React Native App vs Native App: Pros and Cons

What is React Native?

Do you know? There will be 5 million apps in Apple’s App Store by 2020. Google Play Store has more than 2.6 million apps in 2019. This means Android and iOS have equal popularity among users. That’s why businesses don’t want to miss the opportunity and are developing apps that are compatible with both platforms. In this blog, we will discuss the pros and cons of native and React Native cross-platform app development.

React Native is a framework designed by the social media giant Facebook, which helps to develop device-agnostic apps. It enables smooth development of mobile applications as you don’t require to write codes for Android and iOS separately. Companies providing cross platform mobile app development services use different programming languages for building apps for both platforms but never compromise with the user experience and user interface.

React Native has a massive community. According to a report by Github, it is the 14th most starred repository on its platform. There are more than 1002 contributors who have helped in nearly 124 releases.

build android apps with react native

During the F8 Conference in 2016, Microsoft and Samsung announced that they will bring support for React Native to Windows and Tizen respectively. Below are the top apps built using React Native:

  • Instagram – 1000, 000, 000+ users
  • Messenger – 1000, 000, 000+ users
  • Skype – 1000, 000, 000+ users
  • User – 100, 000, 000+ users
  • Flipkart – 100, 000, 000+ users
  • Amazon Prime Video – 50, 000, 000+ users
  • PhonePe – 50, 000, 000+ users

                                                                                    Source: Appbrain

Pros of React Native App Development

  • Single JavaScript Codebase: You can use the same code to build an Android app with React Native or an iOS app. Even if your developers use 70% of the code for the two platforms, you can save both time and money in your next app project.
  • Faster Development: Facebook developed React Native with an aim to optimize the entire development process. It is faster to develop an app using React Native than a native app in Android or iOS.
  • Easy to Develop: React Native is easy to work with, especially if your hired developers have worked with JavaScript or React.
  • Hot Reloading and Live Reloading: This feature enables developers to implement changes while the app is running, without restarting it or re-deploying it. The app reloads automatically after every change, thus saving developers’ time in starting the app again and again.
  • Native Functionality: React Native provides feel and look of native widgets. React Native apps also have extra features like scroll accelerations, animations, and keyboard behavior.

Cons of React Native App Development

  • Lack of Some Functionalities: It is not fully scaled for custom modules. Developers may have to spend time in creating customized modules to suit your requirements. React Native cannot handle complex background processing required in interaction-intensive apps.
  • Debugging Difficulties: React Native is not a fully matured technology. It is still in its early phases, so your developers may face difficulties when it comes to debugging.
  • Lack of Platform and Device-Specific Features: React Native offers many basic functionalities of native platforms but lack platform-specific and device-specific features like camera, GPS, etc.

Cases Where React Native App Development is the Best Choice

  • Cross-platform app development
  • When you have a low budget
  • When you need faster app development
  • Less hardware and API access needed
  • Shorter time to market delivery

[You may like to read: 5 Tips to Reduce Your Mobile App Development Costs]

  What is a Native App?

Native mobile applications are apps that run on specific devices. Android and iOS dominate the mobile OS market and they are the most used native app development platforms.

Native Android apps can be developed using programming languages like Java, Kotlin, and C++. For creating native iOS apps, you need to use Objective-C or Swift. Google offers advanced Android app development tools like Android SDK, Firebase, Android Jetpack, and many Command Line Tools. On the other hand, Apple offers excellent resources for iOS development like iOS SDK,  Xcode, and TestFlight.

Pros of Native App Development

  • Best Performance: Since developers use different languages for two platforms, the apps provide smooth performance. They are fast, responsive, and utilize device-specific speed. They inherit their device’s interface, and therefore, offers intuitive experience.
  • Higher Security and Protection: App developers use software development kits (SDK) to build a native app. They get immediate access to the latest OS updates. Native apps offer reliable data protection. Plus, you get fewer bugs during the development process, ensuring your app is up to the mark.
  • Full Access to Device Features: Native apps get access to inbuilt device utilities like GPS, camera, microphone, etc. Native app development offers the flexibility to build your app around your needs while utilizing device hardware and other features.
  • Profitable in the Long Run: Native apps often crash less, get better rankings on app stores, and leads to more download. By providing higher security, better performance, and good user experience, you can attract and retain more users, which will be profitable in the long run.

Cons of Native App Development

  • Higher Development Cost: As your developers would write code for each platform separately using different programming languages, it takes more time to develop a native app.
  • Costlier than React Native App Development: For native app development, you need to hire Android and iOS developers as well as designers and quality analysts. This will increase your cost of development.

Cases Where Native App Development is the Best Choice

  • Interaction-intensive and heavy UI usage
  • Multi-threaded processes and calculations
  • Apps with lots of animations and processes
  • When you need to build only an iOS or an Android app

Conclusion

Which is better – React Native or native app development? To find an answer to this question, go through the pros and cons of each of them and analyze your goals carefully. If you have a low budget and want faster app development, then go for React Native. If you want a platform-specific app or looking to build a process-heavy app with a good budget, then go for native app development.

Source Soft Solutions is a prominent cross platform app development services provider. We have an expert team of developers who can design and build the best React Native apps for both Android and iOS. Contact us today to discuss your app idea.

Related Articles:
React Native vs. Flutter: Comparing Two Cross-Platform Development Tools

Looking to build the most downloadable app?

TAGS

Recently Added

Contact Us





    cf7captchaRegenerate Captcha

    Copyright Disclaimer: Unauthorized use, publication, and/or duplication of our website and blog content without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Source Soft Solutions with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.