Ionic Vs React Native: Which Is Better and Why?

Lets discuss about Ionic Vs React Native

1. Native and hybrid apps

Native applications are developed in the language required for the platform, such as Java, Objective-C, Swift, etc. The code is not shared across platforms and therefore there is a big difference between its behavior on different platforms. The app can directly access all functions of the platform without restrictions.

Hybrid apps are websites integrated with mobile apps via WebView. They are based on HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript and run the same code on different platforms. They can use the native features of the device with the help of tools such as PhoneGap and Cordova.

2. Ionic

The Ionic framework was developed in 2015 by the software provider Drifty Co. for Apache Cordova. The main goal of this framework was to develop hybrid software with performance similar to native solutions. Ionic is based on software like SaSS, CSS, HTML, and Angular 1 framework. Ionic boasts an extremely advanced GUI and CLI that can launch a variety of functions.

Developers using this framework do not need to use third-party solutions as it is seamlessly integrated into the software. It helps developers to easily create standard UI functions for mobile apps. The Ionic framework is perfect for writing once and running anywhere. ionic you may not need to worry about platform specific issues.

A hybrid application can run the same code regardless of the platform. Ionic can do that. You can customize some of your behaviors depending on the platform. For example, if you use tabs, they appear at the top of the screen on Android and at the bottom of the screen on iOS.

Ionic is based on Angular, a JavaScript framework, and uses HTML for web views. Since views and logic are clearly separated, it conforms to the MVC pattern. You will be more familiar with Ionic as it uses classic HTML and CSS.

Ionic allows developers to preview the app instantly in a browser and on mobile devices. If you make changes to the app, you can see the results just by refreshing the screen.

3. React Native

Facebook’s React Native has made a splash in the mobile app development industry. It is a complete JS framework that allows developers to create cross-platform software that resembles native applications. The best thing about the React Native framework is that it uses native components for the frontend and does not require a browser, which has a positive impact on the application’s performance.

It is managed by a strong community of developers who help beginners to speed up the development process. Any issues with React Native can be resolved quickly if discussed with many developers in the community. Developing a mobile app in the React Native framework is done with JavaScript and therefore you can share the code between different platforms. However, React Native uses native components, which means the user experience is closer to other native apps, resulting in better performance.

React Native wants developers to use components that follow the platform’s native behavior. For example, you cannot use the same toolbar for Android and iOS. With React Native, you can offer users a seamless experience.

React Native is based on a JavaScript framework called React and uses code similar to HTML. However, it’s called JSX because it mixes the display logic with the business logic. Although most developers are familiar with JSX, the main problem arises when working with a team of designers. Editing templates and writing CSS is not easy as JSX rules are a bit different. Developers need to learn how to interface with JSX components as it is brand new.

React Native allows developers to see changes as they are made without having to recompile or rebuild. You get instant feedback with little effort.

Ionic Vs React Native: Which is better?

Mobile app developers often struggle when it comes to choosing the right framework for mobile app development. Well, it depends on a number of factors such as user requirements, project, developer skills and much more. These frameworks do different things and work just as well. It’s hard to say which framework is better than the other. Both frameworks are compatible with Android and iOS.

Both Ionic and React Native have a healthy ecosystem as they inherit the community they are based on.

If I had to give my personal opinion, I would recommend – React Native. The reason for this is that apps in React Native are extremely fast and responsive. Although Ionic is easier to learn than React Native, we have to say that React Native offers an excellent programming environment that is closer to native app development.

If we look at it from a developer’s perspective, React Native offers a better solution and speeds up the app development process without sacrificing the quality of your mobile app.

Choosing which of the two frameworks is better depends on your needs. You cannot declare one frame the winner over the other. Evaluate Ionic and React Native based on your personal criteria using the comparison above before coming to a conclusion. Conclusion. There are also other cross-platform app development frameworks like NativeScript, PhoneGap, Xamarin, etc. My advice is to try both frameworks, pick one and build the best app with it.

Ionic Vs React Native — Tabular Comparison