In short: Flutter (cross-platform) is the right choice for most apps: one codebase for iOS and Android means nearly half the cost and time, with excellent performance for business, e-commerce and service apps. Native development (Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android) makes sense when the app pushes the hardware to its limit — 3D games, augmented reality, video processing — or when you need the latest OS feature the day it ships. Otherwise, Flutter saves money without the user ever noticing the difference.
| Criterion | Flutter (cross-platform) | Native (Swift/Kotlin) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | from €3,000 (one codebase) | Up to double (two codebases) |
| Platforms | iOS + Android together | One at a time |
| Performance | Excellent for most apps | Maximum, full hardware access |
| Development time | Faster | Longer |
| Maintenance | One codebase to update | Two, in parallel |
| Best for | Business, e-commerce, services | Games, AR/VR, heavy hardware use |
Flutter is Google's framework for building apps from a single codebase that runs on iOS and Android with the same interface. The cost advantage is huge: you develop and maintain one app instead of two, at much lower time and expense. Performance is excellent for the vast majority of cases — business apps, shops, bookings, services — and the user notices no difference from a native app.
Native development uses each platform's official languages: Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android. It gives the most direct, complete access to hardware and the latest OS features, with the highest possible performance. It's the right call for 3D games, augmented reality apps, heavy video editing or when you must integrate a feature Apple or Google just released. The price of that power is double the work: two codebases to write and maintain.
Start from the nature of the app. If it's a business tool, an e-commerce or a service, Flutter is almost always the more efficient choice: our app development service starts at €3,000. If the app pushes the hardware to its limit, we'll weigh native. Apps often rely on a backend or custom software: we factor that in from the quote.