React Native is also known as RN that has been trending in the mobile development industry for the last few years. Surprisingly, it took the IT industry to great heights as it makes work easier to develop apps for both platforms: Android and iOS. It is based on an open-source Javascript framework that allows developers to develop applications for iOS and Android. Also, you can create applications for various platforms with a single codebase.
Every technology has its own pros and cons. Before you decide you want to go with React Native, it is essential for you to get to know how it performs and analyze whether this is a perfect choice for your project.
Who is using React Native?
Facebook was the first which had released React Native in 2015 as an open-source project. In just a couple of years, it has gained popularity and become the top solution provider for app development and was listed in top three most used cross platform frameworks. Due to popularity and ease of access, thousands of industries including Microsoft, Uber, Skype, Airbnb, Facebook, Bloomberg, are using React Native technology in their business across the globe as it helps them to reach a wider audience.
When To Use React Native?
React Native is a powerful framework for all app makers who want their apps to work in all operating systems: Android and iOS with one codebase.
Every technology has its own pros and cons. Before you decide you want to go with React Native, it is essential for you to get to know how it performs and analyze whether this is a perfect choice for your project.
Pros of React Native App Development
Here we have covered the major pros/ reasons why you should choose the React Native technology for mobile application development. Let’s a quick look into this:-
Save Time & Money
With React Native, developers don’t have to create separate codes for different platforms, be it for Android or iOS, as Javascript could be worked in both, which leads to a huge saving in development cost and time. In theoretical terms, the development cost for creating an application could be reduced by half as with a single codebase it runs on multiple platforms.
Live and Hot Reloading
React Native technology comes with interesting functions as Hot and Live Reloading is one of them. Live Reload Function allows developers to make changes in code in real-time and immediately they can see the result of the latest changes done in the code. Also, it reloads the entire application and highlights the changes that have been done recently. However, the hot-reloading feature only reloads a specific area of the change so it makes the development and testing process easier.
Flexibility
The type of interface used in React Native makes work easier for the development team to delve into someone else’s project and continue work on developing it. Thus, it enhances the flexibility of the team and makes it easier for a developer to update and upgrade the mobile app quickly and in a much faster manner. It creates flexibility for testers also as they require less time to understand the concept of programming and accordingly they can build suitable testing scenarios. This will lead to saving a huge time for developers and testers that any of the customers or CFO likes to hear.
Easy To Access Resources
React Native framework comes with tailor-made solutions and libraries that allow developers to access them easily, however, they are not chargeable. These resources not only help in building simplified apps but also help in developing bug-free codes.
Third-Party Plugins
Surprisingly, React Native is still in the development phase. So certain components that businesses would be looking for a particular need may be lacking in this. To solve this issue, React Native offers two types of third-party plugins including Javascript-based modules and native modules.
Suppose you want to add Google Maps in your application, React Native is giving you the permission to link any plugin with a native or third-party module.
Cons of React Native App Development
Security
Security is one of the major concerning points of React Native apps as it is based on Javascript and an open-source framework that creates difficulties for the developers to keep the app safe and secure. Javascript codes in react native applications break easily, that is the reason developers have to be cautious in making cross-platform applications like banking or finance thus these types of applications require extra layers of security. However, malicious code snippets can create a critical threat to the application’s safety features. That’s why developers avoid building financial-related apps on React Native.
Complex UI
React Native is not the perfect choice for businesses that require animations, screen transitions, and lots of complex integrations in the background of applications. In spite of having a gesture responder system in react native apps, coders may face difficulties as of the complex screen gestures. It happens because iOS and Android touch systems are different from each other for using a unified API might be challenging for developers
Size
React Native apps are comparatively larger than native apps thus it makes a downside effect of this. Users who have outdated or old devices and who are living in rural areas that don’t have the resources to access 3G connectivity. In these situations, they don’t like to download large applications as this not only takes a long time to download but also requires a large space in the device. When they have started deleting unwanted stuff from the device so large applications are the ones to get deleted first.
It’s true that good developers have some tricks to reduce the size of a React Native but still, the size issue comes in the React Native framework.
Quality Issues
Debugging in react native is quite complicated as applications are made up of a combination of custom native code, regular React Native components, and third-party plug-ins. It can be experienced when tracking down the source of a problem while navigating the app.
Conclusion
React Native has various exciting benefits but it’s not necessary that the Javascript framework suits every business and choosing technology depend on your business scale, whether you are a startup or a successful enterprise. React Native is a perfect choice for businesses that require apps with easy functions, attractive design, and UI, Javascript language, to capture a wide market in a short period of time. On other hand, React Native might not be a good option for businesses that require an app with complex functionalities or integrations, for heavy-gaming purposes, for finance-related, various functionalities in the background, platform-specific apps. Are you looking for someone to develop React Native apps that convert your ideas into reality then get in touch with efficient, skilled, and experienced mobile app developers that are specialized in React Native technology.
