Top 4 Alternatives to React Native (#3 is amazing)

This article will discuss the best alternatives to React Native and review the pros and cons of each framework.

Developing sleek and feature-rich mobile applications is a prerequisite for any business targeting high conversion rates. It requires mobile platform developers to utilize an agile app development framework like React Native, which offers several convenient features for its users. 

RN framework is now considered the standard choice for developing iOS and Android applications. Yet, many developers prefer to use React Native alternatives for their mobile application development and deployment requirements. Take a look at some of the best available alternative frameworks you can use below. 

The best alternatives to React Native include:

• Flutter
• Cordova
• Xamarin
• Ionic Framework

Want to know more? Please keep reading:

React Native Overview

React Native is a leading mobile application development framework from Facebook stable. It is an open-source framework for developing applications for the iOS and Android platforms.

Users of React Native can utilize its own features along with the features of native platforms. It is a popular choice for developers preferring a JavaScript framework for iOS and Android native-rendering.

The React Native framework is based on the UI-centric JavaScript library from Facebook. It is widely regarded as a platform suitable for mobile platform development.

The JavaScript library of React Native can be utilized for writing native applications and cross-platform code sharing. React Native facilitates more fluid concurrent Android and iOS application development.

Applications on the React Native framework are developed with JSX, which is a combination of XML and JavaScript. It has a bridge performing native rendering API invocation with Objective-C for iOS and Java for Android.

Apps developed with React Native render with actual mobile UI components and function similar to mobile apps. Apps developed on React Native can also access features such as camera and location access. 

What are the downsides of React Native?

• Native devs are still required;
• Still in beta;
• Few thirty party components;
• Float computations are handled inadequately

The best 4 React Native Alternatives

The four alternative frameworks mentioned here are similar to React Native in terms of development outcomes. Yet, each of these frameworks has its own distinct feature sets and intricacies. Take a look on the key React Native competitors.  

Keep reading to know more:

Flutter

Flutter is an open-source user interface toolkit that can be used by developers for creating web, mobile, and desktop platforms using a shared codebase. Code can be written once to be run across multiple devices and platforms.

Flutter uses the Dart programming language and facilitates the development of Android, web, and iOS platforms. It also utilizes the hot reload methodology for reducing the duration of development cycles.

The framework enables developers to implement changes to Flutter applications and see those changes in UI instantly. App release versions of Flutter use ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation on Android and iOS platforms, thereby facilitating optimal mobile devices’ optimal performance.

For more in-depth analyses of the differences between Flutter and React Native, please read the article Flutter vs. React Native. 

Cordova

Apache Cordova is a mobile app development framework from Nitobi. The framework was renamed PhoneGap following the 2011 acquisition of Nitobi by Adobe Systems.

It was then released as an open-source edition named Apache Cordova. Cordova lets developers build hybrid web apps for mobile devices with languages such as JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3.

It reduces the reliance on platform-centric APIs such as those of Android or iOS. Developers can choose to wrap JavaScript, HTML, and CSS code based on a device’s platform.

Apps created with Cordova are hybrid and offer similar functionality across the mobile and web platforms. Users of version 1.9. and above, or Cordova can combine hybrid and native code snippets.

Apache Cordova also enables users to utilize wrappers such as Intel XDK and Appery.io. PhoneGap is the commercial edition of Cordova and has its own ecosystem.

The Cordova framework has been used for creating other notable frameworks and tools, including App Builder, Ionic, Intel XDK, Quasar Framework, App Builder, and VoltBuilder.

The Cordova project has many prominent contributors including Google, BlackBerry, Adobe, Microsoft, IBM, Microsoft, and Mozilla. 

Xamarin

Xamarin is always in the conversation of React Native alternatives due to the features it offers to developers. It is an open-source development framework for creating modern iOS, Android, and Windows applications. It makes use of .NET and works as an abstraction layer for shared and platform code management.

Xamarin runs in managed environments and utilizes several features like memory allocation and garbage collection. Xamarin is preferred for the purposes of testing and sharing code and writing C# based cross-platform applications. 

Developers can use Xamarin for writing applications with native user interfaces and sharing code on several platforms like Linux, macOS, and Windows. It also offers users a C#-shared codebase and is relied upon by a base of users worldwide. Xamarin is preferred for its advanced set of features.

Ionic Framework

Ionic is a popular software development kit (SDK) for the development of hybrid mobile applications. It was built on Angular JS and Apache Cordova initially, but the latest version enables users to choose from different interface networks such as React, Vue.js, and Angular. The Ionic framework enables developers to use Ionic components without having to depend on a UI framework.

The framework offers tools and services required to develop mobile, desktop, hybrid, and Progressive Web Apps that use modern technologies such as HTML5, Sass, and CSS. Ionic lets users develop mobile applications with mainly web technologies and distribute them through native app stores.

Ionic enables users to create mobile applications without relying on native developers. Many developers prefer it due to the ease of use to those familiar with Angular and other popular web technologies. Ionic enables developers to create full-fledged mobile applications but using their web development skills.

Since it operates through a single codebase, developers can cut down the expenses required for code maintenance and native developer hiring. Some other Ionic perks of Ionic include faster completion of development projects and several browsers and debug tools for maintenance. Ionic apps can be converted to desktop applications.

Conclusion

React Native is a leading development framework for the creation of feature-rich applications for mobile platforms. However, all of the alternatives mentioned above are worthy of consideration.

Get in touch with a leading software development consultant to compare frameworks and choose the right one for your needs.