As someone who loves tech, learning to code is like playing with lego blocks and I am curious to play with all kinds of blocks and see what they do and how well they fit together. Besides that for different needs, different tech stacks actually make sense. Was evaluating some libraries, frameworks, components, etc from Flutter and React Native, trying to make a better decision to support our marketplace setup hosted using WooCommerce and WC Vendors on MasalaMonk.com. Bored of its neutral responses calling both of them awesome and each and blah blah, I have it a twist, and suddenly – came out a strong opinion, which is hard to get from this idiot.
Here’s the message prompt I used to ask ChatGPT 4 Omni:
“I know both codes. Let’s say I am doing ten projects in both. For a game, I will of course choose Flutter, right? I’m making a lot of things, some in Flutter and some in React, and I am mastering both for my portfolio. Now for eCommerce, which is the better skill to master? Which will get me a higher-paying eCommerce job or project—Flutter or React?”
AI or what we call AI – ChatGPT’s Detailed Analysis
Given your background and your goal of mastering both Flutter and React Native for your portfolio, it’s important to consider the specific demands of eCommerce development and which framework might offer better career and earning opportunities in that space.
Factors to Consider for eCommerce Development
Market Demand and Trends:
- React Native: Currently more established in the market with a higher number of companies already using it for eCommerce applications. This translates to more job listings and potentially more freelance opportunities.
- Flutter: Rapidly gaining traction, especially with startups and companies looking for highly performant and visually rich applications. The growth rate in demand for Flutter developers is significant, and it’s increasingly being recognized for its capabilities in creating seamless, cross-platform experiences.
Technical Capabilities:
- React Native: Strong ecosystem with many libraries specifically tailored for eCommerce, such as
react-native-shopify, which simplifies integrations with popular eCommerce platforms. React Native’s modular architecture allows for easier integration with various third-party services and tools commonly used in eCommerce. - Flutter: Provides better performance and more fluid UI, which can enhance the user experience, especially on resource-intensive eCommerce platforms. Flutter’s widget system allows for creating custom and highly optimized UI components, which can be a significant advantage for creating unique eCommerce experiences.
Community and Support:
- React Native: Large and mature community with extensive resources, tutorials, and pre-built components available. This can significantly speed up development and problem-solving processes.
- Flutter: Growing community with increasing resources. While not as extensive as React Native’s, the support for Flutter is expanding quickly, and the quality of resources is high.
Job Market and Earnings:
- React Native: Higher current demand for React Native developers in the eCommerce space means more job listings and potentially higher salaries. Companies are looking for experienced React Native developers to maintain and expand existing eCommerce applications.
- Flutter: Increasing demand means that skilled Flutter developers can command high salaries, especially if they can demonstrate proficiency through a strong portfolio. Early adopters with significant Flutter expertise are in a good position to negotiate higher pay, as the supply of experienced Flutter developers is still catching up to the demand.
Earning Potential
React Native:
- Current Market Demand: Higher due to its longer presence and widespread adoption in the industry.
- Average Salaries: Higher average salaries due to more established demand. Experienced React Native developers often command salaries ranging from $90,000 to $150,000 per year, depending on the region and level of expertise.
- Freelance Rates: Competitive rates ranging from $50 to $150 per hour. The extensive market presence translates to more freelance opportunities.
Flutter:
- Growing Market Demand: Increasing rapidly, especially among companies looking to leverage cutting-edge technology for new projects.
- Average Salaries: Competitive salaries, potentially catching up to or surpassing React Native as demand increases. Current salaries range from $80,000 to $130,000 per year, with a trend toward higher pay as the market evolves.
- Freelance Rates: Similar to React Native, with rates ranging from $50 to $140 per hour. Early adoption and specialization in Flutter can lead to higher earnings.
My Recommendation
For eCommerce Development:
- React Native:
- Pros: Established market presence, extensive community support, a mature ecosystem of eCommerce-specific libraries, and higher immediate demand.
- Cons: Potential performance overhead due to the JavaScript bridge, slightly less fluid UI compared to Flutter.
- Flutter:
- Pros: Superior performance, highly customizable and fluid UI, rapidly growing demand, potential for higher future earnings as the market evolves.
- Cons: Smaller but growing ecosystem, fewer eCommerce-specific libraries compared to React Native (though this is changing quickly).
Conclusion
Short-Term Focus (1-2 years):
- React Native: Better for immediate job opportunities and freelance projects. If you want to secure a job quickly in the eCommerce space, mastering React Native can be more beneficial due to its established demand and mature ecosystem.
Long-Term Focus (3-5 years):
- Flutter: As Flutter’s adoption continues to grow, mastering it could position you ahead of the curve, potentially leading to higher-paying opportunities in the future. If you’re looking to build a niche skill set that will be in high demand, Flutter is an excellent choice.
Ultimately, both React Native and Flutter offer substantial opportunities. Given your goal to master both, focusing on React Native for immediate opportunities while investing time in Flutter for long-term potential would be a balanced approach. This strategy allows you to capitalize on the current demand for React Native while positioning yourself as an expert in Flutter as its market presence expands.
Human Here
After struggling to get a non neutral response from it, the above one was like wow, this is some actiioanble advice. Let me know in comments if you think that conclusion that it gave about flutter vs react native sounds neutral enough to base life decisions on or not? What the hell, anyhow had to write an engaging ending, comment if you like.. ok please. 😛