NativeScript vs React Native: Which is the Best Platform To Use in 2023?

Hardik Thakker

Published On: July 12, 2023

NativeScript and React Native are both popular frameworks for building cross-platform mobile applications. They have their own set of features and advantages, so the choice between them depends on your specific requirements and preferences.

As the demand for feature-rich, cross-platform mobile app development continues to rise, developers are faced with the challenge of choosing the right framework to build their mobile apps efficiently and effectively.

Two popular choices that often emerge in these discussions are NativeScript and React Native. Here’s a comparison of NativeScript vs React Native to help you make a decision.

Key Takeaways

What is NativeScript?

NativeScript is an open-source framework for building native mobile applications using web technologies such as JavaScript, TypeScript, and CSS. It allows developers to write cross-platform apps that can run on iOS and Android devices from a single codebase.

With NativeScript, developers can leverage their existing web development skills to create mobile apps built with a native look and feel. It allows you to access native APIs and UI components, allowing developers for mobile app development services that can access device features and functionality.

The key concept behind NativeScript is that it uses a runtime bridge to translate JavaScript code into native code during runtime. This means that the mobile apps are not running inside a WebView or a browser container, but as a truly native application, which can deliver better performance and user experience compared to hybrid or web-based approaches.

NativeScript supports a wide range of UI frameworks, including Angular, Vue.js, and React, enabling web developers to choose the mobile app development framework they are most comfortable with. It provides a set of pre-built UI components and plugins that can be easily integrated into the application.

NativeScript provides a powerful solution for building native mobile apps and cross-platform mobile applications with a native user experience, leveraging web technologies and existing developer skills.

What is React Native?

React Native is an open-source framework for building mobile applications using JavaScript and React, a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It allows React Native developers to create native mobile apps that can run on both iOS and Android platforms using a single codebase.

This React Native framework typically uses React Native UI components, which means the resulting native like apps are not simply web apps wrapped in a WebView, but rather a true native app that leverages the device’s capabilities.

It achieves this by translating the JavaScript code into native code, which provides a high-performance user interface and access to device features such as mobile device camera, GPS, and accelerometer.

The core idea behind React Native is “learn once, write anywhere.” Developers familiar with React can use their existing skills to deal with mobile development, eliminating the need to learn a platform-specific programming language or framework.

React Native also enables real native code reuse, where a significant portion of the codebase can be shared between Android and iOS apps, reducing development time and effort.

React Native offers a powerful solution for developing cross-platform mobile applications, combining the benefits of native performance and code reusability, while providing a familiar and productive development experience for JavaScript developers.

React Native vs NativeScript: Advantages and Disadvantages

NativeScript and React Native frameworks are popular for building cross-platform mobile applications. While they have similarities, there are also distinct advantages and disadvantages to consider when choosing between them.

Let’s explore each framework:

Advantages of React Native Framework

• Wide Community Support: React Native has a vast and active community of developers, which means you can find extensive documentation, tutorials, and even third-party libraries. This support network can be helpful when troubleshooting issues or seeking advice.
• Code Reusability: React Native allows you to write code once and deploy it on both iOS and Android platforms. This code reusability can significantly reduce development time and effort.
• Hot Reloading: React Native offers hot reloading, which enables mobile app developers to see the changes they make in real-time without recompiling the entire application. It enhances the development experience and speeds up iteration cycles.
• Performance: React Native bridges the gap between native and web development. It utilizes native components and optimizes performance, providing an experience similar to that of a native application.
• Third-Party Component Ecosystem: React Native has a robust ecosystem of third-party components and libraries, allowing developers to leverage existing solutions and save development time.

Disadvantages of React Native

• Native Dependencies: While React Native supports many native features out of the box, there may be cases where you need to integrate specific native components or write Native modules quickly. This mobile app development process can be challenging for React Native developers and may require additional setup and configuration for developing React Native apps.
• Limited Custom UI Components: While React Native provides a wide range of UI native platform components, there might be instances where you require custom UI elements. Building such components might be more complex and time-consuming.
• Performance Limitations: Although React Native is a cross-platform app development that offers excellent performance for most applications. But React Native lacks certain resource-intensive tasks or complex animations might not perform as well as in fully native applications.

Advantages of NativeScript

• Full Native API Access: NativeScript provides full access to build native mobile apps with APIs (iOS and Android APIs) and capabilities of the underlying platforms, allowing developers to create highly customized and performant native mobile app development.
• Native UI Components: With NativeScript, you can use native UI components directly in your Native app development. This allows you to take advantage of the platform-specific look and feel, resulting in a more seamless user experience.
• Code Sharing: NativeScript enables code sharing between web and mobile applications by leveraging existing web development skills. This can be particularly beneficial if you have an existing web application and want to extend it to mobile platforms.
• Angular and TypeScript Support: NativeScript has excellent integration with Angular and TypeScript, providing a structured and scalable approach to mobile app development for developers familiar with these technologies.

Disadvantages of NativeScript

• Smaller Community: Compared to React Native, NativeScript has a smaller community, which means you might find fewer resources and community support.
• Learning Curve: NativeScript requires developers to have a good understanding of the platform-specific APIs and concepts, which might have a steeper learning curve compared to React Native.
• Performance Optimization: While NativeScript apps can achieve seamless app performance, optimizing performance might require additional effort and expertise, as you have direct access to the native iOS and Android apps.

Ultimately, the choice between React Native and NativeScript depends on your specific project requirements, existing skill set, and preferences.

React Native apps are more suitable if you prioritize code reusability and a larger community, while NativeScript might be a better fit if you require fine-grained control over the native APIs and a seamless integration with Angular and TypeScript.

NativeScript vs React Native: Project Setup

NativeScript and React Native are both popular frameworks for building mobile applications. While React Native uses JavaScript and React, NativeScript allows you to build mobile apps using JavaScript, TypeScript, or Angular.

When it comes to project setup, there are some differences between NativeScript and React Native. Let’s go through the basic steps for setting up a project in each framework:

NativeScript Project Setup

Step 1: Install Node.js

Ensure that Node.js is installed on your system as NativeScript requires it to run. You can download Node.js from the official website and follow the installation instructions.

Step 2: Install NativeScript CLI

Open a terminal or command prompt and install the NativeScript command line interface globally by running the following command:

Step 3: Create a new NativeScript project

Once the CLI is installed, you can create a new NativeScript project using the following command:

This will create a new directory named my-app-name containing the basic project structure.

Step 4: Select project template

NativeScript provides different project templates to choose from, such as “Blank,” “SideDrawer,” “TabView,” etc. After creating the project, you will be prompted to select a template.

Step 5: Navigate to project directory

Change your current directory to the project directory you just created:

Step 6: Add platform(s)

NativeScript allows you to create apps for multiple platforms. You can add the desired platform(s) using the following command:

Replace with the desired platform, such as Android or iOS.

Step 7: Build and run the app

Finally, you can build and run your NativeScript app on a connected device or emulator using the following command:

Replace with the target platform (e.g., android or ios).

React Native Project Setup

Step 1: Install Node.js

Ensure that Node.js is installed on your system, as React Native requires it to run. You can download Node.js from the official website and follow the installation instructions.

Step 2: Install React Native CLI

Open a terminal or command prompt and install the React Native CLI globally by running the following command:

Step 3:Create a new React Native project

Once the CLI is installed, you can create a new React Native project using the following command:

This will create a new directory named my-app-name containing the basic project structure.

Step 4: Navigate to project directory

Change your current directory to the project directory you just created:

Step 5: Start the development server

Run the following command to start the Metro Bundler, which is the development server for React Native:

Step 6: Add platform(s)

React Native allows you to develop for multiple platforms. You can add the desired platform(s) by following the platform-specific setup instructions provided by React Native.

Step 7: Build and run the app

Once the platform-specific setup is complete, you can build and run your React Native app using the commands provided in the React Native documentation for each platform.

These are the basic steps for setting up a project in NativeScript and React Native. Remember to consult the official documentation and platform-specific guides for more detailed instructions and additional configuration options.

NativeScript vs. React Native: The Comparison Table

NativeScript vs React Native: Which is the Best To Use in 2023?

After read our comparison guide on NativeScript vs React Native we can say that ultimately, the best framework for your project depends on your priorities.

If performance and native look-and-feel are crucial, NativeScript might be a good fit. On the other hand, if you prefer a larger community and a familiar JavaScript development experience, React Native could be a better choice.

Consider your project requirements, team expertise, and long-term goals to make an informed decision.

At Albioirx Technology, we focus on understanding the basic requirements of our global clients and render them suitable NativeScript or React Native app development solutions. Get in touch with our mobile app developers to get best app development solutions.