React Native vs Ionic: Best Mobile App Development Framework In 2023

Statistics suggest that as of July 2023, 56.96% of all website traffic is from mobile devices. This is why more and more businesses are focusing on developing mobile applications. With the increased focus on cost reduction, more people are looking to develop cross-hybrid apps. This has led to the emergence of new technologies and frameworks including React Native and Ionic. But, which framework should your development team use? To help you out, the following article discusses React Native vs Ionic to help you decide the framework for your mobile application.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s jump right into it and help you understand these frameworks to choose one.

Ionic Framework

Before we discuss React Native vs Ionic, let us discuss what Ionic is all about.

Ionic is an open-source UI toolkit that helps develop mobile applications and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) with the help of web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The framework helps create fast, well-performing, and high-quality cross-platform applications.

The framework is also popular because developers can quickly develop an application with Ionic. When used with HTML, CSS, and JS, Ionic helps create a mobile application that looks good across different platforms. This is why Ionic’s objective is said to be – “write once, use everywhere” and is one of the most prominent reasons for its popularity. Because, developers need to create only one app that can work on multiple platforms.

Since Ionic lets developers share the same code, it helps save time and development costs. However, Ionic apps are web-first applications meaning developers need to put in extra effort to include native features like camera, GPS, etc. So, developers must often install plugins to realize native features in their applications.

Ionic’s ability to speed the development process, quickly develop applications with the help of technologies like HTML, CSS, and JS, and the possibility to install native features makes it an excellent option for building hybrid applications.

Ionic Framework Advantages

Before you hire Ionic developers, you should know the advantages of the framework as listed below:-

1. Native-Style UI Components – Ionic has several out-of-the-box UI elements that allows developers to build native styled apps on each platform.
2. Fast Testing Process – Ionic allows developers to quickly test the application on the browser without any heavy emulator loading.
3. Easy Documentation – With very simple and easy documentation, Ionic’s configuration and development process is easy to understand. The framework is well-written and structured to allow developers quick access to resources.
4. Easy To Learn – If you have proper knowledge of React, Angular, and Vue, it will be easy for you to learn Ionic.

React Native Framework

React Native is an open-source library that allows developers to build cross-platform applications. You can also build native apps with React code on React Native as the framework uses the same engine as React.

Another advantage is that React Native provides components that are JavaScript wrappers around their counterparts in native apps. After compilation, these apps are truly native and mimic applications developed using XCode or Android Swift. Most developers prefer to use React Native for the same reason as devices can render and use the application more effectively and provide a similar experience.

You will also find a rich component library that has a different design language for each platform. This is why React is said to be a “Learn Once and Write Everywhere” technology that can be used to develop applications that seem native to both Android and iOS.

React Native Advantages

Before we get deeper into React Native vs Ionic, let us look at the benefits you can leverage when you use React Native for your app development:-

1. Use Of JavaScript – React Native allows developers to JavaScript and use native modules in Java, Kotlin, Swift, or Objective C.
2. Faster Performance – Since React Native directly compiles native APIs, they offer faster app performance. Most developers prefer React Native because they help boost app performance, while taking care of the app’s UI design.
3. Hot Reloading – An important feature of React Native, hot reloading means that developers can add the latest version to existing apps without any change in its state.
4. Lesser Development Costs – Since React Native is completely open-source, developers can use the framework and its libraries without paying for it.

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React Native vs Ionic – The Similarities

Before we jump right into the comparisons and debate React Native vs Ionic, it is important to check the similarities.

From the viewpoint of developing mobile applications, both frameworks offer similar solutions. For example, both React Native and Ionic allow developers to create and build mobile applications that offer an experience similar to native apps.

React Native vs Ionic – The Differences

We hope the above sections offered a clear concept of what React Native and Ionic is. Now, let’s proceed to the React Native vs Ionic debate and discuss the differences between both platforms.

Popularity

According to the developer survey 2020, approximately 86% of developers choose Ionic SDKs, while a mere 16% of developers choose React Native SDKs for enterprise app development. Moreover, about 72% of developers use Ionic’s libraries, frameworks, and tools and 21% of developers choose React Native.

On the other hand, the 2022 Stack Overflow survey shows that React Native is more popular than Ionic (12.5% vs 5.2%). So, it is quite clear that although Ionic is widely used in companies, React Native is highly popular, possibly because Ionic is relatively new to the industry.

Ease Of Learning

Beginners with no knowledge of React must learn JavaScript and React before jumping into React Native. This is mainly because React Native operates similarly as React and is mostly used to develop mobile applications.

Since Ionic is flexible, Ionic developers must know HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and any web framework. Your preferred framework can be Vue, React, Knockout, Angular, or anything else.

To break it down in simple terms, developers using Ionic develop web apps that can be easily transformed into mobile applications. This approach is quite different compared to that of React Native’s and can help developers tackle both web apps and mobile apps at one go.

Performance

Since React Native is closer to native apps, the rendering and compilation might be faster. However, you will need to set a much larger budget as your development team will need to write different codes based on the platform.

Ionic’s hybrid approach helps users rapidly prototype applications but does not cater to the needs of native applications. This can create a performance issue due to latency from multiple callbacks in native apps. However, a simple solution is Ionic’s Cordova plugin that allows developers to easily access and use native features.

Third-Party Integration

React Native has a wide variety of libraries and third-party plugins to handle multiple scenarios. However, integrating these on React Native might be quite difficult.

The Ionic framework also has a huge library that allows developers to easily find Ionic plugins. Moreover, it is much easier to create bespoke modules on Ionic that makes it quite advantageous over React Native.

React Native vs Ionic – A Tabular View Of Comparisons

Conclusion

It is quite difficult to conclude the React Native vs Ionic debate as both of these are currently the industry’s best frameworks. But, your project’s development needs and functionalities will influence the best platform for you.

You need to be clear with your app objectives before choosing React Native vs Ionic. We recommend getting in touch with a company offering professional Ionic development services and React Native help to ensure you have got the right pick.

So, what are you waiting for? Pick your preferred framework and get started with building your application.