Why React Native?

This is the list that I prepared sometime back that list down reasons why one should use React Native to build their next mobile application.

Reason 1: Code reuse and cross platform compatibility

Developers can use a single skill set i.e. their React knowledge to build applications that target three different platforms – Web, Android, iOS. Developers are able to reuse more than 70% of the code. This leads to shorter development cycles improving development velocity and efficiency. You can develop complete applications that look, run and feel native – without writing a single line of platform specific code

Reason 2: High Developer productivity with live reloading

Developers can achieve the same productivity levels that they are used to when building web applications with live reload feature. Because React Native is just JavaScript, you don’t need to rebuild your application in order to see your changes reflected; instead, you can hit Command+R to refresh your application just as you would any other web page.

Reason 3: Single layout engine for both the platforms

React Native uses the Flexbox layout engine for both the Android and iOS platforms. This means developers need to learn just one layout engine to develop applications for both the platforms. This is real time saver and flattens the learning curve for developers.

Reason 4: Faster time to market

You get faster time to market as you can target both the platforms using a single code base. Also, teams can build and release faster by using readily available React Native open source components. React Native has a huge developer community so chances are that you will find an open-source component that meets your need.

Reason 5: You can use React Native with an existing native or Hybrid app

This is the big one. You don’t have to rewrite an app to use React Native. You can add React Native to an existing app.

Reason 6: Near-native performance

React Native apps are compiled to native code. Your JavaScript codebase is compiled to a mobile app indistinguishable from an iOS app built using Objective-C or an Android app using Java. It also allows you to optimize your app’s performance by including native code in some areas of your app.

Reason 7: Native look and feel to your apps

The apps that you build with React Native has look and feel of the platform on which it is running.

Reason 8: Huge developer community

There are many big organisations( Facebook, Instagram, Uber Eats, Tesla, Bloomberg, and many others) that are using React Native. In the recent Stackoverflow survey of 2019, 62.5% of developers said they loved React Native. There are more than 61,317 questions on Stackoverflow with React Native tag. As per the 2018 Developer Skills Report of HackerRank, 33% of companies are looking for React skills while only 19% of developers have an idea about the technology.

Reason 9: Instant live updates

Another significant advantage of using React Native is Live Updates. With the extensive use of JavaScript, developers have the feasibility of pushing the updates directly to the users’ phones instead of going through the app store update cycle. You can use Microsoft’s live update service CodePush SDK, which integrates with your React Native app, to push notifications to your app. The only drawback is that only the JavaScript file and the assists can be updated using this feature. Other updates requiring the Native OS will have to go through the App store or Play Store’s standard update process.