Choosing how to build your mobile app shapes your budget, timeline and how the app feels in your users' hands. There are three main routes today: Flutter, React Native and fully native apps built with Kotlin for Android and Swift for iOS.
Quick answer: choose Flutter or React Native when you need iOS and Android quickly from one codebase; choose native when performance or deep device access matters most.
The three approaches
Flutter
Flutter is Google's cross-platform framework. You write one app in the Dart language and it runs on both Android and iOS. Flutter draws its own interface, which makes it easy to build a polished, custom-branded design that looks identical on every device.
React Native
React Native, created by Meta, also lets you build for both platforms from one codebase — using JavaScript or TypeScript and the React way of building interfaces. It renders real native components, so the app follows each platform's look and feel. It's a natural fit if your team already builds web apps with React.
Native (Kotlin and Swift)
Native development means building two separate apps: one in Kotlin for Android and one in Swift for iOS. It costs more because you maintain two codebases, but you get the deepest access to device features and the best possible performance.
Side-by-side comparison
| Flutter | React Native | Native | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code sharing | One codebase for iOS & Android | One codebase for iOS & Android | Separate apps per platform |
| Language | Dart | JavaScript / TypeScript | Kotlin (Android), Swift (iOS) |
| UI approach | Draws its own UI for a consistent look | Uses native platform components | Fully native platform UI |
| Device features | Very good, via plugins | Very good, via native modules | Full, immediate access |
| Best for | Custom-designed apps, fast delivery | Teams with React / web skills | Performance-critical or platform-specific apps |
How to choose
Start from your users and your roadmap rather than the technology. A few questions make the decision much easier:
- Do you need both iOS and Android at launch? If yes, a cross-platform approach usually gets you there faster and for less.
- How custom is your design? Highly branded, design-led apps are a strong match for Flutter.
- Does your team already use React? React Native lets them reuse skills and sometimes code.
- Is performance or hardware access critical? Heavy graphics, advanced camera work or deep OS integration point towards native.
- Who maintains it after launch? One cross-platform codebase is simpler to keep up to date than two native ones.
Our take
For most business apps — field-force tools, customer portals and ERP or CRM companion apps — a cross-platform framework gives the best balance of speed, cost and quality. We reach for native when an app depends on platform-specific features or demanding performance.
Not sure which fits your project? Tell us what you're building and we'll recommend the right approach for your users and budget.
