As a developer who enjoys exploring different frameworks, I recently compared native iOS development with Flutter—especially for AI-driven applications. Both approaches have unique strengths, and my experience highlighted some interesting trade-offs.
Native iOS development with Swift offers deep integration with Apple’s ecosystem. Tools like Core ML enable efficient on-device AI processing, which results in highly optimized performance. The downside? If you’re targeting Android as well, maintaining separate codebases can become cumbersome.
On the other hand, Flutter provides a single codebase for both iOS and Android. This cross-platform approach significantly cuts down development time and maintenance, even though you might have to make some adjustments to match the performance of a native app. Integrating AI features is seamless with Flutter, thanks to its modern architecture and rich package ecosystem.
In my projects, I found that native iOS offers unparalleled performance and a more polished user experience for AI features. However, if speed to market and cross-platform consistency are your priorities, Flutter is an excellent choice. Ultimately, the best option depends on your project requirements and long-term maintenance goals.