Why You Should Consider React Native for Your Mobile App?

Briskstar

18 Aug, 2020

The first time we saw that we could use React, our go-to front-end library, for building native applications, we were thrilled.
The promise of learning React’s paradigm and writing applications for the most common platforms was so exciting that we decided to give React Native a shot.

Indeed, React Native creates a wide spectrum of new possibilities in building performance IOS, Android, or even Windows applications. However, you should also be aware of the restrictions that it might have. In this article, we want to present our perspective on React Native which we have gained from the Netguru’s projects.

What is React Native?
React Native is a JavaScript framework for writing real, natively rendering mobile applications for iOS and Android. It’s based on React, Facebook’s JavaScript library for building user interfaces, but instead of targeting the browser, it targets mobile platforms. In other words: web developers can now write mobile applications that look and feel truly “native,” all from the comfort of a JavaScript library that we already know and love. Plus, because most of the code you write can be shared between platforms, React Native makes it easy to simultaneously develop for both Android and iOS.

Why use React Native?
For a long time, React Native was considered to be commercially unviable. It wasn’t developed or supported enough to produce ‘native-like’ apps.
But the times have changed. React Native is gaining popularity, gaining community support, and gaining more market share. It’s getting easier and easier to write brilliant apps using React Native – and the world is taking notice.

1. Tried and trusted
Facebook built React Native first and foremost to create a fantastic mobile app for their own social portal. More likely than not, you’ve used it on your phone by way of the Facebook mobile app. Does it feel like a native app? Sure it does.
But since React Native has gone open source, more companies have decided to bet on it and create their mobile apps this way. Here are just a few examples.

2. Popular React Native apps
Facebook
Instagram
Skype
Tesla
Walmart
Discord
Bloomberg
Putting your app in such a company isn’t the worst idea in the world.

3. One codebase for two platforms
With React Native, you create one codebase that works on both Android and iOS. And it doesn’t just ‘work’ – it compiles to native Java and Swift code. Specifically, React Native creates a bridge between web UI components and their native Java/Swift counterparts.
Think about the implications of your software project. No need for two development teams for two platforms. No need to synchronize features and layouts. You simply develop faster and can get more out of your budget.

4. Use the language you already know
You need less specialized knowledge to create React Native apps. Chances are you already have someone on your team that can program in JavaScript, possibly even in ReactJS specifically. JS developers are simply easier to find compared to developers with skills in Java or Swift.

5. Save even more time with a web app
If you have a ReactJS web app, fragments of the frontend code (such as business logic) can be shared between mobile and web, facilitating development even more.
Final thoughts. If you’re using Facebook or Airbnb mobile app, you’re using React Native without even knowing it. React Native apps lower your development and maintenance costs because you don’t have to deal with two separate codebases for iOS and Android. React Native apps are easy to write, saving time for developers, and cutting costs for project managers.

At the end of the day, you’re still coding in JavaScript. There’s no need to learn Swift/Java or to add developers with such skills to your roster.

React Native is growing fast with no signs of stopping.
These are just some of the many benefits React Native can deliver.