When you start a business, there is already a lot on your plate that demands your attention. From solidifying your idea to onboarding the right people, and arranging and managing finances, the stockpile of work never seems to end. But among things, technical details like selecting the technology stack and the type of your mobile application are also important.

If done right, a mobile app can help your business increase brand awareness, connect with audiences, bring in leads, get conversions, and also receive customer feedback.

There are 3 billion active Android Smartphone users in the world today. Generally speaking, a major chunk of your audience is likely to be using Android OS. But that doesn’t mean you can ignore the 900 million iPhone users. These iOS device users are also your Target Group (TG) and can play a substantial role in the success or otherwise of your business.

So, if you are confused between getting an Android or an iOS app developed, the right choice is – BOTH.

Does that mean you have to spend double the money and effort to get two apps developed instead of one?
No.

How?
Because you can get a cross-platform application developed.

Such applications render natively on any operating system and give businesses the opportunity to target their entire audience base irrespective of their choice of device.

But again, the decision isn’t so easy. To get a mobile app developed for your business that can be used on different operating systems, you have to pick between two options You can use React Native or get a Hybrid app developed.

Let us take a deep dive into what these two options are and why we recommend picking React Native over hybrid app development!

What are React Native and Hybrid Apps?

React Native is an open-source mobile application development framework. It was developed by Facebook. It is used for developing applications for different mobile operating systems including Android and iOS. React Native enables developers to develop versatile applications as they can employ React along with the capabilities of the Native platform.

Click here – Leveraging React Native to Build High-Performing Mobile Applications

On the other hand, native and web application elements are integrated into hybrid apps. Web applications are for multiple platforms and are available over the internet, while native applications are deployed on a computing system after being developed for a certain platform.

Start-ups and React Native

Having been in the mobile app development industry for over 2 decades and after having developed 50+ applications for businesses across the USA, UK, India, Europe, and the Middle East, I have strong reasons to suggest that React Native is the best option for startups.

React Native is one of the top choices for developers as it combats a lot of the issues that have traditionally plagued cross-platform frameworks. But it is also logical for you to have questions. Can React Native help you reach your business goals with your mobile app?

Can a React Native mobile app offer something that a hybrid app doesn’t?

Below, I have mentioned strong reasons that prove the supremacy of React Native and the fact that it is a great pick for startups looking to get a cross-platform app developed:

1. Single Codebase – Facebook decided to extend its JavaScript libraries to support the Android platform after seeing huge success for iOS apps. Initially, they targeted only the iOS platform for an innovative framework concept. Now, a single codebase is used for iOS and Android and the same libraries provide mobile User Interfaces through React Native.
2. Easy and Advanced Code – Unlike complicated programming languages, JavaScript is quite simple. It’s already ubiquitous and has a huge pool of developers available. React Native has similar characteristics. In React Native, the code lines are short in length and few in number, which ultimately cuts the time to develop and bring products to the market.
3. Reusable Components – In hybrid app development, cross-platform developers depend on components of WebViews to reinforce the functionality of native components. In React Native, the Android components and counterparts of native iOS already exist. These are also available as reusable components for native-like mobile experiences by fulfilling all the expected functionalities.
4. UI Focused – React Native focuses on building a mobile User Interface and thus it seems more like a JavaScript framework than being a JavaScript library. The asynchronous JavaScript works in a purely native environment building flexible and highly responsive mobile UI with smooth interactions.
5. Budget-friendly – While running a start-up, cash stays a critical factor that a company is worried about. Each new business desires to grow quickly and remain competitive in the market longer. By hiring a React Native developer, start-ups can cut down both time and the cost of application development. The code has to be written in JSX only once and then it can be used to develop web, iOS, and Android applications. Organizations will thereby save costs by engaging only the same pool of developers for building web and mobile applications on iOS and Android.
6. Improved User Experience and Security – React Native applications deliver a consistent and improved user experience across all mobile platforms. It provides the users an error-free experience and an adequate loading speed, which can adjust to different screens immediately. JavaScript, being the core development language for the framework, provides a base of efficient and secure code.
7. Cross-platform Capability – With React Native, the companies can use the same code for designing iOS and Android applications. Without incurring any additional expense, the developers can get exact performance outcomes on both platforms. A start-up just needs to find a single competent team of developers who can leverage the strengths of React Native.
8. Third-party Integrations– For start-ups, integrations with third-party applications are extremely important. To enhance the features of the mobile app many additional features can be added to it by using the readily available options in React Native.

Hybrid App Development – Why it is not suitable for start-ups?

1. Inadequate Performance – With hybrid apps, the overall performance of an application is hampered as it adds a layer between the targeted platform and source code. React Native is ahead of hybrid apps primarily due to this.
2. Complicated Debugging – The debugging process in hybrid apps is very complex due to that additional layer. To use the operating system, the developers will have to depend on the framework. The developers need not necessarily carry an exact understanding of the chosen platform which can lead to longer debugging cycles.
3. Difficulty in Adding New Features – For the success of a start-up, it is important to make use of all upcoming software capabilities and features. One of the biggest drawbacks of a hybrid app is that it is extremely difficult to add new features and capabilities in the Hybrid framework.

Final Words

React Native is a promising and favorable cross-platform tool for building mobile applications, offering a high degree of code reusability across platforms, a huge library of third-party integrations, and a robust and efficient development environment. For start-ups contemplating building a mobile app using a cross-platform tool, it is one of the most suitable options. It is a leading framework due to its ecosystem and the quality of the application that it delivers and is one of the widely used frameworks. Applications built using this framework have also shown great performance in the past. It is capable of giving developers an edge over the competition. And it can help you by giving the perfect trio of – Quick delivery timeline, Affordability, and Quality of the app.

About SynergyTop

SynergyTop is a San Diego-based digital commerce company with a team of highly skilled React Native developers. Our developers have always used new-age technologies and have ample experience working with React Native. We built astounding apps using React Native for both large enterprise clients and start-ups.

We have recently developed an ML-based cancer detection app and an E-commerce app for a medical supplier, using React Native and enhanced business for our clients.

Want a similar React Native-based mobile app developed for your business? Drop us a line at contact@synergytop.com to get the conversation started.

Learn more about React Native and why it is the best cross-platform technology in the following blog –

3 examples of effective progressive web apps built with react

Flutter Vs React Native – Which is the Best Cross Platform Technology?