Key Difference Between ReactJS And React Native

ReactJS and React Native are two leading JavaScript frameworks that allow users to build mobile user interfaces (MUI). They both provide developers with an opportunity to quickly prototype mobile apps and manage complexity as projects grow in scope. Both ReactJS and React Native are used to create native-like apps. However, there are certain differences between the two. Let me explain one by one

What is ReactJS?

React.JS often referred to as React or ReactJS is a JavaScript library responsible for building a hierarchy of UI components or in other words, responsible for the rendering of UI components. It provides support for both front-end and server-side.

Advantages of ReactJS

1. Easy to learn and use: ReactJS is much easier to learn and use. Any developer who comes from a JavaScript background can easily understand and start creating web apps using react.
2. Creating dynamic web applications becomes easier: To create a dynamic web application specifically with HTML was tricky, which requires complex coding, but ReactJS solved that issue and makes it easier. It provides less coding and gives more functionality.
3. Reusable components: ReactJS web application is made up of multiple components, and each component has its logic and controls. These components can be reused wherever needed. The reusable code helps to make your apps easier to develop and maintain.
4. Performance enhancement: ReactJS improves performance due to virtual DOM. The React Virtual DOM exists entirely in memory and is a representation of the web browser’s DOM. Due to this, when we write a react component, we do not write directly to the DOM. Instead, we are writing virtual components that will turn into the DOM, leading to smoother and faster performance.
5. The support of handy tools: ReactJS supports a handy set of tools which make the task of the developers understandable and easier.

What is React Native?

React Native is an open-source JavaScript framework used for developing a mobile application for iOS, Android, and Windows. It uses only JavaScript to build a cross-platform mobile app. React Native is the same as react, but it uses native components instead of using web components as building blocks. It targets mobile platforms rather than the browser.

Facebook developed the React Native in 2013 for its internal project Hackathon. In March 2015, Facebook announced that React Native is open and available on GitHub.

Advantages of React Native

There are several advantages of React Native for building mobile applications. Some of them are given below:

1. Cross-Platform Usage: It provides the facility of “Learn once write everywhere.” It works for both platform Android as well as iOS devices.
2. Class Performance: The code written in React Native is compiled into native code, which enables it for both operating systems as well as it functions in the same way on both the platforms.
3. JavaScript: JavaScript knowledge is used to build native mobile apps.
4. Community: The large community of ReactJS and React Native helps us to find any answer we require.
5. Hot Reloading: Making a few changes in the code of your app will be immediately visible during development. If the business logic is changed, its reflection is live reloaded on screen.
6. Improving with Time: Some features of iOS and Android are still not supported, and the community is always inventing the best practices.
7. Native Components: We will need to write some platform specific code if we want to create native functionality, which is not designed yet.
8. Existence is Uncertain: As Facebook develops this framework, its presence is uncertain since it keeps all the rights to kill off the project anytime. As the popularity of React Native rises, it is unlikely to happen.

Disadvantages of React Native

1. React Native is still new and immature: React Native is a newbie in Android and iOS programming languages and is still in its improvement stage, which can have a negative impact on the apps.
2. Learning is tough: React Native is not easy to learn, especially for a fresher in the app development field.
3. Lacks the Security Robustness: React Native is a JavaScript library and open-source framework, which creates a gap in the security robustness. When you are creating banking and financial apps where data is highly confidential, experts advise not to choose React Native.
4. Takes More Time to Initialize: React Native takes a lot of time for initializing the runtime even for the hi-tech gadgets and devices.

ReactJS vs React Native

ReactJS	React Native
ReactJS initial release was in 2013.	React Native initial release was in 2015.
Used for developing web applications.	Used for developing mobile applications.
Can be executed on all platforms.	Not platform independent. It takes more effort to be executed on all platforms.
Uses React-router for navigating web pages.	Built-in navigator library for navigating mobile applications.
Uses HTML tags.	Does not use HTML tags.
Use code components, which saves a lot of valuable time.	Reuse React Native UI components and modules which allow hybrid apps to render natively.
Provides high security.	Provides low security in comparison to ReactJS.
The Virtual DOM renders the browser code.	Native uses its API to render code for mobile applications.

Which is better, React or React native?

Both ReactJS and React Native are important pillars for app and web development, and due to their flexible functionalities and an evolving Eco-system of libraries, they are gaining momentum with each passing day.

While ReactJS is basically a JavaScript library and React Native is the entire framework, the former is the heart of the latter, and compliments each other.

If ReactJS is optimal for creating apps with high functionality and complex calculations, then React Native is ideal to give a native feeling to your mobile apps.

Conclusion

React is a framework for building applications using JavaScript. React Native is an entire platform allowing you to build native, cross-platform mobile apps, and React.JS is a JavaScript library you use for constructing a high performing UI layer.

React.JS is the heart of React Native, and it embodies all react principles and syntax, so the learning curve is easy. The platform is what gave rise to their technical differences. Like the browser code in React is rendered through Virtual DOM while React Native uses Native API’s to render components on mobile.

So both the framework has huge market demand for web and mobile application development. We have also expertise in developing application in react and react native. If you have any quarries on these two framework then please book a free consultation or if you are looking to develop application on these two framework then you are in the right place. Contact us now