Imagine being a developer at Forbes. That’s a huge imagination, but still… So, you’re a developer at Forbes, and you’re given a task. “Build an app that delivers a smooth experience on both Android and iOS.” Now, as a developer, you know how complex that sounds. It means you’ll have to write two separate codebases!
This would double all your effort and even the mobile app development time! Even the costs would double. So, to avoid this, the actual developers at Forbes have found a more innovative solution. They went for Kotlin Multiplatform. A cross-platform framework developed by JetBrains as a part of Kotlin.
By using Kotlin Multiplatform, Forbes managed to share over 80% of its code. It was distributed between platforms. This way, they were able to roll out new features faster and reduce their expenses. But here’s what you may wonder: “If Kotlin can handle cross-platform development, why not just use Flutter?”
After all, Flutter is Google’s answer to building apps from a single codebase. That, too, with a powerful user interface framework. Well, that’s exactly why we’ve created this guide. Because you’re not the only one with this question. We’ve been there too. So, we’re here to explore!
In this guide, we’ll dive deep into Flutter vs Kotlin. A worthy comparison. We’ll learn their similarities and differences. By the end, you’ll know which to choose for your next project! Let’s get started!
What is Flutter?
Flutter is an open-source software development technology developed by Google. This technology is called an SDK (Software Development Kit). So, technically, it’s neither a framework nor a library. It delivers a widget-based user interface library and an SDK. We can just say that Flutter is a UI toolkit.
Flutter came out in 2017. Yes, it isn’t that mature. It hasn’t even been a decade since it came out. Yet, Flutter gained popularity because of its connection to Google. Around 2 million developers already have it in use.
Flutter simplifies mobile app development for developers. It uses the Dart programming language. With Flutter, you can create appealing and high-performing apps. Android app development and Native iOS development are both easy. However, you can also create web and desktop apps with Flutter.
What are the key features of Flutter?
Flutter allows for asynchronous programming patterns. This means that it lets code run in the background. This way, it enhances the way an application uses resources and makes it more responsive. Flutter app development is specifically simple due to this. Here are some other features:
- Cross-Platform Development: Flutter allows developers to build apps for several different platforms. You only need a single codebase. It reduces the development time and effort.
- Widget-Based Architecture: This lets developers build beautiful and custom designs so easily. For Android, Flutter supports Material design. It supports Cupertino for Native iOS development.
- Native Features: Native apps can access your device’s hardware features. Think of the camera, GPS, etc. Flutter’s plugins make native access possible. It gives a native-like experience.
- Advanced Graphics Support: Flutter has a robust animation framework. This makes it easy to create complex animations. It’s almost effortless. Think about how cool a game could turn out!
- Hot Reload: Remember when you had to save and restart every time you made changes to the code? This isn’t necessary with Flutter. It lets you see changes live and instantly. No restarts are required!
These are just some of the key features of Flutter. In 2023, around 500,000 apps published in the Google Play Store were written using Flutter. This shows how popular the Software Development Kit is.
What is Kotlin?
Kotlin is an object-oriented programming language. At the time of its release, it aimed to overcome the challenges that developers were facing in Java. Kotlin’s purpose was to provide a modern solution to these problems. Some examples would be verbosity and null pointer exceptions. All while it would be fully interoperable with Java.
It came out in 2016. The developers worked at JetBrains. The same company behind the creation of Android Studio. Android’s official IDE. It works perfectly for Android and web applications. Like Flutter, Kotlin also supports multi-platform development.
Over 5.8 million developers use Kotlin globally. Those are huge numbers… But wait, there’s more! 95% of the top Android apps have used Kotlin in the development process! Kotlin is diverse and Google’s preferred language for Android app development. Several backend frameworks are written in Kotlin, too.
What are the key features of Kotlin?
Kotlin allows for server-side programming, too. This means you write code that executes on a server. It helps handle the backend logic of an app or site. So, Kotlin is a versatile and flexible programming language. Let’s check out some of its other key features:
- Expressive Syntax: A classic developer’s favorite: Concise syntax. It reduces boilerplate code. It also makes development more readable.
- Strong Tool Support: You can integrate it with leading IDEs. This includes IntelliJ IDEA and Android Studio. Automatically, this offers smart autocompletion and other tools.
- Interoperability with Java: Kotlin can work easily with Java code. This can even simplify the learning curve for developers with Java experience.
- Extension Functions: You can extend existing classes without modifying their source code. This provides a flexible way to add new functions quickly.
- Immutability: Kotlin prefers for you to use Immutable objects. You can’t modify their internal data after creation. It helps prevent bugs and makes the code more reliable.
These key features of Kotlin are just an overview of what else may be inside. It lets developers get productive in the mobile app development process. Google’s internal data shows that when you build apps using Kotlin, they have a 20% less chance of crashing.
What is Kotlin Multiplatform?
Kotlin Multiplatform is an extension of Kotlin. It lets you write shared code for multiple platforms like Android and iOS. This code keeps up with platform-specific functionalities. Mainly, it shares business logic among platforms. It easily allows code reusability. The best part is that you don’t even have to sacrifice the native-level performance.
Kotlin Multiplatform is an excellent solution for businesses due to its capabilities. Yet there are times when Flutter is better,
What are the key features of Kotlin Multiplatform?
Kotlin Multiplatform works like Flutter. Especially when it comes to cross-platform development. Let’s look at some of its other features:
- It works effortlessly with native Android and iOS code. So you don’t need to rewrite anything.
- Kotlin supports multiple platforms. This even includes embedded devices. It’s like a single technology stack for multiple platforms.
- Its modular architecture allows the developers to separate shared and platform-specific codes. This helps with better code maintenance.
- The popular IDEs for Android and iOS are Android Studio and Xcode. Kotlin Multiplatform can easily work with these popular tools.
- Unlike Flutter, Kotlin MP does not use a separate runtime or engine. So your apps have a better native performance.
Although Kotlin Multiplatform is an extension of Kotlin, it makes Kotlin much more useful. It makes Android app development and native iOS development very straightforward. It’s an all-in-one solution for cross-platform development, like Flutter.
What do Flutter vs Kotlin have in common?
Generally, Kotlin is a programming language. Flutter is a software development kit. So, they’re different in nature. However, their purposes are similar in app development. Let’s explore what they share in common:
Cross-Platform Development
In Flutter vs Kotlin, cross-platform development is simple. They let you easily build apps for multiple platforms. They include Android, iOS, Web, and desktop. Both of these technologies are also great for the development of embedded devices.
So, they do the exact same thing. But there’s a difference. They use a different approach. Flutter uses one single UI codebase. So when you build an app with it, that codebase turns into native code. Kotlin Multiplatform uses shared business logic with platform-specific user interfaces.
Native Performance
Native performance in an app means that it’s specifically developed for a platform. So it’s able to use the device’s features for an awesome user experience. Both Flutter vs Kotlin aim to deliver a native-like experience.
Flutter compiles to native ARM code. This way, it displays smooth animations. The user interface also performs well. Kotlin does the same but compiles it with JVM (Android) or native code (iOS).
Google’s Official Support
Google is one of the strongest companies in the world. It is also the top search engine in the world. Flutter came out in just 2017. How did it get so popular in less than a decade? Well, it was developed by Google itself.
This is why Flutter gets Google’s support. It’s the secret to its popularity. Kotlin wasn’t developed by Google. Yet, it’s the official language for Android development. It also makes cross-platform development easy with Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP).
Strong Communities
Almost every development-related tool in the world has a community. Sometimes, it’s a strong community with massive support. Yet, sometimes, it’s a small, growing community. In Flutter vs Kotlin, both technologies have strong and supportive communities.
Flutter has a large and active community. The developers are welcoming and enthusiastic. It has resources available on Reddit and Stack Overflow. The Kotlin community is the same and very helpful. It has a dedicated Slack channel and active participation from the Kotlin team.
UI-Focused Development
Flutter vs Kotlin, both offer modern user interface development techniques. A skilled developer can create rich animations and interactive components with it. These aspects in a UI add up to deliver a good user experience. If your app is delivering a good UX, you don’t have to worry about losing users.
Flutter provides a widget-based UI framework. So, customization is pretty simple. It also makes the UI development more flexible. Kotlin is used for declarative UI development. This is specifically on the Android platform.
Modern Language Features
Productivity is mandatory when working on big projects. Compiling several lines of code and making sure everything is bug-free can get draining. This is why Flutter vs. Kotlin both help deliver a productive user experience to their developers.
This is all because both use modern programming techniques. Flutter uses Dart. It features async/await and modern language constructs for better app performance. Kotlin is concise and expressive. It’s even null-safe and supports coroutines for async programming.
What are the differences between Flutter vs Kotlin?
So, we know that Flutter is a UI-focused framework. Kotlin, on the other hand, supports native Android development. It also allows cross-platform logic sharing through Kotlin Multiplatform. Here, we’ll learn what majorly differentiates them.
The programming language
One of the first differences between Flutter vs Kotlin is the programming languages. Kotlin is already a programming language. It was developed by JetBrains. Now, Flutter is a software development kit. This is a major difference between them.
Flutter is part of a programming language named “Dart.” It was developed by Google. It has just-in-time and ahead-of-time compilation. They allow faster development. Kotlin is fully interoperable with Java. This is why it delivers excellent performance.
Development Type
Both platforms are capable of cross-platform development. However, they handle it differently. Cross-platform development allows you to develop the same app for multiple platforms. Flutter provides a full development experience for it.
Everything in Flutter runs using its own rendering engine. Kotlin Multiplatform takes a different approach. With it, you have to share business logic across platforms. You still have to write platform-specific UI. The user interface remains native.
Learning Curve
The learning curve won’t be easy if you’re new to mobile app development. You’ll find that Flutter app development is a bit challenging. This is because Dart isn’t as popularly used as older programming languages. Its widget-based system is also different from traditional systems.
Java came out before the 2000s. Hence, many developers are experienced with it even today. Kotlin is interoperable with Java. So, if a developer is experienced with Java, learning Kotlin wouldn’t be complex. The same goes for object-oriented programming languages.
App Size
App size matters for us. When we go onto the app store, sometimes, there is only one thing holding us back. It’s the app’s size. In Flutter vs Kotlin, the app size is distinct. This might affect your choice. Flutter apps are larger in size. Kotlin apps are smaller.
A Flutter app includes the Flutter engine and the Skia graphics library. It also includes the necessary framework components. Kotlin apps run natively on Android. They don’t require any additional engines or resources. This makes Kotlin better in terms of app size.
Library access
Flutter vs Kotlin, both deliver different experiences for library and API access. Both tools work differently to allow this access. Flutter relies on plugins to interact with any given native API. So, not all features are available directly. It takes more effort and time.
Kotlin works as a native and official language for Android. Thanks to this, it has direct access to all Android APIs. It doesn’t require any extra plugins. Kotlin Multiplatform allows you to call native Swift code on iOS. There’s no need to use a separate bridge like Flutter.
Performance
Some apps have heavy graphics. Usually, these are games. But even then, every user expects smooth and amazing performance. So, even with complex logic and background processing, we have to prioritize high performance. High-performing apps retain users.
Flutter delivers good performance through Dart. Yet, Flutter apps rely on the Skia rendering engine. This means that the UI performance is slightly slower. Kotlin apps have superior performance, especially for Android. They compile to native machine code.
What are the Pros and Cons of Flutter?
Flutter is a popular choice for making mobile apps. It works for both Android and iOS. Many developers prefer it over Kotlin because of its speed and design options. But, like any tool, Flutter has both good and bad sides. Let’s look at both.
Pros
Fast Development
Flutter makes app development quick and easy. That’s why many developers like it.
- The hot reload feature lets you see changes right away. You don’t have to restart the app.
- One codebase works for both Android and iOS. This saves time and effort.
- Flutter has many built-in widgets. They make designing smooth and simple.
Works on Multiple Platforms
One big reason people love Flutter is that it runs on both Android and iOS with the same code.
- It gives a native-like feel on both platforms.
- The app looks the same on all devices, which keeps users happy.
- Many plugins are available, making it easy to add features.
Great UI Design
Flutter is well-known for its beautiful designs and smooth animations.
- It has a widget-based system. This gives developers more control.
- The design is flexible, so you can create custom layouts.
- Animations run smoothly, improving the user experience.
Cons
Large App Size
Flutter apps take up more space than native apps.
- Since Flutter includes extra tools and widgets, the app size increases.
- This can be a problem for users with limited storage.
- Some developers use compression tools to reduce size, but it’s not always enough.
Limited Native Features
While Flutter is powerful, it still has some limits.
- Some advanced native features are harder to use.
- You might need extra coding for things like Bluetooth or camera functions.
- Native apps in Kotlin or Swift sometimes handle these better.
Fewer Developers and Resources
Flutter grows in popularity but maintenance and adoption within the development community stays behind Kotlin and Swift.
- The hunt for highly qualified Flutter developers proves to be a complicated task.
- Platforms based on native technologies offer better educational content compared to Flutter.
- Tradition-dependent organizations hold back from adopting the switch to native development methods.
The mobile application development tool Flutter provides powerful functionalities to developers. The development process becomes faster while applications achieve high visual quality and support both mobile operating systems. Apps that require quick development alongside visually appealing designs will find success with Flutter as their choice.
What are Kotlin’s pros and cons?
The mobile application development segment strongly uses Kotlin as one of its main programming languages. The development platform supports both Android platforms and new iOS systems. Many people compare Flutter vs Kotlin. The following analysis will present both the advantages and disadvantages of the situation.
Pros
Native Performance
Kotlin runs fast. Android and iOS developers find the platform to be highly suitable for their work. Kotlin surpasses Flutter when it comes to the speed aspect.
- It has direct access to platform APIs. This makes Android and iOS integration easy.
- It uses device resources well. This improves battery life and app speed.
- Kotlin apps are smaller than Flutter apps. Smaller apps run better and use less space.
Strong Language Features
Kotlin has many modern features. These features make coding easier and better.
- It has a clean and simple syntax. This makes coding faster and more fun.
- It has built-in null safety. This helps prevent common errors.
- It works well with Java. Developers can use both languages together.
Excellent Tool Support
Kotlin has great tools that help developers.
- It works well with Android Studio and IntelliJ IDEA.
- It has powerful debugging tools. Developers can find and fix problems fast.
- It supports Gradle. This helps manage large projects easily.
Cons
Cross-Platform Challenges
Kotlin is not as simple for cross-platform apps as Flutter. This is a major point in the Flutter vs Kotlin debate. For cross-platform development, you have to use Kotlin Multiplatform.
- It needs platform-specific UI code. This makes development harder.
- Cross-platform setup is complex. It takes extra time and effort.
- It has a steep learning curve. Developers need time to master multiplatform coding.
Longer Development Time
Kotlin apps take more time to build, especially for cross-platform projects. Flutter often wins in speed when comparing Flutter vs Kotlin.
- Cross-platform apps take longer to develop.
- It needs more boilerplate code. Flutter’s widget-based system is simpler.
- Testing is platform-specific. Developers must test Android and iOS separately.
Flutter vs Kotlin: Which one should you pick?
In the battle of Flutter vs Kotlin, a lot comes down to personal preferences. Your project may have needs that one programming language can’t meet. Ultimately, many factors come down to your budget and deadline. Yet, the other does it better. Let’s see which one you should choose and when.
How to Choose Between Flutter vs Kotlin Based on Project Needs?
Choosing between Flutter and Kotlin depends on your project needs. Both have strengths. Each works well for different types of apps. Every app has distinct needs. So, let’s see when to use Flutter and when Kotlin is better.
When to Choose Flutter App Development
Choose flutter when you need:
Cross-Platform Projects
Flutter is great if you want one app for both Android and iOS.
- You write one codebase, and it works on both platforms.
- The design stays the same across devices.
- Perfect for MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) and quick launches.
UI-Intensive Applications
If your app needs great visuals, Flutter is a strong choice.
- Best for apps with rich animations and interactive screens.
- Gives developers full control over the design.
- Ensures a unique brand look across both platforms.
Rapid Prototyping and MVPs
Startups need fast results. Flutter helps.
- The “hot reload” feature speeds up development.
- One team can build for both Android and iOS.
- This saves money and time.
Visual-Rich Applications
Flutter is built for smooth, high-quality graphics.
- Uses the Skia engine for sharp visuals.
- Supports 60 FPS animations for a seamless experience.
- The user interface looks amazing.
When to Choose Kotlin App Development
Choose Kotlin when you need:
Android-First Projects:
Kotlin is best if you focus only on Android.
- Directly integrates with Android APIs.
- Best for apps that need high performance.
- Works well for enterprise apps that need security and stability.
Complex Business Logic:
Kotlin is better for apps with heavy processing needs.
- Handles large data loads without slowing down.
- Great for apps that need strong backend connections.
- Works best for enterprise-level apps.
Deep Platform Integration Needs:
Some apps need deep access to the Android system. Kotlin excels here.
- It works directly with Android APIs.
- Supports Jetpack libraries for easier app building.
Enterprise-Grade Solutions:
Large companies need strong, reliable apps. Kotlin delivers.
- Uses memory better, keeping apps fast.
- Secure and scalable for business apps.
For Startups and MVPs
If you’re a startup, Flutter is a smart choice.
- One codebase cuts costs.
- Fast development means quicker launches.
- Ensures a smooth experience on both platforms.
For Enterprise Applications
Kotlin is best for big companies.
- Offers deep system access.
- Ideal for apps that need high security.
- Companies trust Kotlin for its stability.
For Cross-Platform Projects
If you need an app for both Android and iOS, Flutter works best.
- Saves time with one codebase.
- Keeps design and functionality the same on all devices.
- No need to use extra tools or plugins
By looking at your project needs, you can decide if Flutter vs Kotlin is the right choice.
Let’s Wrap it up
In the battle of Flutter vs Kotlin, there’s no fair winner. Both technologies excel in their own ways. Using Kotlin Multiplatform makes cross-platform app development even more easy. Creating cross-platform apps without twice the effort sounds like a blessing. It’s not just a bliss for developers. It’s also a great blessing for businesses.
Think about it… you’ll not only save time. You’ll also save a lot of extra investments and effort. A cross-platform solution can be the key to your company’s success.
As we explained in this guide, our team focuses on high performance, great design, and smooth integration. This ensures that our clients are always happy. Whether you need Android app development, a Flutter app, or Native iOS development, making the right choice between Flutter and Kotlin is key.
This is because both platforms simplify the development process and make it quicker. Now you have your app idea, and you have an idea about the technologies used. So, it’s time to get the team capable of creating those cross-platform and native apps. This is why Linkitsoft is here! An awesome team ready to help simplify the mobile app development process!
Why choose Linkitsoft for mobile app development?
Much like other companies, Linkitsoft, too, has years of experience in the mobile app development field. But our expertise has taught us how to be a better partner. We collaborate with transparency, treating those who work with us as partners and not just clients. Linkitsoft wants its clients to succeed. This is why we:
- Provide custom app solutions for our clients. Just tell us your requirements. We’ll deliver exactly what you need!
- Flutter vs Kotlin, which did you choose? Whichever you choose, we’ll use our expertise and create your app with your chosen technology.
- Develop your app to have an intuitive UI and good responsiveness. Our apps aim to provide an excellent user experience.
- Optimize your app and make sure it runs smoothly on every user’s device.
- Guarantee that you’ll get a bug-free app through our proper testing methods. It won’t even crash or lag.
- Last but not least, we don’t have any hidden costs. We prioritize affordability and transparency in our prices.
Our exceptional services aren’t there to disappoint you. Our customer satisfaction is what has got us so far. So, get in touch with us today. Let’s discuss your project. Together, we’ll create a powerful app for your business. It could be cross-platform or just Android app development. We’re here to deliver a solution to your requirements!
