Flutter Vs Kotlin: Which One Should You Choose in 2024?

Summary

As mobile apps have become indispensable parts of our everyday lives, every business has found an attractive market in the form of mobile app development. Likewise, the technologies to develop these mobile apps are huge too. 

Today, we will talk and compare two such technologies – Flutter vs Kotlin to see which one reigns supreme in 2024. Backed by Google, Flutter is a cross-platform SDK (software development kit) that helps develop high-quality mobile apps. 

Kotlin, on the other hand, is also supported by Google and was primarily used for native Android development. However, the new Kotlin multiplatform is used to develop multi-platform applications. 

Let’s check in detail about the two technologies!

What is Flutter?

Developed by: Google and Community 

Initial Release: May 2017 

Programming Language: Dart, C, C++ 

The open-source SDK (software development kit), Flutter is used for developing cross-platform mobile applications. With support for multiple platforms such as Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, Linux, Fuchsia, and the web, Flutter is one of the most popular SDKs. 

In fact, in the cross-platform category, it has become the most popular mobile framework amongst developers in 2022, surpassing frameworks such as React Native, Cordova, and Ionic, as per Statista.

 Advantages and Challenges of Flutter

Advantages: 

• Single Codebase: Businesses that want to develop a mobile app for multiple platforms can leverage the single codebase functionality to develop cross-platform mobile applications. It saves time and helps code faster. 

• Integration and Flexibility: The seamless integration flexibility of Flutter allows you to integrate your existing app and migrate it to Flutter as per your requirements. 

• Rich Widgets: Flutter’s rich library of pre-designed widgets allows you to custom-create designs for mobile apps that are not just aesthetically pleasing but also responsive. For that, it uses specific design languages such as Material Design (Google) and Cupertino (Apple).

• Performance: As compared to other cross-platform frameworks, Flutter exceeds expectations in terms of performance. The Flutter code is compiled into native machine code which helps improve the performance. The use of Dart programming language in place of JS to interact with native components helps attain smooth performance and faster startup times. 

• Hot Reload: The hot reload feature in Flutter is extremely helpful in improving the productivity of developers as they can quickly trace the changes made in code without having to reload the app state. It helps with quick error fixing and making changes to the UI. 

• Strong Community and Support: Since it’s supported by Google and has a growing community, Flutter benefits from extensive documentation, frequent updates, and a plethora of plugins that extend its capabilities.

Challenges: 

• Large App Size: Compared to native applications, Flutter apps are larger and can be a concern for businesses as users are cautious about downloading large applications that consume more data and space. 
• Learning Curve: Those who are not familiar with the Dart programming language may find a challenge with Flutter app development.
  
• Limited Libraries: Despite growing rapidly, Flutter still lacks in terms of advanced native capabilities. Thus, you have to use custom solutions which may increase the development time and cost.
  
• Mobile Focus: Even though Flutter extends support for multiple platforms including desktop and web, it is still evolving and can’t compared to native applications or its mobile counterparts.

What is Kotlin?

Developed by: JetBrains  

Initial Release: July 2011 

Paradigm: Object-Oriented, Multi-Paradigm 

Kotlin is a general-purpose, high-level programming language that interoperates completely with Java, while also fixing some of the common drawbacks of Java, such as verbosity and null pointer exceptions. It was adopted by Google in May 2019 as the preferred language for developing Android applications. 

In 2017, Kotlin multiplatform was released and is now used for developing server-side applications, web frontend, desktop apps, data science, cross-platform development, and scripting and automation in addition to Android development. 

Advantages and Challenges of Kotlin 

Advantages: 

• Interoperability with Java: Kotlin’s interoperability with Java is one of its strongest suites. Thus, if you want to use Kotlin with your existing Java applications, you can do so seamlessly without having to rewrite the codebase. 

• Concise Code: With modern language features of Kotlin such as extension functions, lambda expressions, and type inference, Kotlin helps reduce boilerplate code and write concise coding. 

• Tooling Support: Kotlin is supported by excellent tooling with IntelliJ IDEA and Android Studio, which provide advanced coding assistance, debugging, and refactoring. This makes the development process smoother and more productive.

• Safety Features: Kotlin enhances the safety features of your application by managing the nullability in code. Unlike Java applications where you see null pointer exceptions, variables in Kotlin are non-nullable by default and help with its handling. 

• Community and Google Support: Since it was announced as a Google-preferred language for the development of Android applications, it has witnessed rapid growth in its community with a wealth of resources libraries, and frameworks. 

Challenges: 

• Learning Curve: Developers who are not familiar with the concepts of modern programming language may find it difficult to work with the Kotlin language. 

• Limited Native Development: While Kotlin can be used for backend and server-side development, and Kotlin allows compilation to native binaries, these environments are less mature compared to their use on the JVM. It means fewer resources, less community knowledge, and potential unpredictability in production environments.

• Resource Usage: The modern and advanced capabilities of Kotlin may result in increased resource utilization as opposed to Java, causing an issue in resource-constraint environments. 

• Compilation Speed: You may experience low compilation speed affecting the overall development speed.
  
• Smaller Talent Pool: Despite its growing popularity, the pool of experienced Kotlin developers is smaller compared to languages like Java. This might pose a hiring challenge for companies looking to adopt Kotlin.

Kotlin Vs Flutter: A Detailed Comparison

1. Language and Environment 

Kotlin is a statically typed programming language that runs on JVM (Java Virtual Machine) and is interoperable with Java. It is used primarily for developing Android applications. However, you can use Kotlin multiplatform to develop apps for multiple operating systems such as Android, iOS, MacOS, Linux, Windows, and others. 

While Kotlin is a programming language, Flutter is an SDK with a rich set of pre-designed widgets developed using Dart programming language. The widget-based framework extends advanced features like hot reloading to make development more efficient. 

2. Platform Support 

While Kotlin is preferred for Android development, Kotlin Multiplatform can be used for multiple platforms including iOS, Android, Web, and desktop, though support for platforms other than Android is less mature. 

The Google-backed Flutter is a cross-platform SDK that helps build apps for iOS, Android, web, and desktop from a single codebase. Although its support for desktop and web is quite functional, it is still evolving. 

3. Performance 

When comparing Kotlin vs Flutter for Android development in terms of performance, Kotlin is known for its excellence in Android development. It compiles the code to bytecode or machine code, thereby improving the app performance. However, the performance may vary depending on specific use cases. 

Flutter, however, compiles the codes into ARM code for iOS and Android development both and is considered very good to build most kind of applications. 

Not that Flutter and Kotlin Multiplatform both lack in providing excellent performance for desktop and web applications as these aren’t matured yet and still evolving. 

4. UI Development 

When comparing Kotlin multiplatform vs Flutter, note that Kotlin uses native platform UI components. Thus, achieving native app-like look and feel becomes easier regardless of the operating system you are developing for. 

But in Flutter SDK, the Flutter engine draws a rich set of widgets that mimic the look and feel of native component. The UI will give you a native-like feel but not quite there. If you wish to attain platform-specific look with Flutter, you have to put more effort or hire Flutter app developers to get the job done neatly. 

5. Developer Productivity and Tooling 

You can build powerful mobile applications in Kotlin by integrating with Android Studio and IntelliJ IDEA. It gives you access to advanced features like code completion and advanced debugging and refactoring tools that makes development easier, faster, and smooth for you. 

Flutter also lets you use tools like Android Studio and Visual Studio Code that leverages Flutter’s hot reloading capability and enables you to code applications faster and seamlessly. You can further build real-time functionalities smoothly with the help of Flutter Websockets. 

6. Learning Curve 

If you come from a Java background, working with Kotlin will not be much of a challenge as its concise syntax is similar. Thus, developers having familiarity with modern development concepts will not find it difficult. However, if you are not well-versed in Java, the learning curve would be steeper. 

To be able to work with Flutter, you will have to learn to work with Dart programming language, which is not as popular as Java. But, it is quite easy to learn and anyone with fundamental programming skills can easily learn the language and work with Flutter. 

7. Community and Ecosystem 

Flutter – 162k GitHub stars 

Kotlin – 47.6k GitHub stars 

While Kotlin and Flutter both are some of the most popular choices for developing applications, each have a dedicated community of developers and followers. While Kotlin multiplatform is still evolving, Kotlin is adopted and used wholeheartedly for the development of Android applications. Besides, it is supported by Jetbrains and Google, ensuring it is upgraded and maintained in due time. 

Developed and maintained by Google, Flutter has seen increasing popularity amongst its followers. It has a large number of packages and a wealth of resources that makes it a highly reliable technology for cross-platform development. Besides, you can easily find and hire Flutter app developers for your project as they are readily available.

Flutter Vs Kotlin: Final Verdict

As seen in the Flutter vs Kotlin multiplatform comparison, both technologies have their fair share of advantages and limitations. Thus, it depends on your requirements which one wil suit your needs better. Do you wish to develop an MVP? A UI-driven application? Or cross-platform apps? Then, Flutter might be the best choice for you. It is also feasible when you have budget constraints and need consistent behavior across platforms. 

Whereas, Kotlin is a better fit for developing Android applications, multiplatform projects, large or complex applications, and apps with native performance needs. Besides, if you have a skilled Java team or want to leverage of JVM, Kotlin is definitely the better choice for you. 

So, gauge your requirements and pick the best one depending on your needs. And if you need development assitsance for either of the two technologies, team BiztechCS is here at every step. Now, hire dedicated Kotlin developers and Flutter developers from BiztechCS and leverage our technical expertise to build the best application you have envisioned. 

Connect with our Flutter or Kotlin developers for further assistance!

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