Apps
Flutter or React Native: how we choose for your app
One codebase for iPhone and Android: the difference between Flutter and React Native, how we pick, and when a mobile website is enough.
Most apps we build are cross-platform: one codebase that becomes an iPhone app and an Android app. The two serious options are Flutter, from Google, and React Native, from Meta. Both are mature and both run inside large, well-known apps. We pick between them by your features, your team and any code you already have, and sometimes we recommend neither.
What cross-platform means for your budget
A fully native approach means two apps: Swift for iPhone and Kotlin for Android, often with two developers. Cross-platform means one team writes one codebase for both. For most business apps this cuts the build and the maintenance considerably, and users can’t tell the difference.
Native still wins for apps built on heavy device features, such as advanced camera processing or augmented reality, or apps that must adopt a new iOS feature the week it ships.
Side by side
| Flutter | React Native | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Meta | |
| Language | Dart | JavaScript or TypeScript |
| How screens are drawn | Its own rendering engine, so the design looks the same on every phone | Each platform’s native components |
| Strength | Custom design and smooth animation | Sharing code and developers with a React website |
| Watch out for | Larger app size | Relying on third-party libraries for some native features |
How we choose
- Your design is very custom, with a lot of motion: we lean towards Flutter.
- You already have a React or Next.js website, or a web team that knows JavaScript: React Native lets them share logic and knowledge.
- The app depends on one specific SDK, such as a payment provider, a maps service or a hardware device: we check which framework has the better maintained integration, and that decides it.
- Your own developers will maintain the app: we pick the language they already know.
What decides the cost
The framework matters less than the scope. The number of screens, user roles, payments, the admin dashboard and the backend decide most of the price. Our mobile app cost guide explains each item. At Dark Media, apps start from $1,800 and a first release takes 6 to 12 weeks.
Do you need an app at all?
Ask this before choosing a framework. If customers order from you once or twice a year, a fast mobile website often does the job for less money. An app earns its place when people use it again and again, when notifications bring them back, or when it needs the camera, location or offline mode. Our guide to landing pages and full websites covers the web side of that decision.
There is a middle option, the Progressive Web App: a website people can add to their home screen. On iPhone, though, web push notifications only work after the user adds it to the home screen, and many people never do.
Publishing on the stores
- Developer accounts in your company’s name. Apple charges a yearly fee for its developer program and Google Play a one-time registration fee. Open both under your company so you own the listings.
- Store listings. Name, description, screenshots and a privacy policy in every language you sell in.
- Review. Apple and Google review every release. Leave a few days of buffer before any launch date you announce.
- Updates. New phones and OS versions arrive every year, so budget for maintenance from the start.
Questions we get
Can one app work in Arabic and English?
Yes. Both frameworks handle right-to-left layouts. Design both directions from the start. English screens flipped at the last minute always show it.
How long does store review take?
Often a day or two, sometimes longer, especially for a first release or an app that takes payments.
Who owns the code?
You should, once the project is paid. Check that the contract says so. Our development contract checklist lists what to look for, and our mobile app development service shows how we work.