How it works
Dart looks familiar to anyone who knows Java, C# or JavaScript: classes, async/await, generics and sound null safety, meaning the compiler guarantees that a value declared non-null never is. Google introduced it in 2011, and nearly all of its popularity today comes from Flutter.
Its compiler is built around the way Flutter works. During development, code runs in a virtual machine with hot reload, so a change appears in the running app within a second or so without losing its state. For release, Dart compiles ahead of time to native ARM or x64 code for phones and desktops, and to JavaScript or WebAssembly for the web.
Dart pros and cons
Pros
- Easy to pick up for anyone who knows Java, C#, Kotlin or JavaScript
- Hot reload makes building interfaces fast
- Compiles to native code for phones and desktops
- Sound null safety and a solid set of official tools
Cons
- Used almost only with Flutter, so the skill transfers less widely
- Smaller package ecosystem than JavaScript or Kotlin
When to use Dart
Pick it when
- Building a Flutter app for Android and iOS together
- Teams that want one codebase with a consistent look on every platform
Skip it when
- Backend or web-only work, where other languages have far larger ecosystems
Dart pricing
Open source
Free and open source (BSD licence).
Approximate, checked September 2026.What the other tools cost
Related terms
More in Programming languages
Mobile