9 Great Benefits of Flutter App Development for Businesses

Need to quickly roll out an MVP to test the market? Want an app that’s sleek, scalable, and works everywhere? Consider using Flutter — the framework of choice for 46% of developers worldwide.

At only six years old, Flutter has already eclipsed more established technologies like React Native and Xamarin. There were only 150,000 Flutter-based apps on the Play Store in March 2021. Now, there are over 1 million. That’s a 566% jump in usage in just two years.

What’s fueling this rapid adoption? Flutter is not just another open-source framework — it’s an all-in-one toolkit for building eye-catching, natively compiled cross-platform apps. It offers everything needed for a top-notch product: a refined UI library, strong dev tools, and a fast rendering engine.

But is it the right choice for your project?

In this blog, we’re looking at Flutter’s technical strengths to help you decide. We’ll also walk you through how Cheesecake Labs works as a Flutter app development agency and how we can help if you’re looking to hire a Flutter expert.

Welcome to Flutter 101
Apps you may know built with Flutter
Benefits of using Flutter for app development
- Infographic
How does Flutter stack up against React Native?
- Flutter vs React Native: Which one should you choose?
Hire Flutter Developers
- Apps we’ve built with Flutter
FAQs about Flutter development

Welcome to Flutter 101

So we know Flutter is great and it’s only getting better — but what exactly is Flutter and how is it used? Let’s go through some of the Flutter basics to get you up to speed.

What is Flutter app development?

Flutter app development is the process of building mobile, web, or desktop applications using Flutter, a popular open-source UI software development toolkit created by Google.

The framework allows developers to create a native application experience for different platforms from a single codebase. This means you can write your app’s code once and deploy it on multiple platforms, saving both time and resources.

What is the main use of Flutter?

Flutter’s primary function is to develop cross-platform mobile apps. A single codebase lets you deploy your app on multiple platforms (like iOS and Android) without sacrificing performance or design.

Does Flutter work with iOS and Android?

Yes, Flutter works natively on both iOS and Android. One of its key features is the ability to compile to native code, enabling near-native performance on both platforms. You can use Flutter to create apps with consistent, high-quality user experiences across both operating systems.

What programming language does Flutter use?

Dart is the official Flutter language. Designed for front-end development, Dart is both easy to understand and robust enough to handle complex UI tasks.

This language lets you take full advantage of Flutter’s comprehensive set of libraries and tools, making the development process both streamlined and effective.

Are Flutter and Dart the same thing?

While Flutter uses Dart for programming, they are not the same thing.

Dart is a versatile, general-purpose programming language. In contrast, Flutter is a UI Software Development Kit specifically designed for creating cross-platform mobile apps.

Flutter leverages Dart’s features to speed up and enhance the development process. Dart provides the syntax and core libraries that Flutter uses to compile into native code for various platforms.

Is a Flutter app a hybrid app?

No. An application developed using Flutter is a cross-platform app. Flutter’s architecture doesn’t rely on a bridge to communicate with native modules. Instead, it compiles directly to native ARM code.

How can you optimize Flutter apps?

Start by using the most recent version for better performance and enhanced security features.
Limit widget rebuilds to cut down on CPU usage. This is especially important for apps with complex, frequently updated UIs.
Use stateless widgets to further improve performance. They’re less resource-intensive than their stateful counterparts.
Finally, use the ‘const’ keyword to make your code run more efficiently. This helps Flutter quickly identify widgets that don’t change, accelerating the rendering process.

How to secure Flutter apps

Creating secure Flutter apps should by high on any developer’s to-do list. Here are a few key best practices that can help:

Use trusted packages
Communicate with APIs and services over HTTPS
Only use the app permissions you need
Keep your Flutter app up-to-date
Use KeyChain/Keystore to store sensitive information (and only store the data you need)
Use code obfuscation
Follow Flutter’s five key security pillars: Identify, detect, protect, respond, and recover.

What tools and technologies are used to develop Flutter apps?

There are lots of tools that Flutter developers use to create great cross-platform apps, but here are just a few:

Visual Studio Code is Microsoft’s free, open-source code editor. Lightweight, fast, and highly customizable, it’s a popular choice for Flutter development. Its hot reload and widget inspection plugins make writing, debugging, and running Flutter apps easier.
Android Studio is the official IDE for Android development and it provides first-class support for Flutter. It comes with a range of pre-configured Flutter templates and Dart plugins for more efficient coding. Its suite of debugging tools and its emulator can be particularly useful for testing Flutter apps in different Android environments.
Firebase is a BaaS platform that offers a wide range of tools including cloud storage, real-time databases, and analytics. Developers use it to add backend functionalities to their apps without having to set up servers, saving both time and resources.
Dio is a powerful Dart library for making HTTP requests. It’s especially useful for connecting Flutter-based apps to web services. Advantages include interceptors to modify requests, improved error handling, and request cancellation — features that make it easier to build robust and scalable API interactions in Flutter apps.
Hive is a quick and streamlined NoSQL database coded in Dart. It integrates well with Flutter, allowing for quicker read and write operations compared to other storage options.
BLoC or Business Logic Component is an architectural pattern designed especially for Flutter development. It makes application state management more organized, separating the business logic from the UI. The codebase becomes easier to maintain and test, ultimately improving the overall app quality.

How do you start a Flutter project?

To kick off a Flutter project, you’ll first need to install Flutter and Dart on your computer. Once installed, create a new project using command-line tools. Flutter offers a wide variety of pre-designed widgets and libraries to get you up and running quickly.

If you’re new to Flutter, our in-depth blog post guides you through best practices for architecting your Flutter project and organizing your code.

Apps you may know built with Flutter

Now that we know the basics you might be wondering what kind of apps you can build with Flutter. Big names choose Flutter to streamline development and extend their app’s reach from a single codebase.

Here are some well-known Flutter app development examples:

To y ota used Flutter’s embedded systems capabilities to upgrade their infotainment technology, achieving a sleeker, more interactive UI.
Africa’s biggest online travel agency, Travelstart, cut their engineering team by 60% by consolidating all apps into one Flutter codebase.
eBay Motors used Flutter to go from beta to full release in less than a year, even with a small development team.
Digital banking giant Nubank relies on Flutter to maintain a high-performance app that keeps pace with its rapid growth.
The STAIR Coach app, created by the US Department of Veteran Affairs to assist veterans with PTSD, used Flutter to decrease development time by 30%.

Want to see more examples of successful Flutter app development projects? Check out our list of 8 popular apps built with Flutter.

Benefits of using Flutter for app development

It’s easy to see why Flutter is widely used in custom mobile app development — it has some amazing benefits including:

Cross-platform functionality
Real-time testing
Superior UX
Complete branding control
No steep learning curve
Community and resource support
Smooth Firebase integration
Useful for Minimum Viable Product (MVP) development
Designed for accessibility

Check out the infographic for more details about the benefits of Flutter:

infographic benefits flutter development

How does Flutter stack up against React Native?

Flutter and React Native are both excellent cross-platform frameworks, which is why they are neck-in-neck in terms of developer adoption. Let’s compare them.

React Native is an older framework with a larger developer community. It’s built on JavaScript and can integrate with some platform-specific features.

However, it can be labor-intensive to keep a React Native app updated with the latest OS changes. And because this framework doesn’t offer complete access to all the built-in features of a device, it might restrict what your app can do.

In contrast, Flutter compiles directly to native code and often delivers superior performance. This doesn’t just make life easier for your development team but also translates into a smoother, more reliable UX for your customers.

Flutter vs React Native: Which one should you choose?

The best framework depends on your app’s specific needs and your technical skills. Sometimes, it’s best to consult experts to help guide your decision-making.

Cheesecake Labs’ custom mobile development teams are experts in both Flutter and React Native and we can help you determine the right approach for your project.

Hire Flutter Developers

At Cheesecake Labs, we specialize in building high-quality mobile applications, often using Flutter to make the development process more efficient.

This approach has led to positive industry recognition, including a coveted spot as one of Clutch’s Top 2 Flutter app development companies.

We offer two types of Flutter development services: we can either build your product from the ground up or deploy a dedicated team of experts who can seamlessly integrate with your workflow.

1. Full product development
Cheesecake Labs integrates Flutter’s flexible and comprehensive toolset at every stage of the development cycle to build world-class mobile applications. Here’s what our Flutter app development roadmap looks like:

Phase 1: Product Definition – Flutter’s cross-platform features enable quick prototyping and validation, so we can assess the app’s feasibility on iOS and Android right from the start.
Phase 2: Product Design – Flutter’s extensive widget library and customization options help our design team bring your vision to life.
Phase 3: Product Development – Utilizing Flutter’s hot reload and robust libraries, we build your app efficiently while maintaining a unified codebase for multiple platforms.
Phase 4: Product Optimization – Post-launch, we make full use of Flutter-compatible debugging and profiling tools to refine performance and scalability.

2. Dedicated team app development

Do you need a specialized team built around the needs of your Flutter-based project? We can put together a team of top Flutter developers (project managers, tech leads, and specialized engineers) as required.

More than just skilled experts, these dedicated teams are well-coordinated units that fit effortlessly into your existing workflows. They come into your project ready to fully use Flutter’s technical strengths to fast-track and fine-tune your app.

If you’re interested in learning more about our Flutter mobile app development company’s approach and the benefits it offers, learn more about how we work on our blog:

Apps we’ve built with Flutter

Looking for some real-world Flutter app development examples? Here are some of the many apps we’ve developed using the framework:

Thaw – Our team built this IoT-powered app for that lets users control the temperature of their smart hand warmers and insoles, enhancing their outdoor experiences.
Bemis – This Flutter-based app manages all aspects of Bemis’ smart toilets, from water temperature to seat sensors!
Swfast – We also created this white-label food delivery app that can be customized for different brands.

Tell us about your Flutter project

Interested in using your Flutter app services for your project? Request a quote.

Have questions or unique needs? Chat with us about your Flutter app development requirements. We can offer expert Flutter consulting to help launch your project!

FAQs about Flutter development

Here are the answers to the questions we commonly hear about Flutter app development:

What are the advantages of using Flutter over React Native?

Performance – Flutter needs less processing power than React Native because it compiles down to native code, meaning you get direct communication with hardware APIs.

UI flexibility – Flutter lets you decide whether to use pre-stylized widgets or completely custom-made and animated elements to build your UI. Since it doesn’t use DOM-oriented renderers, Flutter engines can process animations and custom behaviors better than React Native.

Is Flutter good for web development??

Yes. Although Flutter’s main focus is on mobile development, Flutter is a complete cross-platform development tool that you can use to compile not only web apps but also desktop apps.

Contact Cheesecake Labs →

About the author.

Douglas da Silva

Also known as Doug Gimli, I'm a developer that works with interactive solutions facing web projects, trying every day to deliver a full and great experience to users.