Kotlin Multiplatform: The Future of Cross-Platform?
I’ve been a big fan of cross-platform development. When I learned about Flutter back in 2019, I jumped into it without hesitation, and now I’m doing full-time development with it.
Let me explain what cross-platform development is. Imagine you want to build a mobile application for your business. You need to decide which platform to target: iOS or Android. If you choose just one platform, you’ll need a developer who knows Kotlin (for Android) or Swift (for iOS). But if you want your app on both platforms, you’ll need a team with both Kotlin and Swift developers. Additionally, since iOS and Android have different UI/UX requirements, you’ll need separate designs for each. These are just some of the challenges you face when developing for multiple platforms.
To address these issues, Facebook came up with React Native and Google with Flutter. These cross-platform development frameworks allow you to write code once and reuse it across all supported platforms. This saves money and allows you to deliver your app faster, while maintaining a consistent design across both iOS and Android.
What is Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP)?
Kotlin Multiplatform is a new addition to the world of cross-platform development technologies by JetBrains. While it hasn’t generated a lot of buzz yet, I believe it has a lot of potential for the future. It’s an open-source framework that allows you to develop apps for Android, iOS, desktop, web, server-side, and other platforms. One of its key advantages is the ability to reuse code across platforms while still benefiting from native development.
So, why consider KMP?
Kotlin’s popularity speaks for itself — over 60% of professional Android developers use it. This modern, statically typed language offers a clean syntax similar to Swift, making it approachable for developers familiar with either language.
Here’s a preview of what Kotlin code looks like:
Kotlin’s popularity bodes well for KMP’s adoption in the market. If JetBrains’ claims hold true, it has the potential to surpass other cross-platform development technologies.
KMP offers flexibility. You can write core logic in Kotlin and reuse it across all platforms. For UI elements, you can either write platform-specific code or leverage Compose Multiplatform (Alpha), a declarative framework for sharing UI across platforms.
According to the official Kotlin website, KMP allows you to develop native-quality apps. Shared Kotlin code compiles into platform-specific binaries, and you can still easily utilise platform-specific APIs.
While KMP offers exciting possibilities, it’s important to consider some potential drawbacks:
- Learning Curve: KMP might not be ideal for beginners. It requires familiarity with Kotlin, object-oriented programming concepts, and potentially some knowledge of native Android and iOS development.
- Concurrency Challenges: Writing concurrent code, especially for iOS, can be more complex due to limitations in shared code’s access to platform-specific concurrency features.
- Limited UI Sharing (for now): Compose Multiplatform, the framework for sharing UI across platforms, is still in Alpha. This means it may have fewer features and might be less stable compared to mature UI frameworks.
Ready to get started with KMP?
If you’re excited about the technology and want to give it a try, check out this documentation and create your first multiplatform app.
Companies using KMP
If you’re not convinced yet about KMP, here are some of the companies already trusting Kotlin Multiplatform and building their products with this technology.
Kotlin Multiplatform vs Flutter vs React Native
Let’s compare Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) with Flutter, two leading contenders in cross-platform development. While Flutter and React Native share some similarities, Flutter has emerged as the more popular choice, so I’ll keep it simple and talk about Flutter and KMP only.
Flutter, an open-source framework by Google, allows for building natively compiled apps. Similar to KMP, it offers built-in UI components called widgets, which can accelerate the development process.
Conclusion
The future of app development is uncertain due to AI disruption, but Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) has strong potential. KMP allows developers to target multiple platforms (including Android) with a single codebase, eliminating the need to learn new languages for each platform. While sharing UI code remains a challenge, Compose Multiplatform offers a promising solution. Flutter and React Native benefit from the backing of tech giants, giving them an adoption advantage. KMP might not have that same level of corporate push, but the large and active Kotlin community can fuel its growth. I’m personally trying KMP and will share my experience soon.
Thank you for taking interest in this article. If you enjoyed it, don’t forget to like to hit the clap (👏) button.
