Flutter vs. Ionic - Complete Comparison (2023)

In the world of mobile app development, two of the most popular platforms are Flutter and Ionic. Both have their own advantages and drawbacks, and it can be difficult to determine which one is the best choice for your project. In this guide, we'll compare Flutter and Ionic, looking at their main differences, code samples, advantages and drawbacks, and alternatives.

flutter vs ionic

What Is Flutter?

Flutter is an open-source UI development kit created by Google. It enables developers to create beautiful, natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase. Flutter apps are written in the Dart programming language, and they can be deployed to both Android and iOS devices.

What Is Ionic?

Ionic is an open-source framework for building hybrid mobile apps. It enables developers to create apps that have a native look and feel, but are actually web apps running in a native browser. Ionic apps are written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and they can be deployed to both Android and iOS devices.

Main Differences Between Flutter vs. Ionic

There are several key differences between Flutter and Ionic:

Language: Flutter apps are written in the Dart programming language, while Ionic apps are written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Performance: Flutter apps are compiled to native code, which makes them faster and more responsive than Ionic apps, which are running in a webview.
Cross-platform support: Flutter apps can be deployed to both Android and iOS devices, while Ionic apps can only be deployed to Android and iOS devices.
Development time: Flutter apps can be developed faster than Ionic apps, as they don't require a separate codebase for each platform.

Flutter & Dart Code Samples

Here is a basic example of a Flutter app written in Dart:

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

void main() => runApp(MyApp());

class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      title: 'Flutter Demo',
      theme: ThemeData(
        primarySwatch: Colors.blue,
      ),
      home: MyHomePage(title: 'Flutter Demo Home Page'),
    );
  }
}

class MyHomePage extends StatefulWidget {
  MyHomePage({Key key, this.title}) : super(key: key);

  final String title;

  @override
  _MyHomePageState createState() => _MyHomePageState();
}

class _MyHomePageState extends State<MyHomePage> {
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Scaffold(
      appBar: AppBar(
        title: Text(widget.title),
      ),
      body: Center(
        child: Text('Hello World!'),
      ),
    );
  }
}

Ionic Code Samples

Here is a basic example of an Ionic app written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <title>Ionic App</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <div class="app">
      <h1>Hello World!</h1>
    </div>
  </body>
</html>

.app {
  text-align: center;
}

const app = document.querySelector('.app');

app.addEventListener('click', () => {
  console.log('Hello World!');
});

Advantages of Flutter

Fast Development: Flutter's hot reload feature makes it easy to quickly iterate on your app and see changes in real-time.
Native Performance: Flutter apps are compiled to native code, which makes them faster and more responsive than Ionic apps.
Cross-platform Support: Flutter apps can be deployed to both Android and iOS devices.
Customizable UI: Flutter's UI components are highly customizable, allowing you to create beautiful native apps with ease.

Advantages of Ionic

Web-based Development: Ionic apps are written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which makes them easy to develop and maintain.
Cross-platform Support: Ionic apps can be deployed to both Android and iOS devices.
Third-party Libraries: Ionic has a large selection of third-party libraries, which makes it easy to add features to your app.
Integration with Native APIs: Ionic apps can access native device features such as camera, contacts, and geolocation.

Drawbacks of Flutter

Steep Learning Curve: Flutter's Dart programming language is relatively new and can be difficult to learn.
Limited Third-party Libraries: Flutter has a limited selection of third-party libraries compared to Ionic.

Drawbacks of Ionic

Slower Performance: Ionic apps are running in a webview, which can cause them to be slower and less responsive than native apps.
Limited Customization: Ionic's UI components are limited in terms of customization.

Alternatives to Flutter and Ionic

If you're looking for alternatives to Flutter and Ionic, here are some of the most popular options:

React Native: React Native is a popular cross-platform framework for building native apps with JavaScript.
Xamarin: Xamarin is a cross-platform framework for building native apps with C# and .NET.
NativeScript: NativeScript is a framework for building native apps with JavaScript.
Kotlin Multiplatform: Kotlin Multiplatform is a framework for building native apps with Kotlin.