Quick Summary:
Are you considering creating across-platform operation but doubtful about the stylish technology? Four of the top technologies employed to produce mobile technologies are Java, Kotlin, Flutter and ReactNative. Flutter and Kotlin are two up-and-coming contenders in the struggle for supremacy in the cross-platform mobile app framework. Java and Kotlin are programming languages, whereas Flutter and ReactNative are framework. To clarify the argument between Java, Kotlin, Flutter and ReactNative that's attracting the attention of many developers.
We are all set to move to the year of the rabbit and while most things around us are bound to change, there is one thing certain – the craze for smartphones, faster working mobile apps, and inventions in technology will continue to rule our world.
And while we may grin, laugh, cry and smile our way over the various applications we will continue to download, the end users may never realize how the language used for the development of these mobile applications is as important as the language we use to emote. And the truth of the matter is that the functioning of this language affects our various moods and our emotions at a deeper level than we will ever know.
For businesses, the phase is tougher than ever. Every industry wants to be faster, efficient, and smarter when it comes to being the favorite amongst its consumers. While technology is evolving rapidly every day, the need for building trust is deeper than ever. It wouldn’t be wrong to believe, that more than the brand philosophies and its marketing campaigns, what truly will help a business flourish is its way of being as sharp as possible, especially when it comes to technology.
We need to be more dynamic, more robust, and more engaging when it comes to interacting with our customers these days. And while smartphones are getting smarter, pressure on mobile applications to perform on all levels is a serious conversation for every developer. Since there are numerous platforms, languages, methods, and frameworks available, the task to put a tick mark on one is a tougher task for most businesses.Choosing the right framework and tapping into the right android app development services ↗ can make all the difference.
Who’s battling it out for the throne?
To develop an app that’s super friendly, extrovert to the core, deeply interactive, and most accessible, what truly matters is how its framework and tools suit the end user’s requirement. In addition to this, the way a mobile app is developed, planned, and executed is of prime importance too.
While Java was a personal favorite until now for developing mobile applications, there are three more contenders in the struggle for supremacy in the cross-platform mobile application framework. These are Kotlin, Flutter, and ReactNative. While Kotlin has been accepted as the official language for mobile development, Flutter and ReactNative enjoy the status of being popular cross-platform app development↗frameworks in the world.
If as a business owner you think you can make a rash decision while choosing the best mobile app framework, you are just about to fall into a ditch. Rather than being traditional, it’s time to put your intelligence glasses on while making a decision here.
Why chew our brains? It’s just an app!
Really? It’s just an app? You are just plain unaware that this app may soon become the bloodstream of your business. And you think you can sit on the king’s throne with that attitude? Nah! It’s not an app, but a creative formulation that can help your business go deep into the minds of consumers. It’s a creation that will give you a name and a new identity for the work you do.
Be wise, be tough and choose the best!
Let’s get to understand these more:
Java:
Github Stats : Stars - 49.5K | Forks - 16.4K | Gitpod - ready-to-code | Contributors - 435+
A favorite until now, the first of the languages ever used in mobile applications, Java still enjoys tremendous love from everyone just like a firstborn baby. And it still stands tough when it comes to competing with its newborn siblings. It’s been in the market for over two and a half decades now and its credibility can never be questioned for days to come. Ever since the OS was launched back in 2008, it’s been the default language for mobile development.
Features:
- It is a platform-independent language and provides significant help and support to beginners in solving problems.
- Developing android apps with Java enjoys scalability and flexibility as it is supported by Object-Oriented programming.
- Java supports the ARM scalar vector extension program which helps improve its performance manifold.
- It is one of the simplest languages that is free from any kind of complexity and difficult integrations
- Java application development programs are more secure as they run in an environment that is independent of the os (operating system environment).
- It provides a great collection of open-source libraries and supports multithreading.
- It makes ad-hoc coding, testing, and prototyping effortless due to the tools used in it.
Java Based Mobile Apps:
- Wikipedia Search
- Spotify
- Nimbus Messenger
- Murex
- OperaMini
- CashApp
- Signal
- NetBeans
- Byte Buddy
When to use Java?
Developing android apps with Java is the most versatile and efficient when it comes to web applications, mobile applications, and the internet of things. It can be easily used for different operating systems and servers such as Linux or Windows as it can create complete applications that are distributed across servers or run on a single computer. It is widely used for android overall.
Kotlin:
Github Stats : Stars - 43.5K | Forks - 5.4K | License - Apache 2.0 | Contributors - 563+
Developed by JetBrains and made open source in 2012, Kotlin was officially launched only in 2016. It certainly is looked at by developers as a Java alternative and a better one indeed. Kotlin is also an officially supported programming language for android as announced by Google in 2017 and its cross-platform android app development capabilities make it most suited for most businesses. It is also simple, clean and minimal, and easy to work with the interface only getting better and better.
Supporting inline functions, high-order functions, lambdas, and generics, Kotlin strongly competes with most of its peers coming across as a highly functional language.
Looking To Hire Kotlin Developers
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Hire Kotlin DevelopersFeatures:
- It allows developers to easily call the Java code as well as the Kotlin code due to the interoperability feature of the language.
- It requires less coding making it superbly advantageous for android app development.
- With Kotlin, the effort to write additional code is reduced to a great extent. Developers have a ball writing concise codes here.
- Kotlin has been developed in such a way that it eliminates the NullPointer Exception from the code interoperable.
- The smart case feature is a huge hit and makes typecasting the immutable values a more secure process.
- With the new alpha version, Kotlin app development has the jackpot with its enhanced performance for android functions.
- The language is considered highly pragmatic and is also available for JVM.
Kotlin Based Mobile Apps:
- Tinder
- Trello
- Netflix
- Airbnb
- Memrise
- PlanGrid
When to use Kotlin?
Once you understand its syntax, android development with Kotlin is way more readable. Be it any kind of development, server-side, client-side web, and android, Kotlin app development scores as a preferred choice. It is soon going to become a great support system for platforms such as embedded systems, macOS, and iOS as Kotlin/Native development comes to the fore.
Flutter:
Github Stats : Stars - 148K | Forks - 24.1K | Codecov - 91% | Contributors - 1,105+
Flutter was announced by Google in 2017 and uses Dart as its programming language. The first version of the language was known as Sky, and Flutter has indeed defied the age-old practices in mobile application development platforms. With Flutter app development ↗, developers can build fast, elegant, and pervasive native-like apps that can function seamlessly across platforms. With the provision of SDK, you get enhanced and attractive visuals with better productivity.
Looking To Hire Flutter Developers
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Hire Flutter DevelopersFeatures:
- It helps to provide a glitch-free experience across all platforms. The embedded widgets help to customize designs as per the requirements.
- The “devtool” enhanced tracing resolves debugging issues within the minimum stipulated time.
- It provides an open-source framework to developers to develop various kinds of applications without the fear of experimentation.
- KotlinDeveloping games is easy with Flutter. It also has the best upgrades for the camera and web plugin.
- It scores high with its native feature accessibility. Developers can access native codes, 3rd party integration, and APIs for development without any issues.
- With the inclusion of the Hot Reload feature, fixing bugs is an instant process for developers apart from seeing codes in real time.
Flutter Based Mobile Apps:
- Cred
- PostMuse
- Lunching
- Cryptograph
- Google Ads
- Watermaniac
- Hamilton
- Xianyu
When to use Flutter?
It is widely used when you want to create android apps for fintech and banks. It also helps when you are working with a tighter deadline and a small budget. It helps to build apps for multiple platforms out of a single codebase and decreases the load for most engineering managers and businesses. The “unification” of the app development process across various platforms makes Flutter a top choice as it helps save a lot of time.
ReactNative:
Github Stats : Stars - 107K | Forks - 22.7K | npm package - v.0.70.6 | Contributors - 2,420+
A brainchild of Facebook, ReactNative is an open-source mobile application framework that has gained tremendous popularity due to its JavaScript-based framework. It was launched in 2015 and became a global success as developers began to adopt it widely for app development processes. It enhances the UX and also makes app development easier and cheaper. What’s best is that ReactNative can also be used with your existing apps making it a considerable choice for most. Businessess looking for partner with a react native app development company ↗
Looking To Hire ReactNative Developers
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Hire ReactNative DevelopersFeatures:
- With ReactNative, you write code only once and you can use the codes across all platforms without the need of writing them again.
- It is a hot favorite because of its great rendering capabilities and responsive attitude.
- ReactNative makes the installation process way faster because of the inclusion of NPM (Node Package Manager).
- Access to 3rd party libraries is easier with ReactNative as compared to others.
- It is highly cost-effective and its reusability is the biggest advantage of ReactNative.
- With a simple UI and great architecture, it provides the most cohesive environment for app development.
ReactNative Based Mobile Apps:
- Bloomberg
- Gyroscope
- Walmart
- SoundCloud Pulse
- Wix
Comparison of essential parameters:
Performance:
When it comes to performance, ReactNative gains brownie points straight away because it is cheaper than native development. Since it is based on JavaScript, it does not have to shout loud to gain that extra attention, it always remains a top choice among developers. With ReactNative, generating code for native APIs is an easy process as it aligns perfectly with components of both operating systems, android and iOS.
With Kotlin, you have enhanced speed and less scope for errors. Its multi-platform usability also makes it a top contender. While Java and Kotlin are programming languages, Flutter is more of a UI development kit. On any given day, Flutter accounts for higher and increased productivity because of its Hot Reload and Hot Restart feature.
As for Java, it complies 13% faster than Kotlin and is a vibrant and extensible programming language. With fewer bugs, it scores high in efficiency as well.
The winner here? Well, it’s a draw!
Learning Curve:
Being a Google baby, Kotlin is easy to learn as there are many courses available for Kotlin. Developers find it easy to learn and use Kotlin for android as it is fully interoperable with Java. On the other hand, due to its JSX, ReactNative has a steep learning curve though one can easily find developers and requires a skill set for it.
As for ReactNative, it’s easier to learn it if you have a thorough understanding of JavaScript. It would also help if you know some basic HTML and CSS. When it comes to Flutter, it has better comprehensive documentation available. If you have some prior experience, learning Flutter will be like a walk in the park.
Thanks to its type safety, object-orientedness, and overall straightforwardness, Java enjoys the status of being one of the easiest programming languages for beginners to learn. Getting to know Java is not difficult stuff as most developers would describe it.
The winner here? Well, it’s a tie between Java and Flutter.
Popularity:
Being the world’s first baby in terms of programming languages, Java has undoubtedly enjoyed a lot of stardom and popularity all these years. It will perhaps never lose marks in terms of popularity because it became the foundation and the base for the other programming languages to grow.
On the other hand, Flutter today shines like a star among app developers throughout the globe due to its friendly environment and strong cross-platform development framework. As for Kotlin, it may not shake hands with Flutter and Java when it comes to popularity, but it nevertheless enjoys a loyal fan following of its own.
It’s heartening to know that ReactNative too isn’t far behind. With a 38% market share, it has been able to create a strong foothold as the 2nd most used cross-platform mobile app development framework adopted worldwide.
Flutter app development finds its place as the top three most loved technology with a percentage of 68.03% in the global index.
The winner here? Flutter undoubtedly.
UI/UX Design:
It’s a widely accepted fact that an immaculate interface design will always enable an app to have higher downloads. If you truly want to make or break your customer base, you need to work hard at creating a UI and UX design that persuades users at first sight.
While Java enjoys immense love from developers, it does not offer specific instructions to developers while designing. On the other hand, Flutter helps developers with functional, classy, and scalable applications as it has unparalleled customization options engraved inside. As for Kotlin, its cross-platform capabilities help it to make efficient applications without many issues.
ReactNative too helps developers create an impressive graphical user interface ↗ without many hassles. The UI controllers and the ReactJS Library give them a lot of power to create interfaces that attract more and more customers. On the whole, Flutter and ReactNative seem to be more trusted when it comes to an impeccable UI and UX design interface.
The winner here? It’s a tie between Flutter and ReactNative.
Pricing:
When it comes to pricing, these programming languages are extremely affordable on the pocket and easily available for most people to learn and use for their benefit.
None of them cost a bomb and none of them give you any second thoughts here. Flutter is an open-source platform and is free of cost. On the other hand, Kotlin is also free of cost. You can easily find its source code on GitHub as well.
As for Java, you will find paid updates for JDK 8, 11, and 13 from Oracle on their website. All this is for commercial use and numerous developers can easily avail of its services.
When it comes to ReactNative, it’s just like Flutter and Kotlin, open source and available free of cost to everyone. With the click of a mouse, these programming languages are all yours.
The winner here? All of them.
Support for testing:
Kotlin leads the pack here due to its multi-platform app development framework. You don’t need to integrate anything with Kotlin. All this enables developers to work with their native tools for cross-platform apps too as they begin mobile app development ↗ using Kotlin. Flutter too enjoys plus points due to its well-documented support. It makes the testing process easier as it integrates quickly with iOS and android based platforms.
As for ReactNative, the testing methods seldom cover the actual logic written in the apps. Therefore, ReactNative provides more benefits when it comes to functional testing. Since ReactNative is highly compatible, it provides more tools, frameworks, and native methods for testing at large.
Java too offers a large framework in terms of testing. However, it can give a headache to experienced programmers and novice developers too.
The winner here? No doubt, it’s Kotlin.
A comparison from Cross-Platform Development Outlook:
The way a programming language and its framework work on a cross-platform development basis greatly describes its success in today’s volatile mobile application development environment. At the same time, it’s satisfying to know that all the leading app development languages do not differ by a large margin in solving cross-platform issues and glitches.
Being equipped with many modern features, Kotlin supports hybrid mobile app cross-platform development on a much deeper level. Developers don’t have to think twice while working on mobile app development using Kotlin multi-platform to develop apps seamlessly and efficiently across all platforms. But, even ReactNative is not too far behind. It occupies a dominant position and tops the chart thereby providing several tools to developers that make the hybrid mobile app development ↗ process easy and extremely effective.
However, as compared to Flutter, ReactNative is slowly losing its charm and initial fixation. With the support of Google’s UI toolkit, Flutter app development is fast becoming a personal favorite among a lot of developers. It tends to provide a wholesome experience in terms of cross-platform development and rates high in the development index.
The father of all, even Java is not too far behind even with its newer competitors occupying a prominent position. Even today it is the most universal cross-platform development language. However, as compared to its newer counterparts, it lacks behind when you want to expand the scope to the iOS platform.
However, Kotlin Multi-platform seems to have taken a major liking in the market. Whether one wants to share business logic between multiple platforms or write platform-specific codes, Kotlin Multi-platform is riding high to become a huge success in the days to come.
While most of these programming languages have their own set of limitations and benefits, you have to look deep into your requirements while choosing one.
Wrapping up with our thoughts:
Well, we suggest that you have a second glance at your requirements and have a clearer idea of what you need to achieve while using any of the above languages. There is equal love and hate for all, but above all none of these will fail to give you the outcome that you want, however the processes may be a little different.
No doubt, Kotlin, and Flutter are highly efficient and capable platforms for developing cross-platform apps, ReactNative too provides an excellent framework and smooth performance. According to many developers and tech enthusiasts worldwide, apps built with ReactNative are the future of hybrid mobile apps.
While Flutter and Kotlin are growing rapidly and offer robust technology for custom mobile app development, Java and ReactNative enjoy a loyal user base too.
At the end, have a deep conversation with yourself, a thorough look at your goal sheet, and a profound idea of your business requirements while opting for one!
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