Why Should Startups Choose React Native Over Hybrid Apps?

The discussion around React Native vs Hybrid apps for startups has been doing the rounds ever since 2015 – the first time we heard of React Native. The debate is not of which platform is more efficient but of which is more suited for startups’ business needs: Faster time to market, efficient quality, and low cost of development. 

There is a section of software engineers who vouches that hybrid apps are developed much more quickly and in a very inexpensive mode because it involves web developers and not native mobile app developers. They praise how it takes less time investment and promises to make businesses a brand present on all mobile devices while saving on time to create multiple code versions. 

Now. It’s all absolutely true. Here are the many benefits of choosing hybrid apps that businesses swear upon – 

• They get to reach a wider audience on multiple platforms 
• They get to develop an offline version of the app
• The apps do not need advanced graphics performance such as ones needed by native applications. 

Hybrid apps give you everything that you read above up to the level of exactness. 

But have you ever thought at what cost? At what cost do the pros and cons of hybrid mobile apps become worth investing in?

When you take into consideration the compromises that your startup will have to face in the sense of features and performances that your users expect, the overall dire impact of choosing hybrid apps becomes prominent and the many limitations of hybrid apps surface. 

You will have to ask yourself a few prominent questions before you make an investment in hybrid app development:

• Does your user really wish to use an application that is unresponsive and slow?
• If you are on iOS, would you want to use an application that looks like an Android app? 
• If you are on Android, would you want to spend time in an application that looks and operates like an iOS application? 

The answer is an obvious no, right? 

The issue of choosing Hybrid app development for startups does not just end here. There are a number of pressing issues that mark the difference between a native app and hybrid app.

Issues Associated With Hybrid App Development

1. Low performance

A comparison between Native and Hybrid apps shows just how far behind Hybrid lacks in terms of performance when compared to Native.

Hybrid apps introduce an additional layer between source code and the targeted mobile platform: An expected result of this is a loss of performance. 

While it varies from one application to another – how evident the difference would be – the fact that Facebook migrated their app from HTML5 to React Native says a lot. This is just one example of the scope of a difference it can bring to large-scale applications. 

2. Difficult debugging

The extra layer that Hybrid app creation introduces makes the debugging process a complete nightmare. The mobile app developers have to rely on the framework to play around with targeted operating systems in the hope that no new bugs are introduced in their application. 

On the other side, since it is less likely that the developers would carry a complete understanding of the chosen platform, finding out the exact reason behind the issue can be pretty lengthy. 

3. User management

When you request the clients to create an account and sign in whenever they load your application, you’ll struggle to gather utilization and performance metrics which could improve your application. Then again, on other hand, adding a sign in screen each time the user loads your application could restrict engagement and increase the bounce rates.

 4. Lacks 3D support and graphics

If you need any 3D component or eye-catching graphic design on your application. At that point the native application is the better decision on the grounds that the hybrid applications won’t have eye-catching illustrations and 3D support. If you want to have 3D support on hybrid applications, then developers need to put forth an extra effort to fulfill the design quality gap with the assistance of third party tools like Unity 3D.

5. Challenge in adding the latest features

One of the sure-shot ways of startup success is to stand at the very center of progress and make use of all upcoming software capabilities and features set. But sadly, one of the biggest disadvantages of Hybrid apps is that it is extremely difficult to add new features and capabilities in the Hybrid framework. 

So where does this leave the entrepreneurs who are tight on a budget and are not ready to make a Native app investment? 

Well, this is where React Native mobile app comes in and provides a clear native and hybrid app difference for startup debate. 

Here are the ways React Native has killed Hybrid apps for good – at least for startups who have now refused to ignore quality over cost and time benefits. Ones who chose to take React Native’s side in the comparison between React Native & Hybrid apps.

Here are the points that fall under React Native Framework’s kitty in the React Native vs Hybrid apps for startups discussion. Points which act as reasons for why create react native apps.

Top 10 React Native Benefits

1. React native cross-platform apps look and function like native applications

The Native framework uses the same react native components platform which the native iOS or Android app languages make us of. 

Hybrid apps, on the other hand, are simply a web view that is wrapped in a native container that runs and behaves like a web app. When we talk about the difference between native app and hybrid app for startups, the traditional hybrid app frameworks don’t stand anywhere near the smooth UX and speed offering that React Native apps come with.

Even the most well-designed and slick web application would never be as smooth as after react native UI development. 

2. React native enables sharing of a single-codebase between iOS and Android

One of the main reasons why startups choose React Native is because of its write once run on multiple platforms nature. One of the primal features of the React Native framework makes it possible to give startups a high performing application with half the time and cost restrictions that Native apps come with. At Appinventiv, we have built a number of React Native apps, and we are always in awe of how more than 80% of the code can be shared between iOS and Android versions of the app, making the process extremely time and cost-efficient. 

3. React Native uses ReactJS’s programming model

One of the biggest benefits of React native app development is that at its core, it is a JavaScript framework that shares the programming model with the famous ReactJS web language. 

The conceptual framework that is used to develop ReactJS web apps comes in use when creating React Native apps. The startup benefit in this situation is the fact that they only have to invest in one developer instead of three: Android, iOS, and web developers. 

4. React native framework for external integration and shared knowledge.

Ever since its official release in 2015, React Native has gained rapid awareness and interest in the developers’ community. React native framework comes with a rich open-source ecosystem for external integration and shared knowledge. It took no time to become the market leader in the new-gen of cross-platform app development. 

One of the main frictions that the majority of react native app development company faced was in terms of integrating third-party systems or creating custom UI control that was not supported in React Native natively. 

But luckily, the quick adoption of the React Native framework has resulted in more third-party integrations in the recent time. 

5. React native backs some of the top apps of the marketplace

There can hardly be a stronger point in the React Native vs Hybrid apps for startups debate than the fact that React Native backs some of the biggest apps of the world: Instagram, Facebook, Tesla, Bloomberg, Walmart, etc. The extent of React Native adoption across a wide industry spectrum is a direct signal of its permanence. 

6. Comes with components that enable hybrid apps to render natively

Gone is the time of WebView component dominance. The reality of today is React Native’s building squares which are reusable local segments that get together in locales. The elements and components that you would normally use in Android and iOS are already there in React Native to give you that consistent look and functioning. 

This section based structure empowers a React Native development company (in different areas like Texas, California, etc.) to fabricate the apps with a quicker, web-style way for dealing with progression. For example, companies with app development using react native in Texas provide a high degree of code reuse with prevailing UI which follows each platform’s style guide and best practices. The end result of it all is a swift application that comes backed with the expediency of the local portable system.

7. React native is synonymous with an intuitive user interface (UI)

Compared to other JavaScript frameworks like React or Angular, React Native is more exclusive to mobile. The resulting UI of the React Native application development is one that is extremely responsive and fluid – all thanks to the asynchronous JavaScript connections that are present in the native environment. For a startup app development company, it means that the application has a rapid load time and smooth feel compared to hybrid applications.

8. Enables third-party plugin connectivity with no-glitch experience

One of the major reasons for choosing React Native for startup app development is the presence of several third-party integrations. They enable startups to not rely on WebView for performing functions. For instance, if you wish to add Google Maps in the application, React Native will let you connect the plugin using the native module. 

9. The framework is immensely budget-friendly 

When running a startup, cost crunch remains the primal cause of concern behind every startup app development solutions. The fact that react native app development services revolve around a single codebase and multi-platform capability, the time it takes to build a react native application is much less. The less development time in the software world is equal to the low development cost. 

10. Reusable native component

The WebView part that is utilized to create hybrid mobile applications is currently of no use. React native app developers are currently creating blocks with the reusable ‘native components’ that can be aggregated directly to the native applications. Besides, React Native has counterparts of the components and elements utilized in iOS and Android application development.

Thus, this enables the designers to create a reliable look, speed, feel, and fundamental functionalities of the native mobile application. The reusable component-specific design permits the developers to land on the web-based development approach- preferred and progressive than the average hybrid application development process.

So here was the story of how React Native has everything that Hybrid apps don’t. And now that you have all the reasons in the world to choose it in the React Native vs Hybrid apps for startups debate, get in touch with the team that can make it possible for you. 

Why Startups Should Choose React Native?

Today, conglomerates like Instagram, Walmart, Airbnb, among others have utilized and are still using React native for their creative applications. React native is famous for some reasons that we will know through the below points.

One time coding

At first, Facebook used the iOS platform to work on a creative idea. After the gigantic achievement in the iOS application, Facebook told a similar React Native development group to stretch out their JavaScript libraries to help Android platforms also.

This implies that similar libraries are rendering for iOS and Android with a similar code base. Thus, the proficient and committed React Native programmers give the framework compatibility for Window and tvOS. Single codebase saves time and resources of the developers without compromising the quality of an app.

Advanced code

JavaScript is the easiest, especially for the novice.

The low coding improvement is another significant characteristic to be considered. Code lines are less in number and short in length. This further cuts the testing time and general opportunity to market. Hence business visionaries hire React Native developers to make mobile application user friendly.

Reusable native components

Cross-platform developers depend on WebView components for enhancing the functionality of native components when it comes to hybrid development. But in React Native, counterparts of native iOS and Android components exist.

Hardware compatibility

For half and half and cross-stage applications, the equipment support for different gadgets running on various platforms is a significant issue. With React Native, your applications don’t totally depend on WebView for every native function. The application can access in-built hardware components of mobile devices like GPS, Maps, Bluetooth, easily. Performance and user experience is excellent.

React Native vs Hybrid – A Comparative Chart

The Final Call

For most startups in many countries like the US, Texas, California, where time and resources are limited, they look up easier options to reach out to more people. But then when they take up projects which are much more complicated than the benefits that hybrid offers, they look up for a react native development company in USA.

Facing a similar issue? Contact our React Native mobile app developers to discuss your project.

FAQs About Why React Native Is Better

Q. What is the difference between React Native and Hybrid Apps?

Unlike hybrid applications, React Native startup apps operate natively, in place of running inside the web view. It means that the React Native apps are not limited to the web-based UI elements which are known to be sluggish when connected with poor JavaScript interpreters. 

Q. What are the advantages of react native for startups?

There are a number of startup benefits that come attached to React Native adoption. Some of the most prominent ones are:

• Low development effort
• Reduced time-to-market
• Lessened mobile app development cost
• A native app-like look and feel 

Q. How React Native has killed Hybrid apps?

The most direct answer to the question is that React Native has killed hybrid apps by offering a performance and quality that is not possible with a framework that runs on WebView components. 

THE AUTHOR

Dileep Gupta

DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER