Flutter vs Swift: What To Choose For iOS Development?

Before 2010, if you wanted to develop an app for Android or iOS, you had to write separate code for each platform. The introduction of cross-platform frameworks like React Native and Flutter changed this by allowing developers to write code once and use it across multiple platforms. 

This was a significant advancement for developers and entrepreneurs building products around mobile applications. 

Hiring separate developers for each platform was costly. Despite these cross-platform frameworks, native programming languages have not been entirely replaced. Entrepreneurs often face uncertainty about whether to stick with native apps, as different developers give conflicting advice.

This blog aims to simplify the decision-making process for both entrepreneurs and app developers. We will compare Flutter and Swift, outlining their advantages and disadvantages, to help you make an informed decision based on your business needs.

We hope this guide assists you in your decision-making process between choosing Flutter or Swift.

Let’s get started.

What is Flutter?

Flutter, created by Google, is an open-source framework for making apps for iOS and Android using just one set of code. It was launched in 2018 and has gained popularity, competing closely with React Native as the leading framework for building apps that work on multiple platforms. Originally made for mobile apps, Flutter can now create web, Windows, MacOS, and Linux apps.

Flutter uses the Dart programming language, a versatile open-source language created by Google. It was introduced in 2011 and has become popular in building cross-platform mobile, web, and desktop applications. Dart is designed to be simple to learn and efficient for developers, with a syntax similar to other languages like C.

Benefits of using Flutter for iOS development

Flutter stands out from native development tools like Swift and other cross-platform technologies due to its unique features. This is what makes Flutter so appealing. Here are the main benefits of Flutter:

1. Fast Development 

Flutter uses a single codebase for both iOS and Android apps. You don’t need multiple developers to develop products for different platforms. This speeds up development time and reduces the need for separate teams or resources. This is a major advantage for entrepreneurs with limited resources.

2. Hot Reload

This feature allows developers to instantly see changes they make to the code reflected in the app, making the development process more efficient and iterative. This works in a way that when you make changes to your Flutter code and save the file, the Flutter framework recompiles only the updated code rather than the entire app. This process is very fast, usually taking less than a second.

3. Native Performance 

Flutter apps are able to achieve performance levels similar to those of native apps built using platform-specific languages like Swift for iOS. This is possible because instead of relying on a bridge to communicate between the code and the platform (as some other frameworks do), Flutter compiles its code directly to native machine code. 

This means that Flutter apps run directly on the device’s hardware, without the need for additional layers of interpretation or translation. As a result, Flutter apps can achieve smooth animations, fast load times, and responsive user interfaces.

Potential Drawbacks

While Flutter offers many advantages, there are also some potential drawbacks to consider:

1. Learning Curve

Developers who are new to Flutter may need time to learn Dart, the programming language used for Flutter development, and to understand the framework’s concepts and best practices.

2. Platform Limitations

While Flutter aims to provide a consistent experience across platforms, there may be some differences in behavior or performance between Flutter apps and native apps, especially in complex or specialized features.

3. App Size 

Flutter apps may have a larger initial download size compared to native apps due to the inclusion of the Flutter engine, which could impact user adoption, especially in regions with limited internet connectivity.

What is Swift?

Swift is an open-source programming language introduced in 2014. It’s not an app development framework but a modern, safe, and fast language tailored for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS app development. Swift aims to be user-friendly with a concise and expressive syntax. It was designed to replace Objective-C as the main programming language for Apple platforms.

Since it’s not a development framework, comparing it directly to Flutter might not seem like the most accurate comparison. However, since it’s the main programming language for native iOS app development, understanding its pros and cons compared to cross-platform app development is important.

Benefits of using Swift for iOS development

Swift blends the finest attributes of different programming languages while pioneering new ideas, resulting in a language that excels in crafting sturdy and high-performing software among these are several benefits. Here are a few more:

1. Modern Language

Swift is a modern, easy-to-learn programming language with concise syntax and powerful features, making it more expressive and developer-friendly than Objective-C.

2. Safety and Performance

Swift is designed with safety in mind, offering features like optionals and type inference to help prevent common programming errors. It also delivers high performance, with performance improvements over Objective-C in many cases.

3. Interoperability

Swift is fully interoperable with Objective-C, allowing developers to use existing Objective-C code, frameworks, and libraries in their Swift projects and vice versa. This makes it easier to transition from Objective-C to Swift or to integrate Swift into existing projects.

Potential Drawbacks

While Swift offers many advantages for iOS development, there are also some potential drawbacks to consider:

1. Learning Curve

Switching from Objective-C to Swift or learning Swift as a new language can require some time and effort for developers, especially those who are already familiar with other programming languages.

2. Ecosystem Maturity 

While Swift has a growing ecosystem of libraries, frameworks, and tools, it may not have the same level of maturity or extensive third-party support as more established languages like Objective-C. This can sometimes limit the availability of specific features or require custom solutions.

3. Performance Overhead 

While Swift offers high performance in general, there may be cases where certain operations or language features introduce performance overhead compared to lower-level languages like C or C++.

Head-to-Head Comparison: Flutter vs Swift

As mentioned, Flutter is a cross-platform app development framework, while Swift is a programming language more directly comparable to Dart. However, since Dart is primarily associated with Flutter and is not commonly used outside of it, they can be almost (but not entirely) interchangeable for comparison purposes. With that in mind, here’s a direct comparison between the two.

Please note that this comparison is based on general characteristics and may vary depending on specific use cases and requirements.

For instance, a Flutter vs Swift performance comparison for native iOS app development crowns Swift as the victor. However, a Flutter vs Swift UI comparison will see Flutter win with a great margin due to hot reload capabilities.

When to use Flutter for iOS development?

Flutter can be a great choice for iOS development in several scenarios:

1. Cross-Platform Development

If you need to develop an app that runs on both iOS and Android platforms with a single codebase, Flutter’s cross-platform capabilities can be very beneficial. It allows you to write code once and deploy it on multiple platforms, reducing development time and effort.

2. When Performance is The Key

Flutter is known for its fast performance due to its use of the Skia graphics engine and compiled native code. Flutter can deliver if you need a high-performance app with smooth animations and responsiveness.

3. Rapid Development 

Flutter’s hot reload feature allows you to quickly see the changes you make to your code in real-time, speeding up the development process. This can be particularly useful for iterative development and UI prototyping.

When to use Swift for iOS development?

Swift is a versatile programming language that is well-suited for iOS development in various scenarios:

1. Native iOS Apps

Swift is the primary programming language for developing native iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS applications. If you want to build apps specifically for Apple’s ecosystem, Swift is the recommended choice, as it provides seamless integration with Apple’s frameworks and APIs.

2. Performance-Critical Applications

Swift is known for its performance and efficiency, making it suitable for developing performance-critical applications such as games, multimedia apps, and apps that require complex computations or real-time processing.

3. Access to the iOS Ecosystem

Swift provides full access to iOS SDKs and frameworks, allowing you to leverage native iOS features and functionalities seamlessly. If your app heavily relies on iOS-specific features or integrates deeply with the iOS ecosystem, Swift is a natural choice.

Conclusion

Choosing between Flutter and Swift depends largely on your project’s needs. For high-performance native apps, a native coding language is unmatched. Swift has become the preferred choice over Objective-C for high-performance iOS projects. 

While a Flutter iOS app can also achieve strong performance, it may be larger and consume more system resources to deliver that performance. Flutter is a great choice for MVP development, especially if you’re unsure about limiting yourself to the Apple marketplace. It provides a fast UI design and can be customized to look like a native iOS app using Cupertino widgets. For cross-platform development, Flutter is often the top choice.

And just in case you are looking forward to building an MVP, we are your Ally, just as our name, ScaleupAlly, suggests. Let us be your go-to partner for everything related to product development. Reach out to us. Let’s set up a meeting.