React Native app development: yes or no?
The article is a part of Code Inspiration’s software development outsourcing Knowledge Base.
React Native in the development world became very popular recently. Developers and development teams started learning this framework and formed a great community. Code inspiration team is not an exception, working with React native code for more than 3 years we decided to publish this article in order to share our experience with our followers. Before moving forward to pros and cons of the React Native technology, let’s define what is React Native as a framework itself.
Being a framework of JavaScript Reach Native is used by developers to create:
- Mobile apps for IOS platform
- Mobile apps for Android platform
- Web apps
- UWP (Universal Windows Platform)
In many sources you will find explanations, telling that React Native Framework will provide you with a possibility to write code for mobile apps which will operate exactly like native code for IOS and Android apps, in addition to this, the developer will use the code and its components for both platforms, IOS and Android. Sounds really impressive, and will make you think: why then should I do the development twice for each platform using native mobile technologies?
But let me ask you another question, why then AirBNB started using React Native code for their mobile apps development and launched their first set of components using React Native to support their iOS and Android native apps in 2016 and then STOPPED using it in their development processes in 2018?
React Native Pros and Cons
Code Inspiration team is working with React Native code. As well our team develops native mobile apps for IOS and Android. Couple of years ago, our development team with deep knowledge in Javascript and ReactJS started learning React Native code and examined on practice all third-party libraries as well as wrote custom Javascript components. On the basis of our experience let me answer the main question:
When to use and not to use React Native in the development?
Benefits of React Native
React Native framework. Worth trying if:
- the app is simple and doesn’t require great performance
- the app doesn’t contain complex API connections
- the app doesn’t contain a number of third-party tools for integration
- the app doesn’t have to be animated or animations
- you need just an MVP version of your app
Disadvantages of React Native
React Native framework. Doesn’t worth trying if:
- the app is big with the complex logic
- the app contains animations
- performance of the application is of the high priority
- the app requires high level of security
Interesting fact
One important thing any React Native developer will tell you, you will anyway need to write native code to bridge gaps in the functionality of the app.
Using React Native
Note for React Native developers and development teams:
- It might be hard to learn React Native framework for the developer, who is not good or not familiar with Javascript, its components and libraries as well as to the components and libraries of ReactJS.
- Selection of the third-party component libraries would depend on your luck. Speaking about quality of code and components of React native, 3rd-part libraries pay attention to the fact that React native – javascript framework – is still in beta. So third party libraries for React native you will use together with the components, which are not created by the official developers, they might contain a lot of bugs.
- Think twice before using React native for the development of mobile apps for IOS and Android platforms, which will require high level of security. As we have already mentioned React Native is a JavaScript -based library and JavaScript code is known for its fragility.
Tip for a customer
If you are thinking to hire a developer with Javascript and ReactJS expertise to proceed with a website development and mobile app development for IOS and Android platform we can advise you the following:
Possible solution
The code developed using Javascript’s framework ReactJS contains all necessary components and modules to convert your web app into PWA (Progressive Web Application). As you know PWA cannot be considered as a mobile IOS or Android app, however, might be good for the start, in order to save the budget for further development. Then, when you feel that your business is ready to go with mobile applications development, there will be reusable parts of the code, components, modules and libraries, which will help your developer with little efforts to convert ReactJS app into React Native app.
Besides the fact React Native is young itself a technology, the attempt to provide a solution for ReactJS developers to develop not only web, but also mobile apps using React Native is great, and besides the fact that React Native is still a young technology and apps are not that good in some cases in their performance, the tendency that nowadays, customers and developers are provided with an option to choose a less expensive way to create their projects seem optimistic. ReactJS developers and ReactJS development teams now can fully build a product which will contain web and mobile applications for 2 main platforms on the market IOS and Android. Like in each programming framework there are pros and cons, however experience of our developers shows us that React Native is worth trying.
The article is a part of Code Inspiration’s software development outsourcing Knowledge Base.
