Dart is a cross-platform language, so its frameworks serve a variety of purposes, from user interface (UI) development and web to backend and even games.

1. UI Development Frameworks

  • Flutter: This is the "shining star" and the most famous Dart framework. Flutter is an open-source UI toolkit that allows you to build natively compiled applications for multiple platforms (iOS, Android, web, Windows, macOS, Linux) from a single codebase. Everything in Flutter is a widget, offering great flexibility and customization.

2. Web Development Frameworks

  • Jaspr: A modern web framework for Dart that supports both client-side and server-side rendering. Jaspr enables you to build fast, SEO-friendly websites with a development experience similar to Flutter.
  • AngularDart: A web framework developed by Google, which is a Dart version of Angular. AngularDart is designed to build complex, high-performance single-page applications (SPAs). While not as actively developed by Google as before, it remains a viable option for large projects.
  • OverReact: A frontend library for Dart inspired by React.js, helping you build reusable UI components and manage state efficiently.

3. Backend (Server) Development Frameworks

  • Dart Frog: A minimalist and high-speed backend framework developed by Very Good Ventures. Dart Frog provides a clear structure based on file-system routing, hot reload, and dependency injection, making API development quick and efficient.
  • Serverpod: This is a powerful, open-source backend framework specifically designed for tight integration with Flutter. Serverpod helps you create scalable APIs, authentication, real-time communication, and database connections. It's a great fit for those who want to build both the frontend (with Flutter) and backend (with Dart) within the same ecosystem.
  • Shelf: A minimalist and flexible web server framework. Shelf isn't a full-featured framework but rather a foundational platform that lets you build web applications or middleware by combining various libraries. Pub.dev, Dart's package repository, is built with Shelf.

4. Game Development Frameworks

  • Flame: A minimalist game engine for Flutter. Flame provides a powerful set of tools for building 2D games, leveraging Flutter's performance in a gaming environment.

Summary:

Dart has a fairly diverse framework ecosystem, though it's not as large as JavaScript's or Java/Kotlin's.

  • Flutter is the top choice for cross-platform UI development.
  • Jaspr and AngularDart are the main options for web development.
  • Dart Frog and Serverpod are rising backend frameworks, especially suitable for Flutter developers.