# Compare Flutter, React Native, Swift and Kotlin

> The carousel mixes frameworks and languages; start with target devices and the code your team can maintain.

Source: https://fullbytedeveloper.com/blog/mobile-app-framework-language-choices
Originally posted: 2025-02-24
Published here: 2026-11-06

Our mobile-development carousel listed Flutter, React Native, Swift and Kotlin. They are not four equivalent products: Flutter and React Native are application frameworks, while Swift and Kotlin are programming languages [1][2][3][4].

## Start with the target platforms

Flutter supports building applications for multiple platforms from one codebase [1]. React Native uses React to build native applications, including Android and iOS [2]. Both require checking the platform-specific features your application depends on.

Swift is used for Apple applications and other kinds of software [3]. Kotlin supports Android, backend and multiplatform development [4]. Neither language should be reduced to a claim about one audience or a guaranteed performance advantage.

## Build the difficult part first

Before choosing, prototype the feature most likely to expose a limitation: camera access, background work, an existing native library or an animation-heavy screen. Test it on the devices you actually support.

Consider the team's existing knowledge, the available libraries and how releases will be maintained. A shared codebase can still contain platform-specific work. Our original list is a starting point for comparison, not evidence that one option is universally faster, cheaper or better. Choose using a representative implementation and current documentation.

## Sources

1. [Flutter: framework overview](https://flutter.dev/)
2. [React Native: framework overview](https://reactnative.dev/)
3. [Swift: language overview](https://www.swift.org/)
4. [Kotlin: language overview](https://kotlinlang.org/)

## Original posts

- [Instagram post](https://www.instagram.com/fullbytedeveloper/p/DGd2f81uyG8/)