Java and Flutter app development services continue to be some of the most in-demand when it comes to mobile apps. Both frameworks have their upsides and downsides that we’ll look into today while comparing them against one another.
Don’t book Java or Flutter consulting services just yet, make sure to go through our comparison first to ensure you make the most knowledgeable decision for your company.
Brief Overview Of Java
Java is an object-oriented programming language that was first released in the 90s and has quickly grown to be the default component of the Android app development process. Today, Java is owned by Oracle and is used for mobile, desktop, and web applications, databases, and games.
As a framework for app development, Java offers many benefits:
- Widely known, so finding Java developers is relatively easy
- Allows you to build multi-platform applications
- Supported by a large and devoted community
- Simple to use and relatively easy to learn
While being one of the oldest and most trusted development frameworks, Java does have its cons:
- While Java technically supports a multi-platform approach, building cross-platform apps that are close to native is not easy with it.
- Slower performance. Java-based apps have high production-quality but are often slower than apps built with, for example, C++ programming language.
- Additional costs associated with purchasing licences and extra tools required for development with Java.
Brief Overview Of Flutter
Java used to be the reigning framework for many years, but with Flutter’s introduction, it has slowly started to lose its leadership positions.
Flutter is an open-source framework for application development that utilises Dart programming language. It was introduced by Google as a cross-platform for all major operating systems, including iOS, Android, Google Fuchsia, Windows, and Linux.
Benefits of Flutter:
- It is scalable, so you can build your app from scratch with it and avoid having to migrate or re-do the app completely once your company starts getting traction.
- Single codebase for all types of app development saves time and effort for the team.
- Open-source, so global developers’ communities collaborate on the framework and help improve it.
- Fast speed of Flutter apps improves user experience. The platform is built to run as fast as 120 frames per second.
- Backed by Google which means you can invest in Flutter-based apps without worrying that the framework will lose its relevance or stop being enhanced.
Downsides of Flutter:
- Apps built with Flutter can be of a larger size than some alternatives, creating a potential issue for users with little spare storage.
- Limited documentation. There is still relatively little documentation for Flutter, and external libraries are limited too. This can cause a delay in development if your team is not very experienced in the framework.
Flutter vs Java
Let’s look at both frameworks closer and compare them against different criteria.
Cross-platform development
Flutter is platform-independent. Java, although it supports many platforms, utilises JVMs (Java Virtual Machines) that each run a particular OS. So if you want to have an app that supports three operating systems, you’d need three virtual machines. With Flutter, there is no similar system, but you simply create one code that is used for any device across all OSs. This makes Flutter an obvious choice for someone who requires cross-platform development and values efficiency and development optimisation.
However, if you need an app that primarily runs on Android, you might lean towards Java as it was originally introduced for Android applications. With them, Java offers native performance, whereas Flutter is only close to native.
Cost of development
Flutter is open-source, so it’s free to use. Java usually requires a licence and a special tool to build the app, so extra costs have to be factored into digital product development. At the same time, Java uses JVMs whereas Flutter does not, so there is an additional expense associated with the creation and maintenance of virtual machines for each operating system.
Resource consumption
Java requires more memory and processing power for apps than Flutter, so teams with fewer resources available may choose Flutter to avoid additional expenses in the middle of the development process.
Scalability
In terms of scalability, Flutter, and Java show similar results. Both enable developers to scale quickly without a drop in performance. Either of them can be used for apps with growth potential.
Security
Java is very secure and has the benefit of many years on the market. Even though it’s not perfect, because it’s been in use for so long, there are solutions for most of its issues, and if something new comes up, there is a vast community of experts who can quickly identify the possible solution.
As for Flutter, it was designed to be pretty secure from the start and even has built-in mechanisms that help prevent malicious actions, so you won’t need to worry about it being unreliable because it’s new.
Speed of development
Java uses statically typed language which requires more time to develop than Flutters’ dynamically typed language. If you’re short on time, Flutter will be your preferred choice, but you’ll need to be careful as such languages are more prone to bugs, so quality control throughout the development needs to be vigorous.
Final Thoughts On Flutter And Java
Flutter and Java are two great options for app development. The choice of one over the other comes down to your particular needs and requirements.
Flutter is relatively new, backed by Google, and already very popular in the community. Java is established, trusted, and also a first choice for many experts. Flutter is often chosen to work on cross-platform development, UI design, and performance optimisation. Java is commonly engaged in backend development, and it can also be used for cross-platform app creation and optimisation.
Outsourcing Flutter App Development Services
Flutter apps are feature-rich, powerful, and user-friendly. This new framework has already demonstrated what it’s capable of, so building your apps with it could be a smart choice as you’d be investing in a fast-growing, widely-supported new technology.
Yet, because it’s new, finding the team to design, develop, and validate a powerful app can take more time and resources than you’d like. Alternatively, you can go with a software development company that specialises in Flutter projects.
An experienced team that’s already in place will be able to present you with a technical solution quickly and start the development as soon as you approve it, so you’ll get to the end result faster and with less stress than if you worked on the app on your own.
