Flutter is a UI toolkit from Google that lets you build natively compiled applications for mobile, desktop, and web from a single codebase. Unlike typical JavaScript frameworks, Flutter doesn’t rely on the DOM; it renders everything directly in a canvas using its own rendering engine (Skia), giving developers complete control over every pixel. This approach allows for highly customizable, performant, and visually consistent interfaces across platforms.
Flutter uses the Dart language, which compiles ahead-of-time (AOT) for mobile/desktop apps and just-in-time (JIT) for development, enabling fast hot reload cycles. Its component model revolves around widgets, which are composable and reactive, similar in concept to React components but with a unique style and declarative structure.
Quote
“Who needs the DOM when you can just render everything in the canvas.” - Theo, 2023
The Use Case
When to use (pros)
- Cross-platform consistency: Write once, run on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux. The same UI and logic can work everywhere.
- Full control over rendering: No DOM limitations; everything is a widget rendered in a canvas, giving pixel-perfect precision.
- Rich UI toolkit: Comes with a large set of customizable widgets and Material/Cupertino design systems.
- Hot reload & fast iteration: Development cycle is quick, allowing for rapid prototyping and UI tweaks.
- Good for mobile-first apps: Particularly strong for mobile and desktop apps where platform-specific quirks can be abstracted away.
- Performance: Flutter apps often perform close to native speed because of AOT compilation and its own rendering pipeline.
When not to use (cons)
- Web support limitations: Flutter Web can work, but it’s generally not suitable for e-readers or highly constrained devices. Many developers recommend avoiding it for web-first projects.
- Large app size: Flutter apps often ship with larger binaries compared to native apps or minimal web frameworks.
- Dart ecosystem: While growing, Dart’s ecosystem is smaller than JavaScript’s, which may limit third-party libraries.
- Not DOM-based: Integrating with existing HTML or web frameworks is not straightforward. Traditional web patterns don’t directly apply.
- Learning curve: Widgets, Dart, and Flutter’s reactive model can feel foreign to developers coming from standard web frameworks.
Suitability by Project Scale
Large companies
- Pros: Ideal for cross-platform mobile and desktop applications with a consistent user experience and centralized codebase.
- Cons: If web support or e-reader compatibility is required, Flutter may not be viable. Large teams may need to invest in training for Dart and Flutter’s unique architecture.
Smaller projects
- Pros: Perfect for startups and indie devs wanting a single codebase for iOS and Android apps without juggling separate native projects.
- Cons: Overkill for small web-only projects; app size and build complexity can be barriers.
Personal / indie projects
- Pros: Great for prototyping mobile apps quickly, hobby projects, and portfolio apps that target multiple platforms.
- Cons: Not recommended if the project’s main target is web or e-reader devices, as Flutter Web may underperform or encounter compatibility issues.