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React Native or Swift: Which one to choose for iOS app development?

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When you want to build an App for iOS the first question is, “Should I develop a native application on Swift or a cross-platform solution on React Native”? It is better to develop in Swift from iOS app development companies in Kochi. But in some cases, React Native is also good for iOS app development. Here below, explains the difference between Swift and React Native. Their pros and cons help you to choose the right solution.

 

What is Swift?

Swift is a programming language. It is multi-paradigm and for general purposes. It was developed by Apple, the open-source community of developers. This language was released in 2014. It is to replace Objective-C which was the earlier language of Apple. The language has the legacy of Objective-C. And it is used to create code that is very convenient and has no drawbacks. This is the easiest method to create an iOS app. Swift has 48.2K GitHub stars. GitHub fork is 7.71k. It is the intuitive language for iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS.Swift as cross-platform development is used to create an application that will run on multiple platforms. This can be achieved by tools like React Native, Xamarin, and Flutter. The app may be compatible with both Android and iOS.

 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Swift

If your app needs complex integrations, then choose Swift. The pros and cons are explained in detail below.

 

Advantages:

  • Open-source language: Swift is an open-source language and it is currently available on an apache License.
  • Better error-handling: Swift has a good error handling system. It prevents code crashes and errors.
  • Easy scaling: The new features can be easily added. So the apps are easier to scale.
  • Less coding: Swift has fewer code options to perform as compared to React Native.
  • Faster coding: Swift has faster coding and it makes developing applications easier and faster.

 

Disadvantages

  • Only for Apple devices: Swift is a native platform so it can be only used for native devices.
  • Loss quality:  Sometimes the product may lose its quality.

 

What is React Native?

React Native is a framework designed and developed by Facebook. It is used for cross-platform mobile applications using Javascript. So developers share up to 70% of code in platforms like Android and iOS. It is a powerful and simple working tool. So it is used for building web applications compatible with React Native which has 78.3K Github stars. And 17.5K forks on GitHub. If you want to develop two native applications, then you have to code for both platforms Android and iOS. React Native is the best tool to build complex cross-platform applications. If you are going to build large-scale and popular applications, then React Native is the best. It has large documentation and good tech support. Also, React Native is good for reusing code for the desktop app and Web applications.

 

Advantages and Disadvantages of React Native

All the technology has both pros and cons. Look at below the pros and cons.

 

Advantages:

Native applications provide an exceptional user experience. They deliver high performance. The visuals are adapted to the UX design. So the UX is improved.

 

  • Flawless performance and high speed: Native applications take full benefit of device processing speed. They are used to build for a specific operating system.
  • Offline work: Native applications also function when there is no internet connection. But if you need any specific functionality to develop, then an internet connection will be a must.
  • Good UI / UX Design capabilities: It provides a good user experience and design possibilities. The developers are using modern animation techniques and UI/UX designs.
  • Easy to navigate: The UI of native applications is straightforward. It allows the end-users to fastly and easily learn the application.
  • Easy to integrate with equipment: Native applications are easy to integrate with hardware devices such as touchscreen, GPS, and other devices.
  • Hassle-free application launch: Native applications always follow operating system guidelines. It is much easier to launch on the application store.
  • Higher reliability and safety: Native applications always follow operating system guidelines. It is reviewed and approved by the application store which is secure and reliable. It guaranteed fast implementation. The native apps such as VR, AI, IoT, and AR can be integrated quickly.
  • Latest developer tools and SDK: Developers can access libraries and solutions. The operating system is updated. React Native uses a JavaScript library. It allows the development of apps for iOS app development Kochi and Android.

Cross-platform development has two main advantages – it saves time and money.

 

  • Reusable code: Cross-platform mobile applications development allows using the same code for different operating systems and different applications. It is very convenient to use one code and make changes and save that code.
  • Faster time to market: The hybrid mobile apps are launching faster on the market. By using this framework the developers can easily release applications on the app store.
  • Reduced development costs: The main benefit of a cross-platform framework is reduced costs. So it takes only less time to develop applications. So it reduced development costs.

Disadvantages

The small drawback is not chosen for low-budget projects. React Native is the best option for developing an application that doesn’t need a lot of work. The disadvantages are listed below.

  • App Store restrictions: The React Native uses libraries that update native code. So the app store will reject it.
  • Lack of wrappers: In some projects, the developers create custom wrappers for the app with modules, components, and APIs. It takes a lot of time.
  • Complex design: The platforms such as Android and iPhone development Kochi have different design guidelines for application development. So it is very tough to create a high-quality UI.
  • Security: React Native is an open-source framework. So security is a problem sometimes.
  • Frequent updates: React Native updates regularly. So the frequent updates reduce the release of the app.

 

React Native vs Swift comparison

 

1.User Interface

  • Swift: To create the app on Swift then create code from Scratch. So the team will polish the design of elements separately.
  • React Native: It uses internal APIs to run native elements.

 

2. Speed of coding

  • Swift: The coding is very easy in Swift so it is very easy to develop the show’s application.
  • React Native: It is simple and powerful, but it takes a lot of hours for app development.

 

3.Community and support

  • Swift: The developers get support from Swift public forums.
  • React Native: React Native is open-sourced and gets support and contributions from companies and individuals.

 

4.Performance

  • Swift: Swift app performance is better in most cases. It consumes more CPU power.
  • React Native: The graphic effect is a problem for React Native. To solve it allows developers to combine their code into applications.

 

5.Development Team

  • Swift: Swift developers are not easy to find.
  • React Native: React Native talents are easier to find

 

React Native or  Swift: What is the best for iOS App Development?

Both React Native and Swift are good solutions for app development.

 

  • Apps with complex user interfaces: You need a resource-intensive mobile app with many UI interactions. Then you choose Swift because building a complex app on a native platform is a good option.
  • Apps for a single platform: You need to create a complex and good app for iPhone app development Kochi users, then choose Swift.
  • Utilities and media players: It is very hard to build an app like media players on Swift. It is because of the use of native features and API. It increases development time and cost.

The choice depends on the type of app if you are going to develop.

React Native is the best choice if:

  • It is necessary to create applications for both Android and iOS with fewer developers.
  • The app needs to work on both Android and iOS.
  • It needs faster time to develop the application.

Swift is the best choice if :

  • It needs to build an iOS app only.
  • It develops a complex application.
  • It maintains the app over a long period
  • It needs a lot of user interactions.
  • It needs the app to support new features and platform updates.
  • Choosing the right platform for developing iOS app development Kerala will reduce development costs, increase productivity, etc. The choice depends on the type of app if you are going to develop.