React

React vs React Native: Complex Comparison

October 4, 2024•7 min read

The key factor behind The Frontend Company's success is our ability to choose the right tools for clients' projects. One of these tools is React — a powerful JavaScript library created and managed by Meta, which is incredibly popular in web development. And for a good reason.

Imagine that a web app is like a complex puzzle. React breaks it down into smaller, reusable pieces called "components." This modular approach allows users to independently modify and update parts of the application without disturbing the rest. Simply, if you need to change one part, you can do so without causing chaos throughout the entire app.

One of React's standout features is its use of a virtual DOM (Document Object Model). The virtual DOM is a lightweight copy of the actual DOM, a representation of the UI.

When you make changes to the code, React compares the Virtual DOM to the Real DOM to see exactly what needs an update. This smart trick makes everything lightning fast because it only corrects the parts that need changing, not the entire page.

React also stands out for its user-friendly nature and ease of learning. For developers already familiar with JavaScript, React becomes a valuable tool that speeds up development and simplifies complex projects, instilling a sense of confidence and empowerment.

However, if React becomes your best friend for web development, React Native could become your go-to for mobile apps.

What is React Native? React Native takes your JavaScript code and transforms it into the native language of both Android and iOS apps. In simple terms, it allows developers to craft mobile applications without diving into the complexities of coding separately for different platforms.

Both of these frameworks — React and React Native — are powerful and essential for modern web and mobile development. In this article, I will be the referee of the React Native vs React JS fight, explain the advantages and disadvantages of each, and delve into the core difference between React and React Native.

ReactJS vs React Native. The main features.

The Main Features of React

1. Improved Performance

Thanks to virtual DOM magic, React speeds up UI updates and it's incredibly fast compared to traditional methods. React ensures that all changes happen quickly and efficiently, providing web developers with a smooth and dynamic experience.

2. Cross-Browser Compatibility

React works seamlessly on all major browsers, whether your users are on a desktop or smartphone. This ensures that your app looks and functions consistently, providing users with a great experience no matter where they access it.

3. Reusable Components

React lets developers break down the UI into reusable pieces. Plus, each component can be independently developed and tested, contributing to easy maintenance and scaling even for the most complex interfaces.

4. Strong Community

The React Community does a great job helping developers share knowledge and help each other out. This kind of support plays a vital role in overcoming challenges during the projects.

5. Rich Ecosystem

From libraries to plugins, React offers lots of tools and resources. They make development easy and ensure your code is top-notch.

Now, let's have a look at React Native features.

The Main Features of React Native

With React Native, we get all the great features of React, specifically designed for building native mobile applications. This means your apps will look, feel, and perform just like traditional native apps — all with a single codebase.

By using native APIs and platform-specific features, you can craft apps that seamlessly blend into the native environment. Here are the key features that make React Native so unique:

1. Cross-Platform Solution

React Native enables developers to build apps that work seamlessly on both Android and iOS devices. With the ability to share most of the code between platforms, React Native reduces development time and effort, ensuring consistency across different devices.

2. Fast Performance

React Native bridges JavaScript with native code, allowing the final product to behave like an actual native app. This means there are no performance glitches — just seamless operation, delivering a fast and responsive user experience.

3. Community Power

Like React, React Native has a thriving community of developers who continuously contribute to its ecosystem. If you ever have a problem, the React and React Native communities always have your back, ensuring you can find solutions and resources to overcome challenges.

4. Live Changes

With React Native, any changes in the app code instantly come to life during development. This speeds up the development process by providing the opportunity for immediate feedback and reducing the need for constant app reloads.

5. Platform Flexibility

While React Native supports cross-platform development, you can easily dive into specific coding for Android or iOS.

React vs React Native Disadvantages

As you can see, both tools are handy in their own way. But as it always happens, they are far from perfect.

React Cons

• Swift Changes

Today, React evolves rapidly, which can be both a blessing and a curse. While new features and improvements are introduced frequently, this rapid pace can make it challenging for developers to keep up with constant changes and updates.

These swift changes can sometimes lead to compatibility issues with existing code or libraries, requiring developers to update their projects to the latest version of React.

• JSX Complexity

While JavaScript is robust, JSX can complicate your code. JSX is a syntax extension for JavaScript that allows you to write HTML-like code within your JavaScript.

The combination of HTML-like syntax within JavaScript can make the code harder to read, especially for developers unfamiliar with JSX. Although React can be used without JSX, many developers appreciate its clarity and visibility when working with UIs embedded directly in JavaScript code.

• Documentation issues

React's fast-paced updates often leave little time for comprehensive documentation. This can lead to incomplete or outdated documentation, forcing developers to rely on community resources or create their own guides to understand new tools and releases.

• Tech Dependencies

Depending on technologies like JavaScript, DOM, TypeScript, and Redux can limit React's flexibility, and this potential problem makes it less suitable for specific tasks.

• Narrow Focus

React specializes in UI layers. It requires additional technologies for a complete development toolkit such as routing libraries, state management tools, or backend frameworks.

• Browser Boundaries

React may struggle on older browsers due to its reliance on modern web technologies. While this isn't a significant concern for most users, it can limit accessibility for users who rely on older devices or browsers that do not fully support React's features.

Now, let's go to the disadvantages of React Native.

React Native Cons

While React Native brings many benefits to mobile development, it's not without its challenges. Here are some of the key disadvantages to keep in mind:

• Hard learning

React Native can be more difficult to learn compared to React. The complexity of understanding both JavaScript and native mobile development concepts makes the onboarding process more challenging, especially for developers who are more familiar with web development.

• Security Issues

Being JavaScript-based and open-source, React Native may not provide the level of security required for highly sensitive applications, such as finance or healthcare apps.

• Slow Initialization

React Native can take considerable time to initialize, even on powerful devices like those running Windows.

• Tricky Debugging

With React Native, debugging can be challenging due to the potential errors in native code, making it harder to detect issues. Developers may need additional tools and knowledge to effectively debug React Native applications.

• Limited Native Access

React Native provides access to many native APIs, but this access is still somewhat limited when compared to fully native development. For apps that require complex native features or deep integration with device-specific functionality, developers may find React Native's capabilities restrictive, leading to potential workarounds or the need for native development expertise.

React JS vs React Native. What do they have in common?

React and React Native are often referred to as siblings because they naturally have many similarities. Here are some of the key things they share:

• Shared Syntax

React and React Native share the same syntax. This makes transitioning between web and mobile development easier for developers already familiar with React.

• Component-based structure

Both React and React Native use component-based architecture, allowing the division of applications into manageable pieces.

• Programming language

Both React and React Native rely on JavaScript as their primary programming language. This commonality allows the use of a familiar language across different platforms, streamlining the development process.

• Virtual DOM

Both frameworks use a virtual DOM (or a similar concept in React Native's case) to efficiently render applications. This helps improve performance by updating only the necessary parts of the UI rather than reloading the entire page or view.

• Styling techniques

While both React and React Native use similar styling techniques, their approach has some differences. React Native employs a styling system that mimics CSS but is optimized for mobile development, offering developers familiar yet specialized tools for styling mobile apps.

• Debugging tools

Both React Native and React rely on Chrome DevTools for effective debugging during development.

• JavaScript APIs

React and React Native use the same JavaScript APIs for smooth integration, allowing developers to build robust applications with consistent tools.

As you can see, these two frameworks have quite a lot in common, and you can easily switch between them while maintaining a consistent development workflow.

React Native vs React. Core Differences

While React and React Native share many similarities, they each shine in different areas. React is ideal for building dynamic and interactive web applications, using its virtual DOM and component-based structure to enhance performance and maintainability. Its ease of learning and strong community support make it a favorite among web developers.

On the other hand, React Native extends these advantages into the mobile development world. By allowing developers to write code once and deploy it across both iOS and Android, React Native offers a powerful solution for building native mobile apps with a shared codebase.

At The Frontend Company, we understand the difference between React JS and React Native, as I demonstrated above.

As one of the leaders in front-end development, we are here to guide you through every step of the process and bring your vision to life. Fill out the form on our website, and we will contact you within 24 hours to discuss your project and create a proposal based on your needs, budget, and timeline.

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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