Comparing Flutter, React Native, Capacitor, and .NET MAUI

Cross-platform frameworks have become integral to modern app development, enabling developers to write code once and deploy it on multiple platforms, reducing time and costs. In this post, we’ll explore four popular frameworks — Flutter, React Native, Capacitor, and .NET MAUI — and evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, and use cases.

Why Use Cross-Platform Frameworks?

Building separate native apps for iOS and Android can be resource-intensive. Cross-platform frameworks address this by allowing developers to use a single codebase for multiple platforms. The primary benefits include:

• Reduced development cost and time: Write once, deploy everywhere.
• Faster time-to-market: Streamlined development means quicker releases.
• Code reusability: Share business logic across platforms, avoiding duplication.
• Smaller development teams: Fewer specialists are needed compared to native development.

Pros and Cons of Cross-Platform Frameworks Compared to Native Development

Pros:

• Faster Development: Single codebase reduces coding time.
• Cost Efficiency: Maintenance and updates are more affordable.
• Broader Developer Pool: Easier for teams with diverse skills to adapt.
• Consistency: Uniform UI/UX across platforms.

Cons:

• Performance: Typically slower than native apps, especially for high-performance tasks like gaming or complex animations.
• Access to Platform Features: Not all native APIs are supported out-of-the-box.
• App Size: Cross-platform frameworks can increase app size due to dependencies.
• Debugging Complexity: Bugs can arise from the abstraction layer, making them harder to trace.

An Introduction to the Frameworks

Flutter

• Documentation: flutter.dev
• Language: Dart
• Developed by: Google
• Released: 2017
• Key Features: Highly customizable UI, single codebase, strong support for animations.
• Focus: Building high-performance apps with pixel-perfect designs.
• Package Management: Pub
• Package Repository: pub.dev
• App Examples: Google Ads, My BMW, Alibaba, ByteDance, and many more.

React Native

• Documentation: reactnative.dev
• Language: JavaScript/TypeScript
• Developed by: Meta (Facebook)
• Released: 2015
• Key Features: Uses native components, hot-reloading, and integration with a vast JavaScript ecosystem.
• Focus: Apps with native-like performance and widespread library support.
• Package Management: npm
• Package Repository: npmjs.com
• App Examples: Facebook, Discord, Skype, Tesla, and many more.

Capacitor

• Documentation: capacitorjs.com
• Language: JavaScript/TypeScript
• Developed by: Ionic
• Released: 2018
• Key Features: Web-first approach, integrates with native plugins, and supports progressive web apps (PWAs).
• Focus: Hybrid and lightweight apps leveraging web technologies.
• Package Management: npm
• Package Repository: npmjs.com
• App Examples: -

.NET MAUI

• Documentation: docs.microsoft.com
• Language: C#
• Developed by: Microsoft
• Released: 2021
• Key Features: Unified codebase for desktop and mobile, strong Microsoft ecosystem integration.
• Focus: Enterprise-grade apps with cross-platform compatibility.
• Package Management: NuGet
• Package Repository: nuget.org
• App Examples: -

Community and Ecosystem

Flutter

• Community Size: Large and rapidly growing.
• Plugins: 33,000+ packages on pub.dev.
• Strength: Active developer engagement and frequent updates. Strong support for custom UI designs.

React Native

• Community Size: Large, mature and well-established.
• Plugins: 10,000+ packages on npm.
• Strength: Extensive documentation and strong community support. Integration with the broader JavaScript ecosystem.

Capacitor

• Community Size: Medium, growing.
• Plugins: 3000+ plugins on npm.
• Strength: Strong support for web technologies and progressive web apps. Easy integration with existing web projects.

.NET MAUI

• Community Size: Small, growing, bolstered by Microsoft’s enterprise focus.
• Plugins: Fewer than others but steadily increasing.
• Strength: Strong integration with Microsoft’s ecosystem, including Azure and Visual Studio. Unified codebase for desktop and mobile apps.

Pros and Cons of Each Framework

Framework	Pros	Cons
Flutter	High performance, rich widgets, active community	Learning Dart, larger app sizes, no native components
React Native	Reusable native components, vast library ecosystem, JavaScript support	Performance trade-offs, dependency on third-party libraries
Capacitor	Web-first, lightweight, great for PWAs	Limited native functionality, less suitable for complex native apps
.NET MAUI	Strong Microsoft support, C# benefits, cross-platform for desktop too	Smaller community, steeper learning curve for non-.NET developers

Learning Curve

• Flutter: Requires learning Dart, which can be challenging for developers unfamiliar with statically-typed languages.
• React Native: Easy for JavaScript developers; fast to get started if familiar with React.
• Capacitor: Minimal learning curve for web developers, but mastering native plugins can take time.
• .NET MAUI: High for developers new to the Microsoft stack, but intuitive for existing .NET professionals.

Suitable Developer Target Groups

• Flutter: Developers focused on UI-heavy apps with custom animations or startups needing rapid prototyping.
• React Native: JavaScript developers or teams needing extensive third-party integrations.
• Capacitor: Web developers transitioning to mobile or teams focused on PWAs.
• .NET MAUI: Enterprise developers or those already using Microsoft tools.

Conclusion

Each framework has its strengths and weaknesses, making them suitable for different use cases.

• Flutter excels in UI-intensive applications with high customization.
• React Native shines in projects requiring a native-like feel and deep JavaScript ecosystem integration.
• Capacitor is ideal for teams comfortable with web development and targeting lightweight, cross-platform solutions.
• .NET MAUI is perfect for enterprises or developers within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Ultimately, the choice of a cross-platform framework depends on your team’s expertise, the project’s requirements, and long-term maintenance considerations. Evaluate your needs carefully to make the best decision.