As thousands of applications are launched on Google Play store and Apple app store, the demand for business-specific mobile application development is booming huge. Whether it is for iOS or Android platform, the ultimate success of your mobile app depends on the cross-platform technology in use and the development standards to be maintained.
Though Java, Objective-C and Swift were used to write applications in past, the new cross-platform development tools that are making enormous buzz are React Native and Xamarin.
Recently, the question of react native vs xamarin performance has come to interest people active in mobile app development arena. These frameworks not only stimulated the era of highly engaging and performance-oriented mobile apps, but they also transforms coding phenomenon, simplifies development cycle and emerges cost effective for modern businesses.
So who is superior to the other? In the below section of xamarin vs native, we are embarking on finding the answer and will discuss how to make an informed decision.
Xamarin at a Glance
Xamarin was launched in May 2011 and was acquired later by Microsoft. Xamarin was intended for addressing the prevalent issue of disconnected technology to facilitate the native app development using its open source platform.
The framework uses C# language that functions seamlessly across multitude of platforms (Android, iOS, and Windows). Due to its ability to write native UI codebase for mobile app development, more than 1.4 million developers were using Xamarin in the first quarter of the year 2017.
Used by many popular brands, this cross platform app development framework offers competitiveness in building exceptional native app interfaces that effectively surpasses the limitations of hybrid apps.
React Native at a Glance
Introduced by Facebook in 2015, React Native stands out as a cross platform app development technology due to the fact that it uses JavaScript to develop a native mobile app.
The annual survey by Stack Overflow confirms that JavaScript is one of the most illustrious technologies mainly because it involves steel learning curve for developers.
Xamarin vs React Native 2018: Which One Feels Better and When?
When it comes to making a candid, unbiased comparison between React Native and Xamarin cross-platform native app development frameworks, both seems to surpass each other in many situations. Here is what you need to know about their working standard before you can pick the one.
1) Cross-Platform Development Environment
While discussing xamarin vs native, one can easily discover how Xamarin cross platform provides immense flexibility in terms of development environment.
Once can build and compile a code for different platforms with Xamarin unlike React Native that does not offer similar support unless via Expo. However, Expo may not be as powerful since it also has limited support capability.
2) Code Deployment
Xamarin developers will need to opt for compilation to generate an executable file to be tested later on emulator or a device. This process takes good amount of time depending on how complex the project is.
React Native on the other hand enables you to save the code and see results instantly using “hot module replacement”.
Read Also: React Native App Development Company in UK
3) The Question of Choices
Being a JavaScript expert, you will find it easy to get started with building native apps with React Native.
On the other hand, if you are conversant with Microsoft-owned C# expertise, then Xamarin would be the most appropriate choice as you can build iOS and Android apps using C#.
4) Accessibility and Availability
React Native is fully open source framework, so you can use it for building applications for tablet, iOS and Android.
However, when thinking about Xamarin, you need to spend some amount since its free version offers limited resources and features especially for enterprise-grade app development.
5) React native vs Xamarin Performance
As far as React Native vs Xamarin performance goes, significant factors like GUI, 64-bit support and fast code execution matter most.
Xamarin emerges more beneficial for the fact that it allows developers to run the code fastest on both iOS and Android platforms.
It provides full range of support for 64-bit mode and enables rapid UI development because of direct access to native tools.
This factor is not much favourable for React Native as it does not support 64-bit mode on Android completely. Additionally, it gets worse for iOS where it appears to run code at dissatisfying speed.
6) Advanced Capabilities For Development
Xamarin vs React Native must include this critical factor that focuses on which among Xamarin and native offers advanced development capabilities.
Usually, this one goes in favour of React Native as it is JavaScript based and offers more features, making the process more convenient for mobile app developers.
Xamarin, on the other hand, enjoys the reputation of being a legacy or classic tool that does not contain as many snazzy or evolved features in Android studio as carried by JavaScript framework.
Some of them might be automatic restarting, cold swapping code, instant updates, etc.
7) Testing Capabilities
Though you can perform UI testing on both platforms, it is easier for Xamarin developers to do unit testing in Xunit and debug in Xcode Simulator for iOS.
However, with React Native you are compelled to debug in the Android Emulator where issues are likely to occur.
8) Brand Users
React Native has brand users such as Facebook, Instagram, Airbnb, Walmart, Skype whereas Xamarin is used by big names such as Slack, Siemens, Honeywell.
Who Wins the Battle?
Even after exploring all the pros and cons of React Native and Xamarin, it is not easy to conclude that one s better than the other. Developers can decide it based on how accustomed they are with a specific framework.
The Xamarin vs React Native battle is subject to certain aspects of development, maintenance, code sharing and testing, and developer’s personal experience and preferences.
But developers who is familiar with .NET and C# may choose xamarin cross-platform app development. It is after all a matter of opinion as the entire community of developers are split between both frameworks.
Hence, the ultimate choice comes down to what framework a developer is quite comfortable with. No matter what you decide, the native-like look and feel, performance, quality and usability of the end product must come into focus when telling which one wins the battle for you.