Xamarin vs. React Native: Which is Better for App Development?

Xamarin vs React Native- are you confused in this battle to decide which framework is better for your cross-platform development project?

In the current market, Xamarin and React Native are trending and leading the app development domain.  Xamarin is over a decade-old mobile app development framework managed by Microsoft that is based in C# programming and offers native app-like performance.

React Native launched after Xamarin that uses JavaScript programming to build the app with near-native experience. 

Both frameworks serve the same purpose but there are many differences between Xamarin vs React Native that you must be aware of if you want to generate better ROI from your mobile app project from these two popular frameworks.

And this blog will exactly discuss Xamarin vs React Native comparing various factors. Here, you will learn many essential things that would help you determine which framework ultimately suits best to your business goals. 

Overview of Cross-Platform Framework: Xamarin Vs. React Native

What is Xamarin?

As the foundation of Xamarin is the .NET platform, this framework is open-source and uses the .NET APIs as a base. Business leaders can build robust, high-performance cross-platform Android/iOS apps with it. Based on the Microsoft technology stack, Xamarin was founded in 2011 and has quickly grown into a highly popular framework with a constantly growing developer community. If you want a powerful platform to enable mobility, Xamarin is your answer for building thoughtful & purposeful apps.

Apps Built using Xamarin Include:

• SuperGiant Games  
• Skulls of the Shogun  
• Insightly  
• Storyo  
• Thermo Fisher Scientific  
• The World Bank  
• FreshDirect  
• Olo  
• Just Giving  
• APX

What is React Native?

A popular cross-platform open-source framework, React Native combines React and JavaScript to develop apps on native platforms. It allows app developers to build apps with the performance, look, and feel of native apps. No matter what size of business you own, React Native application development company can keep you on top of your game and provide you with future-proofing tools.

Popular Apps that use React Native Platforms are:

• Facebook Analytics
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Uber Eats
• Facebook Ads Manager
• Skype
• Tesla
• SoundCloud Pulse
• Pinterest
• Bloomberg
• Walmart
• Myntra
• Discord
• Chop
• Gyroscope
• Artsy
• Vogue
• F8

Xamarin vs. React Native: Detailed Side-by-Side Comparison

This is an in-depth comparison of both Xamarin vs. React Native. Direct comparisons can often be the best way for you to decide between two options.

1. Development Speed

With React Native Application Development, users get a wonderful feature called Hot Reload. This feature will increase the speed of apps created on the platform. You can save some time by avoiding reloading the app every time you make changes.

In Xamarin, Visual Studio has an interspersed condition that allows a seamless Xamarin app development company mostly use this feature to create controls from scratch with minimal effort. Instead, the programmer can use controls that are already in place.

The Bottom Line: Xamarin wins here because developers can use pre-existing controls

2. Performance

This category should be considered when making your final decision. Hybrid and cross-platform app development frameworks can sacrifice performance in exchange for convenience. Xamarin and React Native platforms offer close-native performance. 

However, Xamarin runs really fast on Android and iOS. Xamarin also has a user interface (UI), which allows you to use native tools.

The Bottom Line: Xamarin scored more points for native-like performance.

3. Popularity

Although popularity does not always determine software’s value, it can have a significant impact on how people use the software. The popularity of the software is often a key factor in defining characteristics such as a large talent pool and extensive tooling.

React Native platforms are usually more popular than Xamarin. Perhaps because it is open-source while Xamarin is maintained only by Microsoft. This is evident from Google Trends to Stack Overflow insights.

The Bottom Line: React Native is extremely popular than Xamarin when you compare them.

4. Community & Developer Ecosystem

All React Native platforms have a wider and better supportive community. React Native’s community was small when it was first launched. However, today it is more famous and big. 

It’s becoming easier to find fellow React Native developers as the framework matures and JavaScript frameworks get more attention.

The Bottom Line: React Native is a better community than Xamarin and has a better ecosystem of developers.

5. Development Environment

React Native and Xamarin both have pre-built components that enhance performance and simplify the developer experience. Xamarin mobile application development live reloaded function is not available in React Native.

Forms with Xamarin Android and Xamarin iOS allow developers to create platform-specific native UI elements. This allows Xamarin developers to achieve native-like performance, which is more than React Native developers can.

The Bottom Line: Xamarin contains more pre-built components than React Native platforms.

6. Availability

Many open-source frameworks can be downloaded for free. Unfortunately, Xamarin cannot claim this label. Xamarin mobile application development offers a free version with limited features.

React Native has the advantage in this category because free generally means more access.

The Bottom Line: React Native is more accessible than Xamarin when compared to Xamarin.

7. Compilation

React Native and JavaScript use JIT compilation. Although compiled languages are generally faster than interpreted ones because they are converted into machine code before execution is completed, JIT compilation might be the best of both.

JIT in React Native platforms is only compatible with Android. This can disrupt the performance of iOS apps. C# supports both JIT and ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation. AOT-compiled code is faster in most cases.

The Bottom Line: Xamarin vs. React Native reveals that they both share similar compilation styles. However, Xamarin provides the best compiler for iOS & Android.

8. Prices

Xamarin and React Native platforms are both free. Xamarin is not available for small businesses or individuals. An annual Visual Studio Enterprise edition will cost around $3000. This makes React Native Application Development company, which is completely free, even more attractive.

The Bottom Line: React Native is less expensive than Xamarin.

How much does it cost to Hire React Native App Developers?

It is so easy to recruit React Native developers. In Western Europe, the average annual rate for hiring React Native developers is $78,000 The average hourly rate for hiring React Native developers in the USA is $61.54 an hour. 

You will need between 5-10 developers to build an app with React Native platforms. The team could be a mixture of talents with at least two React Native experts to help guide them through the development process. 

It is recommended to team up with developers from different technical backgrounds, as code maintenance on different platforms is critical for the success and viability of React Native applications.

How much does it cost to Hire Xamarin App Developers?

According to the latest statistics, there’re more Xamarin jobs than available developers. So, it’s literally hard to find the right Xamarin developers. 

The cost to hire a Xamarin Developer varies depending on your location and the project’s nature. However, an hourly rate of $20-$50 is typical. The salary range for a Xamarin Developer in the US is $7,700 to $10,000.

If you have a skilled team of C# developers, then introducing them into Xamarin may not be a bad idea. This is why Xamarin has been adopted by many organizations.

Xamarin vs. React Native – How to Choose?

It is difficult to decide which framework is best, as both tools are high-quality and have been developed by large companies like Microsoft and Facebook.

Instead of asking which framework would work best for you, consider which one would be most suitable for your project.

Choose React Native Platforms only when you need to:

• Create cross-platform apps that have a simple and easy to maintain UI.  
• Create native-looking apps with a limited budget and without sacrificing performance.  
• Leverage ready-made solutions to deploy app solutions quickly for the target audience.  
• Create apps that are reusable and also have the ability to create prototypes.  
• Create apps that load quickly and offer a smooth user experience.  

Choose Xamarin Mobile Application Development only when you need to:

• Create cross-platform apps that are performant and offer a native-like experience.
• Apps that leverage hardware acceleration to improve performance and reuse components can be created.
• Create multiple apps using a single programming language, i.e. C#. C#.  
• Make mobile apps in less time by leveraging the C# skills of your existing team.
• Apps that work cross-platforms can be made quickly, are easy to use, and affordable.

Conclusion : Always Choose A Reputable App Development Company

A mobile app development company is extremely better than freelancers. With its extensive experience and dedicated resources, a company can guide you through the process of mobile app development with a proven approach.

They listen properly to the client’s needs and help them choose the best service. A mobile app development company can also provide maintenance support after your project is done. You can find all your needs for developers, testers, and designers in one place

So, make sure you choose a reputable mobile app development company firm like MobileCoderz. We help with complex or simple app solutions. We have trained app developers with over 5 years of experience in providing mobile apps solutions to clients all around the globe.

Customers who need innovative solutions to transform business models into secure platforms can turn to us for applications. We develop products in IoT, finance, healthcare, and other areas. So, you can’t go wrong by choosing us.

There is no single rule to choose a perfect cross-platform app development tool. Xamarin and React Native platforms have been successful in creating great mobile apps. Which framework works best for you depends on your specific preferences and needs.

Your choice comes down to what your objectives are for your projects. Every framework has its flaws, but each one has the best benefits as well that you can use to make your project even better.

Feel free to get in touch with us. We can help you choose the right platform.