Pros and cons of React Native for mobile development

What is React Native?

If you’ve been looking to build a mobile application recently, you might have heard of React Native. Created and released by Facebook in 2015, this now open-source UI software framework allows developers to create applications for Android, iOS and UWP, among other things.

As with any other framework or tool, when it comes to mobile development, React Native brings both advantages and disadvantages. But, let’s first go over the benefits of using React Native.

Pros of React Native

Cross-platform development

One of the biggest advantages of React Native is its ability to streamline development across multiple platforms. Using a single codebase, developers can create applications that work seamlessly on both iOS and Android, which reduces development time, effort, and costs and ensures a consistent user experience across devices and platforms.

JavaScript language and more

React Native leverages JavaScript, one of the most popular programming languages in the world. This means that many developers are already familiar with the language, making it easier to build and maintain apps. Also, for those already used to the library, going from React to React Native will be very easy.

As we do here at Miyagami, you can also go a step further and use TypeScript and React Native together, which allows us to build robust and easily scalable applications.

Rich ecosystem and community support

With a vast array of libraries, plugins and third-party tools available, React Native provides developers with many resources to enhance their apps. Plus, the large and active community means there's plenty of support, tutorials and shared knowledge to draw upon when needed.

Hot reloading

React Native’s hot reloading feature is a game-changer for developers. It allows them to see the changes they make in real-time, without having to recompile the entire application. This speeds up the development process and makes debugging much more efficient.

Native-like performance

React Native provides near-native performance by using native UI components. This is great as it results in a smooth and responsive user experience.

Code reusability

The component-based architecture of React Native promotes code reusability. React Native Developers can reuse components across different parts of the application, making the code more modular and easier to maintain. Additionally, up to 90% of the code can be shared between different platforms, further streamlining the development process.

Cost-effective

By enabling the development of applications for multiple platforms using a single codebase and thus reducing development time and resources, React Native helps lower overall project costs. And, who doesn’t want that?

Now that we’ve discussed the positives, let’s focus on the not-so-nice aspects of using React Native for mobile development.

Cons of React Native

Performance limitations

While React Native offers near-native performance, it may not match fully native apps for complex interfaces, animations or high-performance graphics. The bridge between JavaScript and native code can sometimes become a bottleneck, affecting performance.

Dependency on third-party libraries

React Native relies heavily on third-party components, which can lead to compatibility issues or security concerns. And, although React Native has a large community, the quality and consistency of documentation for those third-party libraries can vary. The integration of specific functionalities can therefore present challenges, potentially requiring additional troubleshooting efforts to resolve any issues that may arise.

Larger app size

Because of the additional framework components, applications built with React Native tend to be larger compared to those built with fully native technologies. Users who have limited storage space or those who prioritize download size may find this to be an issue.

Limited API coverage and access to native features

Not all native APIs are readily available in React Native. So, as a developer, you might need to create custom native modules to access certain platform-specific features. Similarly, some platform-specific functionalities may need additional native modules or bridges. This can, of course, be rather time-consuming and require in-depth knowledge of the native environments.

Debugging challenges

When it comes to debugging in React Native, things can get a bit trickier due to the bridge connecting JavaScript and native code. It may take a bit more time and a deeper understanding of both the JavaScript and native environments to identify and fix bugs.

Is React Native the best option for you?

To conclude, React Native is a powerful tool for mobile app development, offering great advantages in terms of cross-platform capabilities and development efficiency. As mentioned in this article, it does come with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to performance and native integration. This being said, here at Miyagami, we believe that the pros easily outweigh the cons and that React Native is a great choice for many projects.

So, let’s go over your specific needs and constraints to determine if this framework is the best fit for your next mobile application. Contact us today!