Cross-platform development has always been a difficulty because developers had to choose between performance and user-friendliness in exchange for reduced costs and faster development periods. These limitations are no longer applicable thanks to frameworks like React Native and NativeScript. Developers may now create native apps with a single codebase and perfect performance. They can even use the same codebase for the online version of the same program.

There are numerous tools available to help developers create cross-platform apps. And they’re all aiming for the same thing: high-quality mobile apps with a natural feel and functionality that doesn’t require the maintenance of two or more codebases.

What is NativeScript, and how does it work?

Telerik designed NativeScript as a framework (Progress Software). While it doesn’t have the same buzz as React Native, NativeScript is favored by some internationally recognized corporations (such as Raiffeisen Bank). SAP, the world’s largest ERP provider, is also a NativeScript user. The company has chosen to construct its Mobile Development Kit using this framework.

NativeScript is a cross-platform native mobile application development platform. It enables developers to create Android, iOS, and Universal Windows Platform apps using XML, CSS, and JavaScript. Unlike Cordova, which renders the app’s UI using a WebView, NativeScript employs the native platform rendering engine, resulting in a totally native user experience.

A JavaScript virtual machine, a runtime, plus a bridge module make up NativeScript. JavaScript code is interpreted and executed by the JS virtual machine. After that, the bridge module converts the calls to platform-specific API calls and returns the result to the caller. Simply said, NativeScript allows developers to use JavaScript to control their native platform instead of:

On iOS, Objective-C is used;

On Android, Java is supported.

What is React Native, and how does it work?

React Native is built on Facebook’s React web framework. Its fame and community have progressively increased since its initial release in 2015. Naturally, React Native is the mobile platform of choice for most Facebook-owned businesses. Its fame, though, has spread to Tesla, Uber, and Walmart.

So the people at Facebook felt it would be great if they could utilise React to create cross-platform mobile apps, and in 2015, React Native was released to the public and made available on GitHub for anybody to contribute to.

In RN, code is written in JavaScript and executed via the Safari engine, JavaScriptCore. Native platform modules, such as a camera or Bluetooth, can also be used. This is accomplished by writing code in a platform-specific language (Java, Swift, or Objective C) that communicates with the JavaScript environment via a bridge.

NativeScript is made up of a JavaScript virtual machine, a runtime, and a bridge module. The bridge module then translates the calls to platform-specific API calls and sends the result back to the caller. Simply put, NativeScript allows developers to control their native platform using JavaScript rather than:

Objective-C is utilised on iOS.

Java is supported on Android.

What exactly is React Native and how does it function?

Since its initial release in 2015, its popularity and community have grown steadily. Most Facebook-owned businesses use React Native as their mobile platform of choice. However, Tesla, Uber, and Walmart have all heard of it.

So the people at Facebook felt it would be great if they could utilise React to create cross-platform mobile apps, and in 2015, React Native was released to the public and made available on GitHub for anybody to contribute to.

In RN, code is written in JavaScript and executed via the Safari engine, JavaScriptCore. Native platform modules, such as a camera or Bluetooth, can also be used. This is accomplished by writing code in a platform-specific language (Java, Swift, or Objective C) that communicates with the JavaScript environment via a bridge.

These frameworks follow the same strategy and steps in terms of development workflow:

Make a whole new project.

Create the user interface with components or widgets.

Apply the layout and change the style.

Use an emulator or simulator to test your software.

Include the necessary features.

Install the required packages.

Run tests and troubleshoot the app.

Changes should be committed.

So, you have a general idea of how the process works. You can use Chrome DevTools to debug your NativeScript or React Native project. The lack of an element inspector is one of the tool’s shortcomings. Only simple apps benefit from the in-app view inspector. NativeScript developers utilize Visual Studio Code’s plugin to solve this flaw, whereas React Native developers use React Native Debugger or Reactotron.

nativescript vs react native 2021: Which is Faster?

NativeScript apps use a single threading paradigm to access native APIs quickly. Furthermore, because the framework is built on Angular, VueJS, and JavaScript, the application may stop when running complex code.

NativeScript renders slowly, which is difficult to accept in a world when every second counts. That’s where React Native comes into play.

The performance of React Native is multi-threaded, with JS and UI running on separate threads. This facilitates the use of native APIs. The virtual DOM is used by React Native apps to update and synchronize UI components. As a result, React-based apps outperform NativeScript-based apps.

When additional native platform components are used, however, the fraction of code sharing reduces.

Documentation for NativeScript vs. React Native

Both frameworks are relatively old, hence they have a large amount of documentation. Each of the technologies allows developers to look up answers and read more about specific process features.

NativeScript documentation and resources are still being created by the community.

Given its well-known origins, the documentation for RN could be more detailed and straightforward than it is today. Experienced developers, on the other hand, will find everything they require here.

The popularity of NativeScript vs. React Native

We can’t dispute that in a popularity contest between the two, React Native will emerge victoriously. Among all existing cross-platform application development environments, it is the most popular, with Xamarin, Ionic, Flutter, and, of course, NativeScript.

And when you consider that React Native was created by Facebook, it’s easy to see why it exploded in popularity almost immediately. In addition, according to the State of JavaScript 2019 poll, React Native support is the framework’s third most popular feature among developers.

Because of the many active contributors and the abundance of knowledge available on practically every query or issue you may find during development, the site has grown rapidly.