The recent announcement of the ArcGIS Maps SDK for Flutter (Beta) at the ESRI Developer Summit marks a significant milestone in the evolution of cross-platform GIS app development. This integration combines the power of Flutter, a Google-backed framework, with the capabilities of ArcGIS, enabling developers to build performant GIS apps across multiple platforms from a single codebase.
Flutter has emerged as a game-changer in cross-platform app development, offering a robust and productive environment for building performant apps. Its open-source nature, backed by Google, has led to rapid adoption by the developer community. Flutter’s modern programming language, Dart, provides a concise and declarative way to code, making it easier to build and maintain apps.
With Microsoft retiring Xamarin Forms in favour of MAUI, which is still in its early stages, and the discontinuation of the Java Maps SDK, cross-platform app development faced significant limitations. Developers have been eagerly awaiting ArcGIS support for Flutter, which has emerged as a viable alternative to other frameworks like React Native, Xamarin Forms, and Qt.
The Maps SDK for Flutter builds upon the common C++ Runtime core, ensuring consistent capabilities across all ArcGIS Maps SDKs.
The recent addition of the ArcGIS Maps SDK for Flutter expands your options to a total of five ArcGIS Maps SDKs. Each offers unique advantages, so choosing the right one depends on your project’s specific needs. An overview of the currently available SDKs for developing ArcGIS based apps is given below
While Qt offers broad platform support, its drawbacks include costly licensing, performance limitations, and a steep learning curve. For desktop applications, the .NET SDK remains a reliable choice, but its mobile capabilities are limited by MAUI’s early stages.
However, the ArcGIS Maps SDK for Flutter presents a compelling alternative. Flutter excels in performance and tooling, narrowing the gap between native and cross-platform development. If you need to rapidly target both Android and iOS, and your developers are comfortable with Flutter, it could be the perfect sweet spot for your project.
The ArcGIS Maps SDK for Flutter (Beta) opens exciting possibilities for cross-platform GIS app development. By leveraging Flutter’s capabilities, developers can create performant apps that span multiple platforms from a single codebase. This integration improves the way developers build and deploy GIS apps, enabling faster development, reduced costs, and increased productivity.
