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React Native vs React vs Native

⚖️ React Native vs React vs Native

? Quick Overview

When building modern applications, developers often choose between React, React Native, and Native development. Each approach targets different platforms and offers unique advantages depending on performance needs, development speed, and user experience.

? Key Concepts

  • React: JavaScript library for building web user interfaces
  • React Native: Framework for building mobile apps using JavaScript
  • Native: Platform-specific development using official languages

? Interactive Simulator

Click below to see how the code is transformed for each platform:

Hello Web
Renders HTML <h1> in Browser DOM

? Syntax / Theory

  • React uses JSX to render UI in the browser
  • React Native uses JSX but renders native mobile components
  • Native development uses platform SDKs directly

? Code Examples

? View React Example
// React component rendering to the browser DOM
function App() {
  return <h1>Hello Web</h1>;
}
export default App;
? View React Native Example
// React Native component rendering to native UI
import { Text, View } from "react-native";

export default function App() {
  return (
    <View>
      <Text>Hello Mobile</Text>
    </View>
  );
}
? View Native Android Example
// Native Android app using Kotlin
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)

? Live Output / Explanation

What Happens?

  • React renders HTML elements in the browser
  • React Native renders real mobile UI components
  • Native code runs directly on the OS without abstraction

? Use Cases

  • React: Web dashboards, SPAs, admin panels
  • React Native: Cross-platform mobile apps
  • Native: Performance-critical or hardware-heavy apps

? Tips & Best Practices

  • Choose React for fast web development
  • Choose React Native for shared codebase across iOS and Android
  • Choose Native for maximum performance and control

? Try It Yourself

  • Create a simple React app and render text
  • Build the same UI in React Native
  • Compare performance with a native implementation