Comparison of Performance and Security Features of Mobile Applications Developed in Flutter and Next.js as PWAs

This thesis compares the technologies Next.js and Flutter for mobile application development. It also compares two approaches to mobile app development: Progressive Web Apps (PWA),  development using Next.js, and cross-platform application development using Flutter.

The introduction covers mobile applications, including their history, operating systems, types, and architecture.

The study presents the characteristics of both technologies, including their architecture, programming languages, and differing support for native functionalities and hardware access. Special attention is given to testing methods and app distribution.

Two applications are showcased in the thesis, each developed with one of the technologies. The applications are functionally equivalent but differ in the chosen approach and technology. The development process, techniques used, and additional technologies that assisted in development are also explained.

An analysis of the community, availability of resources, and development tools is conducted, revealing strong support for both technologies, though with varying degrees of popularity and availability of learning materials.

Performance measurements include comparisons of memory usage and HTTP request execution speed, highlighting differences between the Flutter app and the Next.js PWA.

The thesis also presents the functional and technological advantages and disadvantages of both approaches and technologies, providing insight into their suitability based on development and user needs.

Finally, the thesis addresses app security, particularly vulnerabilities to Man-in-the-Middle attacks and protection against Reverse Engineering. Simulations of each attack were conducted on both applications, showing significant differences in one case and none in the other. It also discusses how app protection can be enhanced against these attacks and whether implementing such measures is justified