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Nobody can deny that both React Native and Ionic are excellent platforms for developing apps. Mobile app development has grown significantly during the previous decade, owing primarily to cross-platform development. Cross-platform app development benefits both business owners and users. Business owners have access to a larger audience. In contrast, it provides consumers with a more immersive app experience. React Native vs Ionic is known as the โEl Clasicoโ of cross-platform app development since they are so dissimilar. The cross-platform app development frameworks offer extensive libraries and are well-known for producing well-designed applications.
As a result, many prominent corporate organizations utilize both platforms and enjoy significant benefits.
Ionic and React Native are both powerful platforms with a variety of advantages and disadvantages. Businesses should understand their requirements before selecting a platform.
In this blog article, I will look at many features of React Native and Ionic. Then, weโll go through the fundamentals, platform commonalities, and the many criteria to consider while selecting a framework.
Letโs get this party started, shall we?
In a nutshell, how would you explain React Native?
Facebook created the open-source framework React Native to help developers create mobile applications. The serviceโs usefulness derives from its ability to build apps for platforms and operating systems such as Android, Android TV, iOS, macOS, tvOS, Web, and Windows. It is, as the name suggests, a framework that allows you to develop apps in JavaScript, a universal programming language. Because it adheres to the same design principles as React, you can create sophisticated mobile UIs from declarative components using the same tools and methods that are used to create conventional iOS and Android apps. If an application is designed appropriately, it is difficult to discern the difference between one made using Java and one built with Objective C.
React Native features include:
You can reuse your code anywhere if you write it once:
A react-native applicationโs code and logic can be executed anywhere and can be used to build similar applications as well.
Regular updates are available:
Facebook develops and maintains the framework, as mentioned previously. This ensures the functionality, security, inter-accessibility, reusability, and other advantages of the framework with frequent updates released by its hardcore development team.
Having a larger user community:
Due to the frameworkโs openness, it is used by a growing number of developers worldwide. Developers using the framework can therefore easily seek assistance if they run into problems while developing applications.
Support for external libraries:
The framework allows integration of any API or library that isnโt provided by the framework, but that needs to be added to the application.
React-like architecture:
Because react-native follows the same architecture as React, it is more flexible and scalable than React and less complex to update when a new version of the framework is introduced.
React Native has the following advantages:
Open-source software:
The fact that it is an open-source framework, as mentioned earlier, means that there are many developers actively working on it, and since it is an open-source framework, it provides a wide range of choices for developers for advice and solutions. Hire a React Native programmer to create your application if you also wish to use React.
Mobile platforms with high performance:
React Native provides high-performance mobile applications due to its architecture which works well with mobile devices. By contrast to other native frameworks that use the CPU for user interface development, the framework utilizes the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) for this purpose.
Live reloading feature:
You will be able to see the output of the application instantly after you change the code thanks to this feature of the react-native framework. The code is presented in one window and the output in the other. Therefore, if you make a change to the code, you can see the effects immediately.
Reduces development costs:
Developers can build a common app that runs on both Android and iOS using React Native. As a result, the development of two separate platforms applications is unnecessary and thus saves time, effort, and expense.
Performance optimization of the applications:
All mobile platforms can run applications built with React Native. Thus, the application can easily adjust to the mobile environment in which it runs. All mobile platforms will benefit from optimal performance.
Ionic Framework
To begin, letโs ask one more time โ what is Ionic? A simple answer is that Ionic is an open-source software development kit. It has been around since 2013. Several million apps have been built using Ionic as of the moment we are writing this article. It is interesting to note that Ionic requires the installation of Node.js in order to function properly since it is, in layman terms, a Node Package Manager module. Basically, JavaScript is part of a grand JavaScript ecosystem, and thatโs why it can be used with iOS and Android native components. Thus, Ionicโs UI elements are platform-specific and can be tailored to any platform.
Now that weโve discussed the features and advantages of using React Native, letโs see how Ionic stacks up. Features include:
Itโs cross-platform:
It is possible to run Ionic applications on various mobile devices, browsers, and progressive web apps. The framework is therefore cross-platform.
According to web standards:
Based on HTML, CSS, and Javascript, the Ionic framework uses the latest APIs and standard web technologies. APIs included in the framework are deemed stable, and therefore applications built on them can be used on a variety of platforms.
Easily learned and used:
The developer can easily learn and implement application development with HTML, CSS, and Javascript if he is familiar with these scripting languages.
Cordova:
Cordova, a plugin included in the Ionic framework, allows the application to run on a variety of platforms.
License:
MIT registration distinguishes Ionic from other open-source frameworks. In other words, this means the developer can freely use the framework for their personal or commercial projects.
Ionic has the following advantages:
Easy to adapt:
In addition to HTML and CSS, Ionic relies on JavaScript as well. Therefore, any developer who knows these three things can be very effective in developing Ionic applications.
UI Dynamic:
Customization of the Ionic components and themes allows users to develop the user interface dynamically.
Based on AngularJS:
Ionic, as a framework built on top of AngularJS, is robust, which allows for building simple apps that are easy to manage.
Multi-platform support:
It devises user interfaces that are compatible with both web browsers and mobile platforms, as stated in the definition.
Ionic vs React Native is truly a great contest of supremacy, but both platforms also share some aspects in common. From their basic descriptions, both platforms appear quite similar. Native mobile applications can be created using React Native, a framework that uses JavaScript and React. As opposed to Ionic, you can use CSS, HTML, and JavaScript to develop web, mobile, and desktop apps.
Ionic and React Native are both platforms that can be evaluated once you understand their basics. There are several factors that will be considered during the evaluation process. These include user experience, performance, popularity, and so on.
JavaScript, as the primary language, can be used to create mobile apps that can run on different platforms. Ionic, on the other hand, is a more โweblikeโ approach. An SDK is bundled with a web browser, so the application can access native functionality. Through the UI Thread, Layout Thread, and the JavaScript Virtual Machine, React Native communicates information by sending messages to each bridge. It maps native capabilities using JavaScript. Mobile applications can then be developed and converted into native code. Ionic Framework, by contrast, uses web technologies to build its applications (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript). With Ionic Native and/or Capacitator, JavaScript and native capabilities like Bluetooth, camera, and location can be connected.
As well as having different technology stacks, React Native and Ionic have different user interfaces. React.js developers can use all the NPM packages available to them when building applications with Ionic. Since Native code is translated to React Native code, the stack for React Native is more restrictive. Despite this, React Native has a vast community of ready-to-use libraries that make developing mobile applications easier.
Ionic is more popular than React Native before getting into greater detail. Following are the results of the developer survey 2020:
Eighty-six percent of web developers used Ionic SDKs in the past year for application development and only sixteen percent used React Native.
In order to build PWAs, 72% of developers use Ionic tools, libraries, and frameworks as opposed to 21% who use React Native.
238+ versions of Ionic have been released, with 41,760 Github stars and 13, 3000+ extension forks. The current star count in Github for React Native is 89.1K, and it has 346+ version releases across 19.8k+ projects.
Based on The State of JSโs 2019 Javascript overview, React Native has a higher satisfaction rate than Ionic. At the moment, Ionic is gaining popularity, however, many people do not yet understand its capabilities and benefits.
The fact that Ionic relies on web technologies (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) makes it a good fit for a team with a limited native experience.
Making great mobile applications with Ionic will give you access to native features like GPS, maps, and audio. They can be easily deployed into both the Play Store and App Store in the same way that a website will require the same expertise and effort.
For developers who have previously worked with iOS or Android, React Native is an easy learning experience. A React developer needs to learn more to comprehend and debug a React Native app than they would with an Ionic app. Nevertheless, React Native stands out as the gold standard of accessing the native functionality of mobile devices, allowing your mobile application to feel and look more native.
In light of the above analysis, we can conclude that React Native is the most suitable solution for mobile applications that need to work on different platforms. Ionic can be used on the other hand if an application must be compatible with mobile platforms and web browsers.
Which is a better way to start with your React Native App Development or Ionic App Development requirements: Ionic or React Native? Here is an overview of the best frameworks for your project.
React Native is the best choice if:
React Native is already running on your website or application. React is one of your development teamโs specialties. Dependencies on native platforms are crucial to your project. Your project will be developed at your pace and you have the time to invest. The extensive development expenses can already be met with a flexible budget or enough funds.
Ionic is the best choice if:
Your idea for a new application has just been developed and you plan on launching a start-up. MVP development is crucial for raising funds for your business. If you consider competitions, you need to take into account the development time. In order to get the most value out of the digital market, you have the same idea as your competitor. A tight budget is keeping development costs to a minimum for you.
With Orion Infosolutions, as a React Native App Development Company in India and Ionic Development Company in India share thoughts that the Ionic framework would be the best choice for applications based on video streaming, P2P marketplaces, social media, and fitness applications. React Native is a great solution if youโre looking for a lightweight yet powerful app thatโs fast and responsive, and you have the budget and time.
DC Kumawat is the CEO of Orion InfoSolutions, a leading provider of IT solutions to businesses of all sizes. He has over 14+ years of experience in the IT industry. He is a passionate advocate for the use of technology to improve business performance.