Developing mobile apps (like native apps) for different operating systems like Android, iOS, and Windows Phone can end up being quite complex and challenging as there’s no limit of frameworks available for developers to build a mobile application. When it comes to coding for an app, developers will have to code in two different languages using two different frameworks for both Android and iOS as both these operating systems provide a native framework of their own. Android provides a native framework based on Java language, and iOS provides a framework based on C Shift language. Thus, the developer ends up doing double the work, and in the end, due to the differing native components between iOS and Android, the outcome could potentially differ between the two platforms.
However, we do have a solution to the complexity mentioned above and that is- Flutter. It is a straightforward, yet aesthetically pleasing and high-performance mobile framework built on the programming language “Dart” that supports both Android and iOS operating systems. Flutter is an app SDK (Software Development Kit) that allows developers to create high-fidelity and effective apps from a single code base for iOS, Android, the web, and desktop.
It is a Google-developed, open-source, and free mobile UI framework that was made available in an Alpha stable release in May 2017. Large corporations like Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and many others that have previously put their apps on the market have their eyes on the new yet promising platform known as Flutter. The major objective is to give app developers the tools they need to produce high-fidelity apps that run smoothly on both platforms. Moreover, as a modern mobile application framework Flutter has a fantastic user interface, and is simple to understand and becoming more and more popular these days.
Related: React Native vs Flutter: A Developer’s Review
As the market’s expectations continue to rise, Flutter is unquestionably here to stay, sustain, and even further develop as a platform. The top astounding characteristics of Flutter App Development are now listed to support what we’ve said about Flutter so far.
- Hot Reload- Before Flutter, it used to take more than 10 seconds to make very simple adjustments, such as changing the background or text color, and displaying those changes on the screen. To solve this issue, however, flutter created the fantastic feature of “Hot Reload.” It facilitates the speedy addition of functionality, bug fixes, and UI development.
- Rich Widgets- The components that influence and regulate an app’s view and user interface are known as widgets and these are one of the most important parts of an app. For a widget to be considered effective it needs to possess three qualities i.e., Widgets need to look natural and feel good on different screen sizes, they should perform fast, and widgets should be customizable and extensible. And you guessed it right, Flutter’s widgets possess all these qualities, and not just that, Flutter offers its widgets rather than using platform widgets or DOM WebViews.
- Custom Design- With Flutter, widgets can now be added and modified to give them a new look or feel or to complement a company’s branding because they are now a part of the app. Flutter offers rich, customizable widget sets for iOS, Android, and Material design.
- Dart Programming Language- Flutter uses the compiled programming language Dart to avoid the performance issues brought on by the requirement for a JavaScript bridge. This eliminates the need for a JavaScript bridge that causes a context switch and enables Flutter to communicate directly with the platform.
12 Top Apps Made Using Flutter
Now we’ve discussed Flutter in detail, let’s go and check out all the amazing apps that have been created using Flutter, and what better way to get this knowledge than right from the main source i.e., the business owners and developers of these amazing apps. Let’s take a deep dive and understand what made these developers choose Flutter and how that decision has influenced their businesses.
1. KlasterMe- App for content creation and discovering
KlasterMe is a platform for producing, disseminating, and discovering various types of material, including articles and photographs. The app’s beta web version debuted in December 2018, followed by the Android and iOS versions on January 1, 2019, and January 5, 2019, respectively. A user can utilize this app to establish a page to display their content and gain recognition in the community.
- Developer’s Account
According to Abin Baby, co-founder & developer at KlasterMe, once you’ve moved past learning the ropes of Flutter, it works like magic. Development is now easy, efficient, and quick thanks to Flutter widgets. More than 90% of the widgets needed for the initial version of our project were available in Dart Pub, even though the number of third-party modules and components is less than in the case of React Native. You may construct practically anything you can think of with these widgets because they are so simple to customize.
Additionally, the Flutter community is quite supportive and active on Google groups, Stack Overflow, and GitHub. One should also note that Flutter has amazingly comprehensive documentation, which makes onboarding incredibly simple. Moreover, the app development process was accelerated by the Hot Reload functionality, which made it simple to experiment with the user interface and quickly fix errors.
2. Pairing- App connecting singles
Pairing is a social network for dating and matchmaking. It provides one with the tools and knowledge base for establishing and sustaining empowering connections. Pairing aims to provide a secure setting for meeting the ideal partner for a fulfilling relationship.
- Developer’s account
According to Ronen Rabinovici, co-founder at Pairing. In terms of business, you should be aware that Flutter provides a cross-platform solution for UI/UX and business logic, math, and algorithms. Although, with Flutter some things cannot be shared and need to be developed separately for each system. For example, anything that needs to talk to the OS such as getting phone contacts. However, many plugins are common and are already in existence that can be used, thus, most Flutter code can be shared. Personally, for Pairing 85% code can be shared.
The widgets added by Flutter mark a significant departure from native programming. UI is described using some XML-like language in various development frameworks. All of the UI in this case is code. Personally, for Pairing, it’s more flexible and comfortable.
The Instant Run is another fantastic benefit of Flutter. When you alter the code, your device is automatically updated without even a “flashing” screen. Another benefit is that Google supports the ecosystem as a whole, including its documentation, GitHub issues, and plugins (e.g., Firebase plugins, files, etc.).
3. in10- RSVP & ETA tracking app
In10 an event app offers sophisticated RSVP and ETA monitoring for more convenient meetings up. It provides features that allow you to achieve tasks such as creating events, inviting guests, ETA tracking, status updates, RSVP, and more.
- Developer’s account
According to Alexander, Flutter developer at Droids On Roids, and Maciek, QA Engineer at Droids On Roids- We were able to write code using Flutter, which spared us from having to work on both platforms’ requirements if you go native.
Flutter is a new product with a vibrant community, and this enthusiasm is evident in all pull requests, articles, videos, and events related to Flutter, from small meet-ups to sizable conferences. The learning curve is not very steep because knowledge of Flutter spreads quickly and is easily accessible. The In10 app greatly benefited from Flutter because it has many components that look the same on both the iOS and Android platforms, negating the need for two separate codebases.
In the beginning, the developers of in10 believed the critical implementation of the ETA (Estimated Arrival of Time) feature would need to be developed using native code. However, it turned out that Flutter is the primary focus of the creators of the library that the developers wanted to use to build ETA. Thus, the developers were able to develop a trustworthy system for ETA tracking using Flutter after some troubleshooting and additional improvements.
4. PostMuse- Instagram story & photo editor
PostMuse is a free picture editor that enables users to customize their Instagram and Insta stories posts. There are many free fonts, pictures, photo frames, and emojis available in the app.
- Developer’s account
In the words of Andrei Diaconu, Founder of PostMuse, there are several advantages to adopting Flutter, as we can see. Even though only one of our team’s two members’ codes, this was more than enough for us to accomplish the necessary progress on both iOS and Android. In just a few months, including the research phase, we constructed PostMuse. We launched in record time, especially considering that this is a media editing app.
Flutter development is quite miraculous; everything reloads almost instantly, intricate user interfaces can be created in a matter of hours, and the code itself is incredibly simple to comprehend and maintain. Having worked with React Native to create a small app I can say it was fairly fun. However, nothing can even come close to Flutter when it comes to complex UI styling. A couple of things are still missing from Flutter. In-app purchases still lack a comprehensive and dependable solution. If you’re concerned about this, don’t worry; certain libraries address specific in-app purchase issues, and you can probably complete the task.
Flutter should unquestionably be taken into account if you embark on a new project. The community will be quite supportive if you run into issues.
5. Reflectly- mindfulness app
Reflectly is an innovative mindfulness app that acts as your mental health companion. It utilizes artificial intelligence to work as a personal journal that you can use to structure your life problems and reflect upon your daily thoughts.
- Developer’s account
In the words of Jacob Kristensen, Founder & CPO at Reflectly- In January 2017, Reflectly was launched. Fast forward to August 2017, when we released a React Native- only MVP of Reflectly following a protracted period of user testing. The cross-platform interoperability of our user interface across iOS and Android was a major problem for us. Actually, it was so awful that we had to first postpone the release of Android by 1.5 months to simply correct everything. Thus, we began searching extensively in January 2018 and eventually discovered Flutter.
Starting with Flutter was genuinely great for me as a previous web and native app developer. Although it has been noted before, I found quick stateful Hot Reload to be incredibly powerful and productive. In our instance, it only took 2.5 months from the writing of the first line of Flutter code in March 2018 to the completion of the full app, which included a complete redesign and the addition of several new features. Dart had to be learned, and the front-end and back-end code had to be completely rewritten from the start with no code reused from the prior implementation.
6. Watermaniac- app for tracking drinking water
Watermaniac is an app for tracking drinking water. We might not realize how important drinking water can be for our physical and mental health, and that’s the reason why we often forget to consume the recommended amount of water.
- Developer’s account
According to Artur Rymarz, Creator of Watermaniac & software engineer at intive- I had a hunch that Google’s Flutter might be a major deal in the software industry, and I’m incredibly glad I trusted my intuition. I don’t regret spending a single minute learning Flutter.
In contrast, to React Native, which I tried out once and despised after a few hours, I actually enjoyed building an app in Flutter as a developer. Making both basic and complex user interfaces makes me so happy that I’m considering bringing the same methodology to Swift by building a library. Since Flutter is easy to learn, even if your team doesn’t have a single developer who specializes in it, the cost of training for those who are interested in learning Flutter should be rather minimal.
In any case, in my opinion, Flutter is a terrific choice for startups with a lesser budget. However, native iOS and Android apps should always perform better (if designed correctly), thus for apps where performance is crucial, I would stick to native solutions.
7. Xianyu, Alibaba- m-commerce app
With more than 50 million downloads, Alibaba, the largest online retailer in the world, uses Flutter to design a stunning app experience for iOS and Android users on their Xianyu app. This app is used daily by more than 10 million people.
- Developer’s account
According to Bing Sun, Developer at Alibaba Group, we were initially drawn to Flutter’s potential for UX, especially its high FPS and slick UI. Flutter was a great time saving, though, by far. We were able to maintain our app much more quickly and easily because it allowed us to use a single codebase.
Due to the tens of millions of users we already had, we were unable to create a brand-new app from scratch, so we began gradually adding Flutter capabilities to our existing apps. On Android and iOS, Flutter is used to power the ItemDetail page, which is the most important, intricate, and often viewed area. The implementation of pages using Dart and single code was different from our previous practices, but as soon as we gave it a try, we fell in love with it. What could be more fascinating than modifying your code and immediately seeing the results?
Yes, we prefer Dart and Hot Reload, which are so simple to use those front-end engineers would inquire, “Are you sure this is not a client-side code? I would even like to give it a go because they appear to be JavaScript + CSS.
8. HuYu – app for paid surveys and rewards
Users of the HuYu app submit their purchasing information by scanning supermarket receipts and responding to surveys. The data submitted is anonymized for the purpose of market research. Users get points in return, which they can exchange for gift cards and vouchers.
- Developer’s account
In the words of Swav Kulinski, lead engineer at the App Business- The relationship between developers and designers was one of the significant shifts we noted. The design-development cycle for native apps is frequently lengthy, and using native UI toolkits takes more effort. Particularly, it is considerably harder to change UI once it has been put in place. With the aid of Flutter, this is no longer the case.
The absence of platform restrictions makes Flutter superior to native and React Native. Platform UI cannot restrain Flutter because it doesn’t use it. It produces everything on its own. You are free to create the optimal UX without making any concessions. The key distinction between Flutter and React Native is this.
Projects with highly customized UI and challenging UX are where Flutter really shines. If the software does not put emphasis on how it behaves and appears, this advantage will decrease. Channels are used by Flutter to connect with the host system. They must be implemented using the language that is specific to the platform. You can find plugins for common needs like Google Maps, Bluetooth, and cameras in the Dart libraries, but you will have to create your own plugin for anything that isn’t available there.
9. Topline- music recording app
The software enables musicians to record anywhere and save their song ideas. It was displayed at the 2018 Google I/O conference. Due to distribution channels like Spinnup and Ditto, the solution has gained the attention of the music business. 2018 UK App Awards winners for “Music App of the Year” and “UX of the Year.” created and designed by Miquido.
- Developer’s account
In the words of Pawel Zielinski, head of marketing Miquido- Our app’s development was enhanced and accelerated by Flutter. Miquido spent ten weeks developing the Topline MVP. It was well worth the long working hours, intense mental effort, and challenging situations. Throughout the process, we greatly increased our knowledge.
Flutter SDK was in an experimental Alpha version when we began the development, which meant it wasn’t stable. Despite how straightforward the interface appears to be, the app’s structure is actually quite intricate. There were many difficulties present that were directly related to the new technology. Thankfully, the Flutter team was able to assist us in several circumstances as well.
Flutter includes a lot of widgets that are ready to use, customizable, and function as you would want them to: they are quick and attractive. The Hot Reload function, which allows you to catch errors much more quickly and repair them in real-time, is one of the most innovative features that has helped our developers advance more quickly. Last but not least, Flutter enables you to produce an APK that is optimized for your release, improving performance and drastically shrinking the download size.
10. EntrenaPro- app to find trainers and sports centers
EntrenaPro is an app that athletes can use to contact coaches and sporting facilities. Users can utilize it to look for training in their neighborhood.
- Developer’s Account
According to Pedro Moreno, Product Manager in EntrenaPro Project- As a non-technical person, I can still clearly recall the moment we chose Flutter after weighing the pros and cons of designing custom components. Because it sounded exciting and daring, our wilder side prevailed, and we decided on Flutter.
Before starting any major project, I firmly advise any junior developer to experiment with and explore Flutter’s potential because even the learning process itself can be incredibly enjoyable. As a project manager with a background in user experience design, I feel like the Flutter team should still do more to communicate with my fellow product and user experience designers about the many options this framework offers and the benefits of using it for specific projects (advantages in deploying time, good UI resources, etc.).
In my opinion, the visual experts who should be involved in selecting technology and tools should also be introduced to new technology and frameworks, along with the developer’s community and those who interact with design and IT responsibilities on a daily basis.
11. Cryptomaniac Pro- cryptocurrencies signal app
The app informs users of the most reliable cryptocurrency signals, cryptocurrency news, the portfolio’s service history, and more.
- Developer’s Account
According to Ardiansyah Putra, creator of Cryptomaniac pro & mobile developer at Eunomia international- We were able to provide our app to our client in less than 2 months, which is 40% faster than development using a native SDK as we did previously, and without losing quality, therefore I can say with confidence that Flutter is a great solid choice.
The following are some benefits of utilizing Flutter that I did not receive from other technologies- Faster development, Authentic native-like performance, pixel perfect, and because the Dart code will be converted into native binaries, the security of the source code is preserved.
Four of our completed apps have been released on the Google Play store, and we are now working on a fifth product that will launch soon. All of these apps were created using Flutter.
12. School Planner- app for students and teachers
For both students and teachers, School Planner is a complete homework management tool. Users can submit details like their schedule, assignments, grades, tests, and exams. They can also share notes about these items with other students and set reminders.
- Developer’s Account
According to Felix Weuthen, creator of the School Planner app- Every developer, in my opinion, ought to try Flutter once. It is a fantastic chance to create more dependable, quick, and attractive apps. Despite my lack of design skills, Flutter makes it easy.
Nearly three years ago, I began developing the School Planner app, first using Android Studio and Java and then Kotlin. It functioned great, but as I improved the app, things grew more challenging. For instance, after restarting the application, Gradle takes about 3 minutes to build. I completely rewrote the app in February of last year after learning about Flutter. It was, in my opinion, the best choice I could have made. The fact that I can restart the app in under a second is truly remarkable. But there are a lot of other fantastic benefits as well.
Even if Dart may have appeared like a step backward in comparison to Kotlin, I still prefer it to Typescript or even Javascript. With Futures and Streams, async programming is incredibly straightforward and logical in Dart. But Null-Safety and other improvements would be very appreciated.
As you can see, many of the professionals that we have mentioned above think that Flutter is the future of creating mobile applications. Flutter can not only expedite the development process but also lower project expenditures. Flutter has helped a lot of people build their apps and now it’s time that you adopted it too!
