It’s 2024!
Even now technology is constantly mushrooming, and so is the need for iOS mobile apps!
Since affordability paved the way, Apple has become the “Buzzword” in today’s mobile world, skyrocketing the need for custom iOS-based apps.
Did you know?
As per the stats, the iOS app development market will flourish and scale the market growth from $240 billion to over $900 billion in the next four years.
Thus, building the best app boils down to choosing the right app framework.
This is where Flutter and Swift, two popular app development frameworks come into play!
Flutter is an open-source framework that enables developers to build apps using a single codebase that works across all platforms. On the other hand, Swift is a high-level programming language that helps develop Apple-centric apps for macOS, iOS, tvOS, and watchOS. Both have their own specialties.
Well, without ado, let’s set our sights on the detailed comparison of Flutter and Swift.
Overview of Flutter
Developed & launched by Google, Flutter is a popular cross-platform app development framework that facilitates seamless app development across Android, Windows, and iOS. Backed by natively compiled and intuitive user interfaces, Flutter is relatively popular among developers to build interfaces effortlessly. Comprised of a “Hot Reload Feature”, experts can easily update the UI content and quickly iterate on your code. The noteworthy feature of this robust framework is that it efficiently harnesses “Dart programming language” to make the app development process a breeze.
Did you know?
According to Statista, Flutter has successfully surpassed popular frameworks like React Native to stand as the #1 mobile app development framework.
Well, that’s the popularity of Flutter in today’s app development market.
Top Features of Flutter
Here is the complete list of the incredible aspects of Flutter that make it unique and popular iOS app development framework.
Attractive UI
Flutter is loaded with abundant beautiful pre-designed widgets that you can easily customise and leverage them into your app’s development process. It ensures the app will turn out to be visually appealing across all platforms. Not only does it attract your audience but it also ensures a seamless user experience.
Hot Reloading
Backed by the “Hot Reloading” feature, it fosters a quick and hassle-free app development process using a single codebase. Unlike other frameworks, developers don’t need to undergo the rigorous code changes that eventually end up consuming their time and effort. That’s not the case with Flutter!
Growing Community Support
Speaking of Flutter’s popularity, it is undoubtedly immense and shows no signs of slowing down. The framework has more than 150k stars on GitHub. Since it was developed by Google, it has a huge community base. Developers have quick access to tutorials, forums, sample codes, and exciting packages to facilitate their development process.
Cost Reduction Benefit
The cost of building an app could be potentially daunting for small-scale businesses. But Flutter solves this problem! The biggest reason behind its cost-saving aspect is that it eliminates the need to create different versions of an app for different platforms. Furthermore, there is no need to hire a big team of mobile app developers to get the job done.
Power-Packed Performance
Did you know that more than 69% of users will close the app if it takes too much time to load? Yes, you got that right! If you want to retain your audience, quick app opening is a must! Flutter has a built-in rendering engine that is designed to provide 60 frames per second for devices with 60hz and the same goes for a 120hz refresh rate.
Now that you might have understood about Flutter, let’s discuss Swift and its associated features.
Understanding Swift
Developed by Apple, Swift is also a popular open-source programming language that is known for its simplicity, robustness, and hassle-free usage. Influenced by Python, Swift is mainly used for the development of native iOS and macOS development. The major highlight of Swift is that it is clean and concise, making it an ideal option for a wide range of Apple-centric applications.
Since it’s designed by Apple, the security aspect is completely taken care of. With a built-in feature “optionals”, this easy-to-write programming language facilitates quick and strong typing while catching errors quickly at compile time.
Whether you want to create mobile apps, desktop apps, or cloud-based services, Swift has got you covered!
But Swift holds more than you can imagine! Not only it’s powerful but it also comes with mind-boggling features that make it stand out.
Features of Swift as a Leading App Development Framework
Here are the salient features of Swift.
Built to Perform
Since the code is easy to read and write, apps developed using Swift are built to perform last, enhancing the app’s quality and efficiency. Backed by Objective-C, developers don’t need to undergo the stress of multiple layers of memory management. With faster coding and hassle-free development, it gives more leverage to developers to customise the app.
Cross-Platform Feature
Backed by IBM support, Swift has been pushed to the cloud, thereby ensuring developers can easily build server-side applications without running to complex codes. Experts can make the best use of it with any back-end tech. Its cross-platform feature facilitates that it supports all the devices, including iPhone, Mac, MacBook, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and more.
High-end Security
Since the programming language fosters developers to create variables as strings and integers, it prevents suspicious behaviour. No matter how easy or complex your code is, it doesn’t let any malicious aspect enter your app’s code. The major highlight of Swift is that it ensures variables are initialised prior to their allocation so that they cannot be used after their deallocation.
Robust Support
Just like Flutter, Swift also has a robust community. It is supported by open-source frameworks that allow developers to customise and improve software tools. Some of the popular apps built using Swift may include Uber, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, SoundCloud, and more.
Easy Adaptability
Unlike other frameworks, Swift is not limited to any framework or a library, facilitating freedom for developers to make the right decision. With Swift, experts can choose their preferred framework to improve the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) that aligns with the app’s needs.
Quick Comparison Between Flutter & Swift for iOS App Development
Let’s discuss the quick comparison between the two behemoth iOS app development frameworks and choose the ideal one.
| Parameters | Flutter | Swift |
| Launch of App | Flutter has built-in widgets and uses a single code to deliver applications across all platforms quickly. | Swift, on the other hand, enables developers to each UI element from the get-go. In case of the need for multiple platforms, you need to spend money and drain your time to get the job done. |
| Speed | Backed by the Dart programming language, Flutter has an upper hand over other popular frameworks including Swift. | As it comes with Native Language, it is also fast but when it comes to comparison between the two, Flutter takes the lead. |
| List of Plugins | The major highlight of the framework is that it has a dedicated feature of code reusability. It works across Android, Linux, Windows, and other platforms. | Since it doesn’t allow the same code or plugin to develop an app for another platform, Flutter is the clear winner here. |
| High-End Performance | Flutter offers a native-like experience to the app’s users. Backed by pre-defined widgets and effects, it is quick and hassle-free to build apps with a native-like experience. | With Swift, developers can easily create reliable and performance-rich apps for iOS platforms. As it follows syntax and design guidelines, it will deliver more performance than Flutter. |
| Market Popularity | Flutter has more than 150k stars on GitHub, making it an ideal yet popular cross-platform app development framework. | Well, the sad part about Swift is that less than 5% of developers use it to build software apps. Compared to Flutter, it has only 55k stars on GitHub. |
| User-Interface | As it uses the widget system, developers can easily make use of each widget for every element in the app. | Swift doesn’t have a pre-defined set of widgets; developers need to develop all UI/UX elements from scratch. |
| Cost | Since it comes with a single code reusability feature, developers can easily build apps for both iOS and Android respectively. Unlike Swift, you don’t need to drain your money into separate resources. | Swift allows you to develop apps only for iOS platforms. If you want to develop one for Android, then you may need to hire Android app developers. |
Which is the Best Framework for iOS App Development: Flutter or Swift?
In a nutshell, both Flutter and Swift are an ideal choice for clean, responsive, engaging, and power-packed iOS app development. No matter what framework you choose, you will get the best app that aligns with your business needs.
Just to recall this comparison, if you want to develop an ideal app with native iOS functionalities with enhanced performance and security, then Swift may help you out! On the contrary, if you want a beautiful app user interface with smoother navigation and improved speed, then Flutter will never disappoint you!
Ready your build a robust and performance-packed iOS app? If so, we’re here to help!
Eitbiz is a leading iOS app development company that builds beautiful, scalable, and feature-rich apps that help convert your target audience into potential customers. Our dedicated team of app developers has unmatched expertise in both Flutter and Swift, delivering a professional business iOS app that fosters continued growth.
Get in touch with Eitbiz and move ahead with your iOS app development process today!
