Difference Between React and React Native
Have you ever wondered about the key differences between React and React Native? While React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces for web applications, React Native is a framework for creating native mobile apps using the same design principles as React but with native platform capabilities. Let's understand more!
React is primarily used for building dynamic web applications, offering a rich set of features for efficient UI construction on web browsers. On the other hand, React Native extends the principles of React to mobile app development, allowing developers to build native mobile applications for iOS and Android using the same React concepts. In this blog, we will understand the differences between them in detail!
Table of Content
- Difference Between React and React Native
- What is React?
- What is React Native?
- Similarities Between React and React Native
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Difference Between React and React Native
Below is a table differentiating between react and react native.
| Feature |
React (React JS) |
React Native |
| Primary Use |
Building web applications |
Building mobile applications |
| Platform |
Web browsers |
iOS and Android mobile platforms |
| Rendering Targets |
HTML DOM |
Native mobile components |
| Styling |
CSS |
Stylesheets specific to React Native |
| Development Environment |
Any JavaScript environment |
Requires mobile development environment (Xcode for iOS, Android Studio for Android) |
| Codebase |
Can be shared across web platforms |
It can be shared across mobile platforms and partially with web platforms using React Native Web |
| Performance |
Fast, but can be slower than native apps due to DOM |
Closer to native performance, as it uses native components |
| Community and Ecosystem |
Large, with extensive libraries and tools for web development |
Large, but more focused on mobile development. Some libraries and tools are specific to React Native |
| Learning Curve |
Moderate for those familiar with JavaScript |
Slightly higher due to the need to understand mobile development concepts |
| Debugging |
Standard web development tools (e.g., Chrome DevTools) |
React Native debugger, mobile device simulators, and physical devices |
What is React?
React, or React.js or ReactJS is an open-source JavaScript library for building user interfaces or UI components. It is maintained by Facebook (Meta Platforms, Inc.) and a community of individual developers and companies. React can be used as a base in developing single-page or mobile applications, where it is often coupled with other libraries for state management, routing, and interaction with an API.
Features of React
- React makes it easy to create interactive UIs. Design simple views for each state in your application, and React will efficiently update and render just the right components when your data changes. Declarative views make your code more predictable and easier to debug.
- Build encapsulated components that manage their own state, then compose them to make complex UIs. Since component logic is written in JavaScript instead of templates, you can easily pass rich data through your app and keep the state out of the DOM.
- React doesn’t prescribe how you should structure your application. It has just enough flexibility to build what you need. You can develop new features in React without rewriting existing code. React can also render on the server using Node and power mobile apps using React Native.
- JSX is a syntax extension to JavaScript used with React to describe what the UI should look like. It looks similar to HTML but is actually JavaScript.
- React creates an in-memory data structure cache, computes the resulting differences, and then updates the browser's displayed DOM efficiently. This process is called reconciliation.
- Introduced in React 16.8, hooks allow you to use state and other React features without writing a class. Hooks are functions that let you “hook into” React state and lifecycle features from function components.
What is React Native?
React Native is an open-source framework for building native mobile applications using JavaScript and React. Developed by Facebook (Meta), it enables developers to use the same React framework and principles they use for web development to build mobile applications that run natively on iOS and Android platforms. React Native focuses on efficiency and portability, allowing a single codebase to produce applications on both iOS and Android.
Features of React Native
- React Native compiles to native app components, which makes it possible for you to build mobile applications that can perform almost as well as native applications built using Java or Objective-C/Swift.
- React Native uses the same fundamental UI building blocks as regular iOS and Android apps. You just put those building blocks together using JavaScript and React.
- This feature allows developers to immediately see the result of the latest change, without losing the application state. It boosts productivity by making the iteration cycle faster.
- Being an open-source project with contributions from individuals and companies, React Native has a large and active community. This community support results in a rich ecosystem of third-party plugins, tools, and tutorials.
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Similarities Between React and React Native
Below is a table showing similarities between react and react native.
| Feature |
Similarity |
| Core Principles |
Both utilize core principles like components, state, and props for building user interfaces. |
| JavaScript |
Both use JavaScript as the programming language for building applications. |
| Component-Based Architecture |
Both encourage the use of reusable components for UI construction, making code more modular and maintainable. |
| Declarative UI |
Both support a declarative approach to UI development, making code more predictable and easier to debug. |
| Development Experience |
Both offer a streamlined development experience, including features like hot reloading, which allows developers to see changes in real time without losing application state. |
| React Ecosystem |
Both benefit from the React ecosystem, including a wide range of tools, libraries, and community support. |
| Learn Once, Write Anywhere |
Both embody the principle of "Learn Once, Write Anywhere," allowing developers to apply their React knowledge across web and mobile platforms, though with platform-specific implementations. |
Thus, React and React Native share a common foundation, including the use of JavaScript and a component-based architecture. They serve distinct purposes in the development ecosystem.
Check out courses on React and React Native.
FAQs
What is React?
React (also known as React.js or ReactJS) is an open-source JavaScript library developed by Facebook (now Meta) for building user interfaces, primarily for web applications. It enables developers to create large web applications that can change data, without reloading the page. Its key feature is the ability to build reusable UI components.
What is React Native?
React Native is an open-source mobile application framework created by Facebook (now Meta) that enables developers to use React along with native platform capabilities to build mobile apps for iOS and Android platforms. It allows developers to write mobile applications using JavaScript and React, and render them using native mobile UI components.
What are the main differences between React and React Native?
- Platform Target: React is primarily used for developing web applications, whereas React Native is used for building mobile applications.
- Component Library: React uses HTML and CSS for web components, while React Native uses native mobile components that correspond to native iOS and Android components.
- Styling: In React, styling is often done using CSS or CSS-in-JS libraries. React Native, however, uses a JavaScript object-based styling approach that resembles inline styles due to the absence of CSS.
- Navigation: Navigation in web applications (React) is usually handled by libraries like React Router. In contrast, mobile applications (React Native) use libraries like React Navigation, which cater to mobile-specific navigation patterns (e.g., stack and tab navigation).
Can I use React code in React Native applications?
Not directly. While React and React Native share similar design principles and syntax, React Native does not use HTML or CSS. You can share some logic between React and React Native applications (especially business logic), but UI components need to be adapted or rewritten to use React Native’s components and styling system.
Is it easier to switch from React to React Native or vice versa?
Developers with experience in React will find it easier to transition to React Native due to the similarity in the underlying principles and component-based architecture. Understanding the core concepts of React, such as JSX, state, and props, provides a solid foundation for working with React Native. However, developers will still need to learn about mobile-specific development concepts, including native components, mobile UI patterns, and platform-specific considerations. Conversely, moving from React Native to React primarily involves adapting to web development practices and potentially learning web-specific libraries and tools.
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