@Composable
fun MyComponent(
displayString: String
) {
Text(displayString)
}














Compare Declarative Frameworks





function MyComponent(props) {
return <div>{props.displayString}</div>;
}
class MyComponent extends StatelessWidget {
final String displayString;
MyComponent({required this.displayString});
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Text(displayString);
}
}
@Composable
fun ConditionalComponent(condition: Boolean) {
if (condition) {
Text("Condition is true")
} else {
Text("Condition is false")
}
}
// Usage
ConditionalComponent(condition = true)
function ConditionalComponent({ condition }) {
return (
<>
{condition ? (
<p>Condition is true</p>
) : (
<p>Condition is false</p>
)}
</>
);
}
// Usage
<ConditionalComponent condition={true} />;
class ConditionalComponent extends StatelessWidget {
final bool condition;
ConditionalComponent({required this.condition});
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
if(condition) {
return Text("Condition is true");
} else {
return Text("Condition is false");
}
}
}
// Usage
ConditionalComponent(condition: true)
@Composable
fun Parent(data: String) {
IntermediateComponent(data = data)
}
@Composable
fun IntermediateComponent(data: String) {
ChildComponent(data = data)
}
@Composable
fun ChildComponent(data: String) {
Text("Received data: $data")
}
// Usage
Parent(data = "Some data")
function Parent({ data }) {
return <IntermediateComponent data={data} />;
}
function IntermediateComponent({ data }) {
return <ChildComponent data={data} />;
}
function ChildComponent({ data }) {
return <p>Received data: {data}</p>;
}
// Usage
<Parent data="Some data" />;
class Parent extends StatelessWidget {
final String data;
Parent({required this.data});
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return IntermediateComponent(data: data);
}
}
class IntermediateComponent extends StatelessWidget {
final String data;
IntermediateComponent({required this.data});
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return ChildComponent(data: data);
}
}
class ChildComponent extends StatelessWidget {
final String data;
ChildComponent({required this.data});
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Text("Received data: $data");
}
}
// Usage
Parent(data: "Some data")
@Composable
fun ClickableComponent() {
var clicked by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
Button(onClick = { clicked = true }) {
Text(if (clicked) "Button clicked" else "Click me")
}
}
import { useState } from "react";
function ClickableComponent() {
const [clicked, setClicked] = useState(false);
return (
<button onClick={() => setClicked(true)}>
{clicked ? "Button clicked" : "Click me"}
</button>
);
}
class ClickableComponent extends StatefulWidget {
_ClickableComponentState createState() => _ClickableComponentState();
}
class _ClickableComponentState extends State<ClickableComponent> {
bool clicked = false;
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return RaisedButton(
onPressed: () => setState(() => clicked = true),
child: Text(clicked ? "Button clicked" : "Click me"),
);
}
}
@Composable
fun TextInputComponent() {
var text by remember { mutableStateOf("") }
TextField(
value = text,
onValueChange = { newText -> text = newText },
label = { Text("Enter text") }
)
}
function TextInputComponent() {
const [text, setText] = useState("");
return (
<input
type="text"
value={text}
onChange={(e) => setText(e.target.value)}
placeholder="Enter text"
/>
);
}
class TextInputComponent extends StatefulWidget {
const TextInputComponent({super.key});
State<TextInputComponent> createState() => _TextInputComponentState();
}
class _TextInputComponentState extends State<TextInputComponent> {
late final _controller = TextEditingController(text: "");
void dispose() {
_controller.dispose();
super.dispose();
}
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return TextField(
controller: _controller,
decoration: const InputDecoration(labelText: "Enter text"),
);
}
}
@Composable
fun ExampleComponent() {
Text("Hello, World!")
}
@Preview(showBackground = true)
@Composable
fun ExampleComponentPreview() {
ExampleComponent()
}
Additionally, you can also use Showkase, an open source library by Airbnb that allows you to view themes preview functions in an auto-generated component browser that can be viewed on an Android device.
React doesn't have a built-in preview feature. However, you can use a tool like Storybook to create previews for your components in a separate development environment.
Flutter doesn't have a built-in preview feature. You can, however, create a separate app or run your app in an emulator or on a device to view your components. Additionally, you can use the Flutter Studio web-based tool to create and preview Flutter widgets in a browser.
@Composable
fun ListComponent(items: List<String>) {
LazyColumn {
items(items) { item ->
Text(item)
}
}
}
// Usage
val items = listOf("Item 1", "Item 2", "Item 3")
ListComponent(items = items)
function ListComponent({ items }) {
return (
<ul>
{items.map((item) => (
<li key={item}>{item}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
// Usage
const items = ["Item 1", "Item 2", "Item 3"];
<ListComponent items={items} />;
class ListComponent extends StatelessWidget {
final List<String> items;
ListComponent({required this.items});
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return ListView.builder(
itemCount: items.length,
itemBuilder: (context, index) {
return ListTile(title: Text(items[index]));
},
);
}
}
// Usage
final items = ["Item 1", "Item 2", "Item 3"];
ListComponent(items: items)
data class Person(val name: String, val age: Int, val id: String)
@Composable
fun ItemKeysExample(items: List<Person>) {
LazyColumn {
items(items, key = { person -> person.id }) { person ->
Text("Name: ${person.name}, Age: ${person.age}")
}
}
}
function ItemKeysExample({ items }) {
return (
<ul>
{items.map((person) => (
<li key={person.id}>
Name: {person.name}, Age: {person.age}
</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
// Usage
<ItemKeysExample
items={[
{ name: "John", age: 30, id: "1" },
{ name: "Jane", age: 28, id: "2" },
{ name: "Bob", age: 25, id: "3" },
]}
/>;
class Person {
final String name;
final int age;
final String id;
Person({required this.name, required this.age, required this.id});
}
class ItemKeysExample extends StatelessWidget {
final List<Person> items;
ItemKeysExample({required this.items});
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return ListView.builder(
itemCount: items.length,
itemBuilder: (context, index) {
final person = items[index];
return ListTile(
key: Key(person.id),
title: Text('Name: ${person.name}, Age: ${person.age}'),
);
},
);
}
}
// Usage
ItemKeysExample(items: [Person(name: 'John', age: 30, id: '1'), Person(name: 'Jane', age: 28, id: '2'), Person(name: 'Bob', age: 25, id: '3')])
@Composable
fun Parent(
header: @Composable () -> Unit,
content: @Composable () -> Unit
) {
Column {
header()
content()
}
}
// Usage
Parent(
header = { Text("Header") },
content = { Child() }
)
@Composable
fun Child() {
Text("Child Content")
}
function Parent({ header, content }) {
return (
<div>
{header}
{content}
</div>
);
}
// Usage
<Parent header={<h1>Header</h1>} content={<Child />} />;
function Child() {
return <p>Child Content</p>;
}
class Parent extends StatelessWidget {
final Widget header;
final Widget content;
Parent({required this.header, required this.content});
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Column(
children: [
header,
content,
],
);
}
}
// Usage
Parent(
header: Text("Header"),
content: Child(),
)
class Child extends StatelessWidget {
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Text("Child Content");
}
}
@Composable
fun ModifiersExample() {
Text(
"Hello, World!",
modifier = Modifier
.padding(16.dp)
.background(Color.Blue)
)
}
React doesn't have a direct analog to modifiers in Jetpack Compose or SwiftUI. Instead, you can use inline styles or CSS classes.
function ModifiersExample() {
const style = {
padding: "16px",
backgroundColor: "blue",
color: "white",
};
return <div style={style}>Hello, World!</div>;
}
In Flutter, you can wrap widgets with other widgets to achieve similar effects.
class ModifiersExample extends StatelessWidget {
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Container(
padding: EdgeInsets.all(16.0),
color: Colors.blue,
child: Text('Hello, World!', style: TextStyle(color: Colors.white)),
);
}
}
@Composable
fun Counter() {
var count by remember { mutableStateOf(0) }
Button(onClick = { count = count + 1 }) {
Text("Count: $count")
}
}
import { useState } from "react";
function Counter() {
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
return (
<button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>
Count: {count}
</button>
);
}
class Counter extends StatefulWidget {
_CounterState createState() => _CounterState();
}
class _CounterState extends State<Counter> {
int count = 0;
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return RaisedButton(
onPressed: () => setState(() => count += 1),
child: Text("Count: $count"),
);
}
}
val CustomLocal = compositionLocalOf<String> { "Default data" }
@Composable
fun Parent(data: String) {
CompositionLocalProvider(CustomLocal provides data) {
Intermediate()
}
}
@Composable
fun Intermediate() {
Child()
}
@Composable
fun Child() {
val data = CustomLocal.current
Text("Received data: $data")
}
// Usage
Parent(data = "Some data")
import { createContext, useContext } from "react";
const CustomContext = createContext();
function Parent({ data }) {
return (
<CustomContext.Provider value={data}>
<Intermediate />
</CustomContext.Provider>
);
}
function Intermediate() {
return <Child />;
}
function Child() {
const data = useContext(CustomContext);
return <p>Received data: {data}</p>;
}
// Usage
<Parent data="Some data" />;
class CustomInheritedWidget extends InheritedWidget {
final String data;
CustomInheritedWidget({required this.data, required Widget child})
: super(child: child);
bool updateShouldNotify(CustomInheritedWidget oldWidget) {
return oldWidget.data != data;
}
static CustomInheritedWidget of(BuildContext context) {
return context.dependOnInheritedWidgetOfExactType<CustomInheritedWidget>()!;
}
}
class Parent extends StatelessWidget {
final String data;
Parent({required this.data});
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return CustomInheritedWidget(
data: data,
child: Intermediate(),
);
}
}
class Intermediate extends StatelessWidget {
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Child();
}
}
class Child extends StatelessWidget {
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
final data = CustomInheritedWidget.of(context).data;
return Text("Received data: $data");
}
}
// Usage
Parent(data: "Some data")
@Composable
fun SideEffectOnLoadComponent() {
LaunchedEffect(Unit) {
// Perform side effect, e.g. fetch data, update external data source
}
// Other UI components
Text("Hello, World!")
}
import { useEffect } from "react";
function SideEffectOnLoadComponent() {
useEffect(() => {
// Perform side effect, e.g. fetch data, update external data source
}, []);
// Other UI components
return <div />;
}
class SideEffectOnLoadComponent extends StatefulWidget {
_SideEffectOnLoadComponentState createState() => _SideEffectOnLoadComponentState();
}
class _SideEffectOnLoadComponentState extends State<SideEffectOnLoadComponent> {
void initState() {
super.initState();
// Perform side effect, e.g. fetch data, update external data source
}
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
// Other UI components
return Container();
}
}
Frequently Asked Questions About Jetpack Compose vs React vs Flutter
Which is better for beginners, Jetpack Compose or React or Flutter?
Let's analyze the learning curve and requirements for each framework in 2025:
React (4/5)
React's component-based architecture and extensive ecosystem make it accessible for beginners. While concepts like hooks and virtual DOM require time to master, the large community and abundance of learning resources help overcome challenges. TypeScript adoption adds type safety but increases the initial learning curve.
Learning Path:
- Learn modern JavaScript/TypeScript
- Understand React components and JSX
- Master hooks and state management
- Learn component lifecycle and effects
- Practice React patterns and best practices
Key Prerequisites:
- JavaScript/TypeScript
- HTML/CSS
- npm/yarn
Time to Productivity: 2-3 months for web developers, 3-4 months for beginners
Jetpack Compose (3/5)
Jetpack Compose has a moderate learning curve that requires understanding of Kotlin and Android fundamentals. Its functional programming approach and declarative syntax can be challenging for developers coming from imperative XML layouts, but the excellent tooling and preview system make the learning process smoother.
Learning Path:
- Learn Kotlin fundamentals (especially lambdas and higher-order functions)
- Understand Android Activity/Fragment lifecycle
- Master Compose basics (composables, state, side effects)
- Learn Material Design components and theming
- Practice state management and composition patterns
Key Prerequisites:
- Kotlin
- Android basics
- Gradle build system
Time to Productivity: 2-3 months for Android developers, 4-6 months for beginners
Flutter (3/5)
Flutter requires learning Dart, which may be unfamiliar to many developers. However, its comprehensive documentation, hot reload feature, and widget-based architecture make the learning process systematic. The consistent behavior across platforms reduces platform-specific complexity.
Learning Path:
- Learn Dart programming language
- Understand Flutter widget system
- Master state management approaches
- Learn platform integration techniques
- Practice responsive design patterns
Key Prerequisites:
- Dart
- Basic programming concepts
- Mobile UI principles
Time to Productivity: 3-4 months for mobile developers, 4-6 months for beginners
Recommendation
Based on the analysis, React offers the most approachable learning curve. However, your choice should depend on:
- Your existing programming background (Kotlin, JavaScript/TypeScript, Dart)
- Target platform requirements (Android, Cross-platform, Cross-platform)
- Available learning time (2-3 months for web developers, 3-4 months for beginners for React)
- Long-term career goals in mobile/web development
How does the performance of Jetpack Compose compare to React in real-world applications?
Let's analyze the real-world performance characteristics of Jetpack Compose and React based on benchmarks and practical experience:
Jetpack Compose Performance Profile
Strengths
-
✓ Efficient recomposition system
Uses smart recomposition that only updates components when their inputs change, reducing unnecessary UI updates.
-
✓ Optimized rendering pipeline
Compose leverages Android's rendering pipeline to optimize performance for animations and transitions.
-
✓ Memory efficiency
Compose's compiler plugin optimizes memory allocation by reusing existing objects and reducing unnecessary allocations during UI updates.
Areas for Optimization
-
! Initial release overhead
First-time compilation and initial app startup time can be slower compared to XML layouts. You can address this by leveraging Baseline Profile.
-
! Complex state management impact
Improper state management can trigger unnecessary recompositions, affecting performance.
React Performance Profile
Strengths
-
✓ Virtual DOM optimization
Efficient diffing algorithm minimizes actual DOM updates, improving performance.
-
✓ Code splitting
Built-in support for code splitting and lazy loading of components.
-
✓ Concurrent rendering
React 18's concurrent features allow for prioritized rendering and better user experience.
Areas for Optimization
-
! DOM operations overhead
Multiple DOM operations can still impact performance in complex applications.
-
! Bundle size concerns
Large dependency trees can lead to significant bundle sizes.
Native vs Web Performance
Jetpack Compose, being a native framework, generally provides better performance for:
- Complex animations and transitions
- Heavy computational tasks
- Memory-intensive operations
- Access to platform-specific optimizations
However, React can still deliver excellent performance for most business applications, especially when following optimization best practices.
Performance Optimization Tips
Jetpack Compose
- Use remember() and derivedStateOf() to minimize recompositions
- Implement proper key() usage in lists for efficient updates
- Leverage Compose's built-in lazy loading components
- Profile with Android Studio's Layout Inspector and Performance tools
React
- Implement React.memo() for expensive computations
- Use useMemo and useCallback hooks appropriately
- Leverage Code Splitting with React.lazy()
- Profile with React DevTools and Lighthouse
What are the key architectural differences between Jetpack Compose and React and Flutter?
Here are the key differences between Jetpack Compose and React and Flutter:
Feature | Jetpack Compose | React | Flutter |
---|---|---|---|
Paradigm | Declarative UI toolkit with a functional programming approach | Declarative UI library with a component-based approach | Declarative UI toolkit with a widget-based approach |
Target Platform | Android (with experimental desktop support) | Web (with React Native for mobile) | Cross-platform (iOS, Android, web, desktop) |
Language | Kotlin | JavaScript/TypeScript | Dart |
Component Model | Composable functions | Function components with hooks or class components | Widget classes (stateless and stateful) |
State Management | State hoisting with remember and mutableStateOf | useState, useReducer, and third-party solutions like Redux | StatefulWidget with setState, or state management packages |
Ecosystem | Integrated with Android ecosystem and Kotlin coroutines | Vast ecosystem with many libraries and tools | Google-backed with a growing ecosystem of packages |
The choice between these frameworks often depends on your target platform, existing expertise, and specific project requirements. Jetpack Compose and React and Flutter each have their strengths in different contexts.
What are the job market trends for Jetpack Compose vs React vs Flutter in 2025?
If you're considering a career move in 2025, here's how these frameworks compare in terms of job prospects:
Jetpack Compose
- Current Demand: Growing rapidly as more Android apps transition from XML layouts
- Growth Trajectory: Strong upward trend as Google pushes it as the future of Android UI
- Notable Companies: Google, Twitter, Square, Airbnb
React
- Current Demand: Very high demand across web, mobile (React Native), and desktop
- Growth Trajectory: Mature but still growing with continuous innovation
- Notable Companies: Meta, Netflix, Airbnb, Dropbox
Flutter
- Current Demand: High demand for cross-platform development skills
- Growth Trajectory: One of the fastest-growing mobile frameworks
- Notable Companies: Google, Alibaba, BMW, eBay
Flutter offers the advantage of cross-platform skills, while native frameworks like Jetpack Compose may provide deeper platform integration. Many companies value developers who can work in both worlds.
Can Jetpack Compose and React and Flutter be used together in the same project?
Understanding how Jetpack Compose and React and Flutter can work together:
Jetpack Compose + React
React (via React Native) can use Jetpack Compose through native modules, though this is complex. Alternatively, Compose for Web is an experimental project that brings Compose concepts to web development.
Jetpack Compose + Flutter
Jetpack Compose can be integrated with Flutter through platform channels, allowing you to use native Android functionality within a Flutter app.
React + Flutter
React and Flutter are separate frameworks. While both can be used in the same project, this is uncommon and complex.
Using multiple frameworks: While it's technically possible to use Jetpack Compose, React, Flutter in a single project ecosystem, this adds complexity. It's generally better to choose the right tool for each platform and maintain consistency within that platform.
Web + Mobile Strategy: A common approach is to use React for your web application, while using Jetpack Compose or Flutter for mobile apps. You can share business logic and API calls between them, but the UI layer would be implemented separately for each platform.
Is Flutter better than Jetpack Compose for app development?
The choice between Flutter and Jetpack Compose depends on your project requirements:
Aspect | Flutter | Jetpack Compose |
---|---|---|
Platform Support | iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux | Android (with experimental desktop support) |
Native Integration | Good via platform channels, but not direct | Excellent native platform integration |
Performance | Very good with custom rendering engine | Excellent on target platform |
Development Speed | Fast with hot reload and single codebase | Fast for its target platform |
UI Consistency | Same UI across all platforms | Platform-specific UI with native feel |
Choose Flutter if:
- You need to support multiple platforms with one codebase
- UI consistency across platforms is more important than native platform feel
- You want to reduce development and maintenance costs
- Your team can focus on learning one technology stack (Dart)
Choose Jetpack Compose if:
- You're only targeting Android platforms
- Deep platform integration is critical for your app
- You want the most native feel and performance
- Your team already has expertise in Kotlin
Many companies use both approaches: Flutter for cross-platform features and Jetpack Compose for platform-specific features that require deeper integration.
Why does Flutter use Dart instead of a more common language?
Flutter's choice of Dart as its programming language offers several technical advantages:
- Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation during development enables hot reload, allowing for quick iteration
- Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation for releases creates high-performance native code
- Non-blocking asynchronous programming through async/await and Future objects
- Sound null safety helps eliminate null reference errors
- Fast garbage collection optimized for UI construction patterns
- Object-oriented with mixins for reusable code
While languages like JavaScript or Kotlin might have larger communities, Dart was specifically optimized for Flutter's needs in building reactive UIs and achieving native performance. Google has invested heavily in making Dart an excellent language for UI development.
Despite being less common, Dart is easy to learn for developers familiar with Java, JavaScript, or C#, with most developers becoming productive within a few weeks.
How does Jetpack Compose compare to traditional Android XML layouts?
Jetpack Compose represents a significant shift from traditional Android XML layouts:
Traditional XML Layouts
- Declarative XML with imperative Java/Kotlin manipulation
- View hierarchy with expensive findViewById() calls
- Complex layouts like ConstraintLayout for performance
- Separate files for layouts, styles, and logic
- Many boilerplate adapters and view holders
- Slow layout inflation process
Jetpack Compose
- Fully declarative Kotlin code for UI
- No view hierarchy or findViewById()
- Layout composables handle optimization automatically
- UI, styling, and logic in one place
- Simple list creation with LazyColumn/LazyRow
- No layout inflation, faster rendering
Compose brings significant advantages in:
- Code reduction: Much less boilerplate code compared to XML
- State management: Built-in state handling with react-like patterns
- Preview: @Preview annotation for seeing UI changes without deploying
- Animation: Simplified animations with type-safe builders
- Testing: Better testability without complex UI testing setups
Migration can be gradual - Compose can be adopted incrementally within existing XML-based apps through the ComposeView component.