Toggle the factors that matter for your project and see the recommendation update live.
React Native vs Native — the vibe check
There's no single right answer. It's retrospective and use-case-driven. Let's map the trade-offs visually and keep it fun.
summary
TL;DR
React Native: 1 codebase → fast ships, great for content-heavy UI and rapid tests; OTA updates for spicy iteration.
Native (Swift/Kotlin): peak performance, day-one OS features, strongest background reliability, crisp platform polish.
Hybrid exists: RN shell + native modules for hot paths.
interactive
Live Vibe Meter
Leaning React Native — 100% RN, 0% Native
you decide
Pick your factors
Toggle what matters for this app. The meter updates live.
Ship fast on both OS
1 codebase, early MVP, PMF hunt
Team is JS/TS-heavy
Web/react folks ready to jump in
Max performance / 120fps
Complex gestures, large lists, charts
Day‑one OS features every year
Live Activities, App Intents, Wear, etc.
Rock‑solid background work
Sync, geofencing, audio, health
Deep hardware hooks
Camera/AR, BT LE, UWB, sensors
Mostly feeds/forms/settings
Content/app shell UI, rapid A/Bs
Want OTA updates
Experiment weekly w/ Expo or CodePush
mental model
It's a spectrum, not a binary
- Early stage? Optimize learning speed → lean RN.
- Scaling & performance? Optimize latency & polish → lean Native.
- Need both? RN shell + native modules (camera, offline engine, payments).
quick picks
Use‑case vibes
📱 RN fits: feeds/forms, e‑comm, social MVPs, internal tools, white‑label.
🧭 Native fits: fitness/health, nav, audio, fintech offline/secure enclave, camera/AR/3D, heavy widgets/watch/car.
pros
React Native — Why it slaps
- ⚡ One codebase → faster features & fewer drift bugs.
- 👩💻 JS/TS talent pool → easier hiring.
- ♻️ Hot reload + OTA → iterate weekly.
- 🌐 Rich libs: navigation, reanimated, Skia, etc.
cons
React Native — Keep in mind
- 🔌 Bridge/JSI overhead in hot paths.
- 🧰 Native modules sometimes required.
- 🗓️ OS day-one features can lag.
- 🕵️ Debugging spans JS + native + build tooling.
pros
Native — Why it hits different
- 🏎️ Peak performance & lowest latency gestures.
- 🆕 Immediate access to new OS features.
- 🧭 Strongest background reliability.
- ✨ Platform-idiomatic polish & accessibility.
cons
Native — Keep in mind
- 👥 Two codebases & coordination overhead.
- 🧑🔧 Specialized hiring for both platforms.
- ⏱️ Potentially slower to experiment.
time matters
Retrospective lens
Your answer evolves:
- Pre-MVP: Learn fast → usually RN.
- Post-PMF: Scale & polish → native modules or migrate hotspots.
- New OS cycles: Adopt features → native first, bridge later.
best of both
Hybrid patterns
- RN shell + native camera/AR/payments.
- JSI/TurboModules for perf-critical paths.
- Kotlin Multiplatform for shared domain.
Got a specific app in mind? Tell me your top 3 must‑haves (e.g., background GPS, watch app, 120fps animations) and I'll tailor a stack & sprint plan.