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Smartphone apps have changed the way we used our phones previously. With the growing use of smartphone & its high-end processors, the app also has to perform well to make it worthwhile.

You probably have noticed that most of the high performing apps with impressive designs and animations are downloaded the most.

It means that if your app is not performing well or it serves lousy user experience, you will be out of the race.

It does not just end up losing your valuable customers but also affects your business & its value.

Performance is a crucial part for any app development project that includes many factors such as load time, speed, network, device, responsiveness, execution, and obviously user experience. This is how, the performance of your app is powerful enough to make or break your business in many ways.

React Native:

Backed by Facebook, React Native is a mobile app development tool to build cross-platform apps on iOS, Android, and UWP platforms with an ability to deliver native-like performance.

It is used by many tech giants such as Instagram, Facebook, Airbnb, Walmart, Tesla, UberEats, and so on.

Ionic:

A Cross-platform app is an app that can be used on multiple platforms using a single code base.

As ‘cross-platform’ and ‘hybrid’ apps are almost similar accept several structure and technologies differences, we are referring here Ionic as a cross-development app development tool. This is because, using Ionic you can build cross-platform hybrid apps(refer official website here) for web, native iOS, and Android platforms.

Flutter:

Again, powered by Google, Flutter is a power player when it comes to delivering first-rate native experiences on Android and iOS platforms. Flutter is growing in popularity and often compared with React Native and other best cross-platform app development tools.

It uses Dart, a programming language developed by Google and also uses many advanced features of popular programming languages.

We have got your back in case you are finding the best tool to develop a new mobile app or revamp existing app. This post tries to solve all your questions regarding best cross-platform app development tools and what to choose and when.

We also want to make one thing clear that what to choose and when always remains subjective and depends on many factors. But this post can help you decide the best framework according to your needs.

Core Differences: React Native vs Ionic vs Flutter

When we talk about differences, we generally consider below-mentioned factors in mind:

React Native uses React library and JavaScript to deliver a native experience on iOS and Android. While Ionic makes the best use of web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and requires a Cordova plugin to wrap the applications in native containers.

Flutter is a bit different here as it uses Dart language which is developed by Google. Dart is a modern, multi-paradigm, and objected-oriented programming language used for building apps for web, mobile, and desktop apps.

React Native and Ionic are having strong community support compared to Flutter. Flutter is relatively new in the battle of mobile app development tools, making it less mature than Ionic and React Native. As Ionic is built on AngularJS, almost 6 years ago, resulting in very strong community support in provisions of the quick solution of errors and constant updates.

However, Flutter has made its space and attracted developers to learn Dart which, in turn, help developers to build high-performing native apps with the support from Google community.

All of these frameworks seem to be having a bright future as all three are backed by strongest tech communities from Google and Facebook.

This is one of the deciding factors to choose the best framework.

Although, performance depends on many factors including developers’ efficiency in writing code but, here we are considering it from the runtime perspective.

React Native lets you build an application that provides native look-and-feel by invoking native APIs and components.

Ionic is different than other frameworks as it uses web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create hybrid cross-platform apps. It needs plugins and third-party packages to wrap your application in native cover.

React Native and Ionic both deliver superior performance but Flutter goes a step ahead because there is no native transition or some bridges to connect with the native environment.

Flutter uses Dart which is still new and requires learning Dart to create an application. It is gradually improving and has many to-dos to accomplish.

If we talk about user interface design or front-end environment of these frameworks, they offer high-quality, native-like experiences which are loved by the developer’s community.

Going straightforward, React Native is more popular than the other two as many tech giants are using it in their production environment including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Skype, Tesla, Uber, Walmart, Salesforce, Vogue, and so on.

On the other side, Ionic is very popular among web and mobile app developers due to its easy learning curve. It is used by MarketWatch, Pacifica, Sworkit, Nationwide, and many more.

Flutter has just entered the market but grown in popularity in very less time. It is used by Alibaba, Hamilton Musical, Greentea, Google Ads, and so on.

React Native:

Learn once, write everywhere — this principle saves a lot of time and cost as there is no need to build a separate app for different platforms.

Native UI components and features like Hot Reloading make it one of the best cross-platform app development tools available in the market. One of the architectural advantages of React Native app development is JavaScript. React Native offers native capabilities through React and JavaScript to build better apps, quickly.

Ionic:

One codebase, any platform, this gives developers a significant benefit of code reusability. Ionic’s powerful features and strong community support help developers to build highly-interactive apps in no time. You can also use Ionic with Angular, React, Vue, or JavaScript.

Flutter:

Flutter comparatively offers high performance as it uses Dart language which is advanced, compatible and comprehensive language.

Flutter’s engine connects with platform-specific SDKs which gives developers a modern, reactive, and a rich set of features that can be leveraged to create beautiful mobile experiences.

Ionic is popular for its easy learning curve due to web technologies while Flutter requires developers learning Dart to build apps.

Also, Ionic is not a preferable choice for intense graphical apps or game development because of wrapper plugins that cause performance issues sometimes.

Flutter is new and gradually growing with the support from best developers of Google and the community.

React Native vs.Flutter vs. Ionic