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Kotlin VS Dart

Compare Kotlin VS Dart and see what are their differences

Kotlin logo Kotlin

Statically typed Programming Language targeting JVM and JavaScript

Dart logo Dart

A new web programming language with libraries, a virtual machine, and tools
  • Kotlin Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-09

We recommend LibHunt Kotlin for discovery and comparisons of trending Kotlin projects.

  • Dart Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-27

We recommend LibHunt Dart for discovery and comparisons of trending Dart projects.

Kotlin features and specs

  • Interoperability
    Kotlin is fully interoperable with Java, which means developers can use both languages within the same project and have seamless communications between them.
  • Conciseness
    Kotlin reduces boilerplate code, making the codebase easier to read and maintain. It offers concise syntax and reduces the amount of code.
  • Null Safety
    Kotlin's type system is designed to eliminate null pointer exceptions by making all types non-nullable by default, thus enhancing reliability and reducing runtime crashes.
  • Coroutines
    Kotlin provides built-in support for coroutines, which makes writing asynchronous code more straightforward and readable compared to traditional approaches.
  • Modern Language Features
    Kotlin includes advanced features such as lambda expressions, extension functions, higher-order functions, and more, improving productivity and providing more expressive code constructs.
  • Full Tooling Support
    Kotlin is supported by major IDEs like IntelliJ IDEA, Android Studio, Eclipse, and others, with full tooling support including debugging, refactoring, and linting.
  • Community and Ecosystem
    Kotlin has a growing and vibrant community with extensive resources, libraries, and frameworks that support a wide range of programming needs.

Possible disadvantages of Kotlin

  • Learning Curve
    Despite its modern features, Kotlin has a learning curve, especially for developers who are more familiar with Java or other programming languages.
  • Compilation Speed
    Kotlin's compilation speed is often slower compared to Java, which can impact the development workflow, especially in larger projects.
  • Runtime Performance
    While Kotlin performs comparably to Java in many cases, there can be minor performance hits in certain scenarios due to additional language features.
  • Fewer Resources Compared to Java
    Although growing, Kotlin's ecosystem of libraries and frameworks is still smaller compared to Java's well-established and extensive ecosystem.
  • Tooling Maturity
    While support in major IDEs is robust, some third-party tools and plugins may not fully support Kotlin, leading to potential integration issues.
  • Android Specific Challenges
    In the context of Android development, some legacy libraries and tools might not be fully compatible with Kotlin, necessitating additional workarounds.
  • Job Market
    While demand for Kotlin developers is growing, Java still dominates the job market, which may limit opportunities for Kotlin-focused roles in certain regions.

Dart features and specs

  • Performance
    Dart is designed for optimal performance with its Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation, which allows it to compile to efficient native code.
  • Easy to Learn
    Dart's syntax is clear and closely resembling other popular languages like Java, JavaScript, and C#, making it relatively easy to pick up for developers familiar with those languages.
  • Strong Typing
    The language offers strong typing which allows for early detection of errors during development and helps in maintaining robust code.
  • Flutter Integration
    Dart’s seamless integration with Flutter makes it an excellent choice for cross-platform app development, enabling developers to write one codebase for both iOS and Android.
  • Hot Reload
    Dart, when used with Flutter, supports hot reload which speeds up the development process by allowing immediate reflection of changes without restarting the application.
  • Comprehensive Libraries
    Dart comes with a rich set of core libraries and packages, which provide extensive functionality without needing external dependencies.
  • Concurrency Support
    Dart provides robust support for asynchronous programming with features like Future and Stream, which simplify writing concurrent code.

Possible disadvantages of Dart

  • Relatively New Language
    Dart is relatively new compared to established languages like Java and JavaScript, meaning there can be fewer resources, tutorials, and a smaller community.
  • Limited Backend Development
    While Dart can be used for backend development with frameworks like Aqueduct and Shelf, it is not as mature or widely adopted as languages like Node.js, Python, or Java.
  • Tooling and IDE Support
    Dart does not have as extensive tooling and IDE support as some other more established languages, which could impact the development experience.
  • Ecosystem
    The ecosystem around Dart is not as large as those for other languages, meaning fewer third-party libraries, plugins, and tools might be available.
  • Small Talent Pool
    The adoption rate of Dart is lower compared to other languages, potentially making it harder to find experienced Dart developers.
  • Learning Curve
    Though similar to other languages, there is still a learning curve for adopting Dart, especially for developers who are more familiar with different programming paradigms.

Kotlin videos

10 reasons to try Kotlin for Android development

More videos:

  • Review - What can Kotlin do for me? (GDD Europe '17)
  • Review - Java or Kotlin for Android Development – Which One Is Better?

Dart videos

Best Darts Of 2019 My Top Ten Favourites

More videos:

  • Review - Red Dragon 2020 World Champion Edition Peter Wright Darts Review 21g
  • Review - Winmau Michael van Gerwen Authentic 23g Darts Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Kotlin and Dart)
Programming Language
71 71%
29% 29
OOP
67 67%
33% 33
Generic Programming Language
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 Kotlin and Dart

Kotlin Reviews

Explore 9 Top Eclipse Alternatives for 2024
Cross-platform development with variants targeting JVM (Kotlin/JVM), JavaScript (Kotlin/JS), and native code (Kotlin/Native).
Source: aircada.com
Top 10 Rust Alternatives
The last computer programming language to stand out as an exceptional alternative to Rust is named Kotlin. It is typed statically and was manufactured for Java machines.

Dart Reviews

We have no reviews of Dart yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Kotlin seems to be a lot more popular than Dart. While we know about 81 links to Kotlin, we've tracked only 1 mention of Dart. 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.

Kotlin mentions (81)

  • Doodle Weather Clone
    Doodle helps you create beautiful, modern apps entirely in Kotlin. Its render model is intuitive yet powerful, making it easy to achieve complex UIs with pixel level precision and layouts. This simplicity and power applies to everything from user input to drag and drop. Doodle lets you build and animate anything. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Kotlin vs. Java: A Grand Finale and Farewell (But Not Goodbye!)
    Kotlin Official Website: Your one-stop shop for all things Kotlin, with comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and resources: https://kotlinlang.org/. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Day 0 of #100daysofMiva || Setting up for success
    Next, I selected the technologies and frameworks I want to focus on during this challenge. For frontend development, I'll be exploring Reactjs, Vue.js, Bootstrap, Next.js, and MUI. For backend development, I'll be diving into Express, Django, Node.js, PHP, and Firebase. Additionally, I'll be learning Kotlin, React Native, and Flutter for mobile development, and APIs, PostgreSQL, Cloud, and MongoDB for full stack... - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • Better Animations... in Latest Doodle
    Doodle helps you create beautiful, modern apps entirely in Kotlin. Its render model is intuitive yet powerful, making it easy to achieve complex UIs with pixel level precision and layouts. This simplicity and power applies to everything from user input to drag and drop. Doodle lets you build and animate anything. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • The Top Programming Languages to Learn in 2024
    Kotlin, fully interoperable with Java, is increasingly used for Android app development. It offers a more concise syntax and improved safety features compared to Java, making it a modern language for mobile development. Discover more about Kotlin here. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
View more

Dart mentions (1)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Kotlin and Dart, you can also consider the following products

Python - Python is a clear and powerful object-oriented programming language, comparable to Perl, Ruby, Scheme, or Java.

Lua - Powerful, fast, lightweight, embeddable scripting language

JavaScript - Lightweight, interpreted, object-oriented language with first-class functions

Typescript - TypeScript allows developers to compile a superset of JavaScript to plain JavaScript on any browser, host, or operating system.

Java - A concurrent, class-based, object-oriented, language specifically designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible

Elixir - Dynamic, functional language designed for building scalable and maintainable applications