The iPhone has been a massively successful product of Apple since its launch in June 2007. The popularity of the iPhone skyrocketed and (Apple) sold more than 100 million units in the iPhone’s first four years itself.
Apple has been a premium brand and has seen a fair share in global smartphone unit sales. After gaining momentum, it is no surprise that Apple is robust enough to force frameworks and programming languages for itself.
React Native and Swift are relatively new technologies that contribute to mobile app development for iOS devices. As most of you know, React Native is a JavaScript framework, Swift is a new programming language from Apple itself. Both React Native and Swift have impressive features and functionalities to offer; picking one of them can be a challenging decision.
Moreover, app development comes with a cost. Choosing the right technology is mandatory to cut costs without losing quality. Plus, companies will also need to address the needs of both iPhone and Android-powered devices. Thus, they can create two separate software tuned to perform the same task, enabling a robust cross-platform mobile app development.
Both React Native and Swift have the potential to perform efficiently on the iOS platform. But, many factors come into play while creating an app. Thus, we have explained both the technologies in detail. So, you can make the most appropriate decision for your upcoming iOS app development. Let us get started.
What is React Native?
React Native is a popular framework from Facebook, ideal for cross-platform mobile applications. Unlike native apps that use various programming languages for every platform, React Native runs on JavaScript. Thus, it allows users to share code between several platforms, like Android, iOS, and web apps.
As you can share 70% of the code between the apps, it enables you to reduce the development time in cross-platform mobile app development significantly. Facebook, Instagram, Wix are some renowned React Native applications.
What is Swift?
Swift is a relatively new programming language from Apple to build apps for iOS and macOS devices. You can leverage Swift to build apps for all iOS powered devices. For example, you can create apps for Apple TV, Apple Watch, iOS, and Mac. In short, it is an open-source framework that supports all iOS and Mac devices.
Furthermore, Swift is an easy-to-learn language with user-friendly syntax. It interoperates with objective C and Apple’s Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks. This modern software design approach allows you to build an efficient and reliable general-purpose language, enabling you to develop complex applications. SlideShare, Airbnb, and Twitter are some well-known examples of Swift applications.
React Native Vs Swift: A Detailed Comparison
Let us compare both technologies by taking several criteria into account. Thus, you will get a precise idea to pick the most appropriate technology for your iOS app development project.
1) User Interface
React Native
It uses JavaScript and internal APIs to run native elements. Thus, the user interface is similar to the native one yet easier to code. Plus, the apps can adjust to various screen sizes due to JavaScript. Hence, it is a good idea to build an app for both iPhone and iPad simultaneously.
Swift
It is the iOS-native language from Apple to build apps. The apps can integrate into the iOS design effortlessly and leverage all the UX principles. On the other hand, when constructing an app on Swift, developers create the code from scratch. Hence, your team needs to polish every app design element separately.
2) Performance
React Native
The apps on React Native have to leverage various internal APIs and libraries. Though React Native is better when it comes to CPU usage optimization, it is challenging to deal with graphical effects for the framework. Thus, developers have to create necessary modules. To be precise, they need to add a middle-man between the code and the platform. That will have an impact on the app’s performance.
Swift
Native apps built on Swift can utilize all device possibilities. Moreover, the platform performs well while dealing with graphics effects and heavy computational tasks.
3) Coding Speed
React Native
React Native is a JavaScript framework ideal for web apps. As the language has been with us since 1995, various support tools are available. When it comes to building the Android app, React Native is a copy-paste process.
Swift
As Swift is based on Objective-C, it makes the entire coding process straightforward and eliminates drawbacks. It is a reliable and convenient way to build an iOS app.
4) Community and Support
React Native
JavaScript is one of the oldest and most popular programming languages used in web and hybrid mobile app development. It is unfair to compare JavaScript with recently launched Swift. But, yes, you have numerous resources for JavaScript on the internet. Also, there is a large community of JavaScript coders out there. You can find answers to any questions and get support from them.
Swift
Swift refers to only one type of programming: iOS app development. So, the problems are shallow, and probably no one is looking for sophisticated challenges. However, developers receive support from fellow developers at Swift public forums.
5) Stability
React Native
Though React Native is backed by one of the most reputed programming languages, it is not ideal for creating a native app. It works by leveraging the internal APIs and libraries to make the app function. Thus, it is about adding a middle-man between the code and the platform.
Swift
Swift creates a native app by leveraging all platform possibilities. As we have seen earlier, Swift performs better with graphic effects and heavy computational tasks. So, when it comes to stability, Swift may be the ideal choice.
6) Ease of Testing
React Native
It has no official support for UI level testing and Integration testing. Moreover, there are only a few unit-level testing frameworks available to test React Native apps. Thus, developers have to rely on third-party tools like Detox and Appium to identify bugs.
Plus, React Native relies on third-party libraries to build and release automation. The entire framework has no automated steps to deploy the iOS apps to the App Store. The developers define the manual process of deploying the app through Xcode.
Swift
Swift leverages Xcode to test iOs apps, which supports Unit and UI testing. With the Unit test, Xcode launches the app first and then performs tests. In case of any bugs, it reports and moves to the next test case using XCTest.
When it comes to UI tests, it is all about how a user interacts with the app. However, it uses XCUITest to implement a user interface test to ensure the app meets your requirements. You can use a UI test to check the onboarding flow of your app. Xcode enables test script generation and records all user interactions recorded while testing.
7) Development Cost
Development cost plays a vital role in choosing the technology for app development. It is not that increased price means increased quality. Also, according to recent studies, there is no significant difference in the hourly wages of the coders.
There is no prime cost difference with small-scale projects. However, building a technical stack for large-scale projects may come with an additional cost. Considering all the factors, React Native is slightly cheaper for all the benefits it has in store.
| React Native | Swift |
|---|---|
| Ranges from $80 to $300 in the US. | Ranges from $70 to $350 in the US. |
| Ranges from $50 to $200 in Western Europe. | Ranges from $60 to $250 in Western Europe. |
| Ranges from $25 to $150 in Eastern Europe. | Ranges from $30 to $120 in Eastern Europe. |
8) Developer’s Talent Pool
React Native
Since JavaScript has been with us for a long time, there is a pool of talents available on the market. Also, many users are so familiar with JavaScript that they will pick it as the language of their choice. Thus, building a team of JavaScript coders is comparatively easier.
Swift
As a relatively new technology, it could be challenging to find a Swift developer, unlike a JavaScript developer. Hence, building a team of Swift developers can be challenging.
Both React Native and Swift have their own benefits. To cut a long story short, we summarize:
Choose React Native if you want to
- ⇒ Develop a cost-effective application.
- ⇒ Develop an application that supports Android.
- ⇒ Build a cross-platform application.
- ⇒ Create applications that demand fast development.
Choose Swift if you want to
- ⇒ Build apps with complex user interfaces and high memory management.
- ⇒ Create exclusive apps for a single platform, the Apple ecosystem.
- ⇒ Develop apps that require native features and APIs of iOS.
- ⇒ Build apps that require maintenance upgrades in the future.
Conclusion
We have explained React Native and Swift in detail to you. Both languages have their advantages, and it depends on you and your team to construct the perfect technology stack for your iOS app development. And, hopefully, this blog comes in handy to understand the various features and functionalities of both technologies.
However, if you feel overwhelmed to pick the suitable technology or need assistance in building your iOS app, you are already at the right place. Cypherox Technologies is a renowned website and mobile app development company that has rendered robust mobile apps for both iOS and Android platforms. Reach us for any queries and assistance regarding your iOS app development. Our experts will be happy to guide you.
