Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Expo VS FlutterFlow

Compare Expo VS FlutterFlow and see what are their differences

Expo logo Expo

The fastest way to build an iOS and Android app 📱

FlutterFlow logo FlutterFlow

FlutterFlow is an online low-code platform that empowers people to build native mobile apps visually.
  • Expo Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-11
  • FlutterFlow Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-09

Expo features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Expo simplifies the development process by providing a managed workflow that handles configuration and builds, allowing developers to focus on coding.
  • Cross-Platform Development
    Expo enables developers to write code once and deploy it on both iOS and Android platforms, ensuring a consistent user experience across devices.
  • Pre-Built Components
    Expo offers a library of pre-built components and APIs that streamline the development process and reduce the time needed to implement common functionalities.
  • Over-the-Air Updates
    Developers can push updates to users in real-time without needing to go through the app store review process, facilitating quick bug fixes and feature releases.
  • Strong Community Support
    Expo has a vibrant and active developer community, offering a wealth of resources, tutorials, and third-party packages to assist developers.
  • Integrated Development Environment
    Expo provides tools like Expo CLI and Expo Go that make it easier to build, test, and debug applications, particularly for newcomers to mobile app development.

Possible disadvantages of Expo

  • Custom Native Code Limitations
    Expo's managed workflow restricts the use of custom native code, limiting developers when they need to integrate with third-party native libraries not supported by Expo.
  • Larger App Size
    Expo includes additional libraries and dependencies by default, which can result in a larger application size compared to custom builds.
  • Performance Overhead
    The abstraction added by Expo can introduce performance overhead, making it less suitable for highly performance-sensitive applications.
  • Dependency on Expo's Updates
    Developers are dependent on Expo's update cycle for bug fixes and new features, which may not always align with their project timelines.
  • Limited Configuration Options
    Expo's managed workflow abstracts many configurations for build processes, which can be a hindrance for developers needing granular control over app settings.
  • Ejection Complexity
    Ejecting from the managed workflow to a bare workflow for more customization can be complex and time-consuming, potentially negating some benefits of using Expo.

FlutterFlow features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    FlutterFlow allows for visual development with its drag-and-drop interface, making it easier for non-developers to design and create applications.
  • Quick Prototyping
    With its rapid design and live preview capabilities, FlutterFlow enables quick prototyping, allowing teams to iterate on their designs swiftly.
  • Full Flutter Code Export
    FlutterFlow provides full Flutter code export, giving developers the flexibility to modify the code further or integrate it into existing projects.
  • Integration with Firebase
    It has seamless integration with Firebase, which simplifies backend capabilities such as authentication, Firestore database, and other Firebase services.
  • Responsive Design
    The platform supports responsive design out of the box, ensuring that applications look good on various screen sizes and orientations.
  • Custom Code
    Developers can add custom Dart code to extend the functionality of their app beyond what the drag-and-drop components offer.

Possible disadvantages of FlutterFlow

  • Cost
    FlutterFlow is a subscription-based service, which can add an ongoing cost for users, especially those who might only need occasional development work.
  • Learning Curve
    While it's user-friendly, there can be a learning curve for users who are new to Flutter or similar visual development tools.
  • Limited Advanced Customization
    For highly customized or complex applications, the drag-and-drop interface might be limiting, requiring developers to manually augment the generated code.
  • Performance Concerns
    Applications built with visual development tools might suffer from performance issues compared to those hand-coded by experienced developers.
  • Dependency on Platform
    Relying on FlutterFlow means depending on its sustained support and updates. Any changes in its service offerings or terms could impact ongoing projects.
  • Exported Code Readability
    The exported code might not be as clean or readable as manually written code, potentially making future modifications more challenging for developers.

Analysis of Expo

Overall verdict

  • Expo is a solid choice for developers looking to quickly build and deploy mobile applications using React Native. Its ease of use and comprehensive toolset make it particularly attractive for rapid prototyping and development of small to medium apps. However, some advanced native functionalities might require ejecting from Expo, which can introduce additional complexities.

Why this product is good

  • Ease of use
    Expo is known for its user-friendly interface that allows developers to quickly prototype and build apps with React Native without needing to set up native development environments.
  • Cross platform
    Expo simplifies the process of building cross-platform applications, giving developers tools to deploy apps for both iOS and Android effortlessly.
  • No native code
    With Expo, developers can build applications entirely in JavaScript, which is beneficial for those who may not be familiar with native coding languages.
  • Developer tools
    It provides a suite of tools such as an interactive development environment, error reporting, and debugging services that enhance the development experience.

Recommended for

    {"beginners" => "New developers who are just getting started with app development will find Expo's simplicity and comprehensive documentation helpful.", "rapid_prototyping" => "Teams seeking to quickly prototype and iterate on ideas can benefit from Expo's convenient tools and cross-platform capabilities.", "react_native_developers" => "Developers familiar with React Native who want a streamlined solution to deploy apps without deep diving into native code."}

Expo videos

Scenes from the 2019 National FFA Convention & Expo | Review Video

More videos:

  • Review - Auto Expo 2020 Film | Real-life review
  • Review - Expo Dry Erase Set Unboxing & Review

FlutterFlow videos

Is FlutterFlow App Builder that good?

More videos:

  • Demo - FlutterFlow Intro
  • Review - What is FlutterFlow? | Reviewing FlutterFlow | Flutter App Develpment | Introduction to FlutterFlow
  • Review - Adalo vs FlutterFlow | No Code App Builder
  • Review - Review: FlutterFlow is a cloud-based low-code or no-code development environment for Flutter.
  • Review - FlutterFlow vs Bubble | No Code Tool Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Expo and FlutterFlow)
Developer Tools
44 44%
56% 56
No Code
0 0%
100% 100
Application Builder
36 36%
64% 64
Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Expo and FlutterFlow

Expo Reviews

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FlutterFlow Reviews

Exploring 15 Powerful Flutter Alternatives
FlutterFlow is a SaaS platform using Flutter for building iOS, Android, and web apps via a visual interface and workflows. FlutterFlow introduces an excellent collaborative dimension to app development. With its robust component library tuned specifically for mobile experiences, less technical team members can readily contribute ideas and prototypes. Product managers can...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Expo should be more popular than FlutterFlow. It has been mentiond 35 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Expo mentions (35)

  • Video player with React Native. Part 1: Expo
    We are going to review it in a series of two articles. This is the first one, where we will touch on Expo. Expo is quite popular and is even recommended in Getting Started guide for React Native. But it differs a lot. Here we will go through the process of building an app with Expo and then make technology comparison based on the results. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • State Management Nx React Native/Expo Apps with TanStack Query and Redux
    This workspace is created using @nx/expo (Nx and Expo). - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • New OAuth Vulnerability (CVE-2023-28131) impacts hundreds of websites and Apps
    Just be clear this isn't an OAuth vulnerability. It's an vulnerability in expo.io. It doesn't even really have anything to do with OAuth. They've just terrible return url handling so it probably impacts a lot more than just stealing OAuth tokens. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Convert Reactjs + Firebase Project to a Mobile apk app. Please help
    I haven't messed with React Native in a hot minute, but it should be rather easy to port your React app to React Native. I recall using expo.io in uni for react native development. Hope that helps. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Form Validation in React (Native) using Formik
    Expo: Expo is a free and open source toolchain built around React Native to help you build native iOS and Android projects using JavaScript and React. Expo is a great way to get started with React Native. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
View more

FlutterFlow mentions (14)

  • The Best No-Code Android App Builders to Launch Your Mobile App in 2025
    FlutterFlow brings the power of Flutter's native performance to no-code development, offering a unique compromise between coding and no-code tools. - Source: dev.to / 16 days ago
  • Getting Started With FlutterFlow
    1. Sign Up: Begin by visiting the FlutterFlow website and signing up for an account. The free tier provides access to essential features, while paid plans unlock more advanced options. 2. Create a New Project: Once logged in, click on "Create New Project." FlutterFlow offers a variety of templates to choose from, or you can start from scratch to build a fully customized app. 3. Design Your User Interface: The... - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • Creating Intelligent Apps Made Easy: AI-Powered Development With FlutterFlow
    Created by former Google engineers Abel Mengistu and Alex Greaves, FlutterFlow is an online, browser-based app builder that allows users to create native cross-platform applications with no code. As a third-party visual app builder for the Flutter framework, it significantly accelerates the AI app development process. To know more, check out our previous blog: What is FlutterFlow: Top Features, Pros, Cons, and More. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • FlutterFlow (YC W21) Is Hiring
    We're looking for people who are passionate about ML and DevTools and can get behind our mission: to help the world build great products. FlutterFlow (https://flutterflow.io was built by someone on our team in a matter of days. If you find unreasonable excitement in: - learning/growing and becoming more productive. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • A list of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS offerings that have free tiers of interest to devops and infradev
    Flutter Flow — Build your Flutter App UI without writing a single line of code. Also has a Firebase integration. The free plan includes full access to UI Builder and Free templates. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Expo and FlutterFlow, you can also consider the following products

Thunkable - Powerful but easy to use, drag-and-drop mobile app builder.

Bubble.io - Building tech is slow and expensive. Bubble is the most powerful no-code platform for creating digital products.

Android Studio - Android development environment based on IntelliJ IDEA

Adalo - Build apps for every platform, without code ✨

React Native - A framework for building native apps with React

Glide - Send lightning fast video messages, see responses live or whenever it's convenient. Get closer to the ones you love with video communication.