With their faster time to market and easy implementation, cross-platform app development frameworks are the way forward for this decade.
Everyone from Shopify to BBC Goodfood seems to be going the cross-platform way… But what framework should you be going with for your project, 2022 onwards?
With around a dozen alternatives, Xamarin and React Native are among the crowd favorites.
An intro to React Native:
React Native was released in 2015, by Facebook and immediately made huge waves among the developer community for cross-platform app frameworks that look and feel native. it allows developers to code using JavaScript to create apps for a wide range of platforms.
It is famous for its custom design, hot reload feature, native rendering, and strong support community.
It is used by the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Shopify, Discord, Skype, Uber Eats, Wix, and more.
An intro to Xamarin:
Xamarin on the other hand was founded in 2011, based on Mono, and bought by Microsoft in 2016. Xamarin is also an open-source framework that allows you to create cross-platform apps, but this time using C# and .NET.
It is known for superior app performance and development speed, and the native mobile experience it delivers.
Some popular adopters of the Xamarin framework include Pinterest, Seimens, the World Bank, Microsoft Azure, and Fox Sports.
But which is the better cross-platform app development framework?
And more importantly, which is the better framework for your specific project?
Let’s see how they stack up against each other in the most crucial development aspects.
Xamarin vs. React Native: The better cross-platform app development framework
1. Popularity
To assess the popularity of the frameworks among both developers and businesses, we compared them across search results, surveys, and tech platforms.
Starting with Google search trends…
Over the past 5 years, React Native has consistently scored more searches worldwide. It leads with an average of 76 searches per day, compared to Xamarin’s more modest 34 searches per day.
Next, we looked at the developer community’s preferences…
According to the 2021 Statista survey, React Native is the 2nd most popular cross-platform app development framework among software developers. Xamarin comes 5th in the list, with just 11% of developers opting for it as of 2021.
Even on GitHub, React Native comes in with a whopping 103k stars and 295,545 repository results.
The largest Xamarin repository on the other hand floats at a mere 5.6k stars, and 45,997 repository results.
So all in all, a landslide victory in terms of popularity for React Native.
Who wins: React Native
2. Development cost
Technically, both Xamarin and React Native are free.
But only React Native is truly open-source and 100% free.
Xamarin is available for free only for individuals, students, and small teams of up to 5 people, and even that has limited features.
Getting the whole deal, with the Visual Studio Enterprise annual edition can cost you around $3000.
So working with React Native and hiring a React developer might be a better choice when it comes to cost.
Who wins: React Native
3. Development speed
Both React Native and Xamarin accelerate your time to market, compared to other frameworks in the market. Being cross-platform frameworks, they are built to replace native apps with a common tech stack and shareable codebase.
React Native comes equipped with the Hot Reload feature, which helps developers save extra time by avoiding reloading time as they code.
But Xamarin has an interspersed development condition with Visual Studio to help produce apps fast. So developers can save time and effort by using pre-existing controls.
Hence, giving it a slight edge over React Native.
Who wins: Xamarin
4. App performance
Both React Native and Xamarin apps boast performance levels that mirror native applications.
But Xamarin offers a slight edge, as it uses platform-specific hardware simulation. So you can run the fastest code on both Android and iOS, plus it has the user interface for using native tools.
With React Native, the app cannot reach its full potential of native performance, as it could with Objective-C or swift.
Hence, when it comes to cross-platform app performance, Xamarin has the upper hand.
Who wins: Xamarin
5. App size
Optimized memory and storage are important considerations when choosing an ap framework. And cross-platform apps in general tend to be heavier than their native counterparts.
So choosing a framework that allows you to minimize app size is crucial.
And in this React Native takes the prize.
Xamarin apps tend to be heavier than React Native apps. Xamarin apps can add around 5 MB for releases and 20 MB for debug builds!
So if you’re building an inherently complex and heavy app, then React Native might be a better choice for you.
Who wins: React Native
6. Native UI/UX
Both React Native and Xamarin will help you create a simple and smooth user interface and user experience.
React Native comes with a wide range of ready-made UI libraries to develop truly native UI components. But the native rendering of APIs in React Native doesn’t support as many UI elements as Xamarin does.
Xamarin allows you to customize the app components and elements for both iOS and Android. And it also allows you to use native APIs and SDKs to enhance user experience.
Who wins: Xamarin
7. Development environment
React Native comes with pre-built components that boost performance and the overall developer experience Not to mention its convenient live reload / hot reload feature which allows developers to quickly see the effects of a code change in real-time.
But having said that, Xamarin has a few tricks up its sleeve as well.
Xamarin allows developers to write code that’s specifically designed for iPhone on Windows, and then compile it for Mac.
It also leverages Visual Studio and XCode IDEs to design Mac applications, which are both much easier to use than React Native.
So Xamarin takes the cake when it comes to the development environment for cross-platform app development frameworks.
Who wins: Xamarin
8. Scalability of code and app
Both Xamarin and React Native allow for up to 90% of code reuse between platforms.
In both cases, the source code base can be easily extended by using plug-ins and extensions to enhance the app’s scalability and functionality.
Apart from this, React Native also allows you to scale your business plan to a web app as well, with its React js connection.
Plus, React Native comes with a strong community of developers who are constantly updating and adding to its extensive libraries.
So all in all, React Native gives you a slight edge when it comes to supporting you as you scale the app and the business.
Who wins: React Native
9. Updates and maintenance
Cross-platform frameworks tend to experience a lag with every new feature release. So, the ability to seamlessly release updates and maintain the app is crucial for the long-term success of any mobile app.
The faster the framework is updated, and the more community support it has, the better it is for your end-users.
In this, React Native is a clear winner with its massive developer community and steadfast support from the tech giant, Facebook.
Not to mention that React Native allows you to push app updates without the need for App Store approval.
Xamarin on the other hand needs 1-3 days for an update to be approved and integrated into the App Store.
Who wins: React Native
All in all, who wins?
Which cross-platform app development framework should you pick?
We hate to say it, but it depends.
It depends on what your priorities are, your budget, your goals, and the availability of skilled developers for your project.
So look at the above factors and make your pick accordingly.