With over 6 billion smartphone users globally, businesses, both large and small, are on a quest to find the most impactful way to engage a larger audience. And entering the realm of cross-platform development seems to be a smart choice.
According to a recent study by Globe Newswire, the global revenue for the cross-platform app development industry is poised to reach a whopping US$120 billion in 2023. Plus, the forecast suggests a 16.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for global demand in the next decade, up to 2033.
So, how can businesses leverage this trend to build apps that are not only cost-effective but also highly efficient? A short answer is Flutter apps. In this article, we’d like to explain why you should seriously consider this option, featuring some bright success stories and the best Flutter apps examples.
Key reasons businesses build Flutter apps
When it comes to picking a framework for cross-platform mobile app development, Flutter stands out with a host of advantages that make it the go-to choice for businesses. More and more companies already use Flutter as their preferred cross-platform framework for launching an app, and here’s why:
Cross-platform efficiency. Flutter’s unified codebase facilitates the creation of apps for both Android and iOS, enabling developers to use a single codebase for both platforms. This capability substantially reduces development time and expenses.
High performance. Apps made with Flutter showcase exceptional performance due to the compiled code, which is a crucial element in guaranteeing a smooth and seamless user experience.
Beautiful UI. Flutter offers a wide range of customizable widgets, enabling developers to create stunning and consistent interfaces across multiple platforms.
Efficient compilation. Flutter supports both Just-In-Time (JIT) and Ahead-Of-Time (AOT) compilation. JIT enhances code performance by translating interpreted code to native code in real time. AOT, on the other hand, optimizes app execution during the creation phase, ensuring smoother performance.
Lower development cost. Flutter apps generally cost 30% — 40% less than native apps. A single codebase that caters to both Android and iOS not only helps companies reduce the cost to develop an app but also eliminates the need for separate development teams and saves time.
Fast development. Flutter’s “hot reload” feature enables real-time code changes and instant previews, speeding up the development process and decreasing time to market.
Large and active community. Flutter’s thriving community serves as a robust support system for businesses, offering an extensive knowledge base. Since Flutter is an open-source framework, anyone can take part in its development and success. Plus, such a vibrant community of developers ensures that any problem-solving becomes a breeze.
Proven success. Flutter has proven its reliability, earning the trust of the most reputable companies like Google, eBay, BMW, and others. This promises its enduring relevance for businesses seeking to develop top-notch and budget-friendly apps. And we see that Flutter’s robust track record will experience continued growth in the future.
“Flutter has earned a stellar reputation in app development by addressing a crucial challenge in cross-platform development: application performance and resource efficiency.
In terms of growth potential, Flutter demonstrates exceptional promise. With a rapidly expanding developer community and high-quality materials for studying from Google, Flutter benefits from a large number of implemented libraries that solve common tasks, and large services (Stripe, Agora, etc.) have added platform support to their SDKs.
Such an ecosystem empowers businesses of any size to leverage the full potential of Flutter, resulting in innovative and feature-rich applications.”
Andrei Savich, CTO at SolveIt
Flutter apps examples from established companies
Having already explored the reasons behind companies opting for this framework, let’s now delve into some standout examples of successful apps built with Flutter:
Xianyu
Company: Alibaba Group
🙋 Target audience: Chinese consumers interested in buying and selling secondhand goods.
🔗 iOS app
Xianyu has made a big impact in the e-commerce world, boasting over 300 million registered users and earning its place as a standout player in the industry. A key factor in its success? The smart use of Flutter for app development.
Crafted by the Alibaba Group, the Xianyu app has soared to success, attracting millions of users and solidifying its position as a leading marketplace for secondhand goods in China. Thanks to Flutter, Xianyu delivers a seamless cross-platform experience. This efficient integration has resulted in speedy load times, smooth navigation, and consistent performance across both Android and iOS devices.
Google Ads
Company: Google
🙋 Target audience: Marketers, advertisers, and businesses managing online advertising campaigns.
🔗 iOS app
The Google Ads team selected Flutter for its capacity to deliver accelerated development cycles, aesthetically pleasing and customizable widgets, and the ability to build apps that look and feel like native ones.
This decision sparked a mobile advertising revolution. Tailored Google Ads features like paid keyword optimization, ad creation and editing, advanced insights, and campaign management alerts completely transformed the landscape for online marketers.
Google’s strategic move to create a Flutter app wasn’t just a choice — it was a game-changer that helps advertisers efficiently oversee their ad campaigns, track performance, and make precision-driven decisions based on real-time data.
eBay Motors
Company: eBay
🙋 Target audience: Car owners, mechanics, auto enthusiasts, and businesses involved in the automotive industry.
🔗 iOS app
Standing among the most successful apps built with Flutter, eBay Motors aims to provide a comprehensive online marketplace to a wide-ranging audience, offering a dedicated platform for individuals and businesses alike to buy and sell vehicles, automotive parts, and accessories.
Flutter not only streamlined the development process but also contributed to the app’s efficiency, allowing users to effortlessly navigate through listings, place bids, and connect with sellers.
My BMW
Company: BMW Group
🙋 Target audience: BMW owners.
🔗 iOS app
Developed in-house, the My BMW app serves as a universal interface, seamlessly connecting drivers to their vehicles. Offering features such as remote operation, Amazon Alexa integration, and enhanced services for electrified vehicles, the app provides a holistic solution for BMW enthusiasts.
After years of predominantly concentrating on their iOS version, the BMW team acknowledged that the gap in features and design between their iOS and Android offerings had become too substantial. Thus, BMW engineers decided to explore cross-platform solutions. Since no other frameworks matched the desired user experience without web-based content, they opted to create a Flutter app.
This innovative approach allowed the BMW team to ensure scalability and enable easy implementation of continuous app updates.
Realtor.com Real Estate
Company: Realtor.com
🙋 Target audience: Individuals interested in buying, selling, or renting residential properties.
🔗 iOS app
The Realtor.com apps for iOS and Android were released in 2010. However, moving forward, the team recognized the need for a unified approach to app development, as the original apps were hard to scale. Plus, both iOS and Android teams found themselves addressing very similar problems, which were beyond inefficient.
After switching to Flutter, the team saw a significant productivity boost by developing features only once for both their Android and iOS apps, with no negative impact on the app’s performance or user experience.
Flutter apps: Inspiring success stories
What apps use Flutter in other industries? It’s time to discover more success stories:
Groupon
Company: Groupon
🙋 Target audience: Bargain-seeking consumers interested in discovering discounted deals, offers, and promotions.
🔗 iOS app
When Groupon sought to elevate its in-app functionality, the decision to integrate Flutter into an existing solution proved strategic. Rather than embarking on a complex journey of rewriting code, Groupon opted for Flutter’s seamless integration, enhancing the app’s performance and user interface.
Now Groupon is one of the best Flutter apps examples which trailblazed in the realm of online deals. With exclusive coupons and deals at their fingertips, users easily navigate through unique offers for specific brands and explore a myriad of discounts.
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Explore more 10+ Flutter success stories and read the full article here.
