Flutter App Development: Features, Cost, Recommendation, and Process
How to Build Mobile Apps with Flutter: Pros, Cons, and Challenges & What is Flutter and its Architecture?
Flutter is one of the most popular software development kits which is used for developing cross-platform mobile applications. Initially developed by Google in 2015 and officially launched in 2017, Flutter has evolved into an open-source framework with a global community contributing to the improvement of the platform. Flutter has many features that make it different from other popular frameworks. The main component of Flutter is a widget, which describes the logic, interaction, and UI elements of the application. Unlike other cross-platform frameworks such as React Native and Xamarin Flutter renders widgets itself on a per-pixel basis. There are two types of widgets; stateless, and stateful. Also, flutter has two sets of widgets for both Android and iOS app development; Material Design for Android and Cupertino for iOS. Many top Flutter app development companies such as Next Olive Technologies, which is the leading Flutter app development company provide cutting-edge Flutter app development services for both Android and iOS.
In this guide, we will discover the full features and complete development process of Flutter applications.
Features of Flutter
Flutter has many unique features that set it apart from other languages. Many Flutter developers praise the framework for its robust and reliable features which make the development faster and easier such as its code reusability feature which allows the developers to use the single codebase multiple times if needed.
[1] Hot Reload
The Hot Reload feature is one of the developers’ favorite features. It opens up a side panel that shows the live code of the UI. The developers can easily see any changes reflected in the UI when the code is altered or modified. This makes it possible to correct the mistakes or modify the UI easily without any issues. It also saves a lot of time and effort.
[2] Cross-Platform Development
In today’s world, there are countless devices and various platforms that run on those devices. It might seem very difficult to individually develop platform-specific applications. But using Flutter, developers can create a single application that is well-optimized and can work on multiple devices and platforms easily such as Android, iOS, Windows, etc.
[3] Native Performance
Flutter is a versatile framework that can be used to develop native applications for specific platforms such as Android, iOS, etc. Flutter developers can use platform-specific widgets and write a single codebase, which is compiled into the native application for the specific platform. This also eliminates the need to have separate teams dedicated to iOS and Android platforms to build a mobile app.
[4] Open-Source
Google developed and later announced Flutter as an open-source kit. Multiple design options can be explored by developers to create engaging Flutter applications. Flutter Form is a community of Flutter developers who come together to answer questions related to Flutter and discuss it. Flutter is free of cost and has detailed documentation and communities available online for Flutter app development.
[5] Widgets
Widgets are the heart of Flutter. Flutter has many different widgets to help developers create an app with a fully responsive Flutter framework. A widget can be anything such as a color, padding, or a menu. Flutter enables the developers to develop customized complex widgets according to the requirement and type of the application
[6] Code Reusability
Any application requires extensive coding to develop it. Writing a codebase is long and tedious work. There are many instances where developers have to rewrite a code to use it for different purposes. Flutter’s code reusability feature allows the developers to write the code once and use it multiple times as required to create cross-platform applications quickly and easily.
[7] Single and Robust Programming Language
Dart is the main programming language used to develop Flutter applications. It was released in 2013 and it is an object-oriented, class-based, garbage-collected programming language with a syntax similar to C language. Dart is used by developers to create web applications, mobile applications, server applications, and desktop applications.
Advantages, Disadvantages, and Challenges associated with Flutter
Every technology has many flaws and challenges that define it uniquely. Let us have a side-by-side comparison of the pros, cons, and issues of the Flutter framework in detail.
[1] Cross-Platform Capabilities
Flutter allows for easy cross-platform development of applications with its code reusability feature. However, web and desktop support are still in the development phase and may possess compatibility issues. There may be difficulty in maintaining consistency across all platforms.
[2] Performance
Flutter offers near-native app performance with the help of Dart’s compilation to native ARM code. Despite this advantage, there are lagging issues in large complex applications. Additional effort is required to optimize apps for specific device hardware.
[3] User Interface
The user interface in Flutter is highly customizable. On the downside, it results in a larger file size compared to other native applications. Creating cross-platform pixel-perfect designs that look like native apps is challenging.
[4] Hot Reload Feature
Flutter enables higher productivity with live code modifications without altering the app state through its Hot Reload feature. However, there are compatibility issues with stateful widgets. Having a smooth Hot Reload without disturbing the app flow during complex changes is difficult.
[5] Open Source Features
Flutter benefits from large and ever-growing community support with updates from Google. On the flip side, new features might have bugs and issues. Keeping up with frequent updates is challenging for complex apps with dependencies.
[6] Language
Flutter uses the Dart language and is easy to learn for JavaScript learners. However, Dart is less popular than other languages. There is a low supply of proficient Dart developers.
[7] Tools and Plugins
Flutter has a large ecosystem of plugins. However, it lacks the full support of some plugins, leading to custom development. Custom plugin development or finding third-party plugins might slow down the development process.
[8] Native Features
Flutter supports native APIs and third-party services integration. However, some platform-specific native API integration requires a specific language. It is challenging to balance cross-platform features with custom-native code.
[9] Testing Support
Flutter provides built-in support for unit, widget, and integration testing of the app. However, automated testing does not cover platform-specific constraints. Ensuring cross-platform testing is quite challenging.
At Next Olive Technologies, we provide the right customized Flutter app solutions to our clients after performing a detailed assessment of all the pros and cons of Flutter.
Types of Flutter-Based Applications
Flutter is a versatile framework, and countless different types of applications can be developed using it. A trusted Flutter app development company such as Next Olive Technologies focuses on the most widely used Flutter app development services to solve the complex business needs of clients. Let us see some of the many types of Flutter-based applications.
[1] Cross-Platform Applications
One of the major advantages of Flutter is that we can easily and quickly develop applications using a single codebase to work on different devices and platforms such as Android, iOS, Windows, etc. Each application can be slightly altered to meet the hardware and platform requirements needed to run the application. Cross-platform app development saves a lot of time and effort by eliminating the need to develop individual applications for every platform.
[2] iOS App Development
iOS is known for its simplicity and reliability. There are millions of iOS devices and countless applications developed for it. By developing iOS applications using Flutter, developers have several advantages such as the Hot Reload Feature, access to native features, higher performance, faster development due to the code reusability feature, customizable UI/UX, global market reach, and well-developed documentation.
[3] Android App Development
Android has many more users due to its customizable features. Flutter’s capabilities of developing fully customizable applications that are tailored to meet specific business needs. Developing Android apps using Flutter also has several advantages such as cross-platform development, a Hot reload feature, faster build time, code reusability, and much more. Applications can also be easily optimized for every device.
[4] Web Application Development
A web application, also known as a web app in short, is a cloud-based application that is accessed by using a web browser. Flutter enables developers to create fast and responsive web applications to work in any web browser and any internet connection speed. Many businesses are using cloud technology, so it is necessary to create top-class applications that are more interactive, engaging, and productive.
Flutter App Development Process
A premier Flutter app development company like Next Olive Technologies follows a strategic and step-by-step approach to developing applications. The main objective is to incorporate an end-to-end development process to ensure quality alignment with the business goals.
Stage 1: Discovery of Idea
This is the very first stage. In this step, the app project idea is discussed. A feasibility study is conducted which is used to determine the applicability of the proposed project. It checks whether the project is technically and economically practical, and aligns with the business goals. A feasibility study is conducted on several aspects stated below:
[I] Technical Feasibility
Assessment is done of the hardware and software requirements of the app, technical limitations of the current technology required, and compatibility with the existing infrastructure and systems.
[II] Economic Feasibility
Determine the Return on Investment (ROI) of the application, perform a cost-benefit analysis, and any budget limitations in the development of the application.
[III] Operational Feasibility
Determine the organizational impact of the app, evaluate the necessary resources such as manpower, time, and expertise, and also check the legal and regulatory compliance to ensure the app does not violate any rules.
[IV] Schedule Feasibility
It includes the timeline analysis of the project, ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations, and considering any issues in exporting the software or technology.
After the whole feasibility analysis is completed, it is decided whether to proceed ahead with the project, revise the scope, or reject it based on the outcome of the analysis.
Stage 2: Requirement Analysis
This stage is crucial since all of the project requirements are gathered and a formal draft is created. The process involves collecting the required information on the functionalities, features, and limitations of the application. The data is usually collected from different stakeholders such as end users, business analysts, domain experts, and project managers.
Once the requirements are gathered they are thoroughly analyzed to ensure they are clear, consistent, and practical. This includes prioritization of requirements, validating the accuracy of the requirements, and requirement modeling which includes use case diagrams, data flow charts, and class diagrams.
Stage 3: Designing
This is the stage where the blueprint of the application is created. There are many major activities involved in this phase such as system designing, database designing, UI designing, component designing, and data flow designing. Each step is a crucial part of the application design. Flutter app developers follow many design principles such as modularity, abstraction, inheritance, encapsulation, etc to ensure a smooth development process. The proper documentation of the design is done using several diagrams and charts such as System Architecture Diagrams, Class Diagrams, Sequence Diagrams, and Component Diagrams.
Stage 4: Development
This is the stage where the actual coding and development of the applications starts. In this stage, many crucial activities are involved such as programming and coding, unit testing of modules, integration testing of several modules connected, debugging and fixing errors, version control and tracking changes, and continuous integration involving developing, testing, and deploying the code whenever changes are made, and proper documentation such as creating user manuals, developer guides, and system specifications.
Stage 5: Testing and Debugging
After the development is completed it is time to test the application on various test cases and factors to ensure its proper functioning and reliability and is error-free. There are many different types of testing done such as unit testing, integration testing, system testing, acceptance testing, performance testing, security testing, and usability testing. Key activities involved in the testing stage are test planning, test case designing, test environment setup, test execution, defect tracking, debugging, retesting, and regression testing.
Stage 6: Deployment and Launch
This is the most important stage of the app development process. In this stage, the completed application is launched into the market for commercial usage. It has several crucial steps to ensure a smooth deployment of the finished app. Key steps include submitting the application to the desired app store such as Play Store or App Store, reviewing and approving the app, post-launch monitoring, and providing regular updates to ensure the app has the latest features and functionalities and is working fine without any issues.
Stage 7: Maintenance and Support
Maintenance is an important part of the application development process. It ensures the proper app functionalities even after the deployment. Key activities include performing corrective maintenance to address the bugs and issues after the application’s launch and implementing fixes, adaptive maintenance to modify the app according to the changing hardware or software requirements, updating the app to add new features, perfective maintenance to enhance the app’s functionality, performance and usability, preventive maintenance to implement measures to prevent future problems, providing technical support and monitoring the app for any issues.
Cost of Developing a Flutter App in 2024
The cost of developing a Flutter app varies on several key factors such as app complexity, application platform, location of the development team, developer experience, development methodology selection, post-launch support, etc.
Here is an estimate of the flutter app development cost based on the size of the applications.
- Small and Basic Apps: $5,000- $30,000
- Medium-Sized Apps: $30,000- $70,000
- Large-Scale Apps: $70,000 and above
Anyone who is looking for a reliable Flutter app development company can choose Next Olive Technologies, which is known for its competitive pricing and reliable support.
Conclusion
Flutter is one of the leading and fast-emerging development frameworks that is highly used in developing applications of every type and size. Flutter has many state-of-the-art features with various advantages, disadvantages, and challenges that set it apart from the rest of the frameworks. The Flutter app development process is highly end-to-end and ensures the product quality is unmatched. Moreover, businesses can select from a variety of applications that align with their goals and requirements and get them developed by an expert Flutter app development company such as Next Olive.
