Frameworks- Ionic 2 vs React Native vs Native Script

January 28, 2019

We exist in the technologically advanced period where we can complete a task in several ways. This applies to the app development process as well. Programmers develop a bundle of various theories and technologies every day, thus evading all the old techniques. Everybody including the significant tech giants adapts to these changes. Ionic 2, React Native and Native Script are some of the frameworks for Mobile App Development.  It is imperative to stay updated in this rapidly changing ecosystem.

Hybrid Applications

To build hybrid applications, mobile development companies are using the most advanced technologies that will best suit their needs. To construct a multi-platform based mobile app the developers can choose between ionic 2 vs. React Native vs. Native Script. Before picking up the right technology, it is essential to know the various features, pros, and cons of them. You can build dynamic, cross-platform applications using these technologies. These Frameworks uses JavaScript as the basis for their programming.

Technology in Mobile app development

Mobile app development has turned out to be the mainstream of a business model. So utilizing the right technology plays a significant role in the success of an app. Flexibility factor is the vital point to note while choosing a technology. Cross-platform apps can run on diverse platforms employing the same code base which appeals to many programmers. It is a must to decide on the mobile app approach before determining the technology. You can choose between native apps which are a standalone package which you can right away install in the mobile device. You can go for hybrid apps which are a combination of native and web-based applications. The advancement in mobile technology and HTML5 CSS, the differences between mobile apps and native applications have substantially reduced. Because of this, ideal implementing technology can deliver an optimal product.

Let us see the battle between Ionic 2 vs. React Native vs. Native Script.

 Ionic 2

The recent signs of progress have empowered programmers. They create robust applications and provide users with access to essential tools for collaboration, scheduling, or forecasting. Owing to these features the recent progress is the creation of Ionic 2 Framework. Ionic framework lies on top of the Cordova for developing cross-platform apps. In this technology, the Cordova extends the typical JavaScript API with new APIs known as Cordova plugins. These plugins provide access to the assets of OS that are not accessible through a browser.

You can ideally build it once and then implement it through various platforms. The capability to build mobile-friendly HTML, CSS and JS CSS components have made this framework popular among the developers. The visual elements in Ionic 2 are based on Android’s real design. It is crucial to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the framework before you choose to use it.

Pros of Ionic 2:

  •    Free and open source
  •    Code re-utilization
  •    A programming language for ios and Android devices
  •    Can employ server-side technologies as well.
  •    Plugin availability.

Cons of Ionic 2:

  •    Performance issues due to a substantial number of callbacks.
  •    Not much appealing to the users when native user interfaces preferred.
  •    Developing collaborative conversions or innovative graphics is quite hard.

React Native

This specific framework is for the objective of developing universal apps using React JS library to build dynamic UIs. An active community of developers back React Native. The code written using React Native is not platform specific. The principle behind is “write once run wherever you want”. The script coded using React Native is packaged as specific native UI modules in the mobile application. JavaScript remains as the fundamental app building logic, and the code eventually handles using the JS engine. Because of the DOM elements, developers execute  UI first instead of the logic. Therefore, React Native definitely requires a lot of learning struggles but concurrently they deliver higher quality apps.

Pros of React Native:

  •     You can use the same set of codes to build multi-platform applications
  •    When compared to the Ionic, without the usage of Cordova, this delivers higher quality performance.
  •    Dedicated Platform for processing
  •     You can manage Projects effortlessly.
  •    Follows strict design and development patterns without compromising quality
  •    Stable and reliable.
  •    Simple learning curve
  •    App delivery is quick

Cons of React Native:

  •    The coder might have to possess extensive knowledge while migrating the code from HTML to native.
  •    Suitable only for those performance-based apps.

Native Script:

NativeScript is used to build traditional native applications. NativeScript is not on top of any technology, and it is used to develop apps. The native functionality gets applied automatically to the apps when creating with NativeScript. You can even append CSS codes to alter the look and feel of the native components while developing. When the application has too many dynamic components, NativeScript performs better than the Ionic Apps as expected.  NativeScript has a huge source of plugins to download and work. You can also increase the development speed as and when required. NativeScript offers you 100% access to native APIs. There is no web view applied to alter the UI layouts. So the native UI components are retained as much as possible. There are four framework choices: JavaScript, Typescript, Angular and Vue with NativeScript available to choose.

Pros of Native Script:

  •    Actual native app building framework.
  •    Practical usage of the JavaScript framework.
  •    The freedom to access domestic API resources.
  •    Handles the platform variances well.

Cons of Native Script:

  •    The frequency of releases makes it sturdy and unstable.
  •    Consumes time while testing.
  •    The absence of the hot-reload feature.
  •    Lack of better tools & resources.
  •    Size of the app is huge.

In the end, the choice of the best framework entirely depends on the category of App and user requirements. Factors like performance, development time, utilization of resources, tools, components, speed, size, etc. must be considered before deciding on the framework. Even though they are meant for the same objective, they are the same. Considering all of these aspects including the cost involved the users have to make a wise choice.  We are indeed here to help you to choose the ideal one. Contact Us if you have further questions. Thanks!

 

Written by Shveta Tavani

January 28, 2019

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