experience on the web extending into mobile and apps that should feel like the platform rather than look identical across both are not what Flutter is typically brought in for.
- What can React Native do that Flutter cannot?
- React Native covers Renders to native components, React programming model, Native modules, Fast Refresh. Flutter covers Single codebase, many targets, Own rendering engine, Hot reload, Widget library.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
React Native: Is React Native free?
Yes. React Native is open source from Meta with no licence fee, and it is free for commercial use.
Flutter: Is Flutter free?
Yes. Flutter is open source with no licence fee. The framework is under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence and its code samples under the 3-Clause BSD licence.
React Native: Does React Native produce a real native app?
Yes. JavaScript primitives render to the platform’s own UI components using the same native APIs a Swift or Kotlin app would call, rather than to a web view.
Flutter: What language does Flutter use?
Dart, a language Google designed for fast startup and ahead-of-time compilation to native code.
React Native: Which well-known apps use React Native?
Meta cites Facebook, Microsoft Office, Teams and Outlook, Amazon Shopping, Discord, Coinbase and Tesla among thousands of apps built with it.
Flutter: Can Flutter build for more than mobile?
Yes. The same codebase targets iOS, Android, web, Windows, macOS, Linux and embedded devices, though mobile remains the most mature target.
React Native: Should I use Expo or plain React Native?
Expo handles builds, updates and native configuration for you and is the recommended starting point. Plain React Native gives full control of the native projects, which matters when you need native code the managed workflow does not cover.
Flutter: How is Flutter different from React Native?
Flutter draws its own widgets with its own engine, so the result is pixel-identical across platforms. React Native renders to the real native components of each platform. Flutter uses Dart; React Native uses JavaScript and React.
Related pages
More on React Native
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