// CROSS-PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT

React Native vs Flutter vs Tauri

Q: Is cross-platform as performant as native?

For 95% of apps, yes. Flutter compiles to native ARM code and achieves 60fps. React Native uses native UI components. Only games, AR/VR, or heavy video processing truly need native. Instagram, Shopify, and Google Pay are proof that cross-platform works at scale.

Q: Should I choose React Native or Flutter in 2026?

Choose React Native if: your team knows React, you need web parity, or you want the largest job market. Choose Flutter if: you want best-in-class performance, your team is new to mobile, or you need truly identical UI across platforms. Both are production-ready.

Q: What about Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP)?

KMP is excellent for sharing business logic while keeping native UI. It's ideal if you have existing native apps and want to gradually share code. However, it doesn't solve UI development - you still write SwiftUI and Jetpack Compose separately. Best for teams with strong native expertise.

Q: Can I use my web React components in React Native?

Not directly. React Native uses native components (View, Text) instead of DOM elements (div, span). However, you CAN share: business logic, API clients, state management, types, and utilities. Libraries like React Native Web help share some UI code with careful abstraction.

Q: Is Expo production-ready?

Absolutely. Expo has evolved from a prototyping tool to a production framework. EAS Build handles app signing, Expo Router provides file-based routing, and you can eject to bare workflow if needed. Companies like Coinbase and Brex use Expo in production.

Q: What's the best choice for a solo developer?

Flutter or Expo. Both minimize platform-specific code and have excellent documentation. Flutter's hot reload and widget system are beginner-friendly. Expo's managed workflow removes native build complexity entirely. Avoid bare React Native for solo work - too much setup overhead.

The complete guide to cross-platform development in 2026. Compare frameworks, see real-world examples, and find the perfect stack for your project.

4 Frameworks

6 Criteria

15min Read Time

// TL;DR

QUICK RECOMMENDATIONS

Mobile Apps Flutter Best performance & DX

Rapid Prototyping Expo 5-min setup, managed workflow

Desktop Apps Tauri Tiny bundles, Rust security

React Team React Native Leverage existing skills

Key insight: 95% of apps don't need native performance. Instagram, Shopify, and Google Pay prove cross-platform works at scale. Choose based on team skills and target platforms, not hype.

// SECTION 01

FRAMEWORK COMPARISON

Scores based on developer experience and production readiness

React Native

JavaScript everywhere with native feel

84 avg

Performance

Dev Experience

Ecosystem

95 Best

Code Sharing

Native Access

Maintenance

Top Pick

Flutter

Beautiful apps from a single codebase

88 avg

Performance

Dev Experience

Ecosystem

Code Sharing

95 Best

Native Access

Maintenance

Top Pick

Expo

React Native made easy

85 avg

Performance

Dev Experience

95 Best

Ecosystem

Code Sharing

Native Access

Maintenance

92 Best

Tauri

Smaller, faster, more secure desktop apps

83 avg

Performance

95 Best

Dev Experience

Ecosystem

Code Sharing

Native Access

90 Best

Maintenance

// SECTION 02

RECOMMENDATIONS BY PLATFORM

Which framework to choose based on your target platforms

iOS + Android

Recommended: Flutter or React Native

Both mature, large communities, proven at scale

Flutter for UI-heavy apps, RN if team knows React

iOS + Android + Web

Recommended: React Native + React (shared logic)

Maximum code sharing between mobile and web

Consider Expo for faster iteration

Desktop (Win/Mac/Linux)

Recommended: Tauri or Electron

Web tech for UI, native for performance

Tauri for smaller bundles, Electron for npm ecosystem

Mobile + Desktop

Recommended: Flutter

Single codebase for all platforms including desktop

Desktop support still maturing vs mobile

Embedded/IoT

Recommended: Flutter or Native

Flutter supports embedded, but native often better

Hardware constraints may require native code

// SECTION 03

DECISION FRAMEWORK

Use these criteria to guide your framework choice

Team Expertise

JavaScript/React team → React Native / Expo

Dart or new team → Flutter

Rust + web team → Tauri

Leverage existing skills. Learning a new language adds 2-4 months to timeline.

Performance Requirements

60fps animations critical → Flutter

Standard business apps → Any framework works

Heavy computation → Native or Tauri

Flutter's Skia engine excels at animations. Heavy compute may need native code regardless.

Native Feature Access

Camera, GPS, basic sensors → All frameworks

Bluetooth, NFC, ARKit → React Native or Native

Deep OS integration → Native code required

Cross-platform frameworks handle 90% of cases. The last 10% may need native modules.

Time to Market

MVP in < 3 months → Expo

Production app 3-6 months → Flutter or RN

Long-term enterprise → Any + good architecture

Expo's managed workflow is fastest for prototypes. All frameworks are viable long-term.

Long-term Maintenance

Small team (1-3 devs) → Flutter or Expo

Separate mobile team → React Native

Need to hire easily → React Native

React Native has larger talent pool. Flutter is easier to maintain with smaller teams.

// SECTION 04

REAL-WORLD SUCCESS STORIES

Companies using cross-platform at scale

React Native

Instagram

2B+ users

Instagram

Settings, profile editing built with RN

Shopify

100M+ installs

Shop App

Full app in React Native

Discord

150M+ users

Discord Mobile

iOS app rebuilt with RN

Flutter

Google

150M+ users

Google Pay

Complete rewrite to Flutter

BMW

Millions of drivers

My BMW

Unified experience across platforms

Alibaba

200M+ users

Xianyu

Marketplace app

Tauri / Desktop

1Password

Millions

1Password 8

Desktop app migration to Tauri-like approach

Notion

30M+ users

Notion Desktop

Similar web-to-desktop approach

// SECTION 05

RECOMMENDED TECH STACKS

Complete stacks for different scenarios

Mobile-First Stack

iOS + Android with optional web

Flutter Framework

Best performance, single codebase

Riverpod State Management

Type-safe, testable

Dio HTTP Client

Interceptors, caching

Hive/Isar Local Storage

Fast NoSQL for mobile

Firebase Backend

Auth, push, analytics

Alternative: React Native + Expo when Team knows React, need web parity

Desktop-First Stack

Windows + macOS + Linux

Tauri Framework

Tiny bundles, Rust security

SvelteKit Frontend

Fast, simple, great DX

SQLite Local Database

Embedded, reliable, fast

Rust Native Bridge

Performance-critical code

Alternative: Electron when Need mature npm ecosystem, complex native modules

Universal Stack

Mobile + Desktop + Web

Flutter Framework

True single codebase for all

Bloc/Riverpod State

Scalable architecture

Supabase Backend

Realtime, auth, storage

Sentry Monitoring

Cross-platform error tracking

Alternative: React Native + React + Electron when Maximize React code sharing

// SECTION 06

COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID

Learn from others' failures before making your own

Choosing based on hype, not requirements

Picking Flutter because it's trending when your team knows React

3-6 months lost learning new stack

Audit team skills first, then match framework

Underestimating native code needs

Assuming 100% cross-platform when you need Bluetooth/NFC

Scrambling to write native modules mid-project

List ALL features upfront, check plugin availability

Ignoring platform conventions

Using identical UI on iOS and Android

App feels foreign to users, lower ratings

Use platform-adaptive components, respect guidelines

Over-sharing code between platforms

Forcing web patterns onto mobile or vice versa

Poor UX, performance issues

Share business logic, let UI adapt per platform

Not planning for app store requirements

Building features that violate iOS/Android policies

Rejected from stores, costly rewrites

Review store guidelines before architecture decisions

// SECTION 07

MIGRATION PATHS

How to transition between platforms and frameworks

Native iOS/Android Cross-platform

Feature-by-feature migration

Timeline 6-18 months

Risk Medium

Start with isolated features, not core flows

React Web React Native

Share business logic, rebuild UI

Timeline 3-6 months for MVP

Risk Low

Extract API clients, state management first

Cordova/PhoneGap Modern framework

Full rewrite recommended

Timeline 4-8 months

Risk Low

Cordova patterns don't translate well

Flutter Mobile Flutter Web/Desktop

Gradual platform expansion

Timeline 1-3 months per platform

Risk Low

Desktop/web may need responsive redesign

// FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cross-platform as performant as native?

Should I choose React Native or Flutter in 2026?

What about Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP)?

Can I use my web React components in React Native?

Is Expo production-ready?

What's the best choice for a solo developer?

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