In this video, a self-taught developer with extensive Flutter experience expresses a shift in preference, stating they would choose React Native over Flutter if starting their career today. The speaker raises several concerns about Flutter and Dart, primarily Google's history of discontinuing projects, potential internal competition from other Google frameworks (Compose, KMP), and the observed decline in the Flutter team's size and quality, leading to a massive backlog of unresolved issues on GitHub. A significant drawback highlighted is the extremely limited job market for Flutter developers in the US compared to its international popularity. Furthermore, the niche nature of Dart and Flutter (primarily for cross-platform mobile) is contrasted with the vast and versatile JavaScript ecosystem, which offers broader career opportunities (web, backend, desktop) with transferable skills. The speaker concludes that Flutter appears to be shrinking in multiple aspects and advises developers to diversify their skills, while still acknowledging Flutter's utility for personal projects.
Why I'd Pick React Native Over Flutter (If I Could Start Over)
0:00 Personal Stance: The speaker, a self-taught developer with extensive Flutter experience (building apps for personal use, startups, and Fortune 100 companies), states they would choose React Native over Flutter if starting their coding journey today.
0:31 Google's Project Graveyard: Flutter and Dart are perceived as "toy projects" from Google, a company notorious for abandoning projects, with 296 documented dead projects, raising concerns about Flutter's long-term future.
0:52 Internal Competition & Priorities: Google's development of Compose and KMP (Kotlin Multiplatform) for similar cross-platform development suggests a potential prioritization conflict, possibly sidelining Flutter.
1:04 Declining Flutter Team & Backlog: The Flutter team has reportedly lost talent (due to moves, new ventures, and layoffs in 2023), resulting in a massive backlog of 13,000 open issues on GitHub, which the current team lacks the capacity to address.
2:26 Limited US Job Market: The most significant drawback cited is the extremely small pool of Flutter job opportunities in the US (only 5-10 companies consistently hiring), making the community feel "tiny" compared to its larger presence in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
3:10 Niche Technology: Dart and Flutter are described as niche, primarily confined to cross-platform mobile development. Dart is not widely used for backends, and Flutter Web is deemed ineffective, limiting the breadth of transferable skills for developers.
3:43 JavaScript Ecosystem Advantage: In contrast, the JavaScript ecosystem (including React Native) offers vast opportunities across web, backend, desktop, and tooling, allowing developers to apply the same language and tools across diverse platforms and roles, leading to higher demand and better-paying jobs in the US.
4:09 Perceived Shrinkage: Over the last two years, Flutter is seen as shrinking in terms of technical progress, available jobs, community engagement, and even influencer support.
4:27 Personal Strategy & Future: The speaker is actively seeking diversified opportunities (backend, CTO, AI startups) but will continue using Flutter for personal apps due to its speed and ease of shipping.