Flutter vs Expo

88 topics across 6 chapters

Chapter 1

Decision criteria & project requirements

Target platforms & constraints

2 subtopics

Platform coverage checklist (iOS/Android/Web/Desktop) and what “Expo” means for each

Device features & permissions inventory (camera, BLE, background tasks, etc.)

Team skills & organizational constraints

2 subtopics

Skill gap assessment: Dart/Flutter vs JS/TS/React (and native iOS/Android)

Hiring & staffing realities: availability, ramp-up time, and interview signals

Product requirements & UX complexity

2 subtopics

UI complexity & brand fidelity assessment (custom components, pixel-perfection, motion)

Offline/data/real-time needs assessment (sync, caching, background refresh)

Decision matrix + pilot plan

2 subtopics

Scorecard template: weighted criteria (time-to-market, cost, risk, UX, performance, hiring)

Time-boxed spike plan: implement the same feature in both stacks (1–2 weeks)

Chapter 2

Flutter fundamentals (to compare fairly)

Dart essentials

2 subtopics

Dart types, null safety, collections, and immutability patterns

Dart async: async/await, Futures, Streams (and cancellation patterns)

Flutter UI & rendering model

2 subtopics

Widgets, layout constraints, theming, and responsive UI patterns

Rendering pipeline & performance knobs (frame budget, jank, raster vs UI thread)

App architecture & state concepts (shared across stacks)

3 subtopics

State management patterns: unidirectional data flow, MVVM-ish layering, side effects

Navigation/routing, deep links, and app lifecycle basics

Data layer: REST/GraphQL, caching strategy, persistence, error handling

Flutter packages & build system basics

2 subtopics

pub.dev ecosystem: selecting packages, semver expectations, and maintenance signals

Code generation & build_runner (e.g., JSON serialization) and build pitfalls

Native interop in Flutter

2 subtopics

Platform Channels vs FFI: how to decide and what each enables

Using/writing plugins and managing iOS/Android project modifications safely

Flutter hands-on pilot: navigation + API fetch + persistence + one device feature

Chapter 3

Expo (React Native) fundamentals (to compare fairly)

JavaScript/TypeScript essentials for React Native

2 subtopics

TypeScript in RN: types, strict mode, inference, and common typing traps

Async patterns: Promises, networking, and organizing side effects in app code

React fundamentals for mobile

2 subtopics

Components, hooks, rendering lifecycle, memoization, and avoiding re-render storms

Mobile UI patterns in RN: styling system, layout, and platform-specific components

↗ App architecture & state concepts (shared across stacks) (see Chapter 2)

Expo workflows (managed vs bare) and EAS

2 subtopics

Expo Go development loop: what works, what doesn’t, and when you’ll hit limits

EAS Build + EAS Update overview (what they solve; operational implications)

Native modules & configuration (React Native / Expo)

2 subtopics

Prebuild/config plugins and adding native code when needed

RN “new architecture” basics (JSI/Fabric/TurboModules) at a conceptual level

Expo hands-on pilot: navigation + API fetch + persistence + one device feature

Chapter 4

Tooling & developer experience (DX)

Local dev workflow & debugging comparison

2 subtopics

Flutter DevTools: inspect widget tree, track rebuilds, profile CPU/memory (hands-on)

Expo/RN debugging: Metro logs, JS debugging, Fast Refresh, device logs (hands-on)

Testing & CI fundamentals across stacks

2 subtopics

Unit/widget/component testing setup (Flutter test vs Jest) and test boundaries

E2E testing & CI pipeline design (devices/simulators, flakiness, parallelism)

Dependency management & upgrades

2 subtopics

Package/version hygiene: semver, lockfiles, dependency pinning, security updates

Native dependency management: Pods/Gradle, build failures, and upgrade playbooks

DX evaluation checklist (time-to-first-screen, hot reload, debugging, errors, build times)

Chapter 5

Performance, UI fidelity & platform integration

Performance model differences

2 subtopics

Startup time, memory usage, and binary/bundle size: what drives each in both stacks

Profiling jank and dropped frames: practical steps and common root causes

UI fidelity & design systems

2 subtopics

Implement a shared design system: typography, colors, spacing, reusable components

Accessibility & localization parity checklist (screen readers, dynamic type, RTL, etc.)

Animations & gestures

2 subtopics

60fps animations: best practices (Flutter animations vs RN Reanimated/Lottie ecosystem)

Gesture handling & scroll performance pitfalls (nested scroll, lists, overdraw)

Access to device APIs & native UX

2 subtopics

Integrate one “real” API (camera/location/notifications) end-to-end in both stacks

Background tasks and deep platform features (widgets, intents, share sheets): tradeoffs

Benchmarking lab: measure startup, scroll perf, memory, and build artifact sizes

Chapter 6

Deployment, maintenance & long-term costs

Build & release pipelines

2 subtopics

Signing, flavors/environments, and release channels (dev/stage/prod) in both stacks

Automating releases (Fastlane/GitHub Actions): minimal viable pipeline for both stacks

OTA updates, versioning & rollout

2 subtopics

Update strategy: Expo EAS Update vs app-store releases; constraints and operational impact

Rollback, phased rollout, feature flags, and “kill switch” design

App store compliance & review risk

2 subtopics

Apple/Google policies that affect OTA updates and embedded/native behavior (risk checklist)

Privacy/permissions and dependency audits (what to document, what to monitor over time)

Observability: crashes, logs & analytics

2 subtopics

Crash reporting plan (e.g., Sentry or Crashlytics): alerts, symbols/sourcemaps, triage loop

Logging/metrics + performance monitoring plan (what signals matter for your app)

Ecosystem maturity & maintenance cost

2 subtopics

Community/packages health assessment: release cadence, bus factor, maintainers, alternatives

Cost model: dev speed vs native maintenance burden vs vendor/platform risk

Long-term decision + migration plan