We use both Flutter and React Native in production. Here's an honest comparison based on real projects, not framework evangelism.
Performance
Flutter compiles to native ARM code and renders its own UI. React Native bridges to native components. In practice, both achieve 60fps for most apps. Flutter has a slight edge for complex animations and custom UI.
Developer Experience
Flutter's hot reload is faster and more reliable. Dart is a well-designed language with strong typing. React Native benefits from the massive JavaScript ecosystem and is easier for web developers to pick up.
UI Consistency
Flutter renders identically on iOS and Android — pixel-perfect consistency. React Native uses platform-native components, meaning your app looks slightly different on each platform.
Our Recommendation
For most new projects in 2024, we recommend Flutter. The performance advantages, consistent cross-platform UI, and excellent developer tools make it our default choice. We use React Native when clients have existing React codebases or JavaScript teams.