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Native Apps Vs React Native Apps

Native apps and React Native apps both have pros and cons but fill different requirements.
Native Apps on a a phones app store vs react native apps working for all platforms on a mobile phone

During the app creation process, you must consider how much exposure you want, your timeline, budget, and coding knowledge/ resources. Native apps and React Native apps both have pros and cons but fill different requirements.

Native Apps

Native apps are specifically programmed for iOS or Android OS. Therefore, they will not work on both iPhone and Android, they are programmed for one specific mobile platform such as iOS or Android. iOS native apps generally use Swift or Objective-C programming language, meanwhile, Android uses java.

Native App Pros:

As they are built for a specific platform they usually perform to a very high standard. The user experience will generally be more positive as, again, it has been coded with the conventions of a particular platform in mind. Android users will be using Android because they prefer the user experience they get from Android OS. The same goes vice versa for iPhone users. When you have coded something to a singular operating system, you get to utilise cutting edge elements of hardware. For example, when the 3D depth sensor was released on Apple devices you could interact with that hardware natively, immediately. However, it took a while for React Native to catch up. All native apps have SDKs. These provide means for third-party developers to use a particular framework or platform. In turn, all the aesthetics of their app stays uniform and consistent.

Native App Cons:

You need to have in depth knowledge of multiple codebases and operating systems. Every single OS has their own code languages and conventions that must be learnt to get the most out of your app. They are pricey and timely to build. To be able to have a native app that works on both iOS and Android OS you would most likely need two developers or teams that specialise in those codebases. They are subject to as many updates as your phone. As the OS updates, so must your app.

React Native Apps

React Native works off a JavaScript framework. These apps are developed to work on both Android OS and iOS. React Native apps came about from Facebook’s ReactJS. Similarly, React Native uses JSX. JSX is a syntax extension of JavaScript that allows you to write HTML and JavaScript together and informs how the User interface (UI) should look. React

React Native App Pros:

You automatically have made an app that works on both iOS and Android OS. This means you do not need two apps and two dev teams as you have already written your app with a shared codebase. This means there is no need for synchronisation and is less costly and time consuming. If you know JavaScript code well then you are very likely to be able to write ReactJS. Facebook is constantly updating and improving React code. A shortfall or issue you have with your React Native App now may well be fixed in the next few months. On top of this there is a huge online community of react developers willing to help resolve bugs in the core. Code changes are reloaded instantly throughout your development process. Native Apps, on the other hand, need the codebase to be recompiled and applications relaunched before you can go back to look at the changes you have made. React Native is ideal for less complex applications, you can quickly make changes without needing multiple dev teams.

React Native App Cons:

React Native apps are not so great for the more complex application choices like UI components, heavy animations, or the use of bleeding edge iOS/ Android features. This is usually because you need a third-party application for the communication of your code with the iOS or Android operating systems. React Native Apps also tend to not be as high-performing as native apps as they cannot carry the more highly loaded, large-scale projects. Push notifications are not possible without third party tools.

Native Apps are the best for the more complex apps but will need a bigger budget and a web dev team or two that have in depth insight into iOS and/or Android OS. If you want to increase your exposure to the general public then you will want two apps that can work on both iPhone and Android. However, React Native may not perform as well for the more complex apps but work perfectly for companies such as Facebook, Instagram and Uber Eats. They naturally work on both operating systems and the shared code makes React Native Apps much easier to synchronise, update, and is constantly improving.

At Ergo, we pride ourselves on our Web development know how. If you are in need of a web development team then contact us here.