As many brands begin to focus on cross-platform application development, it is now important to make sure that the app is built using the right platform. While there are many other advanced tools available now, Xamarin and React Native app development are great choices for building apps.
The comparison between Xamarin and React is inescapable, and that’s why we have differentiated them in a few pointers below.
Xamarin
Xamarin came up with a project designed to enable Microsoft C # coding on non-Windows platforms. Since then, it has been expanded to include iOS and Android in the list of supported platforms and offer complete functionality for the full API for the two platforms. Meaning, with some tweaks, a codebase can be easily compiled and launch on both operating systems. The developers of Xamarin did a job so well that Microsoft paid attention to the company and bought it.
React Native
React is a web framework developed by Facebook; when compared with previous technologies, it can implement more complex user interfaces. When combined with JavaScript, it is useful as a full toolset for web application development. Some developers embed the web application in the web view in the native application to build mobile applications using React.
Compilation
Using the cross-platform JIT function, developers can compile bytecode or source code at runtime. If Android allows JIT, iOS JIT cannot restrict the cross-platform application development environment for application development.
React Native
Since JIT is not allowed on iOS, if the developer modifies the source code, the developer must return to the Android code, make changes, and then run it on the iOS app.
Xamarin
The developers of Xamarin took another step to work around this problem and calculated the AOT (ahead of time) for code compilation. The AOT compiler’s job is to parse the bytecode, compile it in a machine language, and then perform the same operation on the selected path. This can reduce startup duration and improve application performance, but at the expense of increasing the file size. To utilize it, however, you need to configure AOT because JIT enables Xamarin by default.
Performance
Each app should have exemplary performance, whether developing native mobile apps or an app built with Xamarin. Execution apps receive all the attention and positive feedback from users.
React Native
React Native has three main components that enhance application performance and user experience. They are linked by Native Thread, JavaScript Threat, and an intermediate bridge. The native thread signals to the JavaScript thread using the bridge. However, there is a limit to the number of messages that the JavaScript thread can process. The number of messages increases and the user interface of the application starts lagging.
There is a way to prevent the limited functionality of JavaScript threads from affecting performance. Use some third-party libraries created to accomplish this; for example, Proguard optimizes bytecode faster.
Xamarin
When comparing the performance indicators of Xamarin.Forms and its similar native, I found that Xamarin lags when it comes to performance. This is even related to the simplest tasks (such as API application processing, layering, deserialization, image storage, loading, etc.). Unexpectedly, when the application development company Xamarin developed applications at a lower cost and less time, it was willing to compromise on performance.
In Xamarin.Forms, we have Xamarin. With Android and Xamarin.iOS, developers can customize the shared codebase to create a native feel, appearance, and user experience. Xamarin.Android is used in many operations, and it performs better than the native framework, but Xamarin.iOS cannot boast of the same thing.
In both cases, Xamarin has the fundamental ability to improve performance and adjust the values of the native framework to improve them.
Toolkits
React Native
Even though framework vendors try to make sure that everything a developer needs to complete their job is available, however, the business’s reality is always one step ahead. Therefore, developers, contractors, and other organizations provide other tools for specific purposes.
The basic elements of React Native allow the creation of completely usable applications. However, the vast developer community has developed countless tools to React Native. Compliment of them, you can easily solve any programming problems and develop at a faster speed.
Xamarin
For Xamarin, you can use Visual Studio, which is already an effective tool. Also, you can customize the toolkit to quicken the development process. Most are offered by Microsoft and have the support of the .NET platform, but many are open source. Therefore, they are ready to use and usually require no additional configuration.
Development Environment
The main aim of the comparison between Xamarin Native and React is the flexibility of using the IDE.
React Native
It provides much flexibility for developers. It enables them to choose their own state of improvement. You can select any IDE/word processor for general application enhancement work.
Luckily, there are many high-quality IDE tools and content on the Internet, such as Atom, Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code, Nuclide, Vim editor, GNU Emacs editor, Deco IDE, etc. Therefore, developers are free to choose the one they like.
Xamarin
Developing Xamarin applications requires developers to work using Visual Studio. This is the main choice. However, there are several conditions, and it isn’t easy to work with them under any circumstances.
Therefore, the main requirement for development is to use the Xamarin configuration environment in Visual Studio to create universal applications. Remember, it provides a great, integrated development environment (IDE). Visual Studio provides you with much useful equipment, controls, and designs to make portable application development simple and straightforward.
Market Share
Between React Native and Xamarin, let us find out who has the biggest market share.
React Native
It has already been used by many organizations, start-ups, and small and medium-sized companies. What are the apps that use React Native? Popularly known companies that use React Native are Facebook, Facebook Ad Manager, Instagram, F8, Facebook Analytics, Skype, Pinterest, Bloomberg, Uber, Walmart, Tesla, Artsy, Chop, Discord, Vogue, and many more.
Xamarin
Maybe you’re thinking about apps that use Xamarin? With the help of Microsoft, Xamarin has a community of 700,000 developers from 37,000 companies. Some of the main companies that use Xamarin are Honeywell, Samsung, Slack, BOSCH, Cognizant, JetBlue, etc.
Upstack gives you the ability to hire the perfect xamarin software developer for your project by skill, location, experience level and more. Contact us!
Originally published at upstack.co on April 23, 2021, by Emmanuel Ighosewe.
