Top 5 React Native Alternatives You Should Know About [2025]

Smartphones are an inalienable part of our lives, with nearly 70% of the global population using smartphones as of early 2024, and this number is only going to grow.

To meet the demands of an increasing user base, businesses, and developers need to adapt their products to mobile platforms fast and efficiently.

Since 2015, React Native has been a go-to solution for this. Developers love its ability to provide native app-like performance while allowing code sharing across multiple platforms. Big companies like Discord, Shopify, Facebook, Airbnb, and Walmart rely on React Native to power their platforms and generate millions of dollars.

However, despite its popularity and confirmed success, React Native is not always the perfect fit for every use case. That's why I've collected the top React Native alternatives for app development to help you choose the right one for your next mobile app project. Let's begin!

When You Need to Look for Alternatives to React Native

Here are the key reasons you might look for alternatives to React Native:

Reason #1. You Need Better Performance

React Native is a solid framework but not good enough when you need high performance. For apps that require progressive animations, heavy graphics, or 3D rendering, React Native's JavaScript-to-native bridge can't deliver the same efficiency as native development. This is especially true for gaming apps or video editing tools, where you expect smooth performance and real-time rendering.

Also, apps that need ultra-low latency, like financial trading platforms or live-streaming services, suffer from delays due to the framework's bridge between JavaScript and native code.

Reason #2. You Need Access to the Smartphone Features

You must look for React Native alternatives when your app needs deep integration with phone features like Bluetooth connections, sensors, or camera functionalities, as React Native's abstraction layer can limit what you can achieve.

While you can create custom solutions with React Native, the process may lack the precision and reliability of native development frameworks that interact directly with these hardware components.

Reason #3. Your App is Big and Scalable

If your app is big and has many dependencies, React Native can become a nightmare to manage. The framework relies heavily on third-party libraries, which can lead to compatibility issues as your app grows.

Reason #4. You Need a Different Look on iOS and Android

React Native is great for shared designs, but if your app needs a different user experience for iOS and Android, it's not the best choice.

Some React Native alternatives give you more control and flexibility to create custom designs for each platform.

Reason #5. You are Planning Long-Term Maintenance

React Native is a risky choice for enterprise-grade apps. Updates to the framework or its third-party libraries can break your app and require more work and money to fix the bugs.

This is especially true for apps that need to evolve with new features and platforms over several years.

Reason #6. You Need a Lightweight App

React Native apps are often bigger in size than native apps because they include a JavaScript runtime, additional libraries, and bundled components.

If your users are in regions with slower internet speeds or devices with limited storage, you must keep your app lightweight.

5 Best React Native Alternatives

With many alternatives claiming to be the best, I've cut through the noise to create a shortlist of leaders.

Let's dive into our list of the best React Native alternatives.

When creating this list, I focused on these key factors:

• Community Size: Large and active communities for support.

• Age: Technologies with over 5 years of use.

• Performance: Fast and reliable frameworks with minimal delays.

• Native Features: Easy access to device-specific hardware.

• Customization: Ability to create different designs for iOS and Android.

• Stability: Reliable options with regular updates.

Before choosing these technologies, I analyzed their strengths, real-world use cases, and how well they address the React Native limitations.

Flutter

Immediately after Google released Flutter in 2017, it became one of the best alternatives to React Native. Developers use this open-source framework for building beautiful, multi-platform apps from a single codebase. Flutter is trusted by well-known brands around the world, such as eBay, BMW, Toyota, and PUBG, and is maintained by a global community of developers.

Flutter allows developers to unify engineering leadership, reduce the time spent fixing technical debt, and increase the speed and efficiency of development for faster response and implementation times.

💡Note: Check how Flutter saved 60-70% of Google Pay engineer's time.

How Flutter Matches Our React Native Alternatives Standards

1. Community Size: Flutter has a large and active global community, consistently ranking as one of the most loved frameworks in developer surveys.

2. Technology Age: Launched in 2017, Flutter has over 7 years of development and widespread adoption as of 2025.

3. Performance: Compiles directly to native machine code, ensuring fast and smooth app performance without relying on a JavaScript bridge.

4. Native Features: Provides access to native APIs through platform channels, enabling deep hardware integration.

5. Customization: Its widget-based architecture allows complete control over UI design, which means consistency and flexibility across platforms.

6. Stability: Google regularly updates Flutter and improves its ecosystem of plugins and tools.

Pros:

• Cross-Platform Support: A single codebase for iOS, Android, web, and desktop.

• Customizable UI: The widget-based system gives developers full control over app design and functionality.

• Active Ecosystem: Backed by Google with strong community support, plugins, and integrations.

Cons:

• Larger App Sizes: Flutter apps tend to be bulkier than native apps due to its built-in rendering engine.

• Dart Learning Curve: Developers may need time to learn Dart if they are unfamiliar with the language.

• Third-Party Libraries: Although growing, Flutter's ecosystem is still smaller than React Native's.

Key Features of Flutter

1. Dart Language: Compiles to native machine code for high performance.

2. Hot Reload: Instantly reflects changes in code, improving development speed.

3. Widgets: Pre-built and custom widgets for consistent, customizable UIs.

4. Skia Rendering Engine: Powers smooth graphics rendering across all platforms.

5. Native API Access: Platform channels allow deep integration with device-specific features.

6. Google Ecosystem Integration: Seamlessly works with Firebase, Google Maps, and other tools.

Who can use Flutter?

Flutter is perfect for startups, enterprises, and developers who want to build high-performance, multi-platform apps with visually stunning designs using a single codebase. It is one of the best React native alternatives, as teams can reduce costs, speed up development, and maintain consistency across mobile, web, and desktop platforms.

NativeScript

NativeScript is an open-source framework for building mobile apps with JavaScript or TypeScript. What makes it the perfect React Native alternative as it gives you direct access to native APIs so you can build truly native apps for iOS and Android. Companies like PreSonus, OMG. I Can Meditate! Inc. and Navadra use NativeScript to build robust and high-performance mobile apps.

Unlike other frameworks, NativeScript doesn't require a web-based bridge, so you can work with native UI components while coding in JavaScript, TypeScript, or Angular. It's a great alternative to React Native for projects that require deep hardware-level access or custom UI.

How NativeScript Matches Our React Native Alternatives Standards

1. Community Size: Smaller than React Native but has a great community that's very active and supportive.

2. Technology Age: Launched in 2014, over 10 years old and proven.

3. Performance: High performance since it directly accesses native APIs without a bridge.

4. Native Features: Full access to platform-specific features like sensors, cameras, and Bluetooth.

5. Customization: Can use native UI components, so you have flexibility in creating platform-specific designs.

6. Stability: NativeScript is maintained and updated regularly and has enterprise support.

Pros:

• Native API Access: Can access and control native device features.

• Multiple Languages: Supports JavaScript, TypeScript, Angular and Vue.js.

• Native Performance: Eliminates reliance on web views, delivering near-native speed and responsiveness.

Cons:

• Smaller Community: Smaller community and ecosystem compared to React Native or Flutter.

• Learning Curve: Requires knowledge of native development concepts for advanced features.

• Less Third-Party Libraries: The ecosystem of plugins is not as big as some others.

Key Features

1. Cross Platform: Build iOS and Android apps from one codebase.

2. Native UI Rendering: Uses native UI components for better performance and user experience.

3. Active Maintenance: Regular updates ensure stability and compatibility with the latest platform versions.

Who can use NativeScript?

NativeScript is a great choice for developers or organizations with a background in web development, as it supports JavaScript, TypeScript, Angular, and React.

💼Case: Triodos Bank used NativeScript to develop high-performance mobile banking apps for iOS and Android using a single codebase. This approach reduced development time and costs while ensuring a native-like experience. Read the full case study here.

Koltin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM)

Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM) is a cross-platform framework from JetBrains that reduces the time spent writing and maintaining the same code for mobile, web, or desktop. Released in 2020, KMM is part of the Kotlin ecosystem, which is officially supported by Google for Android development. Its flexibility and focus on sharing only the necessary code make it a strong alternative to React Native for projects requiring high performance and native user experiences.

Unlike React Native or Flutter, KMM doesn't unify the whole app under one codebase.

Some apps that have used KMP are Pinterest, Airbnb, Netflix, and Slack.

How KMM Matches Our React Native Alternatives Standards

1. Community Size: Backed by JetBrains and Kotlin's widespread popularity in Android development, KMM has a growing and active developer base.

2. Technology Age: While KMM is relatively new (released in 2020), it builds on Kotlin's established foundation, which has existed since 2011.

3. Performance: KMM delivers native performance by allowing developers to write platform-specific UI while sharing the business logic.

4. Native Features: Provides access to native APIs and tools for iOS and Android, ensuring full hardware and OS integration.

5. Customization: Enables native UI development and platform-specific designs.

6. Stability: Supported by JetBrains, KMM benefits from regular updates and Kotlin's strong ecosystem.

Pros:

• Shared Logic: Reduces duplication by sharing business logic for iOS and Android.

• Native UI: Developers can create native user interfaces for each platform.

• Performance: Focuses on core logic sharing.

• Kotlin Ecosystem: Uses the popularity and maturity of Kotlin for Android development.

Cons:

• New: Released in 2020, KMM is evolving, but its ecosystem is smaller than that of older alternatives.

• Requires Platform Expertise: Developers need to know Android and iOS development to build the UI for each platform.

• Limited Tooling: Tooling and third-party library support are still catching up compared to more established frameworks.

Key Features of KMM

1. Shared Codebase: KMM supports multiplatform programming.

2. Native Performance: Focuses on native UI development.

3. Flexible Architecture: Allows developers to combine shared and platform-specific code.

4. JetBrains and Google Support: Backed by JetBrains and Google, ensuring stability, active development, and strong documentation.

Who can use KMM?

Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM) is perfect for teams with Android expertise and businesses that prioritize performance and scalability but still need platform-specific design features.

💼Case: The Daily Nanny app used NativeScript to build a cross-platform childcare management tool with real-time updates and photo sharing. It delivered native-like performance while reducing development time. Read more here.

Ionic

Ionic is an open-source mobile UI toolkit for building modern, high-quality, cross-platform mobile apps from a single code base in React, Vue, and Angular. Its focus on an app's frontend UX and UI interaction makes it one of the best React Native alternatives.

Alternatively, developers can use it standalone without any frontend framework using a simple script. Ionic is designed to work and display beautifully on all existing mobile devices and platforms.

Mobile apps that have used Ionic are MarketWatch, Sanvello, Cryptochange, and DieselOn.

How Ionic Matches Our React Native Alternatives Standards

1. Community Size: Ionic has an active community of developers and a rich ecosystem of plugins and integrations.

2. Age: Launched in 2013, Ionic has over a decade of development and proven reliability.

3. Performance: While it uses web views, Ionic leverages hardware-accelerated transitions and optimized rendering for smooth performance in most apps.

4. Native Features: Provides access to native APIs through Capacitor, Ionic's official native runtime.

5. Customization: Supports highly customizable UI components with pre-built themes and layouts.

6. Stability: Actively maintained and backed by Ionic, has long-term support and regular updates.

Pros:

• Web-Based Approach: You can get into app development with tools you already know.

• Cross-Platform Support: One codebase for mobile, web, and desktop apps.

• Pre-Built Components: Includes a library of customizable UI components for fast development.

Cons:

• Web View Limits: Apps rely on web views, which may not perform as well as native or hybrid frameworks.

• Device Access: Need Capacitor or Cordova plugins to access native APIs for advanced features.

• Performance on Heavy Apps: Not suitable for graphics-heavy or resource-heavy applications like games or 3D rendering.

Key Features of Ionic

1. Capacitor Native Runtime: Provides a bridge for accessing native device features and APIs.

2. Customizable Components: Offers pre-built UI components and themes to speed up development.

3. Ionic CLI: A powerful command-line interface for efficient project management and development.

Who can use Ionic?

Ionic is ideal for teams with strong web development expertise and businesses building lightweight apps or those needing web and mobile integration, such as enterprise dashboards, eCommerce platforms, or internal tools.

💼Case: The Sanvello mental health app used Ionic to build a cross-platform solution with seamless updates and a consistent user experience. Read more here. 🚀

Apache Cordova

Apache Cordova is the last alternative to React Native on our list. It is an open-source mobile development framework that allows developers to use standard web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for cross-platform development.

Cordova gives you two main workflows for creating apps. First is CLI workflow for those who want to run apps on as many different mobile operating systems as possible. Second is the platform-centered workflow for developers who want to focus on building an app for a single platform and be able to modify it at a lower level.

How Apache Cordova Matches Our React Native Alternatives Standards

1. Community Size: Cordova has a long-standing community, though smaller than newer frameworks like Flutter and React Native.

2. Age: Launched in 2009, Cordova has over 15 years of development and use in the industry.

3. Performance: While it uses web views, it performs adequately for lightweight apps and simple use cases.

4. Native Features: Provides access to device APIs through plugins, enabling basic hardware integration.

5. Customization: Allows developers to use any frontend framework or custom-built UI for flexibility.

6. Stability: Apache Cordova gets regular updates.

Pros:

• Web Technology Support: Developers can reuse existing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript skills without learning stage platform-specific languages like Swift or Java.

• Cross-Platform Capabilities: A single codebase can target multiple platforms, including iOS and Android, decreasing the expense and effort needed to maintain independent codebases.

• Native Features Access: Extensive plugins for native APIs like camera, GPS, and file storage.

Cons:

• Web View Dependence: Apps rely on web views, limiting performance compared to native or hybrid frameworks.

• Outdated Approach: Cordova's architecture feels less modern compared to Flutter or React Native.

• Complexity with Plugins: Adding advanced native features often requires custom plugins, increasing development time.

Key Features of Apache Cordova

1. Custom UI Frameworks: Flexibility to use any frontend framework, such as Angular, Vue.js, or React.

2. Command-Line Interface (CLI): Provides powerful tools for building, testing, and deploying apps.

Who can use Apache Cordova?

Apache Cordova is one of the best React Native competitors for mobile developers who want to extend mobile apps across multiple platforms. If you are a mobile developer interested in mixing native application components with a WebView that can access device-level APIs, feel free to use this framework.

Conclusion

React Native is a great tool that has proven itself in mobile app development. Unfortunately, no tool can solve all the problems that developers face. That's why you need React Native alternatives that can help you meet those challenges. In our list, we have collected the most well-known options, but they may not be suitable for your specific case.

💡 Book a call with us and we will provide you with a free consultation, where we will find the right technology to help you cope with your tasks quickly and efficiently.

FAQ

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Is React Native Still Relevant in 2025?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Vasylenko

CEO at The Frontend Company, Founder of Digital Business Card

Alex Vasylenko is the founder of The Frontend Company, DBC and several other successful startups. A dynamic tech entrepreneur, he began his career as a frontend developer at Deloitte and Scandinavia's largest banking company. In 2023, Alex was honored as one of 'Top 10 Emerging Entrepreneurs' by USA Today.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Vasylenko

CEO at The Frontend Company, Founder of Digital Business Card

Alex Vasylenko is the founder of The Frontend Company, DBC and several other successful startups. A dynamic tech entrepreneur, he began his career as a frontend developer at Deloitte and Scandinavia's largest banking company. In 2023, Alex was honored as one of 'Top 10 Emerging Entrepreneurs' by USA Today.

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