React Native Vs Ionic 2: Comparison
By: Amit Ashwini
Tags: React Native, Mobile App Development, Hybrid App Development, Software Development, Ionic

Ionic 2 is part of the hybrid mobile development framework family. Ionic 2 is not only a rewrite of the previous Ionic framework, it embraces the structure and design of AngularJS 2, while also taking inspiration for their design language from Android, Material Design, and iOS. If you are from a background of AngularJS, you’ll be comfortable developing apps using Ionic. Also, it’s TypeScript ready, meaning you can use your current AngularJS 2 components too. Ionic also comes with pre-developed and styled components making it easier for developers to create the UI of an app. The UI is not native though but can give the appearance of a native UI.

Ionic is a framework on top of Cordova, which is used to access the phone hardware functionality. In other words, Cordova whirls up your system browser to render you app, known as WebView. Keep in mind, Cordova isn’t the only framework for hybrid apps, and neither is Ionic the only framework using Cordova. WebView is a browser-free web page loader, giving you access to mobile functionalities like camera, contacts, etc. It’ll be slower in comparison to React Native since here you have to write the HTML code in your Android activities. If your user’s smartphone has a slow processor, it can lead to performance issues or graphical issues

You need to download plugins to access native functionality. For instance, you need to download Cordova plugins if you want to use Google Maps. Ionic 2 supports Ionic Native which does the job of accessing native functionalities of the device through JavaScript more smoothly than the older version. There’s a common interface for all plugins, and this makes it easier to use native functionalities.

With Ionic 2, TypeScript components can make tasks slower compared to directly working with native API. Nevertheless, Ionic 2 does overcome many performance issues with the help of its structure.

Pros:

Fast development-testing cycle.

It cross-compiles to iOS and Android.

Ionic is easy to learn & work with.

You can write code in TypeScript, which makes it easy if you’re coming from a background of AngularJS 2.

You can use TypeScript to develop applications for all platforms.

You can access the native functionalities of your user’s devices with the plugin system.

Angular itself is easier to learn & work with, for smaller projects than React.

Cons:

There could be performance issues if you need to use a lot of callbacks to the native code.

If your users prefer the native UI look, the same UI look in all the devices could put them off.

Development of advanced graphics or interactive transitions will prove difficult.

Previously, working on Webview was slow and in a way, guaranteed low app ratings because of performance. Now, it’s less an issue, as newer smartphones come with better system browsers and better phone specs. However, it still is a noticeable performance difference compared to native.

Ionic is easy to use and learn, but there are restrictions on using the Native features of the device. You bridge the gap using Cordova or PhoneGap, and both have plugins for almost all Native features you may need like GPS, file system, etc.

Ionic is a good choice for prototyping, or projects which have fast development needs, or if you have many app requirements with lower budgets, and whose app performance ratings aren’t paramount.

React Native