React Native vs Native: Which Technology Should You Use for Your App?

When companies set out to develop a mobile app, they often find themselves deliberating the choice between Native and React Native. A Native app, meant for a single OS only, offers the ability to leverage modern technologies and streamline performance. React Native, on the other hand, is a framework that enables cross-platform development and offers a world of other benefits.

Most industries used traditional ways and wrote their applications in their native language, designed for different platforms. However when the features of reactive native vs native app development were considered, it wasn’t long till a different trend was picked up and the boost of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Skype, and so on contributed to the rise of React Native, a simpler method to write mobile apps, developed by Facebook. React Native allows developers to write mobile apps similar to writing web apps, with an extensive and popular language, javascript.

With all these factors and native being branded as ‘traditional’, one may assume that react native is just the next step post native app development. However, both frameworks have shortcomings of their own, and what truly makes sense for the company, in the long run, is to choose a framework that can work post-deployment of the app, is easier for maintenance and troubleshooting, and works best for their app requirements.
So, if you too have been trying to choose between the two, here is a quick comparison to help you make an informed decision.
1. React Native
Pros:
• Hot reloading: React Native gets the hot reloading feature which allows developers to see any changes they make to the app in real-time. It essentially eliminates the need to manually reload the app, thus enhancing productivity.
• Native modules: React Native allows the use of native modules which can prove to be quite handy when it comes to supporting platform-specific functionalities or even dealing with performance-related problems.

Cons:
• Debugging: One rather glaring issue with React Native is that it takes far too long to deal with app-related device issues since React Native involves a non-native codebase.
• Dearth of third-party libraries and APIs: Development of React Native-based apps often results in issues on account of the dearth of third-party APIs, libraries, etc.
• Performance: If you are looking to develop a high-level app with all the bells and whistles and heavy graphics, React Native may not be suited for your development project.

2. Native
Pros:
• Scope to leverage OS features: When any of the platforms introduce new features, developers usually receive immediate access to said features, allowing these features to be integrated into the development of better and more appealing apps.
• Ease of coding: Since the code is written for just one particular OS platform development teams are able to write lower-level code. This, in turn, not only enables the team to exercise better control over the development environment but the code is also rendered simpler to analyze, debug, etc.
Cons:
• Cost: Since Native does not allow cross-platform development, companies are required to invest in different teams and different development projects for every platform they are targeting.
• Time: Since different OSs necessitate individual codebases, an individual app for each platform must be developed. This takes a toll on the time to market for such apps.
• Lack of cross-platform compatibility: Prudent companies tend to target at least iOS and Android if not more OS when it comes to app development. With Native, this would mean double the work, double the time, double the investment, and, well, double everything.

It is no surprise that mobile apps have come to play a crucial part — an understandable development given that we currently live in a world that is highly dependent on the digital realm for numerous tasks every day. This goes on to show that it is important for companies to carefully choose the technologies they use to build apps for their business. Now, both Native and React Native come with their own sets of pros and cons, rendering each of the two options uniquely suited for distinctive requirements. So, it comes down to the company to carefully evaluate its own requirements and expectations from the mobile app to decide if hiring a React Native app development company would be a better idea or if the company is better off choosing Native for its app development project.