Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
Flutter
2.1.
Uses of Flutter
2.2.
Advantages of Flutter
2.3.
Disadvantages of Flutter
3.
Kotlin
3.1.
Uses of Kotlin
3.2.
Kotlin Advantages
3.3.
Disadvantages Of Kotlin
4.
Flutter vs Kotlin
5.
Frequently Asked Questions
5.1.
Name some best editors for Flutter Development.
5.2.
Is Flutter a programming language?
5.3.
To utilize Flutter, how much programming expertise do I need?
5.4.
Can I learn Kotlin without Java?
5.5.
What kinds of programming does Kotlin support?
6.
Conclusion
Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024

Flutter vs Kotlin

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Introduction

Cross-platform is a technique that more and more companies and developers are starting to think is worth trying. Technologies and frameworks for cross-platform programming are growing in popularity, and the reasons behind it are quite understandable such as reduced cost,  quick time-to-market, and a single codebase for multiple platforms. Today it is one of the important trends in the software development world.

Flutter vs kotlin

No framework or programming language is perfect. Each one has its pros and cons. Flutter and Kotlin offer the best performance and significantly save development time and cost.

This blog will look into the features, advantages, disadvantages, and basic differences between Flutter and Kotlin. Are you eager to know which framework will win this flutter vs kotlin battle? Then let’s go!

Flutter

The Flutter is a cross-platform software development kit introduced by Google in 2015 and released in 2017. Flutter is a software development framework for creating high-performance, high-quality apps from a single Dart Language codebase for iOS, Android, Web (beta), and desktop applications

flutter

Flutter provides a simple, powerful, efficient, and straightforward SDK for developing mobile applications in Google's language, Dart. Dart is an object-oriented programming language with C-style syntax created by Google in 2011. Dart programming is used to construct front-end user interfaces for online and mobile apps.

Uses of Flutter

  • Flutter can create small, mid-size, and large-size apps for retail businesses.
  • When time and resources are limited, flutter is a great option for creating an MVP and prototyping apps.
  • It can be used to make a full-fledged mobile application.
  • The flutter framework can create solutions where user engagement is a must, such as FinTech appsenterprise apps, businesses, banks, and online stores.

Advantages of Flutter

For a high-performance and excellent mobile application, flutter comes with gorgeous and customizable widgets. It satisfies all custom requests and specifications. Flutter also has several other advantages, which are listed below.

  • Declarative and expressive UIs
  • Native performance
  • Stateful hot reload makes app development faster.
  • Full-customization of widgets
  • Reduced cost and time
  • For Android and iOS platforms, developers only need to write a single codebase.
  • Flutter requires fewer tests.
  • Its flexibility to be customized and extended makes it even more powerful.

Disadvantages of Flutter

Despite its many benefits, flutter has the following cons:

  • The limited set of tools and libraries
  • Framework for developing mobile apps
  • Large file sizes
  • Lack of third-party libraries and integrations
  • Prior knowledge of dart language
  • Lacks password management support
  • Performance issues on iOS

Kotlin

kotlin

JetBrains created the programming language Kotlin and released it in 2011. It was developed under the Apache 2.0 license. Kotlin is a statically typed high-level language that combines Functional Programming and Object-Oriented Programming (OOPs). Kotlin runs on Java Virtual Machine (JVM), a runtime engine of the Java Platform. It is an open-source programming language like C++PythonJavaC#JavaScript, etc. This language is commonly used for Android Development by developers.

Uses of Kotlin

  • It can be used when there is no need for a cross-platform environment.
  • Developers can use Kotlin in their current applications, create cross-platform apps in Kotlin, and develop server-side code in Kotlin.
  • Building cross-platform apps are the best solution where the project is complex and the app size is large. Hence kotlin can be used for developing a fast and lightweight application.
  • Integrating Kotlin is one of the best decisions while starting a new Android project or making changes to the existing ones.

Kotlin Advantages

Just like any other language, Kotlin also has a lot of advantages associated with it. Some of them are listed as follows:

  • Easy learning curve
  • Native-like performance
  • Faster time-to-market of an app
  • Free of cost
  • Easy maintenance of code
  • Fully interoperable with java
  • Concise, secure, and reliable code
  • Better performance

Disadvantages Of Kotlin

Following are some of the drawbacks of using Kotlin:

  • Lower compilation speed than java
  • Fewer Kotlin experts
  • No static declaration
  • Namespace declaration

Flutter vs Kotlin

Flutter and kotlin are both capable of developing efficient cross-platform apps. We can easily compare both languages in the table below based on certain criteria. Here is a short summary of flutter vs kotlin in the given table.

Criteria  Kotlin Flutter
Developed by JetBrains Google
Year of release 2011 2017
Component library Small and quickly growing Big and quickly growing
Supported platforms Android, windows, Linux, JavaScript, JVM, iOS, macOS, Web Assembly Android, web, Linux, macOS, iOS, Google fuchsia, Windows
Prior knowledge required No prior knowledge required. It is similar to java and easy to learn. Should have knowledge of Dart
Performance Slower compilation but overall unified experience across all platforms Native performance on all platforms
App size Smaller Bigger compared to kotlin
Famous apps based on the language Coursera, Pinterest, Tinder, Corda, Evernote, Google, Slack, Trello, Netflix Google Ads, eBay, BMW,  Alibaba, Square, SpaceX Go!
UI design Great UI experience and customization Extensive customization features
Unique features Interoperability with Java, concise, safe, and functional programming support Hot reload, fully customized widgets, and platform awareness for UIs
Hot reload Not supported Supported
Testing support Yes No
Status Mature and stable language and tools Relatively new compared to Kotlin

 

Flutter usually succeeds over Kotlin only because it is more well-known and has a larger support network. However, soon the kotlin will become the next craze. 

Now that we have discussed everything you need to know about flutter vs kotlin. It’s time for some frequently asked questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Name some best editors for Flutter Development.

The best editors for the development of Flutter are Visual Studio Code and Android Studio.

Is Flutter a programming language?

Flutter is not a programming language. It's a prewritten software development kit (SDK) that includes ready-to-use and customizable widgets, libraries, tools, and documentation, all of which help developers create cross-platform apps.

To utilize Flutter, how much programming expertise do I need?

Flutter is accessible to programmers familiar with object-oriented and imperative programming ideas (classes, methods, variables, and so on) (loops, conditionals, etc.).People with no programming knowledge have been able to learn and utilize flutter for prototyping and app development.

Can I learn Kotlin without Java?

You don't need to know java to learn Kotlin, and you don't need to know Kotlin to learn java. However, knowing java will come in handy when interacting with some Java libraries. 

What kinds of programming does Kotlin support?

Kotlin supports two types of programming. They are Procedural Programming and Object-Oriented Programming.

Conclusion

We have discussed the concept of flutter vs kotlin in this article. You can now start coding in that preferred language which, according to your perspective, won the flutter vs kotlin battle. This blog has extensively discussed the introduction and features of Flutter and Kotlin. To learn more about flutter vs kotlin, check the link below:

 

Refer to our guided paths on Coding Ninjas Studio to learn more about DSA, Competitive Programming, JavaScript, System Design, etc. Enroll in our courses and refer to the mock test and problems available. Take a look at the interview experiences and interview bundle for placement preparations.

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