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React Native, Flutter or native: choosing for your app

If you want an app on iPhone and Android, the first big decision is how to build it. We build both native apps (SwiftUI and Kotlin) and cross-platform apps, so here is an honest comparison.

Cross-platform: one codebase for both platforms

React Native

  • Uses JavaScript/TypeScript and React, the same skills as modern web development.
  • Large ecosystem, and code can be shared with a React web app.
  • Best for: business apps, apps next to an existing web platform, teams that already use React.

Flutter

  • Uses Dart and draws its own UI, so the app looks identical on every device.
  • Excellent performance for custom, animated interfaces.
  • Best for: apps with a strong custom design, where pixel-identical UI across platforms matters.

Native: a separate app per platform

  • iOS in Swift/SwiftUI, Android in Kotlin/Jetpack Compose.
  • Full access to every platform feature on day one, and the best possible feel.
  • Best for: apps that rely heavily on device features (Bluetooth, background audio, widgets, AR), or where platform feel is the product.
  • Trade-off: two codebases, so more effort for every feature.

A smart middle path we often use: keep the content and business logic shared (for example in a backend API or a shared content format) and build the UI natively. Our learning app for iOS and Android works exactly like that.

What actually decides it

  1. Device features. Heavy use of hardware or background tasks pushes toward native.
  2. Budget and speed. One codebase usually means a faster, cheaper first version.
  3. Existing skills. If your team knows React, React Native keeps maintenance in-house.
  4. Lifespan. For apps that will live for many years, the maturity of the ecosystem matters more than the first sprint.

Do not forget the rest of the iceberg

The app is only part of the work. You also need a backend and API, authentication, push notifications, analytics, and App Store and Google Play releases. Plan for those from the start.

Have an app idea? Tell us about it and we will advise which approach fits, and why.