React, JS and React Native remain popular frontend technologies. Their connection is often the source of confusion. ReactJS is a JavaScript-based front-end technology primarily used for web development. At the same time, React Native is a cross-platform framework for building apps that can run on iOS and Android.
If you are looking for a top-tier React Native app development company in Usa with years of proven track record and excellent command of the technology, you need to have a comprehensive knowledge of these two technologies, their similarities, differences and their respective pros and cons. Here in this blog post, we are going to explain these points.
ReactJS: The most versatile front-end framework
Startups prefer Reactjs as the best javascript framework for their projects.
Startups prefer Reactjs as the best frontend javascript development framework for their projects. It is well known for its capabilities in developing dynamic and interactive UIs while ensuring ease of development with a modular architecture.
Here below, we mention some of the noteworthy React.JS features and capabilities.
Interactive UI development capabilities: React.js comes with rich UI components for building interactive and expressive UIs.
Single-way data binding: Thanks to the single-way data binding feature, any code changes can be run and evaluated during run-time.
Modular development: ReactJS, with a highly component-based architecture, ensures great modularity while bringing down the code footprint for faster app development.
JavaScript syntax with HTML flavour: React is known for using a code format for its JavaScript code known as JSON, which brings HTML flavour to ensure smooth deployment.
Virtual Document Object Model (DOM): Thanks to this, data is processed inside the memory resulting in high-speed loading and performance.
SEO-optimised: Just because ReactJS uses HTML-flavoured JSON code format, it enjoys enhanced search engine exposure.
React Native: The Cross-Platform App Development with Native Edge
React Native brings in the key React development attributes like modularity, hot reloading, single-way data binding, and many others. While React Native allows reusing maximum code across platforms, it never fails to deliver a native user experience and performance for different platforms.
Here below, we briefly mention the key React Native features and capabilities.
Cross-platform development with native user experience: As a cross-platform development framework React Native allows reusing maximum code across both iOS and Android but by doing so, it never fails to deliver native UI and UX.
Component-based architecture: A component-based architecture guarantees quicker development time and easy updates.
Robust UI component library: React Native provides a robust UI component repository ensuring custom user interactions.
Hot reloading: React Native with the Hot Reloading feature ensures making real-time code changes and evaluating them in the running app.
Excellent support: React Native has been the most loved framework for mobile app development and has the largest developer community to help and add value to other projects.
Reactjs vs React Native: Key Pros & Cons
Both ReactJS and React Native come with their respective advantages and disadvantages. Now that you know about their features and capabilities, it is time to bring their pros and cons in the forefront.
ReactJS Pros
Easy to learn
Since React is component-based and modular in architecture, this allows developers to use ready-to-use components, resulting in a drastically lower learning curve. Moreover, ReactJS also provides a lot of resources to sharpen knowledge and skills.
Faster development with reusable components
Since ReactJs provides web developers with a rich set of reusable components that can be used for the app project just as ready-to-use building blocks, developers can put together an app UI faster without compromising on quality.
Better memory utilisation with Virtual DOM
Because of Virtual DOM, there is enhanced utilisation of memory resulting in fast-paced app performance and quicker loading time.
ReactJS Cons
Learning curve of JSON & JSX
ReactJS relies on JSX or XML-flavoured JavaScript or JSON or HTML-flavoured JavaScript. Both of these bring more complexity in terms of learning the syntax.
Issues corresponding to updating often
The ReactJS library is updated frequently, which creates issues for apps to remain in sync with the latest changes.
Issues with third-party Integration
As a modular library relying on components, ReactJS must depend heavily on integrating third-party plugins to add new features and functionalities. This often leads to performance bottlenecks and adds to learning curves.
React Native Pros
Easy to start with
React Native is a modular framework with many ready-to-use components that work like an app project’s building blocks. Thanks to this, there is less code footprint and less time for development.
Cross-platform plus native support
The app developers using React Native can reuse up to 85% of the core codebase for iOS and Android. At the same time, through JavaScript bridge, React Native also allows connecting native UI layers resulting in a seamless user experience.
Reduced coding errors
React Native using ready-to-use components and a reusable codebase requires the least coding efforts resulting in enhanced code consistency and the least coding errors.
React Native cons
Not too many modules for customisation
React Native doesn’t have too many modules for native development and customisation. This often requires developers to put in extra effort and depend on workarounds.
Slow updates of changes
Despite React Native offering all too frequent updates, sometimes, to accommodate the changes, developers need to make code changes.
Reduced loading speed because of the JavaScript bridge
Since React Native needs to connect to the native layer of UIs by using a JavaScript bridge, this results in a slower speed of deployment and loading time.
Summing It Up
You cannot tell which of the duo, React.js and React Native, is better. It all depends upon your project, and you need to take a call based on this. But both are fantastic technologies, undoubtedly.
