Introduction To Flutter – What Is It?

Created by Google, Flutter is a comprehensive software development framework used to develop cross-platform applications with a single code.

Its versatile functions allow developers to build applications for six different systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, and Google Fuchsia, which is precisely what makes it so popular with developers all over the world.

Until five years ago, developers were more inclined to use native applications due to their superior performance. But recently, there has been a tremendous surge in demand for hybrid app development frameworks, caused by an increase in the overall demand for cross-platform applications.

Moreover, Flutter offers incredible time and cost efficiency as the developers do not have to generate new code for diverse systems.

Customizable widgets and exceptional user experience are yet other features that are the reason behind Flutter’s success.

Why Should You Use Flutter For Your App Development Project?

Faster Design & Development

The success of a particular application depends highly on its market reach. Therefore, launching the app at the perfect time is imperative.

The functionalities of Flutter allow developers to carry out their work quickly and more efficiently, which allows the timely launching of the app.

After the launch, initial consumer feedback might help you better understand their app experience and expectations. This information will help you understand the consumer dynamics and design an application that best suits their preferences.

Free & Open Source

Flutter is a free and easily accessible platform that allows easy viewing and posting of documentation. It also enables developers to access several third-party packages for ads, videos, and databases. And that is not all, Flutter offers a plethora of open-source packages especially curated for your mobile app development needs.

These features directly enhance the developers’ efficiency and productivity, significantly bringing down the time and cost of development.

Better Resource Utilization & Management

When you Hire Flutter App Developers with adequate experience, a single developer would be able to build both iOS and Android applications. This eliminates the hassle of hiring a big development team and makes the project managers’ resource management and utilization processes easier.
Establishing uniformity between designing and development processes is imperative for optimal app development outcomes. Flutter facilitates better coordination between the developers and designers, and they can work simultaneously or together to create an application without separate design and development tools.

Reduced Maintenance Complexity

Yet another advantage of Flutter’s coding is that it makes ‘bug detection’ and resolving easier. Whenever a problem is detected, the QA team will be able to determine its source in the nick of time and fix it immediately with the help of hot reloading features of Flutter.

The issue will be resolved quickly without interrupting the app functionality, allowing users to operate seamlessly even during a crisis.

Moreover, the Flutter app’s maintenance is also cost-friendly compared to its alternatives.

Uncomplicated Quality Checks

With Flutter, the tests conducted for the results from a single platform are enough to determine an application’s performance on other platforms. This eliminates the need for specialized testing and quality assurance for separate platforms.

Due to this functionality, the time needed for quality assurance can be brought down, which is a boon to both QA and development teams.

Factors Affecting The Cost Of Flutter App Development

Complexity Of The App & Its Features

Features are the most vital elements of any application. By combining all the necessary features, you will be able to ascertain the complexity of your application. This complexity level plays a pivotal role in determining the overall development time and cost of your app-building project.

Some standard complexity levels and their timings are as follows.

App Types:

• Simple apps with essential features and functionality might take up to 300 hours to develop.
• Apps with a few complex features take 400-600 hours to build.
• Apps with a large number of screens take 600-900 hours of development time.
• While more complex apps can take up to 900 hours to create.

Experience Of The Developer

Depending on the complexity of your application, your project may require developers with different experience levels.

Most commonly, you will find three ‘expertise levels’ of app developers i.e., junior proficiency developers (0-1 year experience) or senior developers (2-5+ years experience).

With Flutter, however, you are more likely to find intermediate-level developers since the tool has been around for quite a long time.

Nevertheless, the final skills and experience you will require will depend on your project’s unique needs.

Location Of The Developer

It is no secret that the cost of living differs drastically in different countries, which is a significant reason behind the fluctuation in development costs.

When you hire Flutter developers from areas where the cost of living is less, e.g., India, Pakistan, Ukraine, etc., you may be able to take advantage of high-quality app development at lower prices.

Hiring Model

There are several models for hiring developers, and each model comes with different price ranges. Amongst engagement models, three are widely famous, including:

• Part-time – Freelancing
• Hourly Hiring – Outsourcing
• Dedicated Developers/Team Augmentation

Hiring Freelancers

If your application is of low complexity and can be built with minimal skills, ‘freelancing’ would be the best option for you.

Various platforms such as Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, etc., allow you to get in touch with reliable app developers with affordable services. These rates range from $35/hour to $30/hour, depending on the developer.

With the freelancing model, you also benefit from specialization by hiring freelancers with different skill sets. If the project needs 300 hours of programming, 400 for designing, and so on, hiring multiple freelancers will allow you to finish the project in minimal time.

Outsourcing

As mentioned above, the geographical location of the developers plays a vital role in determining Flutter App development costs.

Owing to this, many companies and organizations worldwide opt for outsourcing their application development projects to countries with a lower cost of living.

This engagement model involves hiring an entire team of developers from a particular country located offshore or nearshore.

The team will usually consist of a project manager, Flutter developers, designs, QA experts, and other resources if your project needs them. The most significant advantage of outsourcing is that you get an army of skilled professionals working on your project without the hassle of hiring full-time employees.

Inhouse Team

If you have multiple app development requirements, require full-time assistance, or your project needs expertise and/or more developers, the ideal option for you would be to hire an independent development team for your business.

Alternatively, you can follow a hybrid model where some employees are hired on-site, and the rest are outsourced to an offshore team. Outsourcing agencies would bring you the necessary insights and innovations, whereas the in-house employees would ensure consistent quality and smooth coordination.