Skip to main content

What is React Native

React Native is an open-source framework developed by Facebook that allows developers to build mobile applications using JavaScript and React. Unlike traditional web applications, React Native enables the creation of fully functioning mobile apps for iOS and Android with a single codebase.

Key Differences from React​

React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces on the web. It uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to render web components in the browser.

React Native is a framework for building mobile applications for iOS and Android. It uses native components instead of web components, rendering UI elements that compile into native code.

  • Rendering: React renders HTML/CSS in the browser; React Native renders native mobile UI components.

  • Styling: React uses CSS; React Native uses a StyleSheet object.

  • Ecosystem: React has web-specific tools; React Native has mobile-focused tools.

In essence, React is for building web UIs, while React Native is for mobile UIs.