Everything a Client needs to know about hiring Flutter Developers

Flutter is an SDK (Software Development Kit) released by Google to help developers to build visually appealing applications for mobile, web, desktop, and embedded devices from a single codebase. According to Google trends, Flutter has more popularity than its major rivals, React Native and Xamarin. This gives the entrepreneurs more reason to search and hire remote Flutter developers that suits their business requirements.

Due to the rising popularity of Flutter, many entrepreneurs now want to build their cross-platform apps using Flutter. As a result, there has been a rise in the number of businesses looking for a quality guide on how to hire remote Flutter developers. Through this write-up, our aim is to help entrepreneurs hire Flutter experts and help entrepreneurs build a quality Flutter app.

Concerns of clients regarding Flutter

Flutter is indeed a powerful platform to develop apps for both mobiles as well as the web. This does not mean that there are no concerns of clients regarding Flutter for their mobile application development. It does not mean that Flutter is ineffective.

It just means that before you choose Flutter, you must fully understand Flutter’s limitations to avoid putting your project in jeopardy.

Few third-party Packages

As Flutter is a relatively new technology the app development process must be thoroughly followed, and the number of third-party libraries and widgets is small. Moreover, there are some widgets in Flutter that are available to only one platform.

Requirement of Dart for Development

Dart is an object-oriented programming language, and once the Flutter coders get the hang of it, Dart proves to be a charm to work with. The problem is that Dart is still new and is not as commonly accepted as a programming language as some other languages like Java, JavaScript, or C#. There are fewer app developers who are proficient with Dart, and this leads to a scarcity of Flutter developers.

Few Digital Platforms

Flutter has excellent support for tvOS, Android Auto, CarPlay, and watchOS. Unfortunately, this excellent support of Flutter is not extended to wearOS/Android Wear. Skilled Flutter app developers need to use native code to solve this limitation.

Large App Size

Small app sizes are preferable as the users have limited storage. This is why top mobile app developers ensure that the app size is kept minimal while developing an Application. Flutter has a minimum app size of over 4MB, which is bigger as compared to the minimum size of Kotlin (550KB) and Java apps (539KB).

This is because Flutter has built-in widgets instead of platform widgets. Although, to be fair to Flutter, its nearest competitors like Xamarin and React Native share the same issue. While Xamarin’s minimum app size is 16MB, that of React native is 7MB.

Most of the issues related to Flutter stem from the fact that it is still new in the mobile app development arena. With Google backing it, Flutter will soon sort out these issues and take the lead in the app development world.

Why Flutter is good for app development?

Within a few years of its launch, Flutter has gained immense popularity amongst the app developer community as a reliable app development technology. There are multiple benefits of Flutter app development that have contributed to the growing prominence of Flutter in the developer community.

Fast Time to Market

One of the major reasons for Flutter’s popularity is that it multiplies the productivity of the hired Flutter app developers many times. With Flutter, experienced Flutter app developers can make instant changes in coding without halting the development process of the application.

The hot reload function of Flutter allows the best Flutter programmers to instantly see the effect of their changes without wasting time in compiling the code. The hot reload function thus plays an important role in speeding up the mobile application development process, reducing the time to market of a Flutter app.

Great Design Experience

Flutter allows app designers and developers to build exquisitely designed apps using the material UI components of Flutter. Flutter gives creative mobile app designers access to a rich library of widgets, using which they can design beautiful apps quickly.

Moreover, Flutter also allows developers the flexibility to create their own widgets. Through customized widgets, remote flutter developers can deploy precise and satisfying user experiences.

Cost-effective Development

If you want to build a native app and want to publish it on iOS as well as Android platforms, then you will need to build two separate native apps. The cost of developing two separate native apps will be double as you will have to employ two separate teams to develop two native apps.

With Flutter, the cost of developing two respective native apps for iOS and Android is reduced to half as a Flutter app will work smoothly on both iOS as well as android platforms.

Efficient MVP Development

Flutter proves to be a great voice for building an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). For startups, building an MVP is a critical part of their startup journey as the MVP helps them to test their ideas in a fast and cost-effective manner. Here are some aspects of Flutter that make it perfect for MVP development.

• The learning curve is not steep with Flutter.
• MVP development with Flutter is fast as less coding is required with Flutter.
• Due to a single codebase, MVP development with Flutter is cost-effective.

Single Codebase

The expert Flutter app developers can build apps for iOS, Android, and the web with minimal edits in the code. The ability of Flutter to allow remote developers to build apps using a single codebase helps the sophisticated Flutter app developers deliver the apps faster.

A single codebase also helps to reduce the cost of developing a Flutter app, as proficient Flutter app developers can go for cross-platform app development and build a cross-platform app that will work on both iOS and Android devices instead of building two respective native apps.

The same codebase for different platforms helps professional Flutter app developers release app updates simultaneously. With two separate native apps, it is hard to release updates simultaneously on different platforms without a proper native app development process. It becomes all the more problematic when the developers are required to make changes in the backend infrastructure to update the app.

Types of Flutter app developers to hire

To know how to hire remote flutter developers for your project you ought to know the main types of Flutter developers available for hire. There are three broad options for hiring Flutter app developers. We have discussed all three options in brief below, along with their pros and cons.

Hire remote Flutter app Freelancers

Freelance Flutter app developers are those developers that are not associated with any team. Freelancers generally work for a lot of clients simultaneously. Following are the pros and cons of hiring freelance Flutter app developers.

Pros

• With the rise in freelancing platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, it is easy to find and Hire Flutter app freelancers nowadays.
• Freelancers prove to be a cheaper option as compared to full-time employees.
• You can hire freelancers for a specific project.

Cons

• Missed project deadlines are a real risk for freelancers as they work remotely without supervision.
• Communication is an issue with freelancers if there are significant time-zone and language barriers.
• Freelancers have a knack for disappearing without reporting.
• You need to be tech-savvy to examine the final product delivered by a freelance Flutter developer.

Hire an In-house team of Flutter app developers

Many businesses choose the option of hiring an in-house team of Flutter developers. Although this is a costlier option, sometimes, the needs of the project require in-house development team. Let’s look at the pros and cons of hiring in-house Flutter app developers.

Pros

• With in-house Flutter app developers, communication is no issue as they share the same language and time zone.
• You can easily make minor or major changes in the project as per your needs.

Cons

• It is costly to hire in-house team for Flutter app development, as you will have to bear the expenses of buying hardware and software, office space, utility bills, and employee benefits.
• Finding skilled Flutter developers for your in-house team is a time-consuming process.
• You will need to pay the in-house Flutter developers a salary even if you do not have an ongoing project.

Outsourcing Flutter app development

Outsourcing your Flutter app development to a professional offshore Flutter app development company allows you to get the benefits of both freelancers and in-house developers without the risks.

Pros

• An outsourcing Flutter development company will have experienced Flutter developers who would have worked on various Flutter projects.
• You do not need to look for specialists if any difficulty arises.
• No need to worry about the deadline of the Flutter project.

Cons

• Communication barriers can develop due to language and time-zone differences, but outsourcing companies typically provide expert project managers who handle communication issues easily.

The outsourced flutter app development partners will also provide you with remote developers for hire who will work exclusively on your project.

Roles and Responsibilities of Flutter app developers for hire

Whether you go for freelancers, in-house, or outsourcing Flutter app development service providers, you need to be clear about the roles and responsibilities of remote Flutter developers whom you want to hire. Here are the basic responsibilities of Flutter app developers.

Responsibilities of remote Flutter app developers:

• Writing clean code
• Bug-fixing, Glitches, Error-handling
• Finding out ways to make development faster
• Keeping up with the latest development trends
• Follows Flutter app development lifecycle

As Flutter is a relatively young technology providing solutions for app development, it is not easy to find experienced Flutter developers. Hence while selecting the team of extremely skilled Flutter app developers for hire, along with experience in Flutter, prior experience in iOS and Android app development should also be counted.

Flutter app developers can be categorized into:

• Junior Flutter app developers
• Intermediate Flutter app developers
• Senior Flutter app developers

Junior Flutter app developers

The junior-level Flutter app developers are just starting their career path and usually are well versed with only one programming language. Moreover, the number of app development tools they can work with is also limited.

The junior Flutter developers usually work slower as they have knowledge gaps and require mentoring from experienced colleagues. Due to their low experience level, junior Flutter developers are the cheapest to hire.

Intermediate Flutter app developers

The intermediate-level Flutter app developers have 1-3 years of experience. They can work on a project independently with minimal mentoring. The intermediate-level developers of Flutter apps have more experience working with Flutter and the development tools required to build Flutter apps than junior-level Flutter developers.

The intermediate-level Flutter developers can consider the business goals and select the most appropriate tech stack to build an efficient Flutter app.

Senior Flutter app developers

The senior-level Flutter app developers have 5+ years of experience in app development and 2+ years of experience in developing Flutter apps. The senior Flutter developers have experience in using widgets and various third-party libraries and APIs that work with Flutter.

The senior Flutter developers should have the ability to create extensive documentation for the existing code and refactor previously written code into a readable state. Senior developers have the required experience to also take up the role of team leaders and guide junior and intermediate-level developers in the Flutter app development process.

Flutter app developers for hire: Required skillset

It is essential to test the skill sets of remote Flutter app developers before hiring them. The skills of developers can be broadly classified into hard skills and soft skills. Hire exceptional Flutter app developers with both hard as well as soft skills to ensure the success of your Flutter app development project.

Hard skills of Flutter developers

Hard skills are the skills related to the technical knowledge of the app developers using Flutter platform for app development. You will find the following hard skills in a good Flutter app developer.

• Good understanding of Git
• Knowledge of app development lifecycle
• Good Dart programmer
• Grip over native programming languages
• Knowledge about SQLite

Soft skills of Flutter developers

Soft skills are interpersonal skills that help the hired Flutter developers get along well with the team and contribute positively towards the project. The below-mentioned soft skills need to be there in a Flutter developer while hiring.

• Creativity
• Teamwork
• Problem-solving approach
• Communication skills

How to hire remote Flutter developers best suited for your project?

When you Google about hiring remote Flutter developers, you will find hundreds of options. A large number of options will leave you confused when you go out to search and hire Flutter developers. We have mentioned a few steps that can aid you in your journey of selecting world-class Flutter developers for your project on your own.

Define a clear scope of Work

It is critical to have a clear scope of work before you approach hiring Flutter developers. The scope of work should clearly state your business goals and the needs of your business. When you prepare the scope of work, you should start by answering some simple questions like

• What is the exact requirement of the business?
• What could be the best potential solution for this need?

By answering these simple questions, you will be able to prepare a clear roadmap for solving a particular problem and identify your overall business goals.

You must understand that the remote Flutter developers you hire are experts in programming, but they do not know much about your business. Hence you will have to define a clear scope for them to understand your needs correctly.

You need to share detailed and specific requirements with your hired Flutter app developers and not vague requirements like “introduce something new in our app” or ”build an app that our customers would simply love to use”.

Analyze the Expertise

Once you have written a clear scope of work, you can start shortlisting vendors to hire talented Flutter app developers. The first factor that you should look at before you find Flutter app developers to hire is technical expertise. Here are a few factors that will help you gauge the technical proficiency of the Flutter app developers that you want to hire.

A good way to assess the technical skills of the Flutter app developers would be to check their contributions on platforms such as GitHub and Stack Overflow. When you assess the participation of the skilled Flutter app developers on these platforms, you will find out how good the developers are in providing coding solutions.

If your business has a technical person, then you should consider conducting a coding assessment before you hire Flutter app developers. A coding test will help you hire the right talent. Here are some testing tools that will help you conduct a coding test:

• Interview
• Devskiller
• HireVue
• CodeSubmit
• HackerRank

Check previous Projects and Market Reputation

Would you put your Flutter project in jeopardy by choosing to work with an incompetent Flutter app developer? To ensure that you select the most appropriate partner for your cross-platform app development project using Flutter, it is essential that you research the market reputation of the selected Flutter app developers before you hire them.

There are many websites such as Clutch, TopDevelopers.co, and Extract.co that would help you determine the reputation of the company by checking their previous work and client reviews.

Another way to check the reputation of the Flutter developers would be to talk with their past clients and ask the clients about their work experience.

The idea behind conducting so much research before selection is to select appropriate Flutter app developers who have a reputation for delivering high-quality Flutter apps within the stipulated deadline.

Clear Communication regarding Budget

Do you love sudden spikes in development costs? No, then clearly communicate the budget of your Flutter app development project to your hired Flutter app developers. Before you approach the most appropriate Flutter app developers, you must figure out how much money you are willing to invest in your project.

Once the budget is prepared, then discuss the budget with your Flutter app development partner to ensure that your budget estimates are correct.

Protect your Data and Intellectual Property

Privacy and data security are the two biggest concerns for businesses that want to outsource their Flutter app development projects. The concerns are especially big when you consider hiring offshore Flutter app developers as the intellectual property laws differ from country to country.

You will share sensitive information with your outsourcing partner while working on the project. To protect your intellectual property, ensure that you sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the outsourcing Flutter app development partner before you assign the project.

Apart from signing the NDA, you should also check whether your hired Flutter app developers regularly conduct security audits to protect the data or not.

Choose a flexible Partner

Flutter app development is a complex process, and many times you will need to add certain features mid-way through the project. You should hire a company that caters top-quality mobile app development services and will be flexible enough to cater to any urgent requirement whenever the need arises as your tech partner or sign up for the maintenance contract.

Thus, the flexibility of the Flutter development partner becomes an important factor to consider while outsourcing your Flutter app development project. It is a good idea to include flexibility terms in the agreement before you assign the work.

How much does it cost to hire remote Flutter app developers?

When you find the finest Flutter app developers to hire, one of the first questions that you need to answer is regarding the cost of hiring Flutter app developers.

Dedicated Flutter app developers usually have an hourly rate. The hourly charge varies according to qualification (Junior, Intermediate, Senior), hiring options (Freelancers, In-house teams, or Outsourced developers), and the region of the Flutter developers.

One of the most important factors affecting the cost to develop a Flutter app is the location of the Flutter developers. We have given below the estimated hourly rates of Flutter app developers according to their location.

Please note that the rates mentioned here are ballpark ranges and may vary from project to project. The best way to get an accurate estimate of the cost to develop a Flutter app would be to contact the dedicated Flutter app developers.

Hire Flutter app developers from Prismetric

Outsourcing your Flutter app development needs to a reputed Flutter app development service provider can prove to be a wise decision when you search for ideal Flutter developers. Prismetric has made a name for itself as a top Flutter app development company in the industry by delivering high-quality Flutter applications.

When you choose Prismetric, you get the following benefits.

• Expertise in Dart
• Masters of widgets and tools
• Future-proof apps
• Experienced Flutter app developers
• Scalable solutions
• Highly customized apps

We have a skilled and experienced team of certified Flutter developers for hire who have developed top-notch Flutter apps for clients from diverse industrial backgrounds. Please request a quote and help us take your Flutter app idea to fruition.