This article outlines the main advantages and drawbacks of React Native App Development services. These are important to remember when you decide whether to create a mobile app with React Native. Below are examples of applications that React Native can work well for.
What is React Native?
React Native was created by Facebook engineers in 2015. React Native allows you to speed up the creation of mobile apps and lower production costs. It is a framework that allows you to create cross-platform apps for iOS and Android platforms.
We can create a native Android or iOS application by writing just one Javascript code (according to the StackOverflow survey). The same file is generated after the application has been built as if it was written in the native language. React Native is described in this article: What Is React Native? Introduction for App Owners.
We can now move on to the pros & cons of React Native App Development
React Native App Development: The Pros
What are the advantages of React Native? There are many benefits to creating a mobile app using React Native’s cross-platform framework. Here are my top five reasons to use React Native.
It speeds up app development
React Native’s main benefit is its ability to create apps for two platforms with one code. We can create apps for every mobile platform while we are working on a function/update. This can help you save up to 30% on the time and money it takes to release your product on both platforms.
It is worth noting that the number of supported platforms is increasing thanks to React Native’s extensibility and community support. All you need is to install additional libraries.
App development at a lower cost
You can build your app with one developer team that is familiar with Javascript using the common source code. This greatly reduces the cost of app development. Contrary to native development you can include fewer people in your project. This is because you don’t need to duplicate teams for each platform.
A single team with one programming language allows for the elimination of problems that may arise when there is a disruption in development between platforms. E.g. Due to difficulty in implementation on a particular platform or random factors like a programmer’s sickness leave in one team).
This can lead to an application that is ready for one platform but not the other. It is usually impossible for developers to switch platforms when native languages have been used. React Native app development does not have such situations. This allows you to plan your team’s work efficiently and eliminates downtime.
It assures steady growth of the app
React Native’s greatest asset is the fact that RN shares its components that “know” how to display an app on a particular platform. React Native’s abstraction allows developers to concentrate on the development of the app without having to worry about the platform. This means that the process of building features for apps is easier and more stable than when they are built in native teams. This makes it easier to plan for new features and upgrades in app releases.
It is home to a diverse ecosystem
React Native, which is built on Javascript has easy access to many libraries and tools that can be used to facilitate the work of developers and speed up the software development process.
The library repository for Javascript. npm returned 29,352 results when you typed “react-native”; however, the package search engine for Flutter returned only 12,900 results for libraries that support this framework. This means that Flutter’s selection of third-party libraries is 44% less than React Native.
It is important to note that the search for libraries is only for cross-platform programming. We exclude those that can be used in both web and mobile projects. However, quality doesn’t always reflect the number of libraries available. It does however show the community’s dedication to the React Native framework.
React Native is also based on ReactJS’s functionality. This allows for greater access to libraries and other tools. ReactJS is a popular web development tool. Many libraries that work with ReactJs can also be used for React Native because they share a common mechanism.
It can be integrated with the native app
React Native integrates with native applications by using its mechanisms. You can find native views as well as React Native views in a mobile app. This opens up many options.
React Native allows developers to create views that can be used to reduce their costs, such as account management and purchase summaries. The rest, which the framework cannot handle, will remain native.
Your existing application can be rewritten to allow you to move your application to a cross-platform solution. This reduces the risk of errors and speeds up the release of the new app.
External tools can be used to support it
Application development involves more than just writing code. It also includes repetitive routine tasks. This includes building the application (compiling a new application), testing it using automated tests, and releasing the application to the store.
These repetitive tasks can be delegated to third-party software or tools that are already configured. Developers can then focus on creating new functionality. This eliminates the possibility of human error in repetitive tasks.
For mobile application development, the most popular tools that support React Native include:
Bitrise – A platform that supports the automatic testing, building, and releasing of new versions of applications.
CircleCI – As Above.
Code Magic – As Above.
AppCenter is a platform that supports the entire development process. It allows you to build, test, and release an application. You can also share versions of your application with the test group. It also supports bug reporting, which collects information about the error in an application to help developers fix it.
Sentry – A platform that collects and displays bug reports, providing the information necessary for their repair.
Bugsnag is a platform that gathers and displays bug reports to help with its repair.
Amplify is a framework that allows for easier integration with AWS Services, incl. authentication, data retrieval via API, saving/reading files,s, and notification service.
The Cons of React Native
React Native presents challenges for both developers and app owners. React Native has many advantages, but also some disadvantages. These should be taken into consideration when you choose this technology to power your application. Let’s now look at the drawbacks of React Native.
It is not a solution that will work for everyone
React Native, a cross-platform technology that is based on JavaScript, is as I have already mentioned. The framework’s authors had to develop communication mechanisms between Javascript and the native world to make this possible. You can find more information about it here. React Native applications may take up more space and be slower than native ones.
It is important to note that performance problems can only occur in high-dynamism applications, which have continuous/large screen changes, such as action games. React Native applications render at 60 frames per second (according to the applicable standard) and provide a native experience.
It is difficult to debug
React Native uses Javascript, Objective C, Java, and C / C ++. This makes it more difficult to debug bugs. This may mean that you need to be familiar with the native language of your platform. React Native communicates constantly between the native environment of your platform and the thread where the Javascript code is being executed.
React Native app developers and the community has made Flipper integration possible since version 0.62 to facilitate debugging. It includes many tools that aid in debugging, including bug reports, log previews, and local databases. They have updated the error and warning display module since version 0.63.
It does not speed up the testing process
The working hours of developers teams are decreasing, but the Quality Assurance team’s work is not. Testing takes about the same time as native development. In some cases, it may be even greater. This is another important factor to consider when you choose React Native app development company.
Testing can be more difficult
React Native’s downside is the introduction of two new error groups by cross-platform technology.
The first concerns how the application communicates to native components. React Native converts JavaScript components to their native counterparts and allows for free communication between them. (e.g., native buttons notify JavaScript code when the user presses it so it can respond correctly. Read more here). You should therefore test your React Native app more carefully. The framework may contain bugs or edge cases.
React Native is an established framework. Many Facebook products use it, as well as other companies and large communities. React Native has been proven to be error-free.
The common source code is the second category of errors that only occur in cross-platform solutions. You can be certain that any error found there will also occur on all platforms. When testing for an error, the tester must confirm that the error has occurred on both platforms.
Native development does not allow for the propagation of errors among platforms. However, in this case, the bug can only be fixed once. The bug will be fixed by the shared source code on every supported platform.
Inferior Android support
React Native initially only supported iOS platforms. Only later releases added support for Android platforms. React Native has limited support for the Android platform. The Facebook framework development team addressed this issue and is currently working to improve it. These aren’t problems that stop Android apps from being developed with React Native. These applications require greater accuracy and more testing on this platform.
React Native’s performance on Android is the second problem. This is why Discord decided to use native technology for its Android app. However, 94% of their code was shared in this case – not between mobile apps, but between iOS applications and web applications. (Read more about Discord’s application development use case here).
It is more difficult to create a cross-platform team
React Native is cross-platform technology. The team must know both web technologies (React, JavaScript, and its ecosystem) as well as native technologies (project configurations, CI, UX guidelines). It is much harder to create a team capable of handling all the challenges involved in developing a cross-platform app.
React Native: When should you choose it?
This framework is ideal for applications that need to be developed on both Android and iOS. It also allows for custom designs. This allows you to develop on both iOS and Android simultaneously, which reduces development time. The custom design makes it possible to style views faster and easier on both platforms. This technology is ideal for applications that require a quick time to market (Idea review/MVP Version). This technology is also an excellent solution for reducing production costs.
React Native’s benefits are also useful for applications whose main goal is to “provide a graphical interface” to API communication, such as apps for purchasing or reporting on factory improvements. These applications mainly consist of downloading data, showing it to the user, and then sending the changes to the server. This will result in the most common code. Everyone associates this with faster development and lower costs.
React Native App Development is a great tool for creating native apps. It allows you to create individual views and groups of views. This reduces the cost of creation without sacrificing quality.
Alternatives to React Native App Development
React Native isn’t the only technology that allows cross-platform apps.
Flutter
Google’s Flutter Framework is the current most popular alternative for React Native app development. Flutter uses a different rendering method that allows developers to quickly render components. Flutter supports both Android (Material UI) and iOS (Cupertino). This makes it a great tool for creating out-of-the-box designs. Google engineers created their framework using Dart language, which is less well-known than JavaScript. This means it has fewer libraries available and a smaller community that React Native. It’s still in dynamic development, however.
Xamarin
Xamarin, the oldest framework mentioned, is closely associated with Microsoft’s technology based upon the C# language as well as the.NET framework. The Xamarin lets you share up to 75% of the source code, as we can see from its website. It supports platforms like Android, iOS, and macOS.
Xamarin provides components that make it possible to create a design that is compatible with a particular platform. This technology has a disadvantage: it is less popular and there are fewer libraries. Another disadvantage is the high price of Visual Studio – the IDE license that you will need to create applications within this framework. This blog provides a more in-depth analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of this solution.
Hybrid app
You can create hybrid applications using any web technology with any framework, and then use Apache Cordova to create a smartphone application.
This solution has the advantage of allowing you to use an existing web app and one code for each platform. However, efficiency is a drawback and you will need to spend more time on your app to make it native. This article provides more information.
Native development
Native technologies are the last option worth mentioning. This method is expensive and requires two teams. Teams must duplicate their code.
This approach has the greatest advantage in terms of application performance. Another benefit is the ease of using native components like Bluetooth or GPS, as well as the native feel of the application.
Take a bow
Cross-platform solutions have the greatest advantage: code can be produced simultaneously for both mobile platforms. This saves both time and money.
React Native app development is different from other alternatives. Why? It’s based upon JavaScript, which boasts a large and active community. The current availability of JavaScript developers is greater than that of Dart (Flutter’s based on it). React Native, which is built on ReactJS, is another advantage. It is possible to use ReactJS in mobile application development by having a ReactJS developer team.
Limitations Of React Native
React Native app development has its limitations and flaws. A React Native’s downside is its inability to display views with a high number of animations.
Because it was primarily developed by the Facebook team to fulfill their needs, some features aren’t readily available or don’t have good support. For example, the ability to track the user’s location even though the application is running in the background. It’s important to research first whether your application will be using tools that are not supported by React Native app development, or any other 3rd-party solutions available from the community.
Even if the module we use doesn’t support React Native, there is no reason to leave this technology behind. We can integrate native solutions with native modules, which allows us to write native modules for any function that is not supported on each platform and then integrate it into the JavaScript code.
