Cross Platform App Development
React Native vs Xamarin: Which Is Better for Cross-platform Mobile App Development?
A number of new applications are launched on Play Store every day, but the decision to choose the correct development approach is very troublesome. While mobile applications are not just required to become the new type of communication channels, these are as well vital in increasing user engagement and revenues of a business.
Source: Statista
React Native and Xamarin are both amazing tools for mobile application development. But, which out of the two is better? Which one would be an ideal choice for your project? In this post, we’ll try to find an answer to these questions.
So, let’s dig in!
Introduction to React Native and Xamarin
React Native
React Native is one of the most incredible cross-platform mobile application development frameworks created by Facebook. It is open-source and you can develop Android and iOS applications with it. To build a React Native application, you have to code in React and JavaScript, so great knowledge of JavaScript and React is essential. The framework was released in March 2015.
Xamarin
Xamarin is another wonderful mobile application development framework, which was created by Microsoft. It is also an open-source framework which you can use to develop iOS, Android and Windows applications. To develop a Xamarin application, you have to do programming in C#. So great knowledge of C# is required. The framework was released in May 2011.
Top 5 Attributes to Consider While Selecting the Platforms for Cross-Platform Mobile App Development
To choose which one is better for Cross-Platform Mobile App Development lets first see the attributes based on which we will compare both. And, these are:
- Performance
- Modern Development Capabilities
- Development environment
- Market share
- Community support
The Comparison: React Native vs Xamarin
1. Performance
React Native: React Native provides performance near to native apps. With this framework, you can develop high-performing applications. It enables you to utilize native code in your application, so you can develop some part of your application utilizing native code and the rest of the part utilizing React Native — the Facebook application is developed in the same way. Use of native code enormously improves the application’s performance.
The developers of React Native guarantee that the framework gives native performance, but remember that true native performance can be achieved just with native languages, for example, Objective-C, Java and Swift. You can decide between Native and React Native depending upon the requirement of your project.
Xamarin: Xamarin also enables you to develop high-performance applications. It uses platform-specific hardware speed to give great application speed. So like React Native, Xamarin also gives near-native performance. However, the framework doesn’t allow you to write code using native languages.
Also Read: 5 Reasons Why React Native Will Reduce Your Mobile App Development Cost
2. Modern Development Capabilities
React Native: The Hot Reloading feature in React Native increases the speed of development. So, if you want to try some new approach to mobile application development with modern features like hot reloading, instant updates and React Hooks, then you should definitely try React Native Development. It is a wonderful framework that allows developers to think in a different way.
Xamarin: As compare to React Native, Xamarin offers less modern development capabilities which make the development a bit difficult for mobile app developers. It acts as a classical tool as it lacks hot swapping feature that is available in Android Studio along with cold swapping code, automatic restarting and instant updates feature.
3. Development Environment
React Native: React Native gives you a ton of flexibility. It gives you an opportunity to select your very own development environment. You can choose any IDE/text editor for your mobile application development work.
Fortunately there are a good number of IDEs and text editors accessible on the Internet, for example, Sublime Text, Atom, Visual Studio Code, Vim Editor, Nuclide, GNU Emacs Editor, etc, so you can openly select the one that you like the most.
Xamarin: To develop a Xamarin application, you need to work in Visual Studio. That is the only option accessible, however, there are other environments as well, but working with them isn’t simple.
So the only development environment that is good for developing a mobile application with Xamarin is Visual Studio. But remember that it gives an amazing Integrated Development Environment. It provides numerous helpful controls, tools and layouts that make your mobile application development work smooth and simple.
Also Read: Who Is The Winner: Flutter Vs React Native?
4. Market Share
React Native: React Native is used by numerous big organizations and startups. The popular mobile applications that use this framework are Instagram, FaceBook, Facebook Analytics, Pinterest, Skype, Bloomberg, Walmart, Uber, Tesla, Chop, Vogue, etc.
Xamarin: Xamarin is also used by numerous great organizations and startups, for example, Honeywell, BOSCH, slack, Cognizant etc.
5. Community Support
React Native: React Native is backed by Facebook and a strong community of developers. Its community is growing much faster than expected by Facebook and also there are countless guides and eBooks on the Internet for learning React Native.
Xamarin: Xamarin also has magnificent community support. The number of learning materials, for example, online courses and tutorials are sufficient for this framework as well. Like React Native, a huge number of articles and blogs have been written on Xamarin, as well, and the number is still developing!
Wrapping Up
Giving an answer to which framework is better is a tough job as both the tools are of top-notch quality and both are backed by huge organizations; Facebook and Microsoft. So, rather than asking which framework is better, ask yourself which one would be an ideal choice for your project. Examine the comparison factors closely, for example, development time, performance, market share, and choose which one would work best for your business. Happy Developing!
Humane yet subtle, Naiya is a girl full of ideas about almost everything. After earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering, she decided to merge her technical knowledge with her passion for writing – to accomplish something interesting with the fusion. Her write-ups are usually based on technology, mobile apps, and mobile development platforms to help people utilize the mobile world in an efficient way. Besides writing, you can find her making dance videos on Bollywood songs in a corner. To know more, connect her on LinkedIn.
5 Reasons Why React Native Will Reduce Your Mobile App Development Cost
With the increasing demand of mobile applications, having a mobile app for your business has turned into a necessity, regardless of the size of your organization.
Businesses, old or new, small or big, all are exploring their industries with the potentials of mobile apps. But, small businesses are worried about the huge costs they may incur from their restricted financial resources in developing a mobile app. The app development procedure isn’t tedious but also costly.
In such a situation, there is a critical need to bring in a cost-effective method for mobile application development that can suit more startups for their benefits. One such financially savvy measure found to help the feeble of the world is React Native using which organizations can create cost viable cross platform applications. Let’s see how.
What is Cross Platform App Development?
Cross platform App development is the creation of mobile apps or software projects for numerous platforms. That is developing apps for different platforms in one round of coding.
And, what makes Cross-Platform application development a cost-productive measure for app development is that it is the only method for faster development of the application at a generously lower cost. The best framework that is loved by various developers for creating hybrid or cross-platform mobile applications is React Native. Here is how React Native App Development can help you in slashing your app development cost by 30-50%.
How React Native Can Help Reduce Your Mobile App Development Cost?
1. React Native Shortens the Mobile App Development Time
React Native allows you to transfer the entire codebase or its parts between various mobile platforms. Once you develop an application for iOS, you can compile it onto Android in a short timeframe and vice versa. The amount of code you can share between platforms will rely upon native modules you want to utilize.
The development in React Native takes 33% less time than it takes to develop an iOS and Android app natively. And reduced app development time means reduces app development cost.
2. React Native Apps are Easier to Maintain
The major support required for updating older versions of OS is troublesome and rather, time-consuming in case of native mobile apps. But, in case of applications developed in React Native, maintenance of the application is a lot less demanding and therefore, cost-effective.
3. React Native Provides Reusable Components
Earlier, the WebView components were utilized in the development of hybrid mobile apps. However, after the launch of React Native, application developers can make blocks that are made of reusable “native components”. These blocks tend to compile straight to native applications. Every one of the components of iOS and Android has their counterparts in React Native.
Developers can maintain the look and feel as per the platform. Additionally, in all hybrid applications, you can’t get component-specific structure however in React Native Apps, this type of structure empowers developers to make applications with a web-based and agile methodology. The application developers have the speed, look and feel, and the main functionalities of the native application.
4. React Native Apps are Compatible with Maximum Number of Devices
While developing a Native application, it is necessary to keep in mind that you need to optimize it for all the generations of a mobile device. And it can end up being a very expensive task on the development front.
Though, applications made in React Native work with all digital ecosystems and are already optimized to oblige a maximum number of devices. This, in turn, spares the time of development, saving the overall expense.
5. It Is Easy to Integrate In-Built Elements of a Device in React Native Apps
A few times it is vital to incorporate the hardware capabilities of the device in the mobile application. In cross platform app development, this is not always possible but when you use React Native, there is no compelling reason to stress over it. React native allow developers to incorporate in-built elements of a device like Bluetooth, GPS and so on in the mobile application. This decreases the issue of the high memory utilization and load speed issues.
The cost-saving advantages of utilizing React native are since a long time proven. That is the reason because of which various businesses are bringing their applications over React native Platform. Successful React Native Apps in the market like, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Tesla, Skype, Uber, Walmart are a couple of big names which are approving the advantages of React native application development.
Wrapping Up
Obviously, there are a lot more advantages that come from utilizing React Native, but those above are 5 of the most imperative ones from the business point of view. As a React native app development company, if your necessities can be covered with React Native, we would advise you to go for it. You will save your valuable time and money while developing a fast-performing and good looking mobile application for your business.
Humane yet subtle, Naiya is a girl full of ideas about almost everything. After earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering, she decided to merge her technical knowledge with her passion for writing – to accomplish something interesting with the fusion. Her write-ups are usually based on technology, mobile apps, and mobile development platforms to help people utilize the mobile world in an efficient way. Besides writing, you can find her making dance videos on Bollywood songs in a corner. To know more, connect her on LinkedIn.
