Summary: Mobile apps today are the most utilized platforms for all business and non-business activities including banking, retail, finance, etc. Flutter and Ionic are the most famous base framework platforms that help to develop the interface of these mobile app developments. We shall herein try to compare them and analyze the one most suited for you.

Mobile apps market is growing by leaps and bounds with several reports suggesting that the overall business numbers would be crossing the $930 billion mark by 2023. With several

apps joining the bandwagon every other day, the competition in here is fierce, to say the least!

Many of these mobile apps serve similar functions, but the difference lies majorly in the way they are made and can offer these functionalities to the user. It is the architecture behind their developments and the user markets they seem to target. To this end, Ionic and Flutter are both technologies used to develop hybrid mobile apps that require a single code for developments across different platforms including Androids, iOS and even webapps. Let us try and understand how these mobile application development frameworks work and how are they different in their functionalities and utility developments.

Understanding Flutter and Ionic in Greater Detail

Mobile apps, as per their base platforms can be classified as native and Hybrid apps. Apps developed using specific coding language, a unique code for each and development platforms like Java for Android, Swift for iOS, etc. Hybrid apps use a single code for several platforms, decreasing the overall time and expenses involved in launching of apps.

Flutter and Ionic are the most famous mobile app development frameworks for development of hybrid apps nowadays. They might seem similar in terms of work goals, but the vision for development that each follows is completely different.

Ionic enables development of seamless, secure, lightning-fast apps that are fine-tuned to user needs. The framework was developed in 2013 as an open-source SDK for hybrid mobile application developments. There are more than 5 million apps built using Ionic already. Ionic provides platform-specific UI elements for developments through a library of native components, both for iOS and Android mobile app developments with HTML, CSS and javaScript frameworks mostly being utilized to develop their front-ends. For smooth functioning, Ionic developments also require Node.js as a part of their JavaScript ecosystem.

Flutter is comparatively a more recently developed framework by Google. Launched in 2018, the framework was initially only an open-source mobile UI framework that helped developers build native-looking apps. However, with further evolution, Flutter now also supports the development of desktop and embedded apps as well as web apps, inherently utilizing the same code, with several widgets to its credit that enables easy maintenance of a low code framework. The framework utilizes Dart (a Google programming language) for developments and is compiled Ahead of Time (AoT) to decrease app launch time and promote its overall efficiency.

Several high performance apps like Google Ads, Xianyu by Alibaba, Reflectly , SpaceX are developed by Flutter. Whereas, Sworkit, JustWatch, McLaren Automotive and Honey fi are few successful apps developed by Ionic. You could look out for their functionalities yourself, to get a hang of the effectiveness of these technologies.

How exactly are they different?

Flutter and Ionic are both cross-platform development frameworks primarily focussing on building UI frameworks. The end-results of these technology developments are high-performing and interactive applications. But the way these technologies work and support are quite different:

1. The best part about Ionic is that it includes HTML, CSS and JavaScript as its core technologies for developments across platforms. As these web languages and technologies are fairly famous and JavaScript is clearly acclaimed as the most popular programming language amongst all developers, it makes Ionic a well accepted framework, the world over. On the other hand, Dart by Google is comparatively an immature language that is still evolving, and not yet out there in forms and functionalities.
2. In Ionic developments, the basic principle is the utilization of open web standards and capabilities wherever possible, which in itself is the most tested and fall-proof platform as on date with millions of apps already developed on. Flutter, on the other hand has been created from scratch by Google as an entirely new, self-contained ecosystem. Flutter all the way, is based on its own set of standards that utilizes widgets instead.
3. Ionic supports developments for Mobile, Web and Desktop applications. Whereas, Flutter develops PWA or progressive web applications as well apart from the mobile, web and desktop applications.
4. It has been noticed that in-app developments with ionic can be quite tedious to maneuver. It also becomes an issue for developers to manage and develop high-performance requiring heavy weight applications. Whereas, there is no such issue with Flutter. In fact, Flutter’s ‘hot-reload’ feature enables the developers to view the effects of changes made within the app instantly, then and there. This effectively decreases the overall mobile app UI design cost as well as the effort involved.
5. Due to its high usability, Ionic makes it easier for developers to enter the mobile market. Flutter on the other hand are heavy apps to begin with, but ends up delivering high performance apps

Find what suits you

Flutter and Ionic are both extensive mobile app development frameworks that offer all development required functionalities and utilities to developers. Herein, keep in mind that both these frameworks enable development of efficient mobile apps and include a wholesome support community. So, you would never get stuck, come what may!

What suits you better should basically depend on your mobile app requirements. First and foremost, as an app owner you should be clear about what you want from your developed mobile app, on which platforms do you intend to launch it and what is the outlook you have envisioned; before you find a mobile app developer. If you are an app developer, you should analyze these requirements for your client and then guide them on the same. If, by any chance you want an extended hybrid application, you should look out for a mobile app development team with experience in Ionic. On the other hand, if you are not emphasizing on building web applications and wish to develop a progressive web application (PWA) , as per our advice, you should currently go with Flutter.

Author Bio:

Jason Camaya loves carrying his camera wherever he goes. When he doesn’t click pictures, Jason loves to write, play video games, and procrastinate. He has been writing for the technology vertical for quite sometime now, and as talented as he gets, he is giving tough competition to his fellow writers. He has been featured in many websites and blogs.

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

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