Demand for skilled Flutter developers has been increasing for years and remains robust due to the framework’s popularity.

Developed by Google and released in May 2017, Flutter currently ranks among the top 12 frameworks according to Statista. It’s more popular than React Native, which makes it the most popular cross-platform app development framework, and is used primarily for iOS, Android, and web applications. Flutter has made inroads into other niches as well, such as embedded devices.

If you want to hire Flutter developers, the framework’s popularity may work against you. While there is a lot of talent on the market, demand is high and programmers can be in short supply. The challenge lies in finding engineers with a good understanding of the framework and its best practices, along with ample experience in your niche. And if you need help migrating an existing app, then the challenge intensifies, because the developers will need experience in whatever tech stack you’re currently using—whether it’s React Native, Kotlin, or some other framework.

This hiring guide explains how to find Flutter developers and choose the right one for your needs.

What Attributes Distinguish Quality Flutter Developers From Others?

In order to start filtering out developers with insufficient experience and a lack of familiarity with the framework, you’ll need a good understanding of essential skills to look for in a candidate. Of course, not every developer can excel at everything, and that is why you will need to prioritize the specific Flutter developer skills crucial to the success of your project.

Ideal candidates should demonstrate a strong grasp of Flutter development techniques, including various approaches to its state management, famous widget system, and more. The Flutter ecosystem features a wide variety of essential development tools, like Google’s Firebase, with which any competent Flutter developer will have hands-on experience.

Flutter app developers should be knowledgeable in best practices for UI/UX and understand principles of both visual and product design. More-experienced candidates will be skilled in the entire software development life cycle and should be able to handle (or at least contribute to) tasks across the full stack. Strong candidates will also be proficient with Dart, the programming language of Flutter.

While not strictly necessary, it’s always a plus to see prior experience with native iOS and/or Android development. Though frameworks like Flutter aim to address the inconsistencies across different platforms, knowledge of where and why they differ—and how to account for those differences in a codebase—can help a Flutter development team build apps that scale well and are reliable across all devices. Flutter experts will often have experience with other programming languages used in mobile development aside from Dart, such as C#, Java, and Kotlin, as well as others mentioned below.

Complementary Technology Skills for Flutter

Flutter apps don’t exist in a vacuum. There’s a wide range of tools available to mobile developers and your specific project requirements will dictate what complementary skills you’ll need to look for.

Let’s examine the most important technologies and programming languages that mobile developers should be familiar with:

Dart is the open-source programming language used in Flutter. Though it was originally launched by Google in 2017, it did not get its first stable release until late 2023. Dart’s syntax closely resembles that of Java and C#, so mobile developers who’ve worked with Java/Kotlin or C#/Xamarin in the past should have no trouble picking it up.

iOS development describes engineering that’s specific to the Apple ecosystem. iOS-specific development is still popular (mainly with Swift), but organizations and users alike are increasingly demanding cross-platform support. As such, it’s often wiser to invest in a framework like Flutter instead to ensure the widest possible support on day one. However, experience with iOS development and design principles can help ensure that an app runs smoothly across all platforms.

• Swift is a general-purpose compiled programming language for all Apple platforms. Flutter developers who’ve worked on iOS development projects in the past will be proficient with Swift, and this skill will come in handy when integrating Swift iOS apps.
• Objective-C was the dominant programming language in the Apple world until the release of Swift in 2014. Veteran iOS developers may have some experience with it but perhaps more so with migrating older Objective-C apps to Swift (or some other alternative like Flutter). If you are migrating a legacy or enterprise codebase, Objective-C expertise is necessary.

Android development stands in contrast to iOS, with Android devices being the most popular alternative to Apple. Knowledge of the Android platform will help a Flutter engineer design features with Android design principles in mind. Experienced Flutter developers will likely have had prior experience developing specifically for Android (Kotlin) or iOS (Swift), but more junior candidates may have only worked on Flutter mobile apps.

• Kotlin is a cross-platform programming language adopted for modern Android development. It gained a lot of popularity in recent years and is currently used by more than 60% of all Android developers. Familiarity with Kotlin allows Flutter app developers to understand Android-specific concepts and codebases.
• Java has been a staple of both web development and Android development since day one. Developers who are comfortable with Java will have a much easier time working on existing Java-based projects and will be able to integrate Flutter modules into older codebases. Though Java may not be the most popular choice for mobile development today, there’s no shortage of legacy Android apps out there that need to be carefully maintained now and will well into the future.

React Native is similar to Flutter in that it’s designed for cross-platform support, so engineers with ample React Native experience should master Flutter with relative ease. A background in React Native development should provide them with a lot of useful experience, as they will be familiar with the nuances of cross-platform app development even before taking on their first Flutter project.

C# hardly needs an introduction, but in a Flutter context, it’s important because it’s used in Xamarin, a once-popular cross-platform mobile framework that’s come to the end of its life cycle. Xamarin was one of the first on the scene to offer cross-platform compatibility, paving the way for successors like Flutter. Organizations that rely on Xamarin codebases should seriously consider migrating to an alternative like Flutter, and a developer’s C# proficiency will make this transition possible.

SQLite enables developers to store and manage data within Flutter applications, supporting features such as offline availability, efficient data retrieval, and data persistence. SQLite is just one of many options for SQL databases, but it’s one that any SQL developer should be able to navigate with ease.

Agile principles play a vital role in the software development process. A good grasp of Agile allows developers to streamline development by collaborating through iterative revisions and rapid prototyping. Software development is about much more than writing code, and Agile is one of the most popular methods for organizing and prioritizing the work that needs to get done.

Git is the industry-standard version-control system. Git allows developers to manage source code, track all changes to the codebase, collaborate with other individual developers and teams, and enable integration with Git hosting platforms. All mobile developers should be proficient with version control.

Beyond these technical skills, the top Flutter developers should also possess strong communication skills and a track record of collaborating on complex projects with multiple stakeholders and teams. They should be able to demonstrate how their Flutter app development services connect to big-picture business goals and development times.

How Can You Identify the Ideal Flutter Developer for You?

The choice largely depends on your requirements, budget, and Flutter project expectations. With so many different types of developers for hire, you must start narrowing down your search as soon as possible.

Does your project require a full-time dedicated Flutter developer, or are there other engineering tasks they might be asked to take on in addition? Do you need junior or senior developers? Can remote Flutter developers get the job done, or do you need on-site talent?

When hiring Flutter app developers, focus on their ability to deliver high-performance applications. Proficiency in Dart programming and debugging is essential to optimize app functionality across various devices. Developers should also be skilled in integrating RESTful APIs to ensure smooth data flow.

Frequent Use Cases and Related Skills

Performance Optimization – There are many strategies for optimizing an app’s performance, but the biggest wins can often be found in lazy-loading content, compressing images, and eliminating unnecessary rebuilds and calls to setState. Skilled developers know how to rout out and remediate these common performance bottlenecks, as well as how to future-proof the codebase for long-term scalability.

UI/UX – A poor user experience is often worse than no experience at all. Above all else, Flutter is a framework for crafting user interfaces, and talented Flutter app developers know how to build with the end user’s experience in mind. This often requires a great deal of understanding and ability to change perspective, along with sharp UX design sensibilities. Experienced developers will be familiar with popular libraries and frameworks like Flutter Material Design and VelocityX, which can significantly speed up the process of assembling UIs (especially for smaller teams with limited resources). They’ll also understand the trade-offs required to implement these tools and know when it’s better to go fully custom instead.

API Integration – Mobile development typically involves connecting a bespoke front end to the various services and data that power the business logic on the back end. Flutter developers should be comfortable communicating across the full stack to integrate the necessary APIs (like user databases or third-party services for authentication or payments) with their corresponding UIs. Dart’s built-in http client library is suitable for most network requests, but there are other third-party client packages that may be better suited for your project, depending on the sizes and shapes of the APIs involved.

Experience Levels

Evaluate the complexity of your project, your budget, and the composition of your existing team before determining the level of expertise needed from your developers.

Junior developers may have only a year or two of experience with the framework, and the workload assigned to them should reflect this. However, don’t overlook previous experience with similar frameworks such as React Native. Developers familiar with other cross-platform frameworks should have no trouble completing tutorials and eventually mastering Flutter. Junior developers can implement simple UI components but may not be able to see an entire design mockup through to completion. They will require substantial guidance to take on more demanding tasks, especially those that require knowledge of the full stack (beyond their immediate view), so input from dedicated Flutter app developers will be needed.

Mid-level developers will have several years of experience working with Flutter and can handle more complex projects, like prototyping UI based on a design brief or assembling a minimum viable product that consumes user data from a sophisticated back end. When provided with a clear solution, they’re usually able to work independently to get the job done. They may have some basic design sensibilities, including the skills necessary to cleanly implement design systems. They will still require some degree of guidance and supervision—particularly when the path to a solution is more open-ended—but not nearly as much as junior developers.

Senior developers will be able to tackle just about any project handed to them, thanks to an extensive track record not just with the Flutter framework, but likely with mobile app development across multiple platforms, frameworks, and languages. They should be able to propose solutions to complex challenges of software architecture, from front-end components to back-end data management, and document those solutions for less technical colleagues. They should possess a strong understanding of how their work connects to the organization’s big-picture goals and vision. Additionally, senior developers can help onboard and guide junior and mid-level developers.

If you already have a dedicated team of Flutter engineers, it’s likely composed of developers with varying degrees of experience and seniority, and the lead team members will probably be included in the hiring process. However, if you need an individual developer for a separate and specific task or project with a fixed budget, you won’t be able to rely on your team for input at the hiring stage nor for mentorship and guidance later on.

How to Write a Flutter Developer Job Description for Your Project

When writing your job description, be sure to specify the necessary Flutter-related technical skills and specific requirements in great detail. If the project requires third-party integrations or some features specific to Android or iOS, make sure to mention these points. List all complementary skills you would like to see in a candidate, either as must-have skills or welcome extras.

Include a concise job title, but explain the specific responsibilities in greater detail. Maintain focus on the requirements and duties of the position, limiting the amount of non-Flutter information and requirements mentioned in your description. Consult and involve dedicated Flutter developers from your team, as their input could prove invaluable.

Reference the problem statement you’ve drafted and provide additional context to help potential applicants understand what you are trying to do and what sort of talent you need for your project. This allows applicants to self-assess their suitability for the role and draw on their experience working on similar projects when submitting applications.

What Are the Most Important Flutter Interview Questions?

When interviewing candidates, it’s important to assess both the depth and breadth of their knowledge of the framework, as well as of mobile application development in general. If you ask about the “best” design patterns and tools for the job, a wise developer will usually say, “That depends,” and then provide a summary of all the trade-offs associated with any potential choice.

The following questions are intended as jumping-off points to give your candidates the space to elaborate on their knowledge and experience:

What is Dart? Why does Flutter use it?

Dart is an object-oriented programming language with C-like syntax, developed by Google and subsequently integrated into Flutter. Dart was chosen because it’s specifically tailored to compile down to code that’s optimized for the best performance across mobile platforms. These questions can be treated as a basic warm-up for developers—any candidate should be able to describe the role of Dart, and strong candidates may weigh Dart’s pros and cons against the languages used by other cross-platform frameworks.

What is the difference between stateful and stateless widgets?

As the name suggests, stateless widgets do not change state during runtime—in other words, they’re static, immutable UI elements. Icons and buttons are common examples. A stateful widget is mutable, typically due to user interaction and data updates, and it changes state during the runtime. Examples include checkboxes and sliders. Experienced developers should demonstrate proficiency with both and understand which kinds of elements need to be stateful and which do not. This is a great question to ask to get a sense of the developer’s knowledge of the fundamentals, as well as their ability to effectively and clearly communicate what they know.

Explain the difference between hot reload and hot restart. When would you use them in Flutter?

Flutter’s hot reload feature works by injecting updated source code into the virtual machine. Hot restart is used for changes that cannot be hot-reloaded and require a full application restart, such as the main() method, global variable initializers, and static field initializers. This is a good question to ask to gauge a candidate’s attention to detail: These two terms sound quite similar, yet their respective purposes are distinct.

Can you list the state management approaches available in Flutter?

State management can be a notoriously difficult concept to master, regardless of the framework. Flutter offers developers the ability to choose from a range of state management approaches. Skilled developers will have experience with at least a few of these and should be able to discuss the trade-offs associated with them. A question like this, which invites the candidate to name and describe all of the tools they’ve worked with to solve a particular problem, can be useful to assess the breadth of their expertise.

Why Do Companies Hire Flutter Developers?

Why hire a Flutter developer? Companies recognize the potential of cross-platform development, and thanks to Flutter’s advantages over traditional app development and other cross-platform frameworks, it’s no surprise they’re hiring Flutter developers in ever greater numbers. The framework is mature, offers near-native performance, and allows companies to target iOS and Android markets using the same codebase, drastically improving efficiency and ensuring a consistent user experience across different devices and platforms. For startups in particular, its cross-platform capabilities are a game-changer. Using a single codebase for iOS and Android reduces development time and costs. The extensive library of plugins accelerates the development process, allowing startups to launch quickly without compromising quality.

Flutter makes sense from a technical and business perspective. Its ability to deliver visually appealing apps with excellent performance while using the same codebase eliminates the need for multiple development teams and reduces development time and maintenance costs. This can lead to significant savings without compromising performance or end-user satisfaction.

The Benefits of Hiring a Freelance Flutter Developer vs. an In-house Team

Hiring remote Flutter developers offers several advantages, such as additional flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Freelancers can be a budget-friendly option in the short term, as companies can quickly hire and scale teams for the duration of a single project. With freelancers, businesses can adjust their staffing needs based on demand, hire Flutter app developers on short notice, or bring in highly specialized talent to tackle issues that their in-house teams cannot handle. In any case, effective project management is crucial when working with Flutter developers. Agile methodologies help maintain project momentum and allow for quick adjustments based on user feedback. This approach ensures that the project stays on track and meets its goals.

Companies looking to hire remote Flutter developers can tap the global talent pool rather than relying solely on developers in their region or city. This translates into more choice, access to individuals with unique skill sets that would otherwise be unavailable, and potentially more competitive pricing—ultimately yielding highly innovative solutions to your most challenging business problems.

The technical content presented in this article was reviewed by Alexander Gedevanishvili.

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