Mobile apps are in high demand and have become the way of life. As a result, companies are looking to provide exquisite solutions to satisfy their users.
But for companies to succeed in creating applications, they need the right tools. And when it comes to tools, Flutter is THE tool that leads the enterprise app development pack.
Flutter is different! You know why… Because it allows you to create mobile apps faster and cheaper than other tools. And since it lets you build one app that runs on multiple platforms, it significantly reduces app development time and effort.
In this blog post, let us find out why Flutter is excellent for enterprise app development and highlight some of the benefits of its use.
Let’s go!
Flutter App Development: An Overview
Flutter is an open-source mobile application development platform created by Google. This new tool is a promising competitor for other established technologies like Ionic, React Native or Xamarin.
What’s more!! It's also free and easy to learn.
In a world where we're constantly bombarded with new technologies, Flutter has established itself as the go-to framework for building cross-platform mobile apps. It is used to create intuitive and feature-rich apps for different operating systems while focusing on native performance and visual consistency on multiple platforms.
Although Flutter supports C, C++, and Dart languages, most developers prefer to write application code in Dart.
The reason why Dart is preferred is that Dart is a web-based, object-oriented programming language. It is replacing Kotlin in today's mobile app development. For one thing, it eliminates the need for XML and JSX—declarative layout languages. Another reason is that its Ahead of Time functionality makes Dart fast to be compiled, boosting Flutter performance with next-level customizable widgets and object-oriented functionality.
Here are some interesting statistics about Flutter.
- According to a 2021 developer survey by Statista, Flutter is the most preferred cross-platform mobile framework used globally. Based on the study, 42 percent of software developers use Flutter, only six percent use React Native, and just three percent use Xamarin. (Source)
- Over 26 thousand Flutter apps have been launched so far. (Source)
Why Use Flutter For Enterprise App Development?
With Flutter coming into the picture and gaining popularity, we can see a new rise in cross-platform app development.
With this, you can build and launch both Android and iOS mobile apps at the same time. In addition, because you’re able to give a native feel to your app with Flutter plugins, your customers get to enjoy native app performance.
But Flutter is not just another tool for building an app. In fact, it goes way beyond what its competitors offer.
Let's see why you should consider adding Flutter to your enterprise mobile app development process.
1. Single codebase for development
When building an application, a common question that comes to our mind is: "Will my application run on Android or Apple interface?".
In the past, if you wanted to develop an app for two different operating systems, you had to create two separate codebases...but not anymore!
Flutter app development is a boon for developers who no longer need multiple codebases to build mobile apps. Instead, Flutter makes things easy for them; they can now use a single codebase to build mobile apps for various platforms.
You can build an app that runs seamlessly across iOS and Android OS with a single codebase. This also means you can focus more on your creativity and app functionality testing while saving time developing the application.
2. Shorter time to market
The time it takes to get your app into the marketplace can decide its success.
The first one to enter the market has a significant advantage over rest of the competitors. So, speed is essential for competition.
Flutter's hottest feature, called hot reload, supports the fastest time to market. It allows developers to watch their code changes go live almost instantly.
With the Flutter framework, you can build apps super fast because you don't need to recompile the code every time you make a small change.
Furthermore, developers can spend less time writing platform-specific code since they work with a common code base for iOS and Android apps.
In short, TTM (Time to Market) can be reduced significantly with developer-friendly features such as Hot Reload and a vast array of widgets. As a result, you get an advantage over your peers by launching your app earlier.
3. Security at its best
When it comes to data security, Flutter is safer, more robust, and more useful than other cross-platform frameworks.
Flutter marks its superiority on all security accounts and is preferred by most businesses to manage their risk-sensitive information.
Here are some concerns that Flutter helps manage with ease –
User authentication
Cybercriminals are getting smarter in their ability to invade user accounts and retrieve sensitive information. It is, thus, a big challenge today: keeping accounts and data secure.
Moreover, passwords and PINs aren't sufficient to provide secure access these days.
But you don’t want to lose your app users’ interest in your app because of weak cybersecurity implementation. Right?
Thanks to Flutter’s friendliness and compatibility with native Android and iOS environments, your enterprise app can now be secure.
Flutter user authentication has a multifactor and multitier approach. Plugins recommended by Flutter are trusted as they are tested via the best-in-class protocols.
Data breach
Data leaks and theft are on a steady rise. It is because there is a vast number of devices and users performing multiple transactions via millions of apps.
Flutter enables you to store sensitive data like passwords or finance data.
Besides, it has a feature to set a timer to clean up the cache every time your user’s session is expired or closed. This is a great feature to avoid possible data breaches.
Flutter app developers can also use app-level encryption. For example, they can access iOS SecKey API and Common Crypto library to generate encryption keys.
Code injections
Many applications built on cross-platform mobile app frameworks are known to be susceptible to malicious code injections. These injections find their way, primarily via less reliable plugins. They can then destroy, corrupt, or even steal crucial information in the blink of an eye. Not only that, they can even render your app non-functional.
Expert flutter developers can help you avoid mishaps caused by code injections.
Network data loss
To be safe, HTTPS aims to have TLS (Transport Layer Security) so developers can be assured of the best encryption and authentication techniques. But, poorly configured TLS security can lead to security breaches in the network.
With the help of the Dart:io library, ensure your HTTPS connection is secured. It happens through TLS certificate pinning and HttpClient class.
4. UI Designs that are powerful
A mobile app development company can quickly build engaging and user-friendly designs with the help of Flutter's vast collection of different themes.
These themes, available for Android and iOS apps, can be used to create dedicated apps for many industry sectors like education, finance, eCommerce, entertainment, healthcare, and social media.
You can use Flare, which is Flutter's full-fledged 2D vector animation library, to add animations to your app. To build a powerful UI design, you can include infinite scrolling, page transition, image caching, app responsiveness, different views, timelines, etc.
5. The effective impact of Dart
Dart is a modern object-oriented programming language of Google. It resembles Java and C++ in syntax. Because it supports both strong and weak typing styles, it becomes an easy-to-pick-up language for any new developer.
Besides, Dart is an open-source, general-purpose, and easy-to-understand programming language, making it a great choice for developing customized mobile apps.
Another reason why Dart makes an impact is its reactive framework that allows for both front-end and back-end development in one place.
Efficiency is yet another reason why Dart is preferred. Dart can directly compile into native code. Unlike languages such as React Native, Flutter doesn't need a JavaScript bridge to talk to native widgets. This makes debugging more straightforward and cost-effective.
6. Library of customizable widgets
Flutter makes it easy to build interesting apps with its rich libraries, customizable widgets, and layout features. In addition, Flutter helps developers build widgets that meet your specific business needs with the help of an engaging UI.
Flutter's widgets follow the Material Design specifications for Android and the Cupertino look for Apple. This makes it quite simple to create a single code base that functions on both platforms and requires less time.
One of Flutter's most significant advantages is its ability to customize every aspect of your app's appearance, including very complex UI elements. While it's possible to create custom UI on native platforms, the amount of effort required there varies significantly.
7. Efficiency through a layered architecture
Enterprise applications are usually big in size and, therefore, need a layered architecture for seamless functionality and better productivity of the team of developers collaborating.
With interceding layers, developers look for ways to get better access to documented design patterns, coordinate amongst the team, and quickly understand the app's different features.
Flutter is a great help by providing simple and secure networking to access web resources, local storage, SQLite databases, and even hardware via library plugins.
Here is how Flutter proves to be helpful-
- Easy state management.
- Code independency
- RxDart for asynchronous programming requirements.
- Background processing of Flutter.
- JSON Serialization and Deserialization
- Deep linking for push notifications.
- Limited local storage.
- SQLite for working with large volumes of structured data.
8. Development environment
App users can get a native app-like experience with Flutter, a cross-platform solution that integrates pretty well with Android Studio, IntelliJ, and Visual Studio Code. All these IDEs support most devices type.
Apart from that, Flutter has vast libraries to simplify app development.
- Better Scalability: Flutter’s Dart ecosystem allows apps to scale seamlessly. All you need to do is import Dart Packages (with Extended Libraries) which makes it possible to re-factor apps to transit them into a different platform, such as the cloud.
- Testability: Flutter widgets are compatible with all the necessary app tests – Unit tests, Widget Tests, and Integration Tests.
- CI/CD Support: You can deploy mobile apps to Google Play Store and Apple App Store with Flutter using native Android and iOS toolsets and enterprise CI/CD
9. A great deal of community support
Flutter is an open-source application development framework that enables developers to create beautifully designed and fast-performing cross-platform apps. The community behind Flutter is growing quickly and includes experienced developers passionate about resolving issues and developing innovative app solutions.
Famous Enterprise Mobile Apps Developed Using Flutter
Flutter has come a long way and is now used to develop enterprise apps. Here are a few of the best enterprise apps developed using Flutter technology.
Google Ads
The Google Ads app is an excellent example of how Flutter can be used well.
It is an online advertising platform assisting businesses in showcasing their products and services. It's been making strides in the business world.
The Google Ads app is there to help you keep tabs on your ads and monitor their performance so that you can make informed decisions.
My BMW
BMW's Flutter/Dart development team is one of the largest in the world after Google's. They have developed the My BMW app in-house.
The My BMW app runs on both iOS and Android operating systems. You can download it free of cost from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and it's compatible with most smartphones.
The app lets you monitor your car remotely and has a few nifty features that are sure to impress, including locating your vehicle and remotely unlocking the doors.
Hamilton Musical
A Broadway sensation, Hamilton, has its app done with Flutter. The mobile app by Flutter gives fans a chance to stay in touch with the latest happenings, music-based news, and videos—plus tour schedules, merchandise, and even lottery entry forms.
The Karaoke feature lets you sing your favorite songs through this app.
Coach yourself
Coach yourself is a health and meditation app for the German-language market.
This app uses Flutter to show how diversely it can contribute to industries—from personal development to well-being.
It focuses on the well-being of its users through meditation and mental health care.
Reflectly
Reflectly is the brainchild of an ambitious team of developers who have built it with Flutter. The app is designed to help people understand their mental health by posing a new set of questions daily.
It helps them write about how they feel and cope with their problems, gathering in-depth information about their state of mind. The dashboard has an exciting look, and thanks to Flutter's seamless integration of cutting-edge technologies like ML, NLP, etc., it works well on all devices.
SpaceX Go
The SpaceX Go app has achieved a clutter-free, clear, and niche design that is simple to navigate and a pleasure to the users through implementing Flutter's features.
Birch Finance
Birch Finance is a personal finance app that removes the anxiety of credit card use. The app analyzes spending habits, matches users with the right rewards cards, and keeps track of spending so that no rewards point goes unearned.
Bitfolio
This app, built with Flutter, helps users manage and maintain their cryptocurrency investment portfolio. The portfolio includes different cryptocurrencies like Litecoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin, etc.
This app shows details like real-time coin prices and detailed reports/charts for a better investment. Because of its happening features, it has become quite popular.
The New York Times
The New York Times is a media company that publishes daily. It is the third-largest publication in the US.
Its mobile puzzle games are enjoyed by millions of people daily and are one of the company's top revenue sources.
With Flutter, app development became an excellent solution for The New York Times.
Xianyu by Alibaba
It is a popular e-commerce app that facilitates buying and selling of second-hand goods. The app is built using Flutter and is available on both iOS and Android platforms.
This app now has 50 million downloads and 10 million daily users.
Build a Powerful Flutter Application with Imaginovation
Flutter is a game-changer for mobile app development. It's a hot new tool that lets developers create applications for both iOS and Android with a single code base, saving valuable time and resources. If you're seeking to avoid the hassle of coding for multiple platforms, then Flutter should be your go-to solution.
Imaginovation is a Flutter-powered enterprise app development company with a team of experts in the field. Let us help you reach your business goals by fully leveraging Flutter's benefits.
Get in touch with us. We can help you build a Flutter-based custom app for your enterprise.
Imaginovation is an award-winning web and mobile app development agency with vast experience crafting remarkable digital success stories for diverse companies. Let's talk.
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