Is React Native Dead in 2024?| Explained | Senior SWE

Summary

In 2024, React Native remains a popular choice for cross-platform mobile development, initially praised for its ease of use and fast learning curve. However, after two years of adoption, developers face challenges with performance, particularly in achieving smooth 60 FPS on devices with 120Hz refresh rates. The video explores the evolution of React Native, comparing it with alternatives like Kotlin Multiplatform and Flutter. It also discusses job prospects, funding, and the developer ecosystem, helping viewers decide whether React Native is still worth learning in today's app development landscape.

Takeaways

• 😀 React Native was initially appealing for mobile app development due to its use of familiar JavaScript and TypeScript, but its performance has become a concern over time.
• 😀 Achieving smooth 60 FPS on modern high-refresh-rate devices (e.g., 120 Hz) is a challenge in React Native due to the JS bridge, which impacts performance.
• 😀 React Native uses a JavaScript bridge to interact with native components, causing latency and limiting performance compared to fully native apps or alternatives like Flutter and Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP).
• 😀 React Native’s developer ecosystem is shrinking in comparison to native development, while Kotlin and Flutter are gaining ground, particularly in the Android and cross-platform development space.
• 😀 The job market for React Native developers has been shrinking, especially in regions like the US, where native iOS and Android roles dominate, though React Native jobs are still prevalent in regions like India.
• 😀 For teams already skilled in JavaScript, React Native offers fast development and allows for code reuse across both mobile platforms (iOS and Android), making it a good choice for web developers transitioning to mobile.
• 😀 Despite its popularity, React Native faces growing competition from Flutter and Kotlin, which are known for their better performance and native-like experiences.
• 😀 React Native is not the best option for performance-critical applications, as it struggles to match the native performance and customizations offered by Android and iOS apps.
• 😀 If your company’s tooling is based around JavaScript and your team is familiar with it, React Native could be a better choice over alternatives like Dart (Flutter) or Kotlin, which would require additional tooling changes.
• 😀 While React Native is suitable for fast prototyping and startups with limited resources, it may not be ideal for large-scale, performance-sensitive applications that need highly optimized native performance.
• 😀 The choice to use React Native depends heavily on project requirements: if fast development, cross-platform compatibility, and JavaScript proficiency are priorities, React Native is a solid option; otherwise, alternatives like Kotlin or Flutter might be more suitable.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video in 2024 regarding React Native?

The video focuses on evaluating whether React Native is still worth learning and using in 2024, given the evolving mobile development landscape, performance challenges, and comparisons with other frameworks like Flutter and Kotlin Multiplatform.

What are the primary reasons React Native gained popularity in the past?

React Native gained popularity due to its ability to use familiar languages like JavaScript and TypeScript, a relatively low learning curve for developers already skilled in those languages, and its promise of faster development for cross-platform apps.

What performance issue has become more apparent when using React Native?

The main performance issue is the inability to consistently achieve 60 FPS, with users noticing latency especially as mobile devices now offer 120 Hz refresh rates. This performance limitation stems from React Native's reliance on the JavaScript bridge for UI updates.

How does React Native compare to Flutter and Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) in terms of performance?

React Native struggles with performance due to the JavaScript bridge, resulting in higher latency for UI actions. In contrast, Flutter and KMP offer better performance with more efficient rendering methods, such as Flutter's use of the Skia graphics library and KMP's use of platform-specific UI toolkits.

Why is the job market for React Native developers facing challenges?

The job market for React Native developers is smaller compared to native iOS and Android roles. Furthermore, Kotlin, with its growing popularity, often leads to higher-paying opportunities, and Flutter has seen rising adoption, further reducing the demand for React Native specialists.

What are the key advantages of using React Native for mobile app development?

React Native is advantageous because it allows developers to use JavaScript or TypeScript for both web and mobile apps, has a large developer ecosystem, and benefits from mature tooling like React DevTools. It also allows rapid development for cross-platform apps.

What are some notable companies that use React Native in their apps?

Notable companies using React Native include Microsoft (for their Xbox and Microsoft Store apps), Amazon, Shopify, Wix, and Facebook, which heavily utilizes React Native in their mobile applications.

How does React Native's app size compare to Flutter and Kotlin Multiplatform?

React Native apps tend to be larger than Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) apps due to extra dependencies bundled with the app. Flutter apps are typically the largest due to more included components, while KMP offers more lightweight app sizes.

When should you consider using React Native for app development?

React Native is ideal if your team is already experienced with JavaScript, needs to develop rapidly for both Android and iOS, or if your company’s tooling is built around JavaScript. It's also a good choice for startups or teams that want to maximize efficiency with fewer developers.

What are the main reasons you might avoid using React Native in your project?

You should avoid React Native if performance is critical, as native apps or alternatives like Flutter or KMP would perform better. If you are already proficient in Kotlin or prefer a unified codebase for web and mobile, exploring Kotlin Multiplatform or Flutter may be better options.