It is not a hard-hitting fact but choosing the right technology can affect the cost of app development. Looking at the types of the app development process they can be mainly divided into two categories. First would be native development which is obviously more expensive. In native development, the applications are made independently for different platforms i.e Android and iOS. And, the later is Hybrid Development which encompasses React Native as a whole including multiple other frameworks.
In Hybrid Development, the developers are creating practically the same code for all the platforms. This does not include the backend code since Hybrid development for apps generally includes frontend. It is important to mention that since it takes a whole lot of time for the developers to come with an independent frontend that too from scratch. The reason we are discussing this is because it makes your app development affordable in a crux. Although, there are a plethora of frameworks and it is essential for us to support our case for React Native. There should be definite reasons why a customer should choose one over the other. Therefore, to get to the bottom of the matter read ahead.
P.S: By platforms, we majorly mean Android and iOS considering that apps are generally developed for either these two or the web.
About React Native
React Native can easily be called the next iteration of ReactJS. Just like the later, it was also quite popular. In essence, both of them are a product of Facebook. Although, stopping at that would make the difference a little less. On one hand, ReactJS allowed you to build applications using Javascript, React Native is an entire platform. It uses native components to render its code while ReactJS code was treated more like a browser code. The distinction can mostly be accounted to the difference of app experience. ReactJS allowed the same but the experience with React Native applications feels a little more authentic considering its a complete package.
The initial version of React Native dropped in the year 2015, March 26. Just like most of the frameworks, this one is also an open-source mobile application framework. The current repository of the framework is being maintained by Facebook and some other individuals & organisations. The frameworks can be used to create Android, iOS, Web, and UWP. It is a great way for the developers to use React along with native capabilities at their disposal.
Features of React Native
Well, we are not shooting blanks here. There are strong and robust reasons why we say that React Native will save costs. Although more than the cost, it is essential to figure the kind of quality this framework can get you. This can only be determined by knowing the most contrasting features that this framework offers.
Note: There is a lot that can be added if we keep the POV of a developer. Although, the list is more layman for anyone with some idea about the tech to understand.
- User Interface/Experience: It is understandable for Facebook to emphasize on it considering it is used for creating user interfaces. It gets the developer so many elements and components to work with for instance Vector Icons, Lottie Wrapper, NativeBase, UI Kitten, and much more. Also, the unidirectional flow all thanks to flux makes it way more of a great choice.
- Programming Language: Well, it is a true argument whether the language is easy but it is surely universal. React Native uses Javascript then it is essentially the most common language that is used worldwide. It can be easily named into the holy trinity of web development languages other two being HTML and CSS. Any person who had at any point of time worked in web development will surely be aware of how to use it.
- WORA: It is a common abbreviation used for Write Once Read Anywhere. I used it first for Java but today it is for React Native. The fact that its code is shareable makes React Native among the popular choices today. You can practically write the same code for platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows.
- NPM: NPM or Node Package Manager is used to install javascript libraries. With the NPM package for install, it becomes so easy for any beginner to install all the useful components in a go.
- Hot Reload: It is something that a lot of developers and testers are glad to witness. This allows for a developer to check the scripts they have written on the go. Although, this is a pure boon considering you get two separate screens, one of which shows the changes that are brought while you are writing the code.
- Third-Party Library Support: Development is such a wide spectrum that how much harder someone might there might still be something left. Also, Facebook has been blamed overtime for making updates that suit their core reason for maintaining their software. In this situation inclusion of third-party libraries is both a bad and a good thing. Good thing is that you get all additional libraries to bridge those gaps that are left empty. Bad because not all libraries are as optimised as components that come with the frameworks package. It creates a distinction.
- Community: A lot of people who are not from programming may not understand this but the community is a big factor. There are so many hindrances that a developer can phase during his course of development. Having a decent community helps him/her to cope with all the impediments that come the way. Some people have gone through the same and might help you with the block. A better community also means that there will be more third-party libraries that are being developed for the framework. This often improves the longevity of any framework if for some reason the creators decide to shelve it.
- Facebook: I know this doesn’t sound that right but listen to me for a moment. React Native is backed by one of the biggest enterprises in the world. This means that the support for the framework is going anywhere considering that the chances of Facebook going bankrupt are zero to none. Also having such a strong company backing it means that you will be witnessing bigger and more advanced changes over time. Also, even if they decide to completely shelve the framework, there will be something for migrating the code of React Native to one of their latest ventures.
Pros & Cons of Using React Native
Just like anything and everything, React Native has its own set of pros and cons.
Pros:
- The framework provides a plethora of ready-made components. This makes development a lot faster.
- In comparison to many other frameworks, it takes significantly less time to create the same app.
- Code written in React Native caters to multiple platforms at the same time.
- It provides you with features like Hot Reload that lets you test your code on the go.
- Unlike Native Development, React Native requires smaller sized teams.
- The difference in speed is almost unnoticeable in many cases.
- You get a simplified UI. Also, this is why it is a lot easier for many developers to spot a bug.
Cons:
- Despite going through significant changes, it is still an improving framework just like any other. This means that there can sometimes be issues with hot reload, package compatibility error, or anything else for instance.
- One can argue that the framework may still not be complete especially with the lack of custom libraries.
- An application that is developed using React Native still requires native developers at hand to some proportion.
Why does React Native make for an affordable option?
Since we are done proving that it can be a favourable framework for you to develop an application. It is important to discover the real matter at hand i.e. app development cost. It is a highly debatable topic and there can be no generalised answer to this. Therefore, some of the reasons will entirely be based on assumptions backed by the background while other is a question of self-analysis.
The App development cost of any app idea can hugely vary from organisation to organisation. The prices of the applications become way more distinct once app outsourcing is taken into consideration. So suppose you are thinking of getting an app developed from the USA and your other option would be India. It is a general pattern that is seen that the average Indian app company offers prices that are at minimum twice as less. In fact in some cases, the distinction can be as much as five times. I do understand that different quality services expect different prices but other than some standards that every company tries to follow, the determination of quality is an abstract quantity.
One of the major reasons why React Native is often considered an affordable language is because of the time of development. See it is all about the utilization of resources and the time taken to complete something. Suppose if you are going for native development then you need a separate team for Android and iOS. On the other hand, React Native comprises a much smaller team of developers.
Another important factor that one should note is that the language that is used to develop in React Native is Javascript. It is one of the most mainstream languages that is being used in today’s date. Also, it is going nowhere since it has been around more for many decades now. Except for that the community of dedicated React Native is much wider. One can surely debate over Flutter and how good it is(in fact even I might advocate that). Although, on the contrary, the current exhibits more products in React Native. Also, one has a much wider support system.
Contrary to everything that we discussed why one can pay less using React Native. The answer is simple, the framework is being much widely used and it uses Javascript. It is simple economics but things that are easily available and much practised have relatively cheaper prices. This can also be considered the case with React Native.
Overall, it is a well-rounded platform that provides an engaging experience to its users. A lot of people have been comparing it with other frameworks and saying that it’s dead. Although, on the contrary, it has never been. The flow of change happens slowly and steadily. There is always something in the market that is replaced by something better but that doesn’t mean that the existing product can not kickback. It is a resilient and robust framework that lets the developers create great-looking applications with ease and faster than many frameworks. This makes the framework something that saves a whole lot of cost. Also, the cost of supporting your application is also minimal. Therefore choosing React Native for your app development can actually save cost.