React Vs. React Native: Key Features, Differences & Advantages

React Vs. React Native: Key Features, Differences & Advantages

Which technology is better for your project, React or React Native?

Interested in building cross-platform mobile applications? You might know two popular technologies: ReactJS and React Native. Everywhere you go, you will notice React Native and ReactJS in the development arena. So what’s all this hype about?

Is the hype worth it?

In this blog, we will share everything about React Native and ReactJS, as well as their features differences and advantages, so that you can make an informed choice that is best suited for your next project.


What is ReactJS?

React, often known as ReactJS, stands out as an open-source JavaScript library that plays a pivotal role in single-page application development services. Unleashing its power in 2011, React was crafted and nurtured by the tech giants at Facebook, quickly earning its stripes and establishing a formidable presence in the development landscape.

As per Statista, ReactJS is the world’s second-most-used JS library, while another research by BuiltWith states that there are currently 11,908,579 websites built on ReactJS.

Backed by Facebook, it's a JavaScript library designed to build highly flexible and scalable websites and apps. It allows developers to create reusable UI components that can be used across different parts of a web application. As a result, ReactJS's developers can quickly build complex web applications and improve performance by rendering pages on the server side.

What is React Native?

React Native is a full-fledged framework for building mobile applications for iOS and Android platforms using JavaScript. Similar to ReactJS, React Native is the second most used mobile app framework. React Native developers build mobile applications that look and feel like native apps. The advantage is a single codebase. Popular apps built with React Native are Facebook, Instagram, Walmart, and Bloomberg.

What is the Difference Between ReactJS and React Native?

1. Syntax

React.js is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces on the web, while React Native uses a similar syntax but is designed for building cross-platform mobile applications using native components.

2. Cost of Development: ReactJS vs React Native

Project Size

Duration

Cost for React Native

Cost for React JS

Small Sized Project

3-6 months

$15,000 to $35,000

$30,000-$90,000

Medium Sized Project

6- 9 months

$35,000 to $80,000           

$60,000-$180,000

Large Scale

9 -12 months

$80,000 to $300,000           

$120,000-$360,000


3. Features

React JS offers a wide range of features for web development, including server-side rendering, component-based architecture, and the ability to work with a wide range of libraries and APIs. In addition, React Native provides features specific to mobile application development, such as platform-specific components, touch handling, and native modules.

Let's consider the Features of ReactJS and React Native 18:

ReactJS Features:

  • #1. Virtual DOM: Boosts performance by selectively updating UI, minimizing re-rendering for efficiency.
  • #2. Components: Enable modular and reusable UI elements for simplified code organization and maintenance
  • #3. Unidirectional Data Flow: Ensures precise and predictable data paths, simplifying debugging and enhancing code maintainability.
  • #4. JSX: Simplifies UI element creation with HTML-like code in JavaScript, improving readability and development ease.
  • #5. React Hooks: Streamlines state management and side effects, simplifying component logic and behavior sharing.
  • #6. Context API: Description: Enables efficient data sharing between components, reducing the need for prop drilling in state management.
  • #7. Concurrent Mode: Enhances user experience by maintaining application responsiveness during heavy computations, ensuring smoother interactions.

React Native 18 Latest Version Features:

  • #1. New Concurrent Rendering Engine: React Native 18's new concurrent rendering engine improves app performance by efficiently managing and prioritizing UI updates, resulting in a smoother user experience.

  • #2. <Suspense> Component Optimization: Optimized for server-side rendering, allowing partial rendering and hydration for faster page reloads.

  • #3. Opt-in Upgrade Process: Allows developers to adopt new features while selectively ensuring compatibility with existing code.

  • #4. Automatic Batching and Transitions: Improves performance, with automatic batching for component state management and transitions for prioritizing UI updates.

  • #5. New Hooks (useTransition, useId, useDeferredValue): Introduces new hooks for improved application robustness. 

Table illustrating the Difference Between ReactJs vs. React Native 18

Benefit in Software Development ReactJS React 18
Rendering Efficiency Users wait less Faster page loads
Optimized Server-side Rendering Slower page loads Quick page loads
Seamless Upgradation Can be tricky Add new features easily
Enhanced State Management States are a bit messy Better-organized states
Prioritized UI Updates Some delays Faster updates for crucial things
Advanced Hooks Has useful hooks Adds more helpful tools
Improved User Experience Can be slow Smoother experience for users
Consistent Global State Management Works well Stays consistent
Overall Development Goal Aims for quality Aiming for even better and easier development

Advantages and Disadvantages of React Native vs ReactJS.

Advantages of React Native - How can React Native 18 Benefit Businesses?

  • Provides developers with additional tools for building more resilient applications.
  • Improved rendering performance, leading to a better overall user experience.
  • Faster page reloads enable users to have a great application experience.
  • Smooth transition to newer versions, avoiding disruption to ongoing projects.
  • Enhanced application performance and smoother UI transitions.

Advantages of ReactJS - How can ReactJs Benefit Businesses?

  1. Improved application performance, leading to a better user experience.
  2. Accelerates development, making maintaining and scaling applications easier.
  3. Easier management of data in applications, enhancing development efficiency.
  4. Streamlines UI development, making it more intuitive for developers.
  5. Improved state management, leading to cleaner and more maintainable code.
  6. Simplifies state management in larger applications.
  7. Provides a more responsive UI, enhancing user satisfaction.

Disadvantages of ReactJS

  • Messy Data Hierarchy: React.js code navigation is complex, requiring traversal from parent to child code.
  • Non-Vigilant Focus on UI: ReactJS is UI-centric, handling only the view in apps with a view controller model, necessitating other controller and model features tools.

Disadvantages of React Native

  • Dependency on Third-Party Libraries: Limited native React Native libraries may lead to reliance on third-party resources, potentially posing security risks.
  • Costly Native Workarounds: Building highly customized apps without library components may involve coding in native languages or creating React Native components from scratch.
  • High Loading Time: Initialization of the runtime, even on advanced devices, results in extended loading times for React Native apps.

React vs. React Native - Based on Project Requirements

Why Consider ReactJS:

Why Consider React Native:

Dynamic Web Apps: Build web applications with dynamic updates, providing a seamless and responsive user experience.

Cross-Platform Requirements: Develop apps with single codebase for iOS and Android platforms, reduce development time and costs needed for separate codebases.

Complex User Interfaces: ReactJS streamlines the development of user interfaces and improves code manageability with complex UI.

Budget Constraints: React Native's code reusability proves to be a cost-efficient solution, enabling faster development cycles.

Large-scale Web Apps: For large-scale web applications w ReactJS has been proven effective by significant companies, ensuring scalability and reliability.

Time-to-Market Priority: React Native's efficiency in development accelerates the entire process, allowing businesses to launch their products and services swiftly.

Responsive Design Needs: For responsive design that is adaptable to various devices, businesses should consider ReactJS for its flexibility in achieving responsive user interfaces.

Iterative Development Approach: Ideal for businesses that prefer a process that allows quick testing, iterations, and improvements.

Community Support: With a robust community and a comprehensive set of tools, ReactJS ensures reliable support for businesses throughout the web development lifecycle, offering solutions and insights.

Native-Like Apps: React Native significantly benefits businesses seeking to build mobile applications that emulate the native appearance and experience on iOS and Android. With a unified codebase, businesses can develop top-tier, cross-platform apps efficiently, saving time and resources.

Which Companies use React and React Native? 

Websites Built with React -

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Uber_eats_logo_2017_06_22

 

120px-Paypal_2014_logo

 

Facebook_f_logo_(2021).svg

 

Reddit_Logo_Icon.svg

 

240px-Instagram.svg

 

Websites Built with React Native - 

  • React Native confirmed in its latest Tweet that Amazon used React Native.
Netflix_icon.svg

 

Dropbox_Icon.svg

 

X_logo_2023.svg

 

4375067_logo_scribd_icon

 

Discord-Logo-700x394

 

Trello-Logo-700x394

 

React Native or ReactJS: Which to Choose?

Depends. React is a JavaScript library. At the same time, React Native is a full-fledged framework for developing mobile and web apps.

If you want to build a high-performance web interface, then React JS is a good choice. Whereas, if you want to focus on mobile platforms, then React Native wins.

Contact Clarion Technologies to hire React Native developers and time-consuming React JS developers to help you build your apps. With a commitment to quality, we have a team of top 5% React and React Native talent that can help you gain an edge over the competition. Start today.

Author

Author Bio: Binny is a seasoned content marketer in the tech field. With a strong passion for storytelling, she understands digital marketing through creative content strategies. She deeply understands the customer journey and knows how to craft thoughtful content that inspires action. Binny continues to thrive in her role, using her skills to help demystify complex tech concepts for a broader audience.

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