Advantages and disadvantages of using Flutter for app development

Using Flutter for application development is very popular due to its ability to create Cross-Platform applications that work on both iOS and Android operating systems, which helps reduce costs and development time efficiently. However, using Flutter has both advantages and disadvantages that developers should consider before deciding to use it for their projects as follows

The advantages of using Flutter

• Write code once, and use it on multiple platforms.

Flutter reduces development time by using a single codebase that works on both iOS and Android, as well as on the web and desktop. This saves developers time on rewriting and maintaining code.

• Hot Reload feature

Flutter has a Hot Reload feature that allows you to see changes in the app in real time after modifying the code, helping to speed up development and debugging.

• Beautiful UI that is consistent with Native

Flutter uses Widgets designed to create UI that resembles Native, making applications look beautiful and providing a good user experience across all platforms.

• Community and additional packages

Flutter has a large community and many add-on packages that make it easier to develop additional features, such as payment systems, navigation, and maps, which developers can download and use immediately.

• Supports multi-platform functionality

Flutter supports app development on Android, iOS, Web, Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it convenient for developing multi-platform apps simultaneously.

The downside of using Flutter

• Large file size

Applications developed with Flutter have a file size that is relatively larger than Native Apps because they need to carry the Skia Graphics Engine and Flutter Runtime, which may affect the storage space on users' devices.

• iOS platform limitations

Developing iOS apps with Flutter may encounter some issues because iOS has requirements that necessitate the use of certain functions that Flutter may not fully support yet, such as the use of Cupertino color tones in some UI elements.

• Learning the Dart language

Flutter uses the Dart language, which, although easy to learn, may still require some developers who are familiar with core languages like JavaScript, Swift, or Kotlin to take some time to adapt.

• Limited support for certain platforms

Flutter is still in development, and support for web and desktop is not yet complete, which may result in some feature limitations when developing apps for these platforms.

• Using different Widgets

Flutter uses Widgets as the foundation for UI design, which may have limitations in creating elements that require high precision or are very complex, especially for applications with specific designs that need the native functionalities of each platform.

Flutter is a highly efficient tool for cross-platform app development, helping to save time and resources. However, developers should consider various limitations such as file size, difficulties in supporting some native features on iOS, and other platform constraints.