React Native vs Flutter: which is better for an MVP?
Both React Native and Flutter are excellent choices for a mobile MVP. Both give you iOS and Android from one codebase. The best pick usually comes down to your existing skills and whether you also have a web app. If you use React on the web, React Native shares more with it, which is faster.
Here is the honest comparison.
What they have in common
Both build cross-platform apps from a single codebase, so you ship to iOS and Android at once instead of building twice. Both are mature, well-supported, and used by large companies. For an MVP, either will do the job well.
Where they differ
React Native uses JavaScript and React. If your web app is already React, you share skills and often a good amount of code. That overlap is a real time saver for a small team.
Flutter uses Dart and Google’s own rendering engine. It gives very consistent UI across platforms and smooth performance. The tradeoff is a separate language and a smaller overlap with a typical web stack.
How to choose
Choose React Native if you already use React, want to share code with a web app, or want the larger JavaScript talent pool. This is my default for founders.
Choose Flutter if your team knows Dart, or you want pixel-identical UI and are not sharing code with a React web app.
Neither choice is a mistake. The bigger risk is over-scoping the first version, not the framework.
I build mobile MVPs with React Native. See my mobile app development service, or tell me about your app.