React Native vs Native

When deciding what kind of application we want to deliver it is important to choose which language we are going to pick. In this blog we will underline some of the differences between React Native & Native

It is not surprising that the difference between the two plays a crucial role when coming up with the app, when considering the fact that the core components of the app are going to be deciding by that language it is written with.

Mobile applications used to be written in Native. But with the growing popularity of React Native a lot of key applications have been completely, or at least partially, been rewritten in React Native.





So it is not at all surprising that people are intrigued as to which language they should go for and whether it is better to pick React Native.

The differences, advantages and disadvantages

We will discuss the core differences between the two languages. That does not mean that the list is exhausted nor does it mean that the summary we offer is the be-all end-all when it comes to this choice. But in order to grasp the more complex dissimilarities we first have to explore the more simple ones.

Time: One of the common misconceptions when it comes to Native is that is it time efficient. Especially if you are not dealing with a large group (React Native is preferable here). To be as clear and concise as possible - it is hard to understand how writing an app twice is supposed to be time efficient.

But even with the larger teams we usually come across some serious problems with Native. You will likely have to take on twice as many designers, developers and testers. Overhead management costs tend to sky rocket as well as general problems in development because the two groups are not working in sync.

Sooner or later some important differences emerge between the two variants and people just have to put up with that. Complaints about the fact that one version features functions that the other does not are not uncommon.

But even if you go with Native make sure you do not rely too much on ios and Android bases because that will skew the application one way and it will be hard to overcorrect down the line.





Scalability: In comparison with Native, the development of React Native consists of massive libraries as well as modules which allow us to implement bigger updates in the app. Because of this React Native seems the safer bet here.

Price: Despite the fact that in most cases we are better off settling for React Native (think: group size, project scope, a singular project), is definitely not a bad idea.

Quality and performance: If you want the work to be done with the utmost care to the quality and performance then Native seems, generally, one to go for. But you cannot make any compromises when it comes to performance or development time or even any additional resources that might be required.

Updates & bugs: In this instance, too, Native is the better option. When it comes to React Native you may come across some glitches during chrome debugging. Fixing small bugs also seems to take more time.





Long-term goals: When choosing between Native or React Native you have to take into account how the language will affect long-term usability, effectiveness and performance, in short, your general goals with regards to the app itself.

Native platforms, which are supported by Google & Apple, easily get tools for functionality, problem-solving and update implementation in a way that does not put the stability of the app at risk.

React Native, despite being supported by Facebook, does not prioritize updates. Tools and updates are not in sync with Apple or Google. As a result placing React Native under suspicion.

The summary

When we are deciding on either React Native or Native, it is better to go with Native when you have little information on target audience, or have a limited budget, or cannot get additional investment, or even when you do not know exactly which platform you are gonna run the app on.

Native is the right choice if we are focusing on a single platform, want to deliver a complex app and we are not financially constrained. Especially if the utility of the app is the go to.