It’s been a few years now, and there has been a great alternative for native development called cross-platform development. The major advantage of React native app development platform is its reduced time and cost by using the same code on both platforms.   

React Native application development is a next-gen thriving solution. In this blog, we shall discuss the various aspects of React Native – benefits, popularity, and perspective. To know why RN is the best choice for your business, keep reading.

What is React Native?

React Native refers to an open-source framework created by Facebook with a declarative programming paradigm. It helps build native mobile apps using JavaScript. Also, it combines the best parts of native development with React and is a best-in-class JavaScript library for user interface design.

Many companies developing mobile on the current native stacks compromise on some aspects like productivity, quality, or on the scope of the project. The path toward preventing these compromises is launching a new mobile stack like React Native.

Today, many companies prefer to build their apps using React Native as a solution because developers can write almost all the codes in JavaScript and share them across iOS and Android platforms. The best part is – they need not pay for two different developer teams maintaining different code bases.

Is React Native popular?

React Native was announced by Facebook in 2015, and not all engineers were familiar with React when they joined the team. However, they built an iOS app with a native look and feel within a few months. After an additional three months, Facebook released another Android version of the app.

After a long brainstorming period, hundreds of updates, fixes, and additions of functionality released version PH 0.63.4 on November 30, 2020, which is the most updated version of React Native. Its popularity and convenience made React Native an ideal choice for tech giants like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Skype, Uber eats, Bloomberg, and more. There are many brands and top-notch applications that use React Native framework to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

What are the benefits of React Native app development?

To understand why to choose React Native for mobile app development, below is the list of its major advantages and benefits:

Reusability of codes

With React Native, developers need not create separate code for different platforms (iOS or Android), because JavaScript does it for both. Its ability to reuse code increases its efficiency, which offers quick development results and reduces cost. Also, the mobile app development processes speed up, thanks to its existing open-source libraries like UI ones. Moreover, if a company has a web application on React, some of these codes can get reused to create a highly-functional mobile application.

Hot and live reloading

React Native mobile app development has core hot and live reloading functions. It enables developers to work with code changes in real time and fix a bug while the app is getting loaded. The live feature automatically reloads the entire app after making the changes, while hot reloading only reloads a specific area of the change. Thus, it eases the development and testing process.

All of it makes the first point, even more, justifying with application development process being faster, efficient, and highly intuitive.

True Native feel

React Native components map 1:1 with native development projects. It allows developers to draw interfaces quickly while increasing the agility of the app. To create an authentic, native feel that is impalpable from the native app, this platform is a winner.

React Native is also compliant with native software and seamlessly integrates with the existing code, which makes it ideal for quick extensions to existing native applications.

Third-party plugin support

React Native is evolving. Therefore, many components that would meet some specific business needs may go missing. To overcome this shortcoming, React Native provides two types of third-party plugins – JavaScript-based and native modules.

For instance, if you require Google Maps integration in your app, React Native gives you the ability to link any plugin with a native or third-party module.

Community support and industry popularity

React Native has the biggest community among all cross-platforms, which means it also has the best community support to help developers. They can get help from community experts or find libraries of relevant information to develop React Native-based applications. Also, the platform offers a vast range of tutorials to help beginners and DIY enthusiasts.

What are the drawbacks of React Native?

Like any other technological app, platform, gadget, and device React Native does have some downsides, which need to get addressed soon. Let’s now understand those downsides to make a well-informed decision:

Partially poor guidelines

The open-source platform and its ability to create new modules, in addition to its pros, carry drawbacks in the form of incomplete assistance. Stack Overflow contains more than 95,000 questions on React Native. On the other hand, developers are worried about not having any answer to a question of their interest, while questioning the quality of its library.

Lack of support for iOS and Android features

React Native does not support all the features of this platform. Some modules may go missing that need a customized solution. Other features may be incomplete or outdated. As a result, developers need to build it from scratch again.

Low performance to Native apps

JavaScript has notoriously sluggish performance, despite some ground-breaking advantages. The major reason for its reduced performance is the bridge between JS and React Native. In 2021, a new bridge update changed the way native codes communicate with JS, which in turn, offers RN a boost in performance.

Also, developers need to implement integrations like TypeScript and Flow into their existing infrastructure. With skillful programming, a noticeable amount of optimization can help apps run faster and more efficiently.

Summary

Above all, React Native is a prime choice of many large-scale enterprises, and all for good reasons. If you are wondering whether or not to choose React app development platform, we are here to help.

Get our assistance or hire reacts developers from our well-renowned app development company to excel in your growth in business.