React Native allows developers to code once and then create apps for both iOS and Android. This saves time and money.
React native is popular because of its stability and huge developer community. It is also backed by Facebook. It has a competitive advantage over rival frameworks like Flutter.
However, you should consider your needs carefully before choosing React Native. Read on to learn about its top advantages and drawbacks.
1. Cross-platform
If you are planning on deploying apps for both iOS and Android, then developing them using React Native is an efficient way to do so. The technology allows developers to share code between platforms, which reduces development time and provides a better user experience.
This is a major advantage of React Native, especially when compared to other cross-platform mobile development frameworks like Ionic and Cordova, which utilize standard Web innovations encapsulated in native fundamental components (like WebView). Moreover, React Native uses a hot reloading strategy, which means that apps can be reloaded automatically whenever there are changes.
Moreover, React Native is backed by a huge community and there are plenty of learning materials available, making it easy for newcomers to get started. Consequently, React Native is a great option for startups looking to develop cross-platform mobile apps in a short span of time. This includes apps that provide users with a seamless experience when switching between different devices, such as hotel or airline apps.
2. Faster
As a development platform, React Native allows developers to build and update apps at a fraction of the time required by native technology. This makes it possible to meet business objectives faster and improve user experiences at a lower cost.
React Native offers many features that speed up the development process, including hot reload, which allows developers to see changes instantly on the device. It also enables developers to leverage existing native code, reducing the amount of time spent rewriting reusable code.
The e-commerce giant Walmart found that using React Native allowed them to meet business objectives more quickly. They were able to improve app performance and buyer experience by reusing 96 percent of the code for both iOS and Android. This lowered their development costs and allowed them to meet competitive demands in the fast-moving e-commerce market. The team at Wix, an online website builder, also chose to use React Native for its advantages. They found that RN’s properties, such as speed, hot reload, and web development agility fit hand-in-glove with their ideology and resulted in an acceleration of 300 percent.
3. Scalable
Using React Native, developers can build a mobile app for both iOS and Android with one codebase. This can save time and money, especially since a cross-platform application requires less maintenance and updates than two separate apps.
React Native Development also offers a modular architecture that promotes code reusability and maintainability. By breaking down the UI into reusable components, developers can easily make changes and scale their application. In addition, libraries like Redux make it easy to manage the state of a component. This can help improve scalability by eliminating duplicate data and optimizing the code for performance.
Moreover, React Native is a popular open-source framework with a large developer community and thorough documentation. These benefits can help a company reduce costs, boost revenue, and speed up the development process.
4. Cross-browser
React Native can be developed on any web browser, and a developer can use their preferred text editor to edit JavaScript code. This makes it easier to debug an app than if they had to use Xcode for iOS or Android Studio for Android development.
Another advantage of React Native is that the UI can be modified without requiring any compilation or rebuilding. This saves developers time and improves productivity. The React Native framework is constantly being improved by its community, so it can keep up with the latest mobile trends and technologies.
React Native development is ideal for developing apps that need to be cross-platform, fast, and reliable. It also allows for the reuse of existing application code across multiple platforms, which can help reduce development-based costs. This is why top companies like Walmart and SoundCloud have chosen to build their apps with React Native.
5. Easy to learn
React Native combines the best of JavaScript and React, so the learning curve is fairly quick. For developers with a bit of programming experience, it can be an efficient way to build mobile apps that run smoothly on iOS and Android devices.
In order to use React Native, you need a basic understanding of Javascript. Moreover, familiarity with command line and npm will help you learn the platform quicker. In addition, it is recommended to work through a React Native app template to gain practical experience of building new features.
Another prerequisite for learning React Native is understanding the difference between props and state. Props are the values that can be passed from one component to another, while state refers to data that can change over time, such as user actions or network responses.
Additionally, React Native utilizes Virtual DOM to optimize performance. This means that rather than modifying the actual DOM, changes are made to a virtual copy of the DOM. This significantly reduces the number of operations required and improves app responsiveness.
6. Scalable
One of the key aspects of React Native is that it provides a scalable user interface, making it possible to build a mobile app with a high degree of responsiveness and ease of use. This is important for apps that require a lot of interaction and data management. It also allows developers to use modular architectures like Redux or Flux to manage state, which helps in organizing the code and improving performance.
Another great aspect of React Native is that it is easy to scale apps to support different pixel densities and sizes. This reduces development time and makes it easier for developers to create a cross-platform app that works well on all devices.
React Native also enables developers to use features like hot reloading and live reloading, which make the process of developing a React Native app much faster and more convenient. This can help increase productivity and ensure that the finished product is high-quality.