Flutter is a new revolution in the cross-platform frameworks for developers all over the world and successful businesses. It does not stop to inspire us with possibilities, considerably simplifying and speeding up creating IT products. In terms of cross-platform development, Flutter allows saving up to 60% so we decided to describe 9 reasons behind the usage of Flutter for web app development.
At Surf, we’ve implemented 25+ Flutter-powered projects. Our developers know the framework inside and out: they hold conferences and podcasts, create open-source tools, and test available ones. We have in-house projects to test its new features before using them in clients’ projects. In this article we share proven expertise—so read it until the very end, and you’ll find the most up-to-date information on the matter.
Applying Flutter for web apps: powerful technical solutions for developers
Below we speak about the main benefits Flutter offers for web development.
Reason 1. Close to native
The first argument to prove that Flutter is a perfect match for web development, lies in its look and behavior on a par with native applications. It’s true even if you need to build a web app with complicated visual effects.
Flutter for web uses dart2js for release being actually a transfer from Dart to JS. Under the hood Flutter for Android\iOS uses the same graphical engine as in web, and the rendering methods are identical. So as a result, we get a website that is close to native and the user will feel no difference.
Additionally, Flutter provides for defining easily the platform where the app runs and implementing a relevant UI based on the design\client’s specific needs.
Reason 2. Easy code maintenance
Dart is a language, that is easy to learn, especially for developers writing in Java, C#, or JavaScript. Skilled coders need about 2 weeks to master it and start to use Flutter for creating web applications, while with new specialists it takes about 3-4 weeks. Besides, several days is usually enough to learn Dart’s syntax. The programming language was designed to make the development process and onboarding fast and comfortable.
The easier the language is, the easier code maintenance is. New team members can onboard to the working process quickly, and after that they write the code, correct it, and make tests without any extra help from teammates.
Reason 3. Great architecture solutions
The framework has simple, modern architecture providing businesses with an opportunity to release MVP as fast as possible. It’s a great choice if you need to present your Flutter web app to investors, business stakeholders, and in more other cases.
For more details about Flutter and its differences from other frameworks, and how much it costs to start a Flutter web or mobile application, check our dedicated article.
Reason 4. Toolset for web development
The toolset offered by Flutter is useful and works really well. Having chosen Flutter, you will be surprised how convenient the process is, and what new features have been delivered with every new version.
One of the important features is image decoding. Flutter began to automatically detect and use the ImageDecoder API in browsers that support it. Now, most Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Opera, Samsung Browser, etc.) have added this API.
The new API decodes images from the main stream asynchronously using the browser’s built-in image codecs, so the image decoding is 2 times faster and does not block the main thread. It helps to avoid lags when loading images.
The second significant feature is web application Lifecycle API. With it, you’ll have more control over an initial load of a web app using Flutter from a server-side HTML page. Additionally, the feature makes it easier to analyze the performance of your app in Lighthouse.
Reason 5. PWA out-of-the-box
Flutter offers a possibility to build web apps and PWA (progressive web app), if you already have your codebase for Android and iOS. This will not require hiring new coders with new competencies. For your business, PWA means a budget-friendly option to create a new distribution channel.
Out-of-the-box Flutter uses the same graphical engine for Android/iOS/web, and your PWA during compilation will have 100% expected behavior being identical to Android and iOS and it will look like a web version as well. The app will look native for all platforms and adapts easily to any device.
In terms of technology, you can communicate with the “native” code due to interoperability between Dart and JS. Besides, you can add WASM to the code.
More details about possibilities provided with the powerful Flutter+PWA combination you can find in our dedicated article.
Reason 6. Welcoming and active community
According to Statista, Flutter is the mostly used cross-platform framework. And the enthusiasts from all over the world join the community to develop the framework, create new open-source tools, organize and attend meetups with 60k specialists involved, actively participating in them.
Surf isn’t an exception. We have a strong Flutter team participating in world-famous projects: our developers use Flutter to build web and mobile products for various niches including fintech, foodtech, and entertainment domain.
To optimize Flutter development, we developed Surf Gear, a set of libraries and tools and are glad to share it with the community. Our solutions have been gaining popularity among developers from various countries. And we continue to use Surf Gear in all our Flutter projects, supporting and upgrading its tools.
Why do businesses choose Flutter for web applications?
Now, let’s overview some case studies when businesses have successfully applied Flutter for their projects.
Supernova case study
Supernova chose Flutter for their collaborative design system platform. It is a compute-heavy tool, requiring high performance. With Flutter, they tried the lower-layer rendering and got outstanding results with Flutter.
Rive website
The Rive was searching for a tool able to handle heavy graphics rendering across different browsers and platforms and reduce development cycle management time. Having chosen Flutter, they get easier maintenance of the codebase, deliver richer experiences, and simplify adding custom things.
iRobot expands access to coding
iRobot wrote production code with Flutter for the time it could be spent on writing the original iOS app and released a multiplatform version of the iRobot Coding App on Android, iOS, and web. Currently, the iRobot Coding App has expanded to three major platforms and 170 countries with thousands of active users.
Flutter for web apps: promising perspectives for business
Flutter is a prospective technology. Read further to learn why.
Reason 7. Time and cost efficiency
Flutter helps businesses save time and money. As the framework is cross-platform, you need less specialists and less time for launching and developing an MVP. The same codebase is written for various platforms and adopted for each of them. As a result, taking into account the project specific nature, you can save about 40% on app creation.
At Surf, we had the experience of building a single Flutter app for 3 brands of a pharmacy chain—it took us less than 4 months and allowed us to save 40% of the budget that would otherwise be spent with native technologies. Read the full story to find out more about the results.
Reason 8. Proven quality supported by Google
Flutter and Dart were developed by Google, and they are actively used by the tech giant for projects like Ads, Fuchsia, and Google Pay. Many other companies, such as BMW, Alibaba Group, Nubank, and Toyota trust Flutter to develop their applications.
Reason 9. Enthusiastic Flutter app developers to hire
Teams of Flutter enthusiasts grow together with the technology and know all the possible details and fine points, so they know how to implement each feature you wish to see in your Flutter-powered app, and do it fast and with high quality.
However, the technology is young, and choosing a qualified developer team, able to use all the advantages of this framework, is a challenge. So, it’s vital to pay much attention to this aspect.
If you’re going to hire Flutter web developers, but aren’t not sure about the questions to ask them before the project starts, read the Surf’s article. We offer 25 questions to ask, explain why it’s not enough to hear the right answers from a candidate, and what else you should know about the hiring process.
Is Flutter the best match for your web application?
There are at least 9 reasons to use Flutter for web apps covering performance, architecture solutions, and toolset to ensure quality and saving time and money. This framework deserves the trust of thousands of developers, it is used in famous companies, so it is worth your attention.
At the same time, many things depend on your project needs. Whatever technical stack you choose, the key focus is your project goals and specific nature to achieve great results.
At Surf we have successful experience in building Flutter-powered projects: banks, pharma chains, fintech startups, and streaming platforms are among our clients. Become one of them, and we will help you find the perfect solution tailored to your business needs.