Flutter: Is It Worth Learning in 2024?

Overview

• The question of whether Flutter is worth learning in 2024 is explored based on various parameters.
• Key parameters include:
  • Job prospects
  • Funding and stakeholders
  • Learning curve
  • Popularity in the developer ecosystem
  • User experience aspects (performance, software size)

Why Cross-Platform Technologies Exist

• Cross-platform technologies provide a single SDK and language to develop applications for multiple operating systems, reducing the need for separate apps for each OS.

Flutter Overview

• Flutter is an open-source UI toolkit primarily funded by Google.
• A video exists that explains how Flutter works behind the scenes for those interested.

Job Prospects

• Stack Overflow Developer Survey Data:
  • 2019: Dart (Flutter's primary language) not on the list. Java and JavaScript present.
  • 2021: Dart appears but remains at the bottom.
  • 2023: Dart continues to be low in ranking.
• Job Openings:
  • Flutter: 834 openings in the US, 1.5k in India.
  • React Native: 5.6k openings in the US, 7.7k in India.
  • Native Android: 30k openings in the US, 15k in India.
  • Indicates Flutter is less in demand compared to React Native and native Android development.

Funding and Stakeholders

• Twitter Followers Count:
  • Flutter: 259k
  • React Native: 201k
  • Kotlin Multiplatform: 160k
  • Android Developers: 2.2 million
• Reddit and Stack Overflow Activity:
  • Flutter: 134k Reddit followers, 178k Stack Overflow questions.
  • Indicates high engagement despite fewer job openings.
• Key Stakeholders:
  • Flutter: Google
  • React Native: Facebook
  • Kotlin Multiplatform: Google and JetBrains
  • Microsoft's involvement with MAUI.
• Prominent apps using Flutter include Google Pay, eBay, and Alibaba.

Popularity in Developer Ecosystem

• Google Trends:
  • Flutter surpassing React Native in interest since 2020.
• Stack Overflow Developer Interests:
  • 2021: Flutter at 13.55%, React Native at 14.51%.
  • 2023: Flutter at 9.12%, React Native at 8.43%, indicating growing interest in Flutter.
• Dart Language Popularity:
  • Dart's presence in developer surveys is increasing but still lower than JavaScript.

Developer Ecosystem and Libraries

• Flutter has approximately 46,000 packages available.
• React Native relies on JavaScript libraries, benefiting from npm's extensive package ecosystem.
• Kotlin Multiplatform allows interoperability with native packages.

User Experience

• App Size:
  • Flutter includes an engine and runtime, leading to larger app sizes compared to Kotlin Multiplatform and React Native.
  • React Native uses native elements for UI rendering, which may result in smaller size than Flutter.
• Performance:
  • Native apps offer the best performance.
  • Flutter compiles to native components, thus providing good performance.
  • React Native performance can be hindered by JS bridge latency.

Learning Curve

• Flutter:
  • Easier for Java developers due to Dart’s similarities with Java.
• Kotlin Multiplatform:
  • Easiest for existing Android developers familiar with Kotlin.
• React Native:
  • JavaScript knowledge is a prerequisite for ease of use.

Developer Tooling

• Flutter excels in developer tooling for debugging, performance monitoring, and network calls.

Conclusion

• Flutter is still a viable option for learning in 2024, with growing interest and community engagement despite challenges in job prospects compared to other frameworks.