How to Choose the Right Cross-Platform Tool
Define Your Project’s North Star
Map Real Use Cases, Not Just Features
List concrete scenarios: camera capture, background sync on unreliable networks, accessible navigation, and instant animations. Clarify platform-specific needs like Apple Health or Android foreground services. The right tool emerges when requirements stop being abstract and start being lived.
Flutter renders via Skia, delivering consistent, pixel-perfect UI across platforms with rich animations. You’ll write in Dart, gain excellent tooling, and ship fast UIs, though binaries can be larger. Platform Channels bridge native APIs when needed. Great for custom design systems and consistency.
Architecture and Code Sharing Strategy
Full UI sharing accelerates greenfields but can constrain platform nuance. Logic sharing with native UI preserves platform idioms at the cost of duplicated screens. Plot where reuse creates leverage—validation, networking, and state—and where divergence actually improves user trust and adoption.
Architecture and Code Sharing Strategy
Create modules for analytics, auth, and data access with clear contracts. Encapsulate platform differences behind interfaces. This protects you if you later swap a framework. We once halved a migration by isolating storage behind a stable domain boundary early.
Longevity, Community, and Risk Management
Check stable release frequency, deprecation policies, and communication during breaking changes. Healthy projects publish roadmaps and migration guides. Confidence grows when maintainers respond promptly to security issues and community proposals. Bet on ecosystems that respect your time and your users’ data.