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React Vs React Native: Important Differences

React Vs React Native: Important Differences

By Rohit barche
4 mins read
Last updated: 17 Jul 2023
153 views
Topics Covered

Overview

ReactJS is a JavaScript library, supporting both front-end web and being run on a server, for building user interfaces and web applications, and React Native is a mobile library to develop cross-platform applications.

Comparing React Js and React Native

ReactJS is a JavaScript framework for building applications. The React Native platform allows you to build native, cross-platform mobile apps, while React.js is a JavaScript library that creates highly performant user interfaces. React Native's heart lies in ReactJS, and it encapsulates all the principles of React and its syntax.

React JS v/s React Native

Parameters  React JS                                                                                                      React Native                                                                                                                    
InstallationReact js is a javascript library it is installed by using the package manager npm.                                React Native is a command-line interface tool that requires both Node.js and the React Native CLI to be installed.              
Routing      ReactJS uses a traditional browser-based approach; navigation between pages is done by using react-router-dom.React Native uses navigators to navigate between screens, such as stack navigation, bottom Tab navigation,  etc.
Platform    React is a framework that is mainly used to build web applications using JavaScript.                        React Native is a complete platform that allows the building of native and cross-platform mobile apps.                                
Security    It provides high security.                                                                                    It provides low security in comparison to ReactJS.                                                                              
Syntax      Mainly HTML tags are used. Example - h1, div, etc.                                                React Native framework uses its tags. Example -> View, Text, etc.                                                   

ReactJS

ReactJS is an open-source JavaScript library used to build the user interface for Web applications. It is responsible only for the view layer of the application. The JavaScript virtual DOM is faster than the regular DOM which is used by ReactJS. We can use ReactJS on the client and server sides, as well as with other frameworks. It uses component and data patterns that improve readability and help maintain larger apps.

Advantages 

  • The use of JSX makes it easier to read and write code.
  • ReactJS creates its own virtual DOM. This will improve an app's performance since the JavaScript virtual DOM is faster than the regular DOM.
  • Component and data patterns improve readability, which helps maintain larger apps.
  • UI is divided into chunks of components.

Limitations

  • Developers should have a good understanding of JavaScript and its syntax, and React.js concepts.
  • ReactJS is only a front-end library, you will need of another setup for full-stack development.
  • The ReactJS ecosystem is vast, and there are many different approaches to solving the same problem, to the difficulties of maintaining a code base.
  • Continuous upgradation in the library.

For example:

advantage-and-limitations-of-reactjs

React Native 

React Native (also known as RN) is a popular JavaScript-based mobile app framework that allows you to build natively-rendered mobile apps for iOS and Android. The framework lets you create an application for various platforms using the same codebase, and it provides one of the top solutions used for mobile development.

React Native development is used to power some of the world’s leading mobile apps, including Instagram, Bloomberg, Wix, and Skype, etc.

Advantages 

  • React Native's hot reloading feature allows developers to see the changes in the app immediately, reducing development time and making the development process more efficient.
  • React Native's a cross-platform library, and code reuse on all platforms.
  • It is a cost-effective solution for building mobile applications.
  • React Native has a large community of developers, making it easy to find support, share knowledge, and access third-party libraries and tools.

Limitations 

  • React Native is a cross-platform library, it is complex to handle third-party libraries or packages across all platforms.
  • React Native takes a lot of time for initializing the runtime, even for hi-tech gadgets and devices.
  • Debugging React Native apps can be challenging, as developers need to use tools like Chrome Developer Tools or the React Native debugger
  • Compatibility issues may arise when building an app for different platforms, as each platform has its specific requirements and limitations.

For example:

advantage-and-limitations-of-react-native

Conclusion 

ReactJS is used to build web applications using third parties and reusable components. On the other hand, React Native is used to develop cross-platform mobile applications using  React Native UI components and APIs.