Flutter Vs. Swift: When Choosing an iOS Development Language (Part I)
Because of budget constraints and the need for faster development, hybrid mobile app development is in higher demand and popularity than ever before. This is why Flutter is regarded as such a viable iOS development alternative to native Swift.
It’s critical to clarify the distinctions between Swift and Flutter frameworks to the great majority of native iOS and cross-platform app developers. The distinctions are explained below.
What is Swift?
Swift is the primary programming language for creating native iOS apps. Swift was created by Apple as a fast-paced, type-safe, and dynamic programming language that is constantly evolving and adding new features. Apple is constantly improving Swift by releasing new tools, documentation, and frameworks.
What is Flutter?
Flutter is a cross-platform, open-source mobile SDK developed, launched, and maintained by Google for cross-platform developers who want to create apps for both Android and iOS with a single source codebase. Flutter makes use of the Dart programming language and provides extensive documentation. Flutter is similar to React Native in that it supports all of the essential functionality.
Flutter vs. Swift for iOS Development
Flutter allows you to create two versions of your app at the same time. Flutter is platform-agnostic, which means it can function on both iOS and Android with the same code. While Swift is a programming language in and of itself, Flutter is a platform that allows you to build apps using a language (Dart) and compatible widgets.
Why should we compare them if one is a programming language and the other is a toolkit or platform? Both are popular mobile and online application options. You can utilise either of these for your iOS app, and they’re both worth thinking about.
Every OS programme requires particular features and technology that are specific to it. Swift is an excellent fit for these requirements. However, because Flutter has emerged as a clever language for creating high-performance iOS apps, the parallel between the two appears evident.
Here are the key differences:
Installation and Onboarding
The setup and onboarding processes for both are distinct and contradictory. Onboarding with Swift necessitates native tools that use Xcode as the IDE. You must first instal Xcode on your macOS device before installing the development kit.
The Flutter onboarding process necessitates the installation of both the Flutter binaries and Xcode. Other tools, such as Android Studio and IntelliJ IDEA, must also be installed. Finally, when compared to Flutter, Swift onboarding is a little easier and less complicated because the latter requires far less setting.
Development Speed
Using the command referred to as Xcode build or Xcode, you can quickly measure the development time in Swift. Swift is a fast-paced language that is currently recognised as the fastest for iOS programming.
For measuring development time in Flutter, you can use a command similar to this. However, Flutter for iOS is slower than Swift. Flutter, on the other hand, becomes faster as you progress beyond the initial clean builds.
