Flutter vs. Compose Multiplatform: Which Option Is Better?

In our latest podcast episode, Maks and Aleksa talked about the two most popular cross-platform technologies, CMP and Flutter, and tried to answer the most common question: Which one is better for your mobile app project?

We’ve transcribed the key moments and formatted them below so you can hear directly from the experts themselves.

Question 1: How did you get started with these technologies and why did you choose them?

Maks: "For me, it started with pure curiosity. I was an 'IT geek' hacking together a Hackintosh just to try iOS development. But I eventually switched to Flutter because I saw it was on the rise. Unlike native development, which required specific setups, Flutter allowed me to launch apps for both Android and iOS simultaneously. My co-founders and I decided to focus exclusively on becoming Flutter experts rather than trying to do everything and mastering nothing."

Aleksa: "I was primarily an iOS engineer. My entry into the multiplatform world happened when a major client from Germany decided to migrate their apps to Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP). That was a huge signal to me that the technology was mature enough. Later, the transition to Compose Multiplatform (CMP) felt completely natural because our team already had strong Android engineers, which made the switch seamless."

Question 2: What is the learning curve like for Dart (Flutter) vs. Kotlin?

Maks : "Dart is actually quite easy to pick up, especially if you come from a Java, C, or JavaScript background. Developers generally enjoy it. However, it gets complicated when you dive deep, things like understanding class modifiers (final, base, interface) or dealing with 'relics of the past' that remain in the language for backward compatibility can be tricky."

Aleksa : "For my team, the learning curve was our biggest advantage. Since we already had experience with Android Compose and Kotlin, adopting Compose Multiplatform was much easier than if we had to learn an entirely new language like Dart. We hit the ground running."

Question 3: What are the biggest challenges (Legacy Code & Technical Hurdles)?

Maks: "Honestly, my biggest nightmare in the Flutter world has been migrating old projects to newer versions of Dart that require full null safety. It can be really painful. Also, features that rely heavily on the native platform, like deep links or push notifications, are a constant challenge because they require maintenance and updates on both operating systems to keep working correctly."

Aleksa: "In the early days of KMP and CMP, our biggest struggle was the lack of ready-made libraries. We had to build a lot of workarounds ourselves. For example, we had to manually figure out how to share ViewModels effectively. We also dealt with specific UI quirks, like the 'swipe back' gesture on iOS, which only recently got a proper fix."

Question 4: How do you handle native-specific functionality?

Maks : "I handle this using 'Platform Channels.' It’s relatively easy to start, but you absolutely need to know the native languages (Swift/Kotlin) and the lifecycles of both platforms. It’s a double-edged sword: it gives you the power to do anything, but it forces you to understand the underlying native mechanisms."

Aleksa: "CMP and KMP offer us flexibility. If something can’t be done in the shared code, I can always 'drop down' to the native level. While Flutter currently has more ready-to-use packages, the CMP ecosystem is growing fast, giving us the opportunity to contribute and create new libraries ourselves."

Question 5: What is your recommendation?

Maks: "If you already have a team of Kotlin developers, you should absolutely go with Compose Multiplatform. If you want speed and a massive community to support your MVP, Flutter is still a fantastic choice. However, for very specific visual requirements, like complex 'liquid glass' effects or advanced AR, I might still suggest sticking to native or just KMP."

Aleksa: "My main rule is this: Never start a project purely native today. I recommend using at least Kotlin Multiplatform to share your business logic. If your team knows Kotlin, CMP is the way to go. For everyone else, Flutter or React Native are valid options, but code sharing is definitely the future."

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If you are interested to watching watching the full episode, you can find it here:

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