The Pros and Cons of Using React Native for Your Next Mobile App

Introduction

Quicker than the world of mobile apps is growing, having everything completely right is a case of life or death for your business. Among the top cross-platform mobile app platforms that enable businesses to develop incredible apps overnight is React Native. Facebook has come out with React Native, where you can write apps in JavaScript and React that will execute perfectly on Android as well as iOS. Every company now uses React Native and either has a full-time React Native developer or outsources the services of a React Native app development company to make it convenient for them. But apply React Native mobile app development only when you feel at ease with its pros and cons.

Here we give you the key pros and cons of applying React Native to your next mobile application development project.

Pros of Using React Native

1. Cross-Platform Development

The greatest plus point of React Native is that it is cross-platform. The developers have the luxury of using the same codebase for both Android and iOS, which cuts down on development time and cost. The development through React Native is contrasted with the conventional app development where the coding must be done separately for both platforms. React Native development offers fast deployment and maintenance. The majority of the companies outsource the job to a renowned React Native app development firm to utilize this facility to the maximum. 

2. Cost Savings and Faster Development

React Native's platform for developing mobile applications benefits companies by providing them with faster development time. Hot reloading is one of the platform's features whereby the developers can witness the changes in real time before their eyes without compiling the whole application. Additionally, since it does not involve separate teams for Android and iOS, companies can hire individual React Native developers and save costs, i.e., it is economical.

3. Mind-Blowing Community Support

React Native also enjoys a large developer community after its launch. This enables developers to utilize raw documentation, third-party modules, and open-source solutions from the community. Outsourcing or hiring some developer for your React Native app development, with access to the open-source community gives a mind-blowing edge to your app development to a large extent.

4. Performance Like Native Apps

Even though React Native code isn't native code, it delivers almost-native application-like performance. It renders native components and gives end-user-friendly interaction. The best mobile apps in the world, including Facebook, Instagram, and Airbnb, are built using the help of React Native mobile app development, so it is worth its peak efficiency and trustworthiness.

5. Modular Structure and Reusable Elements

The second most helpful aspect of the React Native app development service is that it follows a component-based approach. It is easy for the developer to use the same component in various parts of the application, and thus the code ends up being scalable and maintenance-friendly. It is extremely simple for companies to maintain their app without rewriting the codebase, and thus it is the most popular approach among leading React Native app development companies.

Disadvantages of React Native

1. CPU-intensive apps performance issues

Even though React Native is performance-optimized to a great extent, it would not be the best choice for very complex apps with a lot of animations, background processes, or intensive computations. In these kinds of apps, native app development would be advisable. Business organizations that need high-performance applications approach a React Native application development firm and purchase their services to see whether React Native coding would be advisable. 

2. Limited native API access

Though React Native has a humongous set of APIs, it is not possible for it to natively support everything native.

Third-party libraries are required in some cases or native modules must be implemented by developers in Java, Swift, or Objective-C to support a particular feature. The dependence at times delays the process of development and thus companies would prefer to have an agency offering React Native app development service to be hired without disrupting the balance. 

3. Debugging Issues 

Debugging in React Native mobile app development is complex because it is JavaScript runtime-based. There are barely any straightforward bugs, and native and JavaScript skills and knowledge are required. Businesses would therefore require full-time React Native developers who know how to debug. 

4. Huge App Size

React Native apps are larger than native apps. They are more dependent and JavaScript requires runtime for them, of course. Companies that are creating lite apps may have to cut down their React Native app development service so that their app is lightweight and provide better performance.

5. Third-Party Library Compatibility Issues

Although all the third-party libraries are utilized in the construction of React Native apps, some of them are incompatible with the platform as required. This makes it more difficult to work on some of those functionalities since there is a level of personalization involved. Companies that outsource the top React Native app development company must be keen enough to confirm the compatibility before making a final decision on their tech stack.

Conclusion

React Native is an appropriate platform that has many advantages of mobile app development like cross-platform, cost-effective, and common ground community. It is lacking in its performance and bug-fixing segment as well.

The companies willing to enter the arena of React Native mobile app development must reconsider and make a judicious decision opting for it. Whether you choose to go either way — full-time employment of React Native experts or outsourcing through a React Native mobile app development firm — the idea is that you need to align your business objective with your development direction. Through an elite React Native mobile app development firm, you can bring your application to market easily.