In today’s rapid-paced technology environment, every user prefers efficiency. In the world of application development, this efficiency is achieved by having tools for cross-platform app development i.e. a single app should be able to work on multiple platforms. That is where Flutter app development comes into play.
What is Flutter?
Flutter is an open-source user interface toolkit that can be used to develop world-class applications for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, Google Fuchsia, and the web from a single integrated codebase.
Although after the initial release, Flutter was not that popular among users, however, its usage increased greatly as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Therefore, today we are interested in exploring Flutter as much as we can and we will also try to find out how much it costs to hire a Flutter app developer in 2020.
With the growing dependency on online trade because of the current technology landscape, the demand for mobile and web-based applications grew tremendously. Because today, we need an app for doing anything we can think of.
However, the biggest challenge in this situation is that the languages and toolkits that are used to build these applications are highly platform-dependent i.e. an application developed for the iOS platform cannot run on the Android operating system without necessary modification to its code because of which you need to learn from scratch if you plan on switching from iOS development to Android development for example.
Flutter was developed by Google back in 2017 to eradicate the issue of platform dependency and for offering a low-cost app development solution to the users.
Knowing more about Flutter
Flutter toolkit is divided into four main components which are briefly discussed below:
Flutter Engine:
It provides a portable runtime hosting environment for Flutter applications.
Design-Specific Widgets:
The Flutter architecture supports two different designs i.e.
Google’s Design Language and Apple’s iOS Human Interface Guidelines.
The component under discussion provides contextually relevant widgets for both of these designs.
Dart Platform:
Dart is the language behind the development of Flutter apps. It also provides a virtual environment for Flutter apps to run on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.
Foundation Library:
As the name implies, this component provides a collection of different functions, classes, and APIs that can be used for Flutter app development.
Because of these four powerful components, Flutter stands out from the rest of the native app development frameworks that lack performance and robustness.
Benefits of Flutter that makes it unique
Although we have already mentioned the biggest advantage that Flutter has over other application development platforms i.e. it can be used to build applications for different platforms through a single codebase, however, there still are a lot of benefits of using it for app development which are discussed below:
Free of Cost and Open Source:
The best thing about Flutter is that it is free of cost which means that you do not even have to spend a single penny before using this platform. Secondly, it is open-source which means that you have the liberty to interact with a large number of developers and experts as well as other Flutter users in case you ever face any trouble while using this platform.
Customizable Widgets:
Apart from the built-in widgets for the two design platforms, Flutter even enables you to create customized widgets according to your requirements and then you can use them later on.
Cross-Platform Development:
This benefit of Flutter also leads to the concept of reusability. This can be understood from the fact that if we wish to have an application for Android and the very same application for iOS, we do not need to write separate codes for them because Flutter provides us with a single integrated codebase.
The applications developed using Flutter can be used as it is across-multiple different platforms. This also results in cost-saving.
User-Friendly Interface:
Flutter provides a very flexible and friendly user interface for making users focus more on the development rather than spending more time on learning this tool.
Stateful Hot Reload:
Whatever modifications you make in your code, this feature depicts their output instantly i.e. it gives you a real-time preview of the changes that you perform. In this way, you can enhance your productivity to the fullest by correcting all the flaws as they occur.
Efficient Testing:
As we know that we do not have to write separate code for different platforms, therefore, we also do not need to test the Flutter apps for different platforms. For example, if we want to develop an application named XYZ for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS, then we will have to write a single code and test it only for once rather than testing for all four
platforms separately which increases testing efficiency.
Offers a Trustworthy Relationship:
Since this platform is offered by Google, therefore, this fact enhances the credibility of this platform. Google is not only responsible for its maintenance but also for providing full-time support to the users.
App development with Flutter
App development with Flutter is an all-new experience for the developers who were fed up with writing the code of the same app multiple times for different platforms.
However, the cost of app development with Flutter is dependent on multiple factors such as Complexity, Design, and Category of the Flutter app, the physical location at which the Flutter app development company resides, and the overall maintenance cost incurred on the developed Flutter app.
However, since Flutter applications require less developmental effort, a single integrated codebase, and efficient testing, therefore, the usage of this platform brings down the overall app development cost as compared to the native app development approaches.
As far as the question of the types of the apps that can be built with Flutter is concerned, then you will feel glad to know that this platform is so versatile that it can be used to build transport apps like Uber and Careem, social media apps like Hookle, video conferencing apps like Zoom, navigation apps like SG BusTracker, and even healthcare and fitness apps like Coach Yourself and Watermaniac.
Factors to consider before hiring a Flutter app developer
Although different factors should be considered before hiring the best Flutter app developer, however, because of the current technology landscape, some other factors have also emerged on the scene, which holds more importance. We will mention all these factors one by one:
Responsibilities Delegated to the Flutter App Developer:
We know that the application development lifecycle is not a one-stage process rather it involves many different stages. From requirement gathering to creating the design, from implementation to verification and validation, from going back to the previous stages for improvement to the maintenance of an application, everything comes under the roof of the application development lifecycle.
The cost of hiring a Flutter app developer will depend greatly on how many stages of this process you want your developer to be involved in. If his responsibility is only to code i.e. to implement, then obviously he will be paid less than a developer who takes care of all the phases from requirement gathering to maintenance.
Skill Level of the Flutter App Developer:
You also need to know whether you want to hire a junior, intermediate, or senior level developer. This can be understood only if you understand the requirements of your projects. Only then you will be able to decide what skill level of the Flutter app developer you require. Their wages will vary according to their skill level and technically, a more experienced developer will be paid more.
The Complexity of the Applications that are to be developed:
Again this depends on the requirements and the particular features of the applications that you want to be developed. A developer who is asked to develop a complex application will charge more than a developer who is building an application with just a few basic features.
Cost of Integration of Flutter App UI with the Backend Servers:
Since a server is responsible for handling the workload of an application, therefore, it must be powerful enough to cater to the needs of all the features that the Flutter app offers. This has a cost associated with it which needs to be considered while calculating the cost of hiring a Flutter app developer.
Time Required for Completing the Development:
In many application development companies, there is a culture of paying the employees according to the time for which they have worked on a certain project. Therefore, this can also serve as a good metric for calculating the cost of hiring a Flutter app developer.
Time and Effort of Application Deployment:
Once your application is all set to be used, it should be deployed so that it can become accessible for everyone who wants to use it. This process requires a reasonable amount of time and effort which should be taken into account while calculating the cost of hiring a Flutter app developer.
Clashes between Time Zones:
This factor needed a special mention because of the current situation and it comes into play especially when you intend to hire a remote Flutter app developer or Flutter app developers’ team. This should also be considered if you wish to take Flutter app development services from a Flutter app development company.
It holds this much importance because if there is a clash between the time zones of the developer or developers that you want to hire and your company, then it should be well accounted for. Even if a developer across a different time zone agrees to work according to your schedule, then he should be compensated accordingly.
Cost of hiring a Flutter app developer in 2020
The factors mentioned above finally, lead us to the crux of this article i.e. what should be the overall cost of hiring a Flutter app developer in 2020.
According to a rough estimate and keeping all the factors mentioned above in mind, the average cost of hiring a Flutter app developer especially in the regions around Sweden lies within the range of $30 to $100 per hour.
However, these ranges are subject to change depending on the other factors that get added to the list mentioned above according to the on-going situation. Also, it largely depends on the region where your potential Flutter app developer resides and his own hourly rate.
Some of the notable alternatives to Flutter:
After going through the unimaginable benefits of Flutter, it will be very difficult for you to think about using any other tool for cross-platform app development. However, if for any reason, your resources or your organizational environment does not let you use Flutter, you can choose any of the alternatives to Flutter mentioned below:
- React Native
- Ionic Framework
- Xamarin
Conclusion:
By looking at the numerous benefits of Flutter app development over the traditional app development, many application development companies have shifted their focus from native app development to Flutter app development. A major reason behind this choice is the cross-compatibility of this platform and the reduction in the overall development cost that this platform provides.
Now it is only a matter of making the right choice while hiring a Flutter app developer or taking Flutter app development services from the right Flutter app development company.
Frequently asked questions:
1. What is the Flutter developer hourly rate?
The hourly rate of a Flutter app developer is between $30 and $100. However, these ranges may vary according to the technology landscape in which the hiring company is currently operating and also on the cost of the resources needed for development.
2. Is Flutter frontend or backend?
Flutter is essentially a UI framework i.e. it is more inclined towards frontend development. However, since the Flutter apps are developed using Dart language which is capable of both frontend and backend development, therefore, you do not need to have a separate backend language while making use of this framework.
3. Can I use Flutter for website development?
Yes, Flutter can be used for website development very conveniently because it provides a single codebase for developing applications for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, Google Fuchsia, and the web.
4. Which apps are made with Flutter?
There is a large number of applications that have been developed using Flutter. However, the applications that need a special mention are Reflectly, Alibaba, and Google Ads.
