React vs React Native – Key Difference & Advantages

December 12, 2022

In the technology world, we often tend to get confused with these specific terms, React vs React Native. When non-coders hear React and React Native, they frequently mistake React Native for an extension of React technology. 

In 2011, Jordan Walke and his team from Facebook released the React JS library. React is sometimes known as ReactJs, a JavaScript library for creating single-page web apps. In 2015, two years after the team opened sourced React Js, they released React Native as its popularity grew. React Native is a mobile app development framework based on React JS. Furthermore, you can create native mobile applications using reusable components. 

Despite their similarities at their core, there is a significant distinction between React vs React Native. Both ReactJS and React Native are popular among developers, and in order to make the right decision, you should evaluate their pros, cons, applicability, and key differences. 

In this article, we will go over everything you need to know about React vs React Native. Go on, read. 

What’s React?

React is one of the most popular JavaScript libraries, sometimes called Reactjs. Startups and huge organizations utilize it to create single-page applications and mobile apps. 

Reactjs is a JavaScript library created primarily to develop the view layer of web and mobile apps. It uses reusable react components to build a more robust structure for its applications.

In 2011, Facebook made the library available to the public. Its popularity has expanded by leaps and bounds since then. Facebook and Instagram both employ React JS in their mobile apps.

What’s React Native?

React Native is a cross-platform mobile framework used for developing apps and websites with ReactJS. It is an open-source UI software framework created by Meta. React Native app development is handy for developing native mobile applications with reusable components that can run in JavaScript on several platforms, such as Windows, Android, and iOS.

React Native development, for example, uses Reactjs for base abstraction; only the library components differ.

Advantages of React for web development

1. Reusable components allow for faster Development

One of the most prominent features of React Js web development is its ability to reuse components. You can hire dedicated React Native app developers can avoid writing duplicate code for related app components using reusable codes. This allows for speedier Development at a lower cost.

Furthermore, Reactjs’ component-based architecture eliminates the need for frequent debugging. If you change one aspect of the app, it does not affect the others. As a result, hire Reactjs developers from JS Panther who can save a significant amount of testing and debugging time.

2. Virtual Document Object Model (DOM) is fast

When you receive data from the server, you require more than HTML. Reactjs generates HTML with Javascript. The advantages of this method outweigh the negatives.

Developers may utilize Javascript to write HTML thanks to Reactjs’ notable front-end development features. To render HTML visually, Reactjs use the tree reconciliation method.

This approach speeds up the web application by eliminating the need to update the entries of the entire DOM repeatedly.

3. Code Stability With Unidirectional Data Flow

Reactjs leverages one-way data binding to ensure that changes made in the child components do not affect the parent components. As a result, each component is self-contained. Changes in smaller parts necessitate data model modifications, not the entire state.

Whenever a new edit is introduced, this leaves a large section of the application unmodified. As a result of the highly stable code, Reactjs apps are significantly easier to maintain.

4. SEO Friendly

Reactjs makes SEO-friendly web apps. It facilitates faster rendering of web pages, which means that the page loading time in the Reactjs app is relatively low. As a result, Reactjs web pages have a lower bounce rate. These factors have a significant impact on a web application’s SEP performance.

Furthermore, developers may quickly create SEO-friendly websites with tools like React Helmet and React Router.

Read the blog: React vs. Angular: Most Suitable Choice for Mobile App Development

Advantages of React Native for mobile development

  1. Inherently Cross-Platform With Platform-Specific Code

One of the benefits of using React Native for mobile app development is that you can easily make your app function on different platforms. The icing on the cake? The ability of React Native today to generate platform-specific code. As a result, if you design your MVP, react native lets you save significant development time.

Unlike other frameworks that are tailored to a single mobile platform, React Native is known for utilizing a single core API, flex-box (based on a CSS idea), to provide the same API for both iOS and Android. You may hire Full stack developers for this. In addition to mastering HTML and CSS, full-stack web developer also knows how to program a browser (like using JavaScript, jQuery, Angular, or Vue) and program a server (like using PHP, ASP, Python, or Node).

2. Faster Development = Hot Reload

React Native incorporates all of the benefits of React.js, including the Hot Reload functionality and improved User Interfaces. Because of these functionalities, developers can reload a mobile app without any manual intervention, saving valuable developer time and speeding up the development process.

3. JavaScript as the Scripting Language

One of the most popular scripting languages is Javascript. As a result, if the developers run into a problem while working with it, they can turn to its vast developer community for assistance.

The advanced Javascript V8 Engine eliminates the need for developers to work on compiling code for the browser. Because Javascript is a simple programming language, the learning curve is much steeper, yet it is also relatively easy to work with.

4. Ready-to-Use UI Libraries support for a Flawless UI Experience

One of the most crucial aspects of your application is its user interface. Your app may provide a smooth UI experience to its consumers by leveraging React Native’s ready-to-use frameworks. You also save a lot of time, which you can use to focus on innovative ideas.

React vs React Native: The Key Differences

  • Framework

ReactJS is a JavaScript library that helps developers create engaging and high-performing user interface (UI) components. React Native, on the other hand, is a framework that allows developers to build cross-platform web apps, iOS and Android.

  • Rendering

In ReactJS, the virtual DOM is used to render browser code. However, in React Native, native APIs are used to render components on mobile devices.

  • Security

Reactjs gives increased security. At the same time, React Native has low-security standards.

  • Animation

ReactJS uses CSS to create animations, while React Native uses different tools to animate different parts of the app. It has an animated API that can be used to animate a React Native app.

  • UI components

ReactJS apps render HTML in the UI but React Native employs JSX, a syntax extension to JavaScript, to render native UI elements.

  • Styling

ReactJS uses CSS to create styling, but React Native uses stylesheets.

Conclusion

After reading this blog, you should have a greater understanding of the differences between React and React Native, as well as a clear understanding of the pros and cons of React Native vs. ReactJS.

Are you still indecisive about which framework to use? While each of these frameworks has a lot to offer, it is crucial to understand that Reactjs and React Native are essential focal points for web and app development. Furthermore, due to their adaptability, both platforms are gaining in popularity with each passing day.

JS Panther has highly skilled React front-end developers to assist you with any app development job. We’re here to discuss React vs. React Native further and help you decide which is ideal for your eCommerce.

Get in touch with us today and hire react native app developer at a cost-effective price. And if you need assistance with stack web development, you may hire a skilled full-stack developer from JS Panther.

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