equatable: a Flutter developer's guide

A Dart package that helps to implement value based equality without needing to explicitly override == and hashCode.

CategoryLibrary/Tooling
Stars★ 1,080
Last update2026-07-05
PriorityMedium

equatable is an open-source developer tooling library for Flutter mobile app development, with 1,080★ on GitHub and last updated on 2026-07-05. This guide covers what equatable does, why it matters in 2026, how to add it to your project, when to reach for it, and how it compares to the alternatives — plus a quick FAQ.

What is equatable?

A Dart package that helps to implement value based equality without needing to explicitly override == and hashCode. It focuses on improving your Flutter developer workflow and codebase. The project lives at felangel/equatable and is maintained by felangel.

Why equatable is worth knowing in 2026

equatable carries 1,080 GitHub stars, 119 forks, 11 open issues. It has been around since 2019, and is actively maintained (updated within the last month). For a Library/Tooling option, that combination of adoption and upkeep usually means a healthy community, production usage, and plenty of examples to learn from — the things that make a dependency safe to build on.

Installing equatable

Add the package to your pubspec.yaml:

dependencies:
  equatable: ^latest

Then fetch it and import it in your Dart code:

flutter pub get
import 'package:equatable/equatable.dart';

Check the package’s example/ directory and its pub.dev page for the exact API — equatable is versioned there with full docs so you always integrate against the current release.

When should you use equatable?

Reach for equatable when:

  • you want to automate or streamline part of your build
  • you need better debugging, codegen, or DX
  • you’re standardising tooling across a team

It’s especially relevant if your project touches dart, dartlang, equality, equality-comparison, flutter, flutter-package.

equatable vs. the alternatives

If you’re weighing options in the Library/Tooling space, these are the other projects developers most often compare equatable against:

There’s no single winner — the right pick depends on your app’s size, your team’s familiarity, and your performance budget. Browse the full Library/Tooling collection to compare them side by side.

Frequently asked questions

Is equatable free to use?

Yes. equatable is open source and free to use in your Flutter projects. You can view the source, report issues, and contribute on GitHub.

Does equatable work on both iOS and Android?

equatable is built for Flutter, so it targets iOS and Android from a single codebase, and typically web and desktop too depending on the project’s platform support.

As of 2026, equatable has around 1,080 stars and 119 forks on GitHub, which puts it among the more widely used options in the Library/Tooling space.

What are good alternatives to equatable?

Popular alternatives in the Library/Tooling category include flclash, ente, nativescript. The best choice depends on your app’s size, team, and performance needs.

How do I install equatable?

Add equatable to the dependencies section of your pubspec.yaml and run flutter pub get. Full versions and API docs are on pub.dev.

Resources & links

Part of FlutterCook — 500 hands-on guides to the best open-source Flutter libraries, UI kits, and apps. Explore the live GitHub trends or browse YouTube guides.

#dart#dartlang#equality#equality-comparison#flutter#flutter-package