TL;DR
- React Native: best for content-heavy apps, fast iteration, web team can contribute. Default at Big Helpers for ~60% of mobile builds.
- Flutter: best for design-heavy apps with complex animations or custom UI. Strong choice for B2C consumer apps.
- Native (Kotlin / Swift): best for performance-critical (camera, AR, complex media), platform-specific (Apple Watch, Android Auto).
- Cost difference: native is 1.7-2× the cost of cross-platform; rarely justified for SMB/startup work.
The 4 dimensions
Build cost & time
| Stack | iOS+Android MVP cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| React Native | ₹2.5L–₹4.5L | 8–10 weeks |
| Flutter | ₹2.5L–₹4.5L | 8–10 weeks |
| Native (both) | ₹4L–₹8L | 14–18 weeks |
Hiring market in India (2026)
React Native = largest pool, often shared with Web React talent. Flutter has grown fast (2024-25) and now has a healthy mid-level pool. Native iOS (Swift) is the smallest pool, hence priciest.
Performance
For 90% of business apps (CRUD, forms, lists, push notifications), all three perform identically to a user. Differences appear in:
- Camera-heavy: native wins. RN/Flutter add 10-15% latency.
- Heavy animations / 60fps custom UI: Flutter excels.
- Background tasks: native is more reliable.
- Bundle size: Flutter ~15-20MB minimum, RN ~10MB, native smallest.
Maintenance & ecosystem
RN: largest ecosystem, but library quality varies wildly — pin versions carefully. Flutter: smaller but higher-quality ecosystem (Google curates). Native: most stable but every change needs 2× work.
Web team already on React? → React Native. Brand-led design with custom animations? → Flutter. Camera/AR/complex media app? → Native. Default = React Native. See mobile MVP builds →
FAQ
What about Kotlin Multiplatform?
Promising but immature in 2026 for production apps. Production case studies are still mostly internal-tools. Not a default pick yet.
PWA instead of native?
For web-app-like products (booking, dashboards), a Progressive Web App can replace a real app. iOS PWA support has improved but still has gaps (push notifications limited, no app store discovery). Use only when discovery isn't a goal.
Last reviewed: 13 April 2026.
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