The decision that most start-up companies need to make is what technology is right for their business. Making the wrong decision can affect the bottom line, project timeline and sometimes even the success of the product. Therefore, there are a few things to consider when picking the right mobile technology. There are a few frameworks: Cross Platform (Flutter and React Native), Native (Swift, Java) and Unity.
- Type of App – If your app is a game then Unity is probably the best tool. Otherwise Cross platform or native would be the right solution.
- Distribution of your App – If the app is going to be available only in iOS or exclusively on Android, then Native development is the way to go. For both platforms, Cross platform maybe a consideration.
- Time-frame – Development times can different for native apps you would need to write the app twice once for iOS in Swift and once in Java for Android. While cross platform saves development time by having to only write the code ones.
If you have decided to go with cross platform development due to its ability to save time and therefore decrease budget now it is time to decide between Flutter or React Native?
- Complexity – React native is a Facebook developed framework which is ideal for projects which are similar to website as oppose to building an app. Flutter is a Google framework which is designed to be aligned with the native development. Therefore, for an app it is ideal.
- Developer availability – Flutter has been recently launched (announced in 2017) and while it is picking up steam it maybe hard to hire a developer. However, you may choose to work with a flutter development firm instead. React Native has been around longer and due to its easy transition from website development has attracted many developers. It is therefore, easier to find React Native developers to hire for in-house development.
Now that the technology has been decided the next thing to figure out is whether to hire a developer in-house or remote. The pros of hiring outside expertise is that it usually comes with a smaller budget, faster turn-around and greater expertise. The con of hiring a mobile freelancer or development agency is the maintenance of future projects relies on the quality of code of those developers.
If you are looking to hire a mobile app developer for your project and need help making a decision on what technology to choose, you can contact Brian Kayfitz, a mobile app consultant, with over 10 years of experience.