Xamarin vs React Native: Decoding the Differences

The world of mobile app development has some great tools that support enterprises and startups in their digital journeys. Xamarin and React Native are two such popular frameworks that businesses often rely on. Though, the constant tussle between the two often doesn’t define a clear winner since both have their advantages. However, what we can share with you is a thorough understanding of the two frameworks to help you decide which one makes the most sense for you.

Today, most appreneurs want their apps to run seamlessly on both major platforms – iOS and Android. This means they look for cross-platform application development to build a strong online presence, reduce development costs & give the best experience to users!

But let’s go back to the critical question. Xamarin vs React Native – which one to choose? In this article, we’ll give you a holistic view of both these frameworks, pros & cons and much more. Right now, let’s first look at Xamarin.

Xamarin is an open-source mobile app development framework using .NET platforms as a base. It helps businesses build robust and high-performing cross-platform apps for Android and iOS. Founded in 2011, today, Xamarin is a very popular framework that is based on the Microsoft technology stack with a continuously growing developer community. If you need enterprise solutions that enable power-packed mobility, Xamarin is your answer to building thoughtful & purpose-driven apps.

Let’s look at how we have leveraged Xamarin to help some of our global clients achieve efficiency & enhance CX. These use cases will help you understand how this cross-platform framework supports the development of robust mobile apps.

Mobile Money Transfer App Development

Here’s an example of how we enabled a European digital enterprise simplify its process of global transactions. Our team was tasked to create a robust and comprehensive custom money transaction platform that would ease currency distribution and facilitate instant fund transfers in just a few taps. The centrally-hosted payment app which is easy to use & has an intuitive interface resulted in:

• 100% transparency and traceability of transactions
• 5X increase in operational efficiency
• Highest customer satisfaction

Real-Time Gas Cylinder Distribution System

A French gas giant wanted to optimize its supply chain network and gain more control over their stock levels. We developed a robust gas cylinder distribution tracking app that would help in efficiently managing the movement of cylinders and vehicles between plant & refilling depots. The developed solution resulted in:

• 40% faster delivery process
• 30% increase in service line of cylinders
• 4X increase in driver proficiency to manage multiple orders

Let us look at some pros and cons of this pioneering technology.

React Native is also a popular open-source cross-platform framework that uses JavaScript and React, along with native platform capabilities to develop applications. It essentially helps in writing apps that deliver the performance, look & feel of a native app. Whether you are a startup, SME, or a large enterprise, react native app development can help you stay on top of your game & future-proof your business through intuitive & engaging apps.

Let’s look at a recent case to help you understand how we leveraged React Native to help a major client develop a custom mobile app.

Robust Online Ticket Reservation System

A New Zealand-based client approached us to develop an event ticket-booking platform that would help with complete control over the reservation function while managing the end-to-end booking process. Rishabh Software developed a highly efficient & easy-to-use ticketing app that would accept online reservations and remotely manage bookings for activities, events & tours. The comprehensive solution, thus, provides real-time user information, ensures a secure booking process and has in-built reporting and analytics on ticket details. The developed solution resulted in:

• 10,000+ user bookings at any peak time
• 60% increase in ticket bookings
• 0 duplicate bookings

Let’s look at the positives and negatives of this popular mobile development technology.

Here’s a glance of the companies that use either:

Xamarin:

• Just Giving: Online Fundraising Platform
• Storyo: Storytelling Video Maker App
• The World Bank: Survey Conducting App
• FreshDirect: Online Food & Grocery
• APX: Environmental Asset Tracker App

React Native:

• Bloomberg: Equity Trading and Analytics App
• Facebook: Social Media Platform
• Uber Eats: Food Delivery App
• Airbnb: Vacation Rental App
• Salesforce: Customer Relationship Management Platform

Through the following pointers, we will look at the key differences between both. It will help organizations like you decide which cross-platform frameworks make the most sense for your business.

Going by Google Trends for the US region, React Native has gained significant traction over the last year.

Both Xamarin and React Native deliver near-native performance. However, Xamarin runs the fastest code on iOS and Android, along with a user interface for native tools.

React Native includes partly adaptive and pre-built components like text inputs and buttons. However, these components are not all that adaptive. And thus, if you need to build a more advanced app, you may need to recompose these built-in components. Xamarin.Forms has an entire cross-platform UI toolkit with native UI components that work across both platforms. Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android also help with custom app UI and powerful performance.

There cannot be a final winner of React Native vs. Xamarin battle. Though, the choice of the framework depends on the business requirements, the development team’s skillset, other available resources, and finally the budget. As an experienced Cross-Platform development company, Rishabh Software has the know-how to map these parameters for your business and offer the optimal app development solution.