As mobile apps have become increasingly essential to our lives, more than 100,000 Android apps are launched each month, alongside over 30,000 iOS apps. Many businesses have the opportunity to create an application, yet an overwhelming majority of these projects fail. Developers are no longer required to choose different frameworks or technologies for creating universal mobile apps and native apps.
Native apps often outperformed universal ones because they were specifically written or designed for their respective platforms. To solve this problem, Google developed Flutter to deliver native-like performance in universal apps.
Flutter is a popular choice among mobile app developers & is gaining significant popularity over the past few years. Many businesses of all sizes prefer Flutter for faster, more reliable, and cost-efficient app development.
If you’re a business wondering whether Flutter is the right choice for your app, then this blog is for you. In this blog, we will discuss the cost-efficient Flutter app development and explain why it remains a great choice for your business in 2023 and beyond.
So, let’s get started with the basics!
What is Flutter?
Flutter is a cross-platform framework developed by Google, a leading tech giant. The framework is popular for building mobile applications on a wide range of devices and operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, and Fuchsia.
It has taken Flutter a considerable amount of time to gain popularity as a cross-platform application development tool, having initially existed in alpha and beta versions.
Flutter is gaining popularity due to its cost-efficient development, faster time-to-market, growing talent pool, and extensive community support. Flutter is likely to displace other cross-platform frameworks soon due to its active and faster app development capabilities.
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How Is Flutter Different from Other Frameworks?
If you have just released a Flutter-based app or switched over to Flutter, it might be easier for you to describe how Flutter has changed your development process. Today apps powered by Flutter are used by some of the world’s most renowned brands.
BMW, Google Adwords, Alibaba, Cryptograph, Dream11, Nubank, Google Pay, and many others are on the endless list. Many unique features make Flutter apps stand out over other frameworks, which include but are not limited to
Single Codebase for Multiple Platforms
Since it is a cross-platform framework, developers can use a single codebase across multiple platforms, allowing them to build iOS and Android apps simultaneously without needing to write separate code lines.
It is a great alternative to native frameworks for developers who want to write code for multiple platforms. In addition to Mac, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux, Flutter enables you to create apps for various platforms and operating systems with ease.
Custom Widgets
Developers can create user-friendly interfaces much faster and with a simpler process using Flutter, as the program is fully loaded with widgets that assist them in their creation process. The Flutter library offers industry-standard UI elements that resize, reposition, and alter automatically when a screen is resized. Thus, Flutter offers numerous ways to customize its designs and widgets to suit your requirements.
Cross-Platform App Development
Creating an Android application or launching an iOS app can be overwhelming for those who are new to app development. Rather than developing separate apps for iOS and Android, why not combine them into a single app?
The Flutter framework provides access to streamlined cross-platform tools for mobile app development, saving time and minimizing challenges. It allows developers to use the same codebase for both Android and iOS platforms, making the job much easier, faster, and time-saving.
Dart Programming Language
Flutter uses the Dart programming language, which was designed and developed by Google. It is an object-oriented language that supports various powerful features, such as just-in-time (JIT) compilation and garbage collection, which makes it faster and more efficient for app development.
SDK and Native Features
With Flutter, developers can access native code, APIs, open-source libraries, and third-party integrations, which provide a fast, efficient, and convenient development experience.
Rendering Engine
Flutter comes with its rendering engine, called Skia, a 2D graphics library. Skia is used to design animations and can handle user input as well as draw widgets on the screen.
Hot reload
You can identify any updates that need to be made to the code, as well as track the changes that have been made, right away with this feature.
Ahead of Time (AOT) compilation
The code for Flutter apps can be compiled into native code before they are installed on the device because the app can be integrated ahead of time. Everyone can enjoy the efficiency and speed of a native application by using it.
Benefits of Flutter App Development
Flutter is the most popular cross-platform framework, facilitating faster, more efficient, and cost-effective app development for businesses of all sizes. Here are the top benefits of using Flutter for your web and mobile apps.
Cross-platform Compatibility
Developers can build applications that work on both Android and iOS using Flutter due to its cross-platform app development capabilities. Flutter allows developers to use a single codebase for both Android & iOS, saving time and money by reducing the effort involved in building two separate applications.
Faster development
The Hot Reload feature in Flutter reduces development time by allowing developers to instantly change or modify their code. When developers need to test different features & functionalities during the development phase, this feature is more valuable and helpful.
Cost-Efficient Development
Developers can build apps for iOS and Android by leveraging Flutter’s cross-platform app development feature, thereby reducing development costs. As a result of the shorter development time, the development costs are also reduced more significantly.
High performance
High performance and fast implementation are what make Flutter apps so popular compared to other app development frameworks. Rather than requiring a JavaScript bridge, it can integrate directly with native code easily.
Best suited for MVP
MVPs serve as prototypes and early versions of an app, allowing you to gather early feedback and reviews before launching the final product. When your MVP is ready, you can present it to investors with all the features they need. In addition to providing a robust backend, Flutter is also a great choice for creating a feature-rich front end.
Easy integration
Flutter enables developers to integrate their apps with third-party tools and services quickly and easily. Apps built using Flutter are more robust and feature-rich because they can integrate different functions and features.
Animation
It is easy to create intricate animated features with Flutter’s robust animation support. The Flutter framework enables you to incorporate animations more easily into your software solution than native tools, although it still requires some time. Therefore, consider Flutter if you intend to build an app primarily focused on animation.
Responsive design
Widgets in Flutter are highly responsive, which allows them to adapt to various screen sizes and orientations. The platform and device capabilities are responsible for ensuring that applications work efficiently and effectively on a wide variety of devices.
Improved User Experience (UX)
The Flutter app does not interact with the device’s native components, resulting in a smoother app experience and a better user experience (UX). Is there anything else you can do to establish a loyal customer base for your app, apart from ensuring a seamless user experience?
Flutter can support your app idea regardless of whether you want to launch it before your competitors do.
Scalability
In addition to being highly robust and scalable, Flutter can easily incorporate new features and functionalities into applications as they evolve, allowing them to meet the changing needs of users.
Community support
The thriving Flutter community provides support and resources for developers working with the framework and actively contributes to its growth.
Read More: 7 Benefits of Flutter App Development
Challenges of Flutter App Development
Although Flutter provides so many benefits to businesses and developers, there are some drawbacks too, which include;
Limited access to native APIs
The cross-platform compatibility of the Flutter framework means that it may not be fully compatible with and accessible to native APIs across all platforms, resulting in limited app functionality.
Learning curve
Flutter supports the Dart programming language and features its unique architecture, which presents a learning curve for beginners or developers new to the framework.
Limited Third-Party Libraries
Despite being a popular cross-platform framework, Flutter is still relatively new on the market, which means that there are fewer third-party libraries, tools, and resources available compared to other app development frameworks.
Large app size
Flutter has pre-built design systems and architecture, which result in larger app sizes as compared to other app development frameworks.
The Cost of Flutter App Development
On average, the cost of building cross-platform mobile applications ranges from $25,000 to $150,000, with some projects exceeding $300,000. Flutter app development costs in India are significantly lower than $120 per hour for developers building these applications.
However, the cost of hiring a Flutter app developer in India can be anywhere from $20 to $50 per hour. The average cost of your Flutter app will vary based on the project’s complexity, the number of added features, and the custom functionality you want to incorporate. Therefore, you must conduct detailed research on your business and app’s needs to determine the actual cost.
Moreover, the cost of an app will vary depending on whether it is a messenger app or a video streaming app; for example, if you are upgrading a messenger app or a streaming app, the cost will also differ. Depending on what you’re trying to achieve with your app, the functionality and features will differ, and the cost and quality will also vary based on whether you’re hiring a freelancer, a team, or a professional app development agency.
The cost of a professional-looking mobile application with extensive functionality and added features is often lower when working with freelancers or individual developers.
Still, only leading companies that specialize in mobile application development can deliver quality, scalable, and high-performance apps within your deadline. Therefore, the cost of building Flutter apps basically depends on specific business requirements, feature sets, and third-party integrations.
Why Flutter Is a Great Choice for Your Business in 2025
Flutter is a highly flexible technology suitable for both small and large apps, enabling startups and enterprises to tailor their apps to custom requirements. In addition to allowing fast and seamless application development, the final product is delivered at a significantly reduced cost, making it ideal for small-scale applications.
Additionally, it is a suitable choice for enterprise projects, as Flutter is a scalable solution that is already being utilized by many, including in the banking industry, which has high technology standards and more complex requirements.
ING Bank Polski, Nubank, and Rosbank are among the top banks that rely on it. Alibaba, Google Ads, Realtor.com, Reflectly, and Xianyu are some examples of top-rated and successful applications built on Flutter.
Conclusion
Hence, Flutter is one of the most popular and robust app development frameworks, offering numerous benefits and features to developers and businesses. The framework comes with pre-built design systems, customizable widgets, hot reload functionality, and cross-platform compatibility, allowing developers to create scalable, robust, and high-quality web & mobile apps for businesses of all sizes.
For businesses seeking to develop high-quality and scalable mobile apps, Flutter is a reliable and cost-effective option, despite some challenges associated with app development.
In addition to being a preferred choice for greenfield apps, Flutter is also a viable option for enhancing native apps with add-ons. Flutter is an ideal choice for you and your business if you are seeking faster and more cost-efficient app development for Android & iOS.
