Description:
React Native is an increasingly popular mobile app development framework with several benefits. ✔️ Let's look at React Native pros and cons in detail.
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Advantages and Disadvantages Using of React Native
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Key Benefits of React Native
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Disadvantages of React Native
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Our Experiences
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Conclusion
With Android and iOS apps becoming more
popular every passing day, businesses are investing in creating apps for both
platforms to reach a much wider audience. As a result, the cross-platform app
development is increasingly being preferred over a fully native app development
by the majority of developers.
The reason? For developing a native app, the developer has to invest in creating separate apps for Android and iOS platforms, which results in longer and more
complex development processes and higher expenses. With cross-platform app
development, one can build apps using the same codebase across iOS and Android,
thereby reducing time and development costs.
The answer may lie in an increasingly
popular mobile development solution,
React Native, which aims to boost the development of cross-platform
applications. In this article, we will elaborate on the advantages and disadvantages of React Native framework, so that you
can make the right choice for your app business.
What is React Native?
React Native is an open-source framework that enables cross-platform mobile application building using JavaScript and React which is an open-source JavaScript library developed by Facebook, Instagram, and other developers to build user interfaces. React Native uses JSX to create native apps for Android as well as iOS.
An increasing
number of developers are opting for React Native to develop cross-platform
mobile applications.
React Native apps function the same way as
native iOS (built using Swift or Objective-C) and Android apps (developed using
Kotlin or Java). React Native is a powerful tool that aids in creating apps
with beautiful UIs, which are the same as native apps. As a result, mobile app
creation becomes easy and efficient, in terms of both time and cost.
That said, this framework comes with some
constraints and isn’t always the best alternative for all projects.There are
some React Native pros and cons,
that developers should be aware of. Let’s look at React Native advantages and disadvantages that can help you to
choose the best solution. As we start
the discussion on the pros and cons of
React Native framework, let’s start with React Native framework advantages.
Key Benefits of React Native
React Native advantages are numerous and diverse and ensure that developers enjoy a unique coding experience.
Community Support
Being an open-source framework, React
Native enables the entire community of developers to examine all documentation
concerning this technology free of any charge and also allows them to
contribute to it whenever they want.
A framework that is completely community-driven, with React Native you can always reach out for guidance from other developers, search for relevant information and even help out other developers struggling with something.
Developers can also take advantage of the
community by asking other developers to review or give relevant feedback on
their ongoing undertakings. Furthermore, developers are encouraged to share
their findings and learnings, making it a truly collaborative experience for
everyone involved. This is one of the awe-inspiring benefits of using React Native.
Optimal Performance
The effectiveness of the platform lies in
enhancing performances with the use of native modules and controls. It operates by
interacting with Android and iOS native components and proceeds to generate
codes to native APIs, independent of any interference.
Performance amplification and improvement
is a direct result of the framework using a distinctly different thread,
separate from the native APIs and UIs. You may also be open to choosing other
options like a WebView, but bear in mind, it may adversely affect the
performance of your app.
Code Reusability and
Pre-Developed Components
Perhaps one of the most significant React Native app advantages for the
developer community is code reusability. All the developers have to do is
simply reuse 90% of React Native codes for iOS and Android, instead of creating
separate apps for iOS and Android. This helps in reducing the time and cost of
the project and is a godsend for all business and app developers. What’s even
better is the case where the business already possesses an application written
in React - in that scenario, development cost is further reduced because much
of the existing code can be reused to create the new app.
Pre-developed components in the open-source
library enable developers to freely access codes. These codes are already written
and the developers will be getting ready to deploy them. The result? Faster development!
Benefits of Live and
Hot Reloading
React Native actively aids Live as well as
Hot Reloading, even though they are different from each other. Live Reloading
can compile and read the changes made by a coder. It also furnishes a new file
to the simulator, which then automatically reads the app from the start.
Hot Reloading, based on Hot Module
Replacement (HMR), was introduced after the first reloading process was conducted. While retaining
the features and function sequence, Hot Reloading has an added advantage -
after saving changes in the file, and HMR intermediator then proceeds to keep
the updated files into the required places as the app continue to operate in
the background. The primary advantage of using Hot Reloading lies in its
ability to sanction changes in the source code in a fashion that lets the
developer view the codes, even if he does not recompile the app.
So, if a developer has two or more windows open
for the code and the app screen, he can instantly see the results after making
the required changes in the code. Hence, Hot Reloading ensures that waiting
time is drastically reduced.
Cost-Effective Solution
The benefit of code reusability offered by
React Native helps diminish the costs of app creation to a large extent. With this framework, coders need not write separate codes for iOS & Android and can
simply code the application in the existing language. This results in the need
for a smaller team of native developers for all app development businesses and
ensures a sharp reduction in project completion time aided by the competence of
the React Native community.
Simplified UI
The driving force behind the application of
React Native Technology is that
assures a simplified and uncomplicated mobile user interface. The Javascript
library resembles an open-source framework rather than a conventional
framework. With the help of this technology, developers are able to achieve the
appropriate sequence for creating apps.
Usually, apps built with React Native have
a more responsive UI, seamless UX and take less time to load.
Third-Party Plugin
Support
The main framework of React Native lacks
certain components. To make up for that shortfall, it ensures developers have
access to third-party plugins like JavaScript modules and native modules.
For example, if a developer wants Google
Maps to be added to his application,
React Native will let him connect the plugin with a third-party/native module.
Modular Architecture
A popular software design technique, modular programming ensures the
segregation of program functions into free and interchangeable blocks called
modules. It makes the application
building process more adjustable by helping developers use each other’s projects
whenever required. It also improves team collaboration required to generate and
receive updates.
React Native developers can also gain from
its instinctive & intuitive
modular architecture, given its ability of swift app up-gradation. The modules
can also be reused while working with mobile and web APIs.
Increased Stability and
Reliability
React Native is also instrumental in
simplifying data binding in a manner that secures the parent data and does not
let it get affected by the child component, thereby making the apps solid and
dependable. To make any changes in the object, developers need to change their
state first before systematically applying all updates. This exercise will
ensure that only permitted components can get updated.
Access to Libraries and
Ready-made Solutions
React Native comes with a range of pre-made solutions and libraries that are available for free, for developers to access. The solutions not only help simplify app building, but they also help developers focus on creating more bug-free codes.
Now that we are aware of the benefits of using React-Native, let’s know more about its drawbacks.
Disadvantages of React Native
Given below is an extensive list of the React Native disadvantages that
developers must be aware of, before opting for it to create their app.
Immaturity
React Native is a comparatively newer programming language than its already mature Android and iOS counterparts. The methods of the React Native lifecycle have still not been completely assessed, which is why it can sometimes have negative or unpredictable impacts on app functions. Here are some examples of the same-
1.
The
React Native framework is evolving rapidly, with newer and more improved
updates being released every week. So app creators need to keep updating their
apps regularly because each update introduces many changes. Failure to update
the app for a few months will render it quite ineffective. Popular apps such as
Airbnb has struggled with this challenge in the past.
2.
Developers
also face the issue of writing extra native code for components that are not in
sync with React Native, along with working on the existing codes that need to
be written.
3. Sometimes, React Native components perform
worse than their native equivalents, like in the case of long lists. It can
become extremely difficult to implement elaborate and complex lists with React Native compared to the other more
mature native platform-specific components,
which offer better manoeuvrability.
Difficult to Learn
Learning React Native can be very challenging, especially for freshers in app development who might find creating applications with JSX in the JavaScript syntax extension difficult. Besides React Native, app developers must know native app coding too. React Native libraries with native bridges for features like maps, videos, etc. needs developers with in-depth knowledge, if not expertise, of three platforms. Developers who don’t have the knowledge of multiple platforms can find fixing some inconsistencies in both iOS and Android platforms quite difficult. Hence , the learning curve is steep and may delay development or increase timelines.
Low Security
React Native is a JavaScript library and
also an open-source framework, due to which developers often face the challenge
of keeping the app secure. JavaScript is quite fragile, and this results in
some developers experiencing low levels of safety. When making apps that need
extra layers of security, such as banking or finance applications, you need to
be extra cautious. Otherwise, malicious code snippets can pose a critical
threat to the app’s safety features. This is why developers sometimes avoid building
financial apps to React Native.
Complex UI
According to many coders, React Native
isn’t the right choice for apps that need complex gestures, screen transitions,
animations, or require many interactions. Despite React Native having a gesture
responder system, coders might continue to struggle with screens with
complicated gestures. This is because iOS and Android touch subsystems are so
different from each other, that using a unified API might be challenging.
Longer Initialization
Time
Another problem coders have with React
Native is that it takes longer to initialize the runtime before it can render
properly the first time. This problem exists even with hi-tech devices and
could be caused because JavaScript threads usually take more time to
initialize.
Memory Management
React Native is also not suitable for use
in computation-intensive apps because it is based on JavaScript. React Native
reduces performance and speed in these applications, and float computations are
also handled in an inefficient fashion, making memory management and usage
quite difficult.
These are some of the acknowledged pros
and cons of using React Native.
Our Experience
At Tech Exactly, our team of highly skilled
and experienced developers have delivered high-performance applications built
with React Native and helped businesses offer an excellent experience to their
customers and meet their business objectives,
Here are a few of our projects delivered to
satisfied clients all over the world:
Conclusion
After shedding some much-needed light on
the pros and cons of React Native,
it is vital to remember a few things. React Native can help businesses make
high-quality and scalable mobile apps with attractive and responsive UI and
deliver an excellent native app user
experience to their customers.
Other than the user experience the benefits
and features offered are immense. There is code reusability, creation of a community of expert developers, along with developers getting access to a range
of pre-created elements, and many more, all of which comparably aid the
developers in reducing the time and costs of the projects.
But it also has many drawbacks, and since
it’s relatively new and improving, many developers choose not to use it when
making certain complex apps.
One should note, however, that the
community of React Native developers is growing every day, and so, its
shortcomings are also improving, and the collection of components is also
increasing. Soon, the advantages of React Native app will outstrip its
drawbacks. In the future, React Native will be used to build apps requiring
more advanced functionalities, and safety features, and it will soon become the
popular choice among app developers everywhere.
