{"id":1374,"date":"2019-08-09T17:51:57","date_gmt":"2019-08-09T14:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/djangostars.com\/blog\/?p=1374"},"modified":"2025-10-21T12:06:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T12:06:43","slug":"react-native-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/djangostars.com\/blog\/react-native-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 4 Benefits of React Native for Mobile App Development"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today smartphones are here, there and everywhere. People are almost never off their phones. And if someone wants to find, engage, or get closer to a customer, there\u2019s no better way to do it than through a smartphone. While more than half of online store traffic comes from mobile devices, it turns into revenue in only 1 visit out of 3. People still prefer to make large purchases via their desktops \u2013 and the only reason for that is that they simply feel more comfortable using a PC.<\/p>\n

However, thanks to the development of micropayments, stronger security, and improved customer-oriented design, mobile applications are poised to become the next go-to distribution vehicle for online goods and services. Need proof? How about the $188.9 billion in sales predicted by Statista to be generated by mobile apps by 2020?\u00a0 There\u2019s no doubt that mobile apps will soon surpass PCs as a source of online shopping revenue. And if you\u2019re an app creator, the growing competition between iOS and Android makes it wise to create apps for both platforms. But is it, really? Creating two apps is expensive and time-consuming. But here, cross-platform solutions enter the picture. They mean that with one type of code (almost) you can create two apps that will work on both iOS and Android and help the business that is providing the app to increase its potential customer base.
\n\"react-native-cross-platform\"
\nReact Native is one of those cross-platform solutions. It\u2019s one of the most widely used frameworks for mobile development, and in this article we\u2019ll discuss when it\u2019s a good idea to use it, what are its benefits, and some tips on what to consider when working with it.<\/p>\n

It is worth noting that React Native and Django are not similar to each other. However, we, being experts in software development, successfully use both frameworks in our projects. So if you need help with this, please contact us<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Basic Things You Should Know about React Native<\/h2>\n

React Native is a JavaScript framework for writing real, natively rendering mobile applications for iOS and Android. It\u2019s based on React, Facebook\u2019s JavaScript library for building user interfaces \u2013 but instead of targeting the browser, it targets mobile platforms.<\/p>\n

ReactJS and React Native: What\u2019s the Difference?<\/h3>\n

Actually, the question is not whether there\u2019s a difference, but how they are related. React is a JavaScript library that handles the development of user interfaces for web applications. React Native is a framework that uses the ReactJS library to create apps for iOS and Android.<\/p>\n

The update cycle and pretty much all of the UI changes in React Native handle ReactJS. When props or states change, it figures out the difference and passes the difference to the Native UI thread and renders the changed components. The major difference between React Native and React in the browser is that React Native does this by using UI elements of its platform, rather than HTML and CSS.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

React Native also represents an improvement over other forms of\u00a0 mobile development in two other areas: the developer\u2019s experience, and its cross-platform development potential.<\/p>\n

How React Native Works<\/h3>\n

The idea behind a framework was to have one codebase that could be rendered on at least 2 different platforms. But something had to connect those two.<\/p>\n

The object that lets the Javascript environment interact with Native is called the \u201cReact Native Bridge\u201d. The bridge is built in C\/C++, so it can be run on multiple platforms.<\/p>\n

All data must be serialized into JSON on its way in and deserialized on its way out. This double ser-de pass can be costly for data-intensive problems. It also prevents sharing of memory between Native and JS.<\/p>\n

When Using React Native is a Good Idea<\/h3>\n

As I said before, the first and foremost reason for using React Native is to develop a cross-platform application with native behavior<\/strong>. What does this mean? Well, if you look at Android and iOS applications, you\u2019ll notice that they \u201cbehave\u201d differently \u2013\u00a0 they have different looks, navigation, gestures, notifications, etc.
\n\"when-to-use-react-native\"
\nNormally, these platforms require the development of two separate applications. However, React Native enables you to create an application that will run on both platforms. If a company needs to save money and time, React Native is the best choice for the development of their next mobile app.<\/p>\n

However, there are few cases when React Native may be a bad idea:<\/p>\n

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  1. When there\u2019s no need for cross-platform app<\/strong>. When you know that your customers use one specific platform, there\u2019s no need to create an app that\u2019ll run on two. Just put your effort into development of an app that will run on that one platform and use all its native features.<\/li>\n
  2. Apps with complex user interfaces<\/strong>. JavaScript allows for the building of smooth and fast apps. Yet, the established building platforms native to Android and iOS \u2013 Java, Objective-C, and Swift \u2013 are much better for apps that are resource-intensive. If your app\u2019s user interface requires a lot of interactions, then React Native is most likely not the best choice for you. (Think of messaging apps<\/a> that have a lot of background processes going on at any given moment.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Nevertheless, React Native is a popular framework among companies whose audiences use both platforms (like Facebook, Instagram, Tesla, Uber or Skype<\/em>); companies that don\u2019t know exactly which platform their audience uses is most frequently; and companies that\u00a0 can\u2019t afford to develop two separate apps (like hot new startups).<\/p>\n

    4 Benefits of Using React Native for Mobile App Development<\/h2>\n

    Now that we know when React Native is a good choice for mobile app development, let\u2019s discuss what it can offer and why it\u2019s a better choice than other similar cross-platform frameworks. Well, let’s look at the advantages of React Native for app development.<\/p>\n

    1. Short Development Time<\/h3>\n

    React Native is a popular choice for those who need their app to be developed within a short period of time (literally, all of us). This short development time is possible because React Native applications share a large amount of code. The store structure, API calls, and error handling all have single codebase.<\/p>\n

    There are several cases when the development time can be somewhat extended. For example, styles and layout might differ, but again, it depends on your preferences and design features (such as animations, navigation, etc.).<\/p>\n

    Also there are some other platform-specific behaviors when it comes to permissions (contacts, GPS, notifications). All of them require individual approaches and should be handled differently. But, in the meantime, they are well documented, so their integration doesn\u2019t take much time.<\/p>\n

    Despite the fact that you can probably face the cases described above, compared to native development, the delivery of a product is extremely fast with React Native, that is comprised of completely different code.
    \n

    \n
    \n Services\n <\/div>\n
    \n \n <\/div>\n \n
    \n React Native: Build your cross-platform product faster.<br \/>\n<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
    \n \n Learn More<\/span>\n
    \n \n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n
    <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/p>\n

    2. Simple Styling<\/h3>\n

    The next advantage in favor of building React Native apps is simple styling. Writing CSS was not my favorite process throughout my web development career \u2013 that is,\u00a0 until Flexbox came along.<\/p>\n

    The flexible box (Flexbox) layout is a way of using CSS’s display property in a whole new way. The point was to offer more control to developers who want to build naturally responsive layouts.<\/p>\n

    And guess what React Native uses for styling? Well, I bet you\u2019re not surprised to hear that it\u2019s Flexbox! This is one of the main advantages of the framework. It keeps styling simple and straightforward.
    \n\"benefits-of-react-native\"<\/p>\n

    3. Easy Debugging<\/h3>\n

    A big disadvantage of native mobile applications is that the developer needs to test the app each time new changes are made, which requires compilation and installation. This is a time-consuming process.<\/p>\n

    In fact, React Native lets you save a lot of time in this regard, as it doesn\u2019t need a recompilation for each change. All you need to do is to refresh the app on a simulator or device, and observe the changes.<\/p>\n

    All of those minutes spent waiting for your application to build can really add up. In contrast, React Native\u2019s quick iteration cycle feels like a godsend.<\/p>\n

    Those of you who have developed in JS should know how browser dev tools work (console, network, etc). You can debug RN apps with the browser, but the one that I have chosen is React-native-debugger<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    React-native-debugger is a great tool for debugging React Native apps. It\u2019s a desktop application that gives you many advantages. It comes with Redux devtools and React-devtools integration. You can debug styles as well. To date, it\u2019s the most popular debugger for React Native.<\/p>\n

    Moreover, integrating enzyme unit testing<\/a> with React Native can further streamline the development process by facilitating component testing.<\/p>\n

    4. Community and Support<\/h3>\n

    React Native is an open-source platform. That means that all the documentation related to this technology is open to everyone. There\u2019s a great advantage to using a community-driven technology. You can get help from community experts or find information online if you run into any issues related to React Native development<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Another benefit of working with an open-source platform is recognition for writing code. Developers can share their experiences and create portfolios, which encourages them to write better code. For example, after learning something new while working with React Native, a developer can share their experience with the GitHub React Native Community<\/a>, get feedback, and collaborate with other members.
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    \n
    \n Services\n <\/div>\n
    \n \n <\/div>\n \n
    \n Benefit from our expertise at every development stage.<br \/>\n<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
    \n \n Get a Consultation<\/span>\n
    \n \n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n
    <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/p>\n

    Tips on Working Smoothly with React Native<\/h2>\n

    Here I\u2019ll mention several tips that I learned from experience and which you should know about if you\u2019re starting to work with React Native.<\/p>\n