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Ask HN: React Native or Flutter for a new app in 2023?

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Re: Ask HN: React Native or Flutter for a new app in 2023?

#61

Post by nonethewiser »

joshuawright11 wrote: post #6

Purely curious; why not start natively with iOS or Droid (depending on which one your target audience uses more)? You'd have the easiest native API access and fewer headaches. Once you hit PMF & have proven the idea, add the second platform. Is there a benefit to launching on both platforms out of the gate? Unless perhaps there are specific React web assets you'd like to reuse to get up and running faster via React n…

> Is there a benefit to launching on both platforms out of the gate?

Well launching on both platforms at once is one benefit. But how about the benefit of writing code once?

Re: Ask HN: React Native or Flutter for a new app in 2023?

#62

Post by a_wild_dandan »

WorldMaker wrote: post #50

Have you considered MAUI? I was looking at the newly announced VS Code extension for .NET 8 MAUI development and that piqued my interest again in MAUI. (Also the in-progress performance metrics of the .NET 8 preview using .NET NativeAOT versus classic Mono AOT are fascinating.) The stuff I've been directly building in the last few years has just been PWA/WebView [Ionic's Capacitor], because web stack is reliable and…

The value proposition here is great...if you're living in 2016. But that framework ship has sailed. People already have years of experience deploying React (Native) targeting all those platforms and the web. Competition is great, but this new UI framework will join the same graveyard of all Microsoft's other similar attempts.

JavaScript will eat the world. At least Microsoft saved us somewhat by inventing TypeScript.

Re: Ask HN: React Native or Flutter for a new app in 2023?

#63

Post by winrid »

winrid wrote: post #5

Nothing beats native. 2nd best is what you know. I'm using egui right now for quickly putting together a native cross platform tool. For a startup, again I'd pick what you know. RN and Flutter will provide similar experiences for most apps. Flutter will perform better with charts etc.

QT is also really great, depending on what your app is.

Re: Ask HN: React Native or Flutter for a new app in 2023?

#65

Post by a_wild_dandan »

nonethewiser wrote: post #61
joshuawright11 wrote: post #6

Purely curious; why not start natively with iOS or Droid (depending on which one your target audience uses more)? You'd have the easiest native API access and fewer headaches. Once you hit PMF & have proven the idea, add the second platform. Is there a benefit to launching on both platforms out of the gate? Unless perhaps there are specific React web assets you'd like to reuse to get up and running faster via React n…

> Is there a benefit to launching on both platforms out of the gate? Well launching on both platforms at once is one benefit. But how about the benefit of writing code once?

And having access to a massive React developer talent pool.

Re: Ask HN: React Native or Flutter for a new app in 2023?

#66

Post by hbcondo714 »

I'm building an app right now in Expo / React Native + Typescript for its Authentication library[1] that allowed me to easily integrate Stripe's web login[2]. Expo apps can also be exported as PWAs via Workbox[3] so you could have your app distributed on the web plus have a native version in the app stores using a single code base.

[1] https://docs.expo.dev/develop/authentication/

[2] https://github.com/hbcondo/revenut-web#-authentication

[3] https://docs.expo.dev/guides/progressive-web-apps/

Re: Ask HN: React Native or Flutter for a new app in 2023?

#67

Post by wiradikusuma »

If you don't mind following my approach, I'm writing a book ( https://opinionatedlaunch.com ) for building and launching mobile apps end-to-end. It's for solopreneurs who can code and a small team of up to a dozen devs.

It covers not only the mobile app, but everything else. So, opinionated. There are many ways to make a mobile app and its supporting ecosystem, and it defeats the purpose if I simply explain everything there is and let the reader decide how they want to proceed. Not to mention I will never finish writing that kind of book :)

Re: Ask HN: React Native or Flutter for a new app in 2023?

#68

Post by karmakaze »

pritambarhate wrote: post #49

I would say Flutter. Performs much better than React Native. Upgrading old RN version to new RN version has always been a very painful experience. Flutter in our experience has been easier to upgrade. Also Flutter has support to call native APIs using platform channels. ( https://docs.flutter.dev/platform-integration/platform-chann... ) At my company we have multiple Flutter Apps in production. The experience has bee…

I'm not primarily a mobile dev but have done enough Android/iOS appdev to prefer Flutter. Even if it was only for the Android version of an app, I'd choose Flutter over Android APIs because it's so fragmented and janky in its own ways. RN to me is the worst of both worlds (React + Android quirks).

Of course it depends on the app, if it has specific not-run-of-the-mill UX requirements. It's also better to start with Flutter (or RN) rather than switch from something else, as the feel is so different users would be put off by the change. Each is fast/slow in different places/ways.

Re: Ask HN: React Native or Flutter for a new app in 2023?

#69

Post by thih9 »

scarface_74 wrote: post #46
a_wild_dandan wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why target one platform when your project can target all major platforms (web, iOS, Android, MacOS/Windows/Linux)? Especially if you're already experienced with React and can later hire from that monstrous talent pool? Hell, instead of casting that wider net for users, you could still only release/focus on iOS, but still have tons of work done when you're ready to move your React app to those other platforms.

Because your app will equally suck on all platforms?

You might not be the target user - and actual target users might not care about the native vs react native app UX.

Re: Ask HN: React Native or Flutter for a new app in 2023?

#70

Post by elforce002 »

floomk wrote: post #3
mikece wrote: post #2

Why not a PWA using Ionic (or similar)? A PWA can be packaged as a hybrid app if your need to access native APIs beyond what PWA supports.

Because you might want to give your users a somewhat decent experience.

You woke up today and chose violence.
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