React Native and Flutter are the two cross-platform frameworks most teams shortlist, and the data shows a close race. Appfigures found Flutter powered about 11% of new apps released from January to October 2024 against about 7% for React Native, yet React Native apps earned slightly more revenue. This guide compares adoption, performance, community and hiring data so you can choose on evidence.
React Native vs Flutter at a glance
Both frameworks let one team ship iOS and Android apps from a shared codebase. React Native, maintained by Meta, uses JavaScript or TypeScript and renders real native components. Flutter, maintained by Google, uses Dart and draws its own interface with its rendering engine.
The table summarises the measurable differences covered in this guide. Neither framework wins every row, which is why the right answer depends on your team and your product. Figures come from Appfigures, Stack Overflow and GitHub data as reported by the sources listed below.
| Measure | React Native | Flutter |
|---|---|---|
| Share of new apps (Jan to Oct 2024, Appfigures) | 6.75% | 11.07% |
| 30-day net revenue of apps (Appfigures, Oct 2024) | USD 287M | USD 283M |
| Apps earning over USD 1M a month (Appfigures) | 173 | 37 |
| Stack Overflow 2024 usage, all respondents | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| GitHub stars (July 2026) | About 126,242 | About 177,900 |
| Lifetime GitHub contributors (July 2026) | 4,227 | 2,363 |
| Language | JavaScript or TypeScript | Dart |
Adoption in developer surveys
Developer surveys show the two frameworks close together, with Flutter slightly ahead recently. In the Stack Overflow 2024 survey, 9.4 percent of all respondents used Flutter and 8.4 percent used React Native. Among professional developers the gap narrows to 9.4 against 9.0 percent. Flutter also scored higher on admiration, at 60.6 percent against 56.5 percent.
Statista's developer survey data shows 46 percent of respondents used Flutter in 2023, making it the most used cross-platform mobile framework in that study. Both frameworks have lost share in Stack Overflow data since 2021 as methodology changed, so treat year-on-year comparisons with care.
| Stack Overflow survey year | React Native usage | Flutter usage |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14.51% | 13.55% |
| 2022 | 12.57% | 12.64% |
| 2023 | 8.43% | 9.12% |
| 2024 | 8.4% | 9.4% |
Adoption in the app stores
Store data tells a more detailed story. Appfigures, which detects frameworks inside published apps, found Flutter in 11.07 percent of new apps released from January to October 2024, up from 10.15 percent in 2022, while React Native rose from 4.73 to 6.75 percent. Across all frameworks, non-native apps reached 15 percent of new mobile apps and games in 2024, up from 7 percent in 2020.
The picture flips among large apps. In December 2025 data on the top 10,000 non-game iOS apps, Appfigures detected React Native in 1,350 apps and Flutter in 1,184, with React Native apps taking 47 percent of downloads in that group against 38 percent for Flutter.
| Dataset | React Native | Flutter |
|---|---|---|
| New apps, 2022 | 4.73% | 10.15% |
| New apps, Jan to Oct 2024 | 6.75% | 11.07% |
| Top 10,000 non-game iOS apps, Dec 2025 (apps detected) | 1,350 | 1,184 |
| Top 10,000 non-game iOS apps, Dec 2025 (share of downloads) | 47% | 38% |
Revenue: where the money is
Revenue is almost level overall. Appfigures estimated React Native apps earned USD 287 million in net revenue over 30 days in October 2024, against USD 283 million for Flutter. The difference is at the top end: 173 React Native apps earned more than USD 1 million a month, compared with 37 Flutter apps.
This fits the store data. Flutter is popular for new apps and more common on Android, while React Native is common in large, established consumer products that already run React on the web. The Pragmatic Engineer lists Discord, Coinbase, Shopify, Microsoft, Amazon and Bloomberg among companies using React Native.
| Monthly net revenue tier | React Native apps | Flutter apps |
|---|---|---|
| USD 10,000 to 100,000 | 790 | 727 |
| USD 100,000 to 1 million | 255 | 241 |
| More than USD 1 million | 173 | 37 |
Performance and architecture in 2026
Both frameworks made their biggest performance changes in late 2024. React Native 0.76, released in October 2024, turned on the New Architecture by default. It removes the old asynchronous bridge, adds a C++ renderer and native module system, and supports React 18 concurrent features. The team reported Android apps about 3.8 MB smaller and median Android startup about 15 ms faster.
Flutter 3.27, released in December 2024, made the Impeller renderer the default on modern Android devices, with Skia kept as a fallback for older devices without Vulkan. In practice, both frameworks now deliver smooth interfaces for typical business apps, and performance problems usually come from app code rather than the framework.
- React Native 0.76: New Architecture on by default, October 2024
- React Native: more than 850 libraries compatible with the New Architecture at launch
- Flutter 3.27: Impeller default on modern Android, December 2024
- Flutter: Skia fallback for devices without Vulkan support
Community and ecosystem
Flutter has more GitHub stars, about 177,900 against 126,242 for React Native in July 2026, and more commits over the trailing year. React Native has almost twice as many lifetime contributors, 4,227 against 2,363. On Stack Overflow, the flutter tag held 200,475 questions and the react-native tag 140,743 in June 2026.
React Native's main advantage is the JavaScript ecosystem. The react-native npm package recorded about 295.7 million downloads over the 12 months to July 2026, up 105.6 percent on the previous year. Teams that already build web apps in React can share skills, tooling and sometimes code with their mobile app.
Hiring and cost in India
Hiring cost is similar for both frameworks in India. GoodFirms finds mid-level React Native developers bill USD 20 to 35 an hour as freelancers and USD 25 to 40 through agencies, against USD 20 to 28 and USD 25 to 35 for Flutter. Senior rates for both sit around USD 35 to 50 as freelancers.
For salaried roles, AmbitionBox data from about 5,000 reported salaries puts React Native developers with three years of experience at ₹3 lakh to ₹13 lakh a year. The bigger hiring difference is the talent pool: any strong React web developer can move to React Native, while Flutter requires Dart.
| Level (India) | React Native freelance / agency (USD/hr) | Flutter freelance / agency (USD/hr) |
|---|---|---|
| Junior (0 to 2 years) | 10 to 20 / 15 to 25 | 10 to 18 / 15 to 25 |
| Mid (2 to 5 years) | 20 to 35 / 25 to 40 | 20 to 28 / 25 to 35 |
| Senior (5+ years) | 35 to 50 / 40 to 55 | 35 to 50 / 40 to 60 |
How to choose between React Native and Flutter
Choose React Native if your team already uses React or TypeScript, if you want to share logic with a web app, or if you need deep access to native platform components. Choose Flutter if you want pixel-identical design across platforms, a strong Android audience, or a team already comfortable with Dart.
XDQ Labs builds cross-platform mobile apps in React Native, which lets the same engineers work across web and mobile products. Whichever you pick, budget for native modules, store review and testing on real devices, because those costs exist in both frameworks.
- Existing React or web team: React Native
- Custom, brand-heavy interface on every platform: Flutter
- Shared business logic with a web app: React Native
- Android-first audience: either, with Flutter slightly more common in new apps
Frequently asked questions
Is Flutter more popular than React Native in 2026?
By new apps, yes. Appfigures found Flutter in 11.07 percent of new apps from January to October 2024 against 6.75 percent for React Native. Among large apps React Native leads: it appeared in 1,350 of the top 10,000 non-game iOS apps in December 2025 against 1,184 for Flutter.
Which is faster, React Native or Flutter?
For typical business apps the difference is small. React Native 0.76 made its New Architecture the default in October 2024, cutting Android app size by about 3.8 MB. Flutter 3.27 made the Impeller renderer the default on modern Android devices in December 2024.
Do React Native or Flutter apps make more money?
Overall revenue is close. Appfigures estimated USD 287 million in 30-day net revenue for React Native apps and USD 283 million for Flutter apps in October 2024. React Native had far more apps above USD 1 million a month, 173 against 37.
Are React Native developers cheaper to hire in India than Flutter developers?
Rates are similar. GoodFirms puts mid-level React Native freelancers in India at USD 20 to 35 an hour and Flutter freelancers at USD 20 to 28. React Native's advantage is a larger pool, because React web developers can move across with less retraining than Dart requires.
Sources
- Flutter vs React Native Statistics 2026: Adoption, Jobs, GitHub, Downloads and Survey Data, Quash, 2026
- Non-Native Development Trends: Will React Native's New Architecture Take the Lead Away from Flutter, Appfigures, 2024
- Non-Native Development Hit a New Peak, Appfigures, 2025
- Cross-platform mobile frameworks used by software developers worldwide 2019 to 2023, Statista, 2024
- React Native 0.76: New Architecture by default, React Native DevTools and more, React Native, 2024
- The New Architecture is here, React Native, 2024
- What's new in Flutter 3.27, Flutter, 2024
- Cross-platform mobile development, The Pragmatic Engineer, 2025
- React Native Developer Salary in India, AmbitionBox, 2025
- App Development Cost in India: What Businesses Should Expect Today, GoodFirms, 2026
