The choice of mobile development frameworks and languages depends heavily on various factors such as developer preference, project requirements, community support, and performance needs. Here’s an approximate percentage breakdown of the usage and popularity of Flutter, React Native, Jetpack Compose, NativeScript, and Native Development (Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android) based on surveys and general trends from 2023:
1. Flutter (~45%)
- Overview: Flutter, developed by Google, has grown rapidly in popularity due to its single codebase for both iOS and Android, fast development cycles, and powerful UI capabilities.
- Strengths:
- Strong community support
- Excellent performance, closer to native
- Growing ecosystem of packages and libraries
- A lot of tutorials. I offer several here https://programtom.com/dev/?s=flutter
- Usage: Popular among startups, small-to-mid projects, and cross-platform applications needing consistent UI across platforms.
2. React Native (~30%)
- Overview: React Native, backed by Facebook, has been a strong choice for cross-platform mobile development, especially for developers familiar with React (JavaScript/TypeScript).
- Strengths:
- Large ecosystem
- Huge developer base
- Easier integration with web React apps
- Usage: Preferred for mobile apps with strong web presence or when a company already has expertise in JavaScript/React.
3. Jetpack Compose (~10%)
- Overview: Jetpack Compose, developed by Google, is the modern Android UI toolkit. It’s focused on building native Android apps with a declarative UI, inspired by React’s declarative approach but fully optimized for Kotlin.
- Strengths:
- Native Android performance
- Kotlin support (official Android language)
- Easier UI code management compared to XML
- Detachedment from Context for Simple UI
- Usage: Gaining traction for native Android apps, especially among Kotlin developers, but not cross-platform.
4. Native (Swift and Kotlin) (~10%)
- Overview: Native development using Swift (iOS) and Kotlin (Android) offers the best performance and integration with platform-specific features.
- Strengths:
- Best performance
- Complete access to platform APIs
- Preferred for apps with heavy native interaction (e.g., AR/VR, high-performance games)
- Usage: Preferred for complex or performance-critical apps. Some larger companies also stick to native for reliability and maintainability.
5. NativeScript (~5%)
- Overview: NativeScript allows for building native apps with JavaScript, TypeScript, or Angular. While it offers direct access to native APIs, its usage is much smaller compared to Flutter and React Native.
- Strengths:
- Native performance
- Full access to native APIs
- Familiarity for JavaScript/Angular developers
- Usage: Smaller adoption compared to Flutter and React Native, mostly used in specific JavaScript-focused ecosystems.
Summary:
- Flutter: ~45% (dominant in cross-platform development)
- React Native: ~30% (strong competitor, especially in the JavaScript ecosystem)
- Jetpack Compose: ~10% (growing for Android-native apps)
- Native (Swift/Kotlin): ~10% (used for performance-critical apps)
- NativeScript: ~5% (niche tool with limited adoption)
These percentages are rough estimates and can vary depending on the region, industry, and developer preference. Flutter and React Native lead the cross-platform domain, while native development remains essential for performance-focused or platform-specific applications.
These percentages are approximate estimates based on trends from 2023. They reflect the usage patterns and popularity of these mobile development frameworks and languages as observed through developer surveys, industry reports, and community activity during that year. For the most up-to-date statistics, you would need to refer to real-time data sources like developer surveys (e.g., Stack Overflow, GitHub trends), or mobile development reports from early 2024.