Gone are the days we spent thousands of dollars to get native apps developed, using React Native, almost the same quality of apps is now possible in half the time and money. The technology has gradually become one of the top contenders for a cross-platform Android and iOS app development.
You have many options when you want an app for your business, you can go for React Native app development, native app development, hybrid app development, or web app development. A hybrid app is in some ways inferior to native apps, and web apps, offer too little for the price you would pay. But that’s what we have React Native for, the best of both worlds, in almost half the cost and time.
Table of Contents
Let’s start with explaining types of mobile app development
1. Web app
Web apps are simplified versions of a website, made especially to make things easier when accessed through mobiles. Since they run on a browser and not as an app, their functionalities are limited, and so is the feel while using them.
Only some types of niches can make do with such an app, but they too would have to eventually shift to a hybrid or native app. It is required for delivering optimal user experience, especially if your app is focused on mobile users.
2. Hybrid
Hybrid apps are created as one and can be run on multiple platforms. Think of it as creating an app that runs has an inbuilt browser, which is used for loading a responsive web page. Hybrid apps use the power of a device’s native browser, and an abstraction layer to use the device’s sensors.
Apps built using hybrid mobile app development technologies are multiple steps further from a web app and only a few behind native apps. The reasons why hybrid apps are now the way to go, is them being simple, less costly, and less time consuming than native apps.
3. Native
Native apps, as the name suggests, are the ones that are built specifically for a particular operating system. They are built in the native languages of the respective operating systems and are installed as complete packages onto the device.
Native apps offer the same advantages as a Hybrid app, but over and above those, they are more performance and optimization centric. However, the improvements of Native apps over Hybrids are few, and the cost and time to develop them are almost double.
Now that you know the options of web development, we can now focus on React native.
What is React Native?
React Native is a mobile app development framework developed by Facebook and improved by the community of React Native developers. It is built upon the ReactJS library we all know about, particularly since it has been widely popular in recent years. A React Native app development company can easily develop apps for every OS that has a native browser engine.
In simple words, almost every OS right now and in the future, and every device running on them, can run apps built through React Native. Basically, React Native is used to creating mobile apps that are half Hybrid, and half Native, it lies in the grey area between them, it is somewhat both Native and Hybrid, and neither of them on the flipside.
Top companies using React Native
• Skype
• Discord
• Tesla
• Walmart
These are just some examples of those who have adopted the React Native tech. There are many more companies starting to believe in React Native, and people are actively switching their development to the iconic mobile app development framework.
And finally, let us begin with the top reasons to choose React Native for Your App Development in 2023
• Cost of app development
• Ease of finding developers
• UI/UX focused development
• Third-party plugin support
• Reusability of code
• Speed of development
• Rigorous updates
• Easier transition from a web app
• Partial development
1. Cost of app development
The cost to develop a mobile app through React Native is much lower than that of Native app development. The cost depends on the components that need to be developed, the number of developers, and the total hours required to develop an app. In the case of the Native apps, you will need developers of different technologies, developers of Java for Android, and Swift/C# developers for iOS development. Add all of it, complicated iOS app development and Android app development, making it almost double of a hassle.
The main advantage of React Native over Native app development is the total development time being reduced to less than half. Another advantage lies in the developers you hire, you will need to find developers who are experts in JavaScript, which is a fairly easy affair. If you already have a web app built in ReactJS, the cost to convert it to a mobile app, through React Native, will be much lower than starting from scratch.
React Native has been in the news for more than 5 years now, in this time, a lot of developers have chosen React Native development as their career choice. In 2023, the cost to develop apps will matter all the lot more, no matter your niche, or if you are a serial entrepreneur or not. To keep the costs low, React Native makes the perfect choice for mobile app development in 2023.
2. Ease of finding developers
The community of JavaScript developers is ever-increasing, and so can be said for React Native. Every developer understands, they need to embrace change and switching to React Native development was a difficult, but necessary change. In 2023, expect more and more developers making the leap, and switching career to become React Native developers. Why would it matter to you, you may ask? The answer is pretty simple, community support is absolute for an open-source development language, the more the people work on it, the better it gets.
The top React Native developers are mostly a part of a mobile application development company, because of their top demand in the market. This trend would only be going upward, so finding React Native developers would be even simpler in 2023. The world is switching to Hybrid mobile app development for the better, at least at the beginning of their business. The community is already ever-growing and flourishing, making things easier for every React Native developer.
3. UI/UX focused development
As we are moving ahead with many different technologies, one thing’s becoming clearer and clearer, no matter the technology you use, a good UI is very important. React Native tops the charts for providing a good UI, thanks to its capabilities inherited from JavaScript. A lot of premade libraries and components for UI has already been made, many of them offer exquisite minimalist design language.
Since the mobile app is going to be the face of your business on the internet, in 2023 and beyond, you must focus on serving a good UI. JavaScript is already the top technology for making interactive and engaging UIs, and React Native is built upon it opens a whole new world of possibilities. Everything you might dream of has already been made as a component for React Native, you just have to find it and use it.
4. Third-party plugin support
A third-party library/plugin support is the best thing to ask for, even for an open-source cross-platform app development framework. There’s a library for customization, for testing, for adding elements, you name it. These libraries aim at making things easier to react native developers while making things smoother and better in all verticals. A variety of things are made easier through third-party libraries.
You can find different libraries for various tasks across the React native app development cycle, it ranges from testing to in-app purchases. You can link wearables, get analytics, create intuitive UIs, and everything you would come across would probably have a pre-built library available already. Combined with the reusability of code, things are easier and faster, especially when we take into account third-party libraries and components.
The list isn’t exhaustive, there are plenty more libraries for making many other tasks easier. With the growing popularity of React Native, we are eyeing a lot more libraries to be built in 2023. It is also one of the major differences in web apps and apps built through React Native, the latter supports all sorts of libraries and components, while the prior doesn’t. With new libraries, expect lesser hassles on developers’ part, and better performance on users’ part.
5. Reusability of code
One of the greatest advantages of using any framework or library based on JavaScript is, you guessed it, reusability of code. The same remains the case with ReactJS and React Native, the reusability of code extends from PWAs to React Native mobile apps. We would also like to include libraries for this point, the extensive support for prebuilt libraries is also a huge plus point when creating React Native mobile apps.
The reason for this to be included in the list of top reasons to choose React Native in 2023, is the fact that the Reusability of code means a lot more to the app than to the developer. The time taken to develop the web app could be fully re-utilized in case of a React Native mobile app, that’s possible because of the code reusability and close resemblance of React and React Native.
6. Speed of development
Time to market entry is a huge deciding factor for the success or failure of a business. New ideas spread really quickly, and if people can implement it before you, you would be facing some very serious competition. When it comes to implementing things, it’s mostly the same in Hybrid, React Native, and Native apps, the difference comes down to features and personalization.
Even for someone with the experience in iOS and Android app development services, time to build two apps would be much higher than building one in React Native. Another factor in favor of React Native is many websites being built on React, and to transit them to a React Native app is much easier and faster. From what we have mostly noticed, the top companies that emerged in the era where mobile apps became important, their websites were already built-in React, giving them a huge plus for creating React native mobile apps.
7. Rigorous updates
With great community support, comes great updates and a lot of new features. We would also like to add to that, the greatest social network being its creator and developer. React Native is continuously improving, since it has been worked upon in 2013, and the pace has been picked up since it’s public release in 2015. We expect a lot more developers to make React Native their choice of mobile app development framework in 2023 and ahead.
Some people have been displeased with this too because in an ideal scenario you have to keep working continuously. It might happen that code written in a particular build might not work in the future, but that’s only if you miss a lot of updates and fail to optimize your code. Take updating and acclimatizing to the updates as a rule of thumb, if you are planning to get an app made through React native.
8. Easier transition from a web app
A web app is already consistent and minimalistic, built especially to act like a native app on both desktops and mobiles. For a PWA made through React, the transition to a mobile app built using React Native would be very easy and feasible. PWAs are one of the top web development trends, but they still lag behind in some areas when compared to hybrid and native mobile apps.
In 2023, we assume PWAs would be the greatest web development trend for desktops, while React native mobile app development takes the spotlight for complementing every mobile app development trend. Both differ a lot, and both work just fine for every niche, the thing you should look forward to. is finding the perfect fit. Native apps, if a necessity, should be highly focused upon rather than both the options above.
PWAs for mobile apps lag, especially if you are trying to sell something, or are trying to offer a good UX/UI. The difference comes down to the requirements of your business if you are looking for speed and optimization, with a low cost to develop, React Native is the way to go. If cost and time are no barrier, and if your business demands a highly complicated app, we recommend you go all out on native mobile apps development.
9. Partial development
Chasing two rabbits might lead you to leave head home empty-handed. We are well aware of how much Android users and iOS users differ on a basic level, and Apple’s strict environment is over and above that. One app for both platforms isn’t the best idea when considering some special niches. Somehow the gap between Apple and Android users keeps on increasing, and we believe the same would be the case in 2023.
What you could do for this problem is make certain components (or parts) of your app in React Native, you would only lose out on few, and would be able to use, most of the advantages associated to React Native. This special ability of React Native makes it the number one choice when considering all sorts of app development, it’s possible only because of both iOS and Android support JavaScript.
Conclusion
Choosing only one option is tough, especially when we weigh in all the factors. There’s no rule of thumb, but you could say if, if you need limited functionality, and just want to be accessible through mobiles, go with PWAs. If you need your application to be listed on the Appstore and Playstore, and make use of the sensors and device’s features, plus want it to perform good, go with React Native. If you are specifically looking for performance and optimization, and/or wish to use all the device sensors, suppose in games, or highly complex apps, you might consider choosing Native mobile app development.
For us, web and mobile app development is a passion, we only recommend what’s right, to each of our clients’. Finding the perfect mix of technologies, depending on your niche, the size of your business is where the experience of a company matters. With our vivid experience in all the technologies of mobile app development, you could trust us with the choice of technology for your project. Just send us in your requirements, we will let you know the technology that fits your custom app.
