Noteworthy Pros and Cons of the React Native Framework!

Why does every next-gen organization want to leverage mobility solutions today? That’s because the mobile apps have become the fast-track solution to influence the audiences. So, every company wants a dedicated mobile app.

But the real confusion arises when it comes to the choice of the right framework for mobile app development. As there are a vast number of competent frameworks available in the market, selecting the right framework becomes challenging.

What if there exists a promising framework that helps to design top-quality apps with fewer resources?

The Name of such a framework is React Native and is developed by Facebook and Instagram. React Native mobile app development is preferred by several big players in the market like Facebook, UberEats, Delivery.com, Skype, Bloomberg, Instagram, Vogue, Tesla, etc. to name a few. Javascript and JSX are used to create IOS and Android native apps. With the help of native layout components, React Native is able to create convincing UIs that are pretty much similar to native apps.

Reusability of components, sharable code repository and, “Learn once, write anything” objective, have already made React Native a winning choice for cross-platform app development. So, if you are going to build your next app with this framework or going to hire a React Native development company for your project, this blog will help you to make an informed decision. Here’s a list of some noteworthy pros and cons of the React Native framework.

Pros of using React Native for your Mobile App



Time and Cost-effective Solution

React Native app development allows the re-usability of the code i.e. the same code is being used for both Android and iOS platforms. As Javascript is used for development, it gives an opportunity for the developers to use the same codebase not only for mobile platforms but also for React web applications. This makes the job smoother, faster and easier for developers. Targeting multiple OS with one code reduces the coding time by 30-35% approximately. A single team can code for multiple platforms. As a result, team-size is reduced and the project becomes manageable.

React Native has ‘ready-to-apply’ components. So, instead of writing the code from scratch, the React Native app developers can use these components and save their efforts. All these factors boost the cost-effectiveness. The app can be launched in the market at the earliest, improving the time-to-market.

Modular architecture

This framework has a modular architecture. It allows the developers to segregate the functions of the code into the blocks called modules. These modules are interchangeable and free and they can be re-used for web and mobile APIs. Due to this, React Native mobile app development becomes flexible, and updating the apps becomes extremely easy.

Native App-like Performance

This framework uses native modules and native controls, which enhances the performance of the apps. The apps built using React Native render their user interface using the native APIs. Consequently, the performance of these apps is quite native-like.

Growing Community- Support

React Native is an open-source framework and anyone can contribute to its growth. This community of talented and experienced React Native app developers helps anyone and everyone who needs a piece of advice on an issue. It has active support from GitHub and Facebook. Facebook itself uses this framework and their team constantly works to introduce new features, functionalities, libraries as well. Also, companies like Microsoft, Callstack, Infinite Red, Software Mansion, etc. have made their contribution to React Native.

Good Reliability and Stability

Despite being a new framework comparatively, it is much stable and reliable. It has simplified data binding due to which child elements do not affect the parent data. So, if a developer changes any object, s/he would need to modify its state and then accordingly apply the updates, letting only allowed components to be upgraded.

‘Hot-reload’ feature

This is another precious feature of React Native. If a developer makes changes in the code or tweaks the UI, it immediately reflects in the apps, like a live preview even if the apps are running. The developer does not need to rebuild the app for every small change made in the code. It enables the implementation of feedbacks faster and reduces the wait time.

Third-party plugin support

Third-party plugins are usually not considered to be secure and so, the developers face challenges while using them. React Native, on the other hand, has many third-party libraries that are quite flexible and can be used swiftly. Also, there are pragmatic interfaces in React Native having customization options.

Simplified User Interface

React Native looks more like a JavaScript library and not a framework, where the user interfaces are simplified and platform-specific. So, the apps designed in React Native are more responsive and have a smoother feel.

Declarative coding style

The declarative coding style in React Native simplifies the coding process and coding paradigms which makes the development understandable. The code can be easily read and understand, simply by looking at it.

Cons of using React Native for App Development



Small Collection of Components

React Native is still in its infancy. Though it has ‘ready-made’ components to use, the collection is small. Some of the components may even not meet the expected standards, as they aren’t developed by official developers. This limits the developers to create simple basic apps. For developing an app with custom native-like features, one might have to maintain 3 codebases like react native, iOS, and Android.

Memory Management

React Native is based on JavaScript and not suited for the apps that are computation intensive. In terms of memory usage and management, float computations are handled inefficiently and the speed and performance are significantly degraded.

Need for Native Developers

To solve some of the issues in React Native, native modules are required. However, implementing them requires expertise in Java/ Swift/Objective-C and detailed knowledge of a specific platform. So, we can’t deny that occasionally, some help from native developers may be needed. This could be problematic especially to small enterprises or start-ups.

Lacks the Security Robustness

Being an open-source framework the security robustness of React Native may get affected. While creating data-sensitive apps like banking or financial apps, experts advise that this framework should not be used as it is based on JavaScript which is known for its instability.

Isn’t Ideal for All Business Requirements

React Native is known for saving time and money, however, it may not suit every business requirement. At times, when complex features are required to be used in the apps, React Native may not be the apt choice.

Key Takeaways:

React Native has been one of the most sought after frameworks for mobile app development. Though it has its downfalls like every other framework, its advantages surpass the downfalls. Also, the huge React community growing at a fast pace is highly likely to develop more efficient and advanced components and functionalities, making it ‘THE BEST’ framework in the future.

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[Dhruv Bindhani]

Why do next-gen organizations want to leverage mobility solutions today?

What are the main advantages of using React Native for mobile app development?

What are the key disadvantages of React Native?

What are some notable companies that use React Native?

How does React Native help in reducing development time and cost?

What is the "Hot-reload" feature in React Native?

What are the security concerns associated with React Native?

React Native pros and cons

React Native advantages

React Native disadvantages

React Native development framework

Cross-platform mobile app development

React Native community support

React Native performance

React Native memory management

React Native security issues

React Native use cases

Benefits of mobile apps for businesses

Choosing a mobile app development framework

Organizations today are increasingly leveraging mobility solutions due to the undeniable influence mobile apps have on target audiences, making a dedicated mobile app a fast-track solution for business growth. However, the abundance of competent frameworks in the market often leads to confusion when choosing the right one for mobile app development.

One prominent framework that addresses this challenge by enabling the design of high-quality apps with fewer resources is React Native. Developed by Facebook and Instagram, React Native is a preferred choice for numerous market leaders, including UberEats, Delivery.com, Skype, Bloomberg, Instagram, Vogue, and Tesla. It utilizes JavaScript and JSX to build native iOS and Android applications, creating convincing user interfaces that closely resemble native apps through the use of native layout components. Its key strengths, such as component reusability, sharable code repository, and the "Learn once, write anything" philosophy, have solidified its position as a leading choice for cross-platform app development.

Pros of using React Native for Mobile App Development:​

• Time and Cost-effective Solution: React Native promotes code reusability across both Android and iOS platforms. Since development uses JavaScript, the same codebase can often be extended to React web applications, streamlining the process. This approach significantly reduces coding time (approximately 30-35%), allows a single team to target multiple operating systems, thereby reducing team size and project manageability. The availability of "ready-to-apply" components further saves development effort, contributing to overall cost-effectiveness and a faster time-to-market.
• Modular Architecture: The framework's modular design allows developers to segment code functions into interchangeable blocks. These modules can be reused across web and mobile APIs, making React Native development flexible and simplifying app updates.
• Native App-like Performance: By utilizing native modules and controls, React Native enhances app performance. The user interface is rendered using native APIs, resulting in an experience that closely resembles native applications.
• Growing Community Support: As an open-source framework, React Native benefits from a large and active community of developers who contribute to its growth and offer support. It also receives active backing from GitHub and Facebook, with ongoing contributions from companies like Microsoft, Callstack, and Infinite Red, ensuring continuous feature and library development.
• Good Reliability and Stability: Despite being relatively new, React Native offers good stability and reliability. Its simplified data binding prevents child elements from affecting parent data, ensuring that changes to objects only impact intended components, leading to a more stable application.
• 'Hot-reload' Feature: This valuable feature allows developers to see immediate reflections of code changes or UI tweaks in running applications, without requiring a full rebuild. This significantly speeds up the feedback loop and development process.
• Third-party Plugin Support: React Native supports flexible and secure third-party libraries and offers pragmatic interfaces with customization options, facilitating easy integration of additional functionalities.
• Simplified User Interface: React Native functions more like a JavaScript library focused on UI, resulting in simplified, platform-specific user interfaces. Apps built with React Native are typically more responsive and offer a smoother user experience.
• Declarative Coding Style: The declarative coding style makes the development process more understandable and readable. Code is easier to comprehend at a glance, streamlining collaboration and maintenance.

Cons of using React Native for App Development:​

• Small Collection of Components: Being a relatively young framework, React Native still has a limited collection of ready-made components. Some community-contributed components might not meet official standards. This can restrict developers to creating simpler, basic apps, and for complex native-like features, it might necessitate maintaining three codebases (React Native, iOS, and Android).
• Memory Management: React Native, being JavaScript-based, is not optimally suited for computationally intensive applications. It can be inefficient in handling float computations, potentially leading to degraded speed and performance in terms of memory usage and management.
• Need for Native Developers: Addressing certain issues or implementing highly specific native features may require the expertise of native developers proficient in Java, Swift, or Objective-C, along with in-depth knowledge of platform-specific details. This can be a challenge, particularly for small enterprises or startups with limited access to such specialized resources.
• Lacks Security Robustness: As an open-source framework, React Native's security robustness can be a concern. Experts often advise against using it for highly data-sensitive applications like banking or financial apps, as its JavaScript foundation is sometimes associated with instability in security contexts.
• Isn't Ideal for All Business Requirements: While React Native is excellent for saving time and money, it may not be suitable for all business needs. When complex or highly customized features are essential for an application, React Native might not be the most appropriate choice.

Key Takeaways:​

React Native remains one of the most sought-after frameworks for mobile app development. Despite its limitations, its advantages generally outweigh the drawbacks. The rapidly growing React community is continuously developing more efficient and advanced components and functionalities, positioning React Native as a strong contender for "THE BEST" framework in the future.