Native App vs React Native App Development- What to choose?

Mobile applications are becoming popular among users because of the convenience they provide. 143.6 billion apps were downloaded in 2021, with 55 billion games and 88 billion apps. The mobile app industry is expecting to generate $156 billion, which is a massive amount (Source). Mobile apps are giving massive exposure to businesses since they can reach a wider audience without any restrictions. iOS and Android app development are the two most prominent platforms where mobile app development companies deliver products for entrepreneurs. Although mobile app development is a very wide domain containing a number of programming languages and frameworks, we will talk about Native apps and React Native development.

Let us understand what React Native and Native app development are before moving to the pros & cons and ultimately the final conclusion of what to choose. The article contains info about React Native & Native app development. Later it discusses the pros & cons to make final conclusion of what to choose.

React Native App Development – Cross-platform

React Native is a framework built by Facebook. Businesses can develop an app for both iOS and Android platforms by using a single code base. React Native mobile app development companies integrate the framework with Javascript for user interface and programming languages like Kotlin and Java for the internal working of the app. The app built with React Native feels like Native but is delivered with cross-platform functionality, so it works on all the platforms without building separately.

Native App Development- Single Platform

The native app focuses on building an app for a single platform. Unlike cross-platform apps built for two platforms with single code lines, Native app development focuses either on iOS or Android app development. Mobile app developers use Java or Kotlin for Android and Swift or Objective C for iOS app development. Since native apps are built for a single platform, Native apps deliver a robust user experience. Now that you have understood the general overview of React Native and Cross-Platform app development. Let us check out the pros and cons you get with React Native app development.

Pros and Cons- React Native App Development

React Native is built and promoted by Facebook, proving its authority and support from a brand. Check out the pros and cons:

Pros React Native app development

1. Quick Development with a Cost-efficient Solution
   Since, React Native uses a single code base for multiple platforms, it shares most of the code between Android and iOS. When you eliminate the time to build an app for multiple platforms, you are saving them the time and resources required for the development. The less the time and resources, the less it costs for you to develop a cross-platform mobile app. So, React Native is a quick solution with cost-efficiency benefits.
2. Feels Native to Users: Native apps sit on the hardware resources directly, which is why the user experience is smooth and robust. But, there is no sacrifice in User experience with React Native cross-platform app development. JavaScript is capable of delivering the best user interface and experience to the users. React Native can use native language codes to develop crucial features in the app.
3. Live Reloading: React Native provides high ease of access for the developers since there is no need to refresh the code every time developers make changes. It saves a lot of time while performing maintenance for the apps.

A Massive Community Support

React Native is a very popular framework used by a massive number of mobile app developers. Worldwide, 38% of the developers used React Native for cross-platform app development (Statista). Read Also: Steps to Build a Minimum Viable Product: 2022 Guide

Cons of React Native app development

1. Complex Designs Cause Issues: iOS and Android do not have the same guidelines for design and React Native relies heavily on the guidelines to provide a cross-platform ability. When the design and its guidelines are too complex, it is not easy to implement the same code for both platforms.
2. Bridging Native APIs Affects the PerformanceWe have seen that you can link Native APIs with the React Native apps. But, when you create bridges for a lot of native APIs, it affects your app’s performance.

 We have seen the pros and cons of React Native app development, now let us take a look at the pros and cons of native app development.

Pros and Cons- Native App Development

Like, React Native app development, Native app development also has pros and cons for mobile app development.

Pros of Native App Development

1. Full OS support for appsNative OS has a number of features used by developers to build a heavy and robust application. You can use OS features like sensors, SDKs, Touch ID, ARKit, or specific hardware you require for your app.
2. Guarantees Robust Performance: When you create apps for a single platform, you are building a well-optimized app. From graphics to the size of the app, you can optimize everything to make your work flawless.
3. Limitless UI and UX Capabilities: Users’ interface with Native solutions offers limitless opportunities to create appealing apps. You can add seamless transitions and animations to your app without affecting the performance. Mobile apps provide the most user satisfaction because of their limitless user experience capabilities.

Cons of Native App Development

1. Development is Time & Resource Consuming: Native app development does not follow a single-line code formula. When you want to build an app for iOS and Android, you have to build it separately, requiring separate resources and time. Time and resources increase the development costs for the Native app development companies.
2. Complex to Maintain two Platforms SeparatelyWith Native mobile app development, you have to build apps separately for both platforms. Once the apps are live, they require regular maintenance and updates to make the best of an app. But, taking care of two apps separately on both platforms is a tough process. It needs proper planning to maintain the apps.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that Native app development and cross-platform development with React Native have their own pros and cons. But, if we look at the pros and cons deeply, React Native app development is a cost-efficient solution designed for building less demanding and light apps. Whereas if you are targeting a heavy app or game that requires the best optimization, it is advisable to use Native app development.

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