React.js vs React Native – What’s Better?

Are you confused between React.js vs React Native? Which one is better among them? Let's explore the answers in this post by reviewing & comparing React.js and React Native.

React.js (or simply React) and React Native have the same name for a good reason: the latter is based on the former. Facebook introduced both. Both open-sourced frameworks use JavaScript.

However, many still do not have clarity about the clear differences between React.js and React Native. React.js is an app development library and React Native is a mobile app development framework.

In the digital world, there is often a debate or discussion about React.js vs React Native, and which is ‘better’. So, are you interested in knowing the critical difference between React.js and React Native? Which one is better among them? Let’s discover the answers in this blog looking at and comparing React.js vs React Native.

A Quick Overview: React.js

React.js is a JavaScript library designed for developing the view layer for both mobile and web-based applications.

Note — In the MVC (Model View Controller) framework, React.js is the “V” part of a library. It is used for rendering views.

React.js is a library of reusable components, designed to help developers easily create the essential skeletons for their applications.

React was designed with reusable UI (User Interface) elements in mind. It was created by Facebook in 2011 and has only grown in popularity since. It’s also open source, meaning it has a constantly growing community. A community-enabled platform promotes innovation and makes React.js one of the most popular choices for developing dynamic websites and applications.

React.js thrives when used for creating web-based projects, such as web and desktop applications.

Top Brands Built Using React.js: Facebook, WhatsApp, Udemy & Netflix.

Advantages Of React.js:

Build Dynamic Web App – It used to be quite difficult to create web apps, especially with HTML but React.js has made it effortless. Now, developers can create robust apps with less coding and more functionality.

Reusable Components – Web app development involves multiple components and components have their own logic and controls. In React.js, these components can be reused, hence it saves time and eases the development process.

Enhanced Performance – The virtual DOM (Document Object Model) in React.js enhances the performance. But the virtual DOM exists in memory & this is a representation of the web browser’s DOM. So, when a developer writes a React component, he/she doesn’t write directly to the DOM. Instead, coders write on virtual components that turn into the DOM. It leads to smooth and fast performance.

Developer Tools – React.js is blessed to have a huge community of developers who have created a massive ecosystem of tools, component libraries, IDEs (Integrated Development Environment), extensions for code editors, web browsers, and more. The availability of a wide range of third-party tools and extensions unleashes a new dimension of innovation while, at the same time saving time and resources. Community-powered innovation makes React.js one of the most popular options for creating innovative path-breaking apps and websites.

SEO Power Boost – Since React.js is capable of server-side rendering, it gives a power boost to the SEO of a webpage/app and attracts more organic traffic. When a Google bot visits a server, which has already rendered the content and images, indexing and caching of the content becomes faster. It gives a huge heads-up to the overall SEO strategy of the website. Besides, if the Google bot directly indexes the content from the server side, the page load time also decreases. This fast visibility of web pages gives the end-users a better user experience, thereby a win-win situation. 

A Quick Overview: React Native

What is React Native and what is it used for? Well, React Native was also developed by Facebook after React.js in order to meet its growing mobile needs.

It is a mobile framework, again based on JavaScript, and deployed in an open-source fashion. Used by developers to create cross-platform mobile applications for iOS, Windows and Android.

Native programming is a means of writing a program that can be directly understood by a low-level engine or a processor. Most programming languages have a compiler or an interpreter architecture that converts high-level code into intermediate code or low-level code. Now, talking about React Native, one thing to note is that React.js is the base abstraction for React Native; hence, the syntax is mostly the same. So, what’s the difference we hear you ask? The difference lies in the components and how they’re used to achieve results. So, in essence, it’s a secondary version of React.js, designed for an alternative purpose.

Top Brands Built Using React Native: Uber Eats, Instagram, Discord & Airbnb.

Advantages Of React Native:

Native Look & Feel – React Native components map 1:1 with native development components. It combines the building blocks from the native user interface with its own JavaScript which gives the app a native-like appearance.

Third-Party Plugins – Since building an app from scratch can be expensive and time consuming, React Native offers several third-party plugin options including JavaScript-based and native modules. The third-party plugins eliminate the need for specific web view functions and help enhance the functionality and performance of the app.

UI (User Interface) Focused – React Native uses the React JavaScript library to build app interfaces that are fast and responsive. It has great rendering abilities and uses a component-based approach which makes it easy to create both simple and complex UI designs.

Live Reload – The live-reload feature of React Native allows developers to see and work with changes in real-time. This allows fixes to be made within the code while the app is loading, and it is reflected in the app with an automatic reload. You can also reload a particular area of change to save time on the compilation.

Cost-Efficiency – As the code is reusable in React Native, it helps you save development costs. It eliminates the need to hire two different Android and iOS dev teams to create the app. On top of that, there are many pre-built components in React Native that further hasten the development process.

What Are The Main Differences Between The Two?

Like there are several similarities between React.js and React Native, there are also some notable differences. Let’s have a look:

• React is an open-source JavaScript library. We can create the user interface for Web Applications with React.js. React Native is an entire platform allowing you to build native, cross-platform mobile apps.
• React.js uses HTML and CSS, but with React Native, you need to familiarise yourself with React Native syntax. React Native doesn’t use CSS either. That means you’ll have to use the animated API, which comes with React Native, to animate different components in your application.
• If you want to build a dynamic, high-performing, responsive UI for your web interfaces, then React.js is perfect, while React Native is perfect for giving your mobile apps a genuinely native feel.
• In React.js, virtual DOM is used to render browser code, while in React Native, native APIs are used to render components on mobile.
• With React.js, developers use CSS for creating styling, while in React Native, they use a stylesheet for styling.

So, Which Is Better?

Both React.js and React Native are essential pillars for app and web development. With the flexible functionality and evolving ecosystem libraries, the JavaScript library and framework are gaining momentum every day.

It does not always have to be React Native vs. React.js; the two frameworks work pretty well together. Both React.js & React Native complement each other’s work even though they offer different functionality.

React.js is an open-source library and React Native is the entire framework; React.js is the heart of React Native and they work together harmoniously.  

React.js is ideal for creating dynamic, high-performing, responsive UI web apps with robust functionality, and React Native is perfect for creating a mobile application with a near-native look and feel to it.

The best thing while choosing React.js vs. React Native for development is to analyse the needs of your business. Consider factors like resources available, project needs, and specific demands before choosing React.js or React Native.

Want to learn more about React.js and React Native for web and mobile app development? Contact Us! Our expert team of developers can help you create feature-rich, cross-platform mobile and web apps. With multiple integrations and impeccable UI & UX designs.