Is React Native Good for Mobile App Development in 2025?

Yes, React Native is a strong choice for mobile app development. It allows developers to build high-performing apps for both iOS and Android using a single codebase, reducing development time and cost. With backing from Meta and a large developer community, it continues to evolve with better performance, native module integration, and support for new architecture.

For startups and enterprises alike, React Native offers faster go-to-market and scalable solutions—making it ideal for modern mobile app development in 2025.

Cross-platform app development is set to become the most popular way to build mobile applications by the end of this decade and React Native is one of the most popular open-source cross-platform app frameworks leading this charge. Born from Facebook’s engineering labs in 2015, this powerhouse lets developers build iOS and Android apps with a single codebase using only JavaScript and React.

Why are giants like Walmart, UberEATS, and Shopify betting on it?

Simple: speed, cost, and performance.

Imagine slashing your development time by 30% (like UberEATS did) and being able to reuse 95% of your code (as Walmart achieved) or even 86% (like Shopify) – all while creating an app that performs in a crash and bug-free way on both Android and iOS.

Those are the types of strategic advantages you can expect when you use React Native. Now, the question is: Is React Native good for app development in 2025 for your project?

The short answer? Yes – if you value agility without sacrificing quality.

The long answer is, of course, more complicated. Using React Native for app development might have some drawbacks, depending on what type of project you are heading.

In this guide, we’ll explore what React Native is, unpack its superpowers (like its Fabric architecture and TurboModules), assess how it stacks up against other popular options, and show you when to use it – and when to avoid it. Let’s dive in!

What is React Native?

React Native began as a bold experiment during a 2013 Facebook hackathon. Facebook aimed to solve the problem of managing separate iOS and Android codebases by using React, a JavaScript library, to create a unified solution. After two years of experimentation, React Native was released in 2015 as an open-source project, blending the simplicity of web development with native mobile performance, and revolutionizing mobile app development.

So, what exactly is React Native?

It is a framework that empowers developers to craft mobile apps for iOS and Android using JavaScript – a language best known for powering interactive websites – and React, a library that simplifies building user interfaces by breaking them into reusable pieces.

But here’s where it gets interesting – React Native takes that JavaScript code and compiles it into the native languages that iOS (think Swift) and Android (think Kotlin) understand.

Unlike older approaches that relied on web views – essentially embedding a mini-browser inside an app, often at the cost of speed and polish – React Native also helps deliver apps that feel truly native. How? Through a clever mechanism called the “bridge.” This bridge acts like a translator, linking the JavaScript code to the native features of a device, such as its camera, GPS, or push notifications. When your app needs to tap into these platform-specific capabilities, the bridge ensures smooth communication, with no extra coding required.

The outcome is apps that run fast, look sharp, and feel like they belong on your phone.

That’s why, some of the biggest players in tech have embraced React Native for mobile app development – UberEATS, Android, Coinbase, Flipkart, Pinterest, and even Tesla, to name a few.

React Native vs. Native Development: What’s the Difference?

The mobile development world is currently split between two philosophies: build once, deploy anywhere (React Native), and build twice, optimize everywhere (Native).

Native development involves crafting apps tailored to specific platforms using their native languages and tools. For iOS apps, this means building with Swift or Objective-C, while Android apps rely on Java or Kotlin. Each platform demands a separate codebase, complete with its own APIs and design guidelines, effectively requiring two distinct apps.

In contrast, using React Native for mobile app development means using JavaScript and React to create apps that run on both iOS and Android from a single codebase.

Development Speed

Native development can be time-intensive. Separate codebases mean every feature, fix, or update must be implemented twice – once for iOS and once for Android. This dual effort often extends timelines and requires careful coordination. React Native flips this dynamic by enabling simultaneous development for both platforms.

Developers can cut project timelines by up to 50%, a boon for businesses aiming to launch quickly. A feature that might take two months in native development could be ready in one with React Native.

Costs

Cost is another major differentiator. 

Native development typically requires two teams with specialized skills – one for iOS and one for Android – doubling expenses for development, testing, and maintenance. A mid-sized app might cost $45k to $100k across both platforms. 

React Native allows a single team to manage everything, reducing costs by up to 40%. That same app could range from $25k to $60k making React Native for app development a budget-friendly choice for startups and smaller businesses.

Performance

Native apps excel in performance. Built directly for their platforms, they optimize hardware access, delivering faster load times and smoother animations – perfect for graphics-heavy apps like games.

React Native, while slightly slower due to its JavaScript bridge, still performs admirably for most use cases. Recent updates have minimized the gap, ensuring apps like eCommerce or social platforms feel native to users.

For extreme performance needs, native wins, but React Native suffices for standard applications.

Pros and Cons of Native Development

• Pros: Top performance for complex apps, full platform API access, excellent for graphics-intensive projects
• Cons: Higher costs, longer timelines, demands specialized expertise

Pros and Cons of React Native

• Pros: Speedy development, cost-effective, simpler maintenance
• Cons: Minor performance trade-offs, occasional need for native modules, less suited for high-performance apps

In essence, native development suits performance-critical projects, while choosing React Native for mobile app development is a balanced, resource-efficient decision for most scenarios.

Top Reasons to Choose React Native for App Development

Here are some of the main reasons why React Native has become one of the few universally popular mobile app development frameworks in 2025:

Cross-Platform Compatibility

React Native solves the “double work” problem of building separate iOS and Android apps. Instead of maintaining two codebases, you write one using JavaScript/TypeScript, and React Native translates it into platform-specific native components.

Beyond iOS and Android, tools like React Native Web also extend its reach to the web, Windows, and macOS. This means a startup can launch an app across all major mobile platforms simultaneously, maximizing reach without extra effort.

Companies like Walmart famously reused 95% of their code across platforms, ensuring identical features on iOS and Android without doubling their workload. Startups like Flipkart use this to launch apps faster, while enterprises like Microsoft leverage it to maintain consistency across devices.

The result? You reach 100% of mobile users with 50% of the effort.

Faster Development Process

Traditional native development requires separate teams for iOS and Android, doubling timelines. Choosing React Native for app development means one team builds both apps simultaneously using shared logic and UI components.

The framework also offers built-in features like Fast Refresh that let developers see code changes instantly (no 5-minute rebuilds) and tools like Code-Push to deploy live updates without app store approvals.

This agility is a critical competitive edge for businesses that like to respond to market trends.

Native-Like Performance

Early cross-platform tools were clunky but React Native apps now rival native performance.

How? It combines JavaScript for business logic with native UI components for rendering.

Recent upgrades like Fabric (a multi-threaded rendering engine) and Hermes (a lean JavaScript engine) have even reduced app startup times by 30% and eliminated lag. For example, Tesla’s app uses React Native to control car locks, climate, and navigation in real time – tasks requiring millisecond responses. 

While hardcore gaming or 4K video editing still needs native code, 95% of apps (eCommerce, social media, banking) built with React Native perform indistinguishably from native.  

Large Community Support

With 2+ million active developers and 50k+ GitHub libraries – React Native has one of tech’s most active communities.

Stuck on a bug? Stack Overflow has 500k+ threads packed with solutions from fellow developers.

Need a ready-made feature? Grab React Navigation for seamless routing or React Native Maps for geolocation – these libraries are pre-built, battle-tested, and trusted by thousands.

New to mobile? Expo’s documentation or React Native School provides beginner-friendly tutorials that demystify tricky concepts.

This collective knowledge means you are not starting from scratch – you are standing on the shoulders of giants.

Even Meta’s engineering team pitches in routinely, sharing fixes like Reanimated 3 that enable fluid, buttery-smooth animations.

Reusability of Code

React Native’s component-based architecture lets you create modular, reusable UI and logic blocks. Think of it as building Lego blocks: build a login form once, and reuse it across screens (or even future projects).

That’s how Airbnb reused 90% of its code between iOS and Android, from search filters to booking flows. It is how Shopify shares code between its mobile and web apps using React Native Web. It is how Walmart standardized app components like product carousels into internal libraries.

For developers, this means less repetitive code and fewer bugs. For businesses, it slashes costs – updating a shared component updates it everywhere. Startups especially benefit: a single feature can scale across platforms without rewriting.

Strong Ecosystem and Libraries

React Native’s ecosystem is rich with tools and libraries, streamlining common tasks.

Need navigation? React Navigation has you covered. Payments? Libraries like Stripe integrate seamlessly. Expo simplifies testing and deployment, letting developers focus on unique features rather than boilerplate code. Do you have niche requirements? react-native-ble-plx hooks up Bluetooth devices, while react-native-vision-camera captures video at a crisp 60fps. 

Companies like Tesla use these tools to focus on unique features (such as car controls) instead of reinventing their app’s wheels.

The npm registry currently hosts 2+ million packages where developers can “shop” for ready-made solutions.

It is like walking into an app developer’s dream store where every shelf is stocked with features, tools, and libraries that make app integrations feel effortless.

Familiar JavaScript and React Syntax

React Native uses JavaScript – the world’s most popular language – making it instantly accessible to 14+ million web developers. If your JavaScript team knows the basics of React, they recognize React Native concepts like hooks, states, and JSX within minutes. 

This lowers hiring costs (no need for niche Swift/Kotlin experts) and accelerates onboarding. Junior devs can contribute faster, while seniors focus on complex logic. The learning curve is ten times gentler compared to the native’s platform-specific quirks.  

Hot Reloading and Live Updates

Native development’s biggest frustration? Waiting minutes to see a button color change. React Native’s Hot Reloading fixes this: tweak code, and the app updates instantly while preserving its state. Designers can adjust layouts live, and developers debug faster.

Coinbase tests 50+ design iterations daily this way.

With Over-The-Air (OTA) updates via the CodePush feature, you can roll out bug fixes or small features straight to users, skipping the app store’s red tape. Imagine patching a security flaw for a million users in minutes instead of days – Agile teams live for this kind of speed and flexibility.

Support for Third-Party Plugins

Want to harness device-specific hardware without losing React Native’s cross-platform magic? Native modules make it happen. These third-party plugins seamlessly blend platform-specific capabilities into your app. For example:

• react-native-biometrics adds Face ID or Touch ID authentication in a snap
• react-native-sensors taps into gyroscope and accelerometer data for motion-driven features
• react-native-ffmpeg processes videos at lightning-fast native speeds

These tools let your app flex the full power of iOS and Android hardware while keeping your codebase lean and efficient.

Easier Maintenance and Upgrades

Managing two native codebases means doubling the bugs, updates, and testing. React Native simplifies this: fix a bug once, and it is patched on iOS and Android. This unified approach keeps apps current with way less effort.

Tools like Bitrise automate testing across iOS and Android in one streamlined workflow, while Sentry monitors crashes holistically, giving you a unified view of your app’s health.

No more juggling with platform-specific patches. Just one update, and you are golden.

Strong Backing from Facebook and Other Major Companies

Meta (Facebook) does not just use React Native – it invests millions yearly into its development. The framework currently powers Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. That means receiving long-term support is guaranteed.

Beyond Meta, heavyweights like Microsoft (with Office Mobile) and Shopify (via their Merchant App) constantly bet big on it, further reinforcing the framework’s enterprise credibility. Updates like the New Architecture (rolled out in 2022) and Fabric renderer (advanced in 2023) show Meta’s dedication to keeping it ahead of the curve.

Partners like Microsoft (Office Mobile) and Shopify (Merchant App)

This backing means React Native won’t vanish overnight (unlike many open-source projects). Recent updates like New Architecture (2022) and Fabric (2023) prove Meta’s commitment to keeping it cutting-edge.

Improved Developer Productivity

React Native’s toolchain is a developer’s dream, built to save time and sanity:

• VS Code with IntelliSense speeds up coding with smart suggestions and debugging plugins.
• Flipper offers real-time insights into app state, network traffic, and logs.
• Detox automates end-to-end testing across devices with ease.
• Expo simplifies builds and deployment, cutting setup time to nearly 0.
• App Center tracks crashes and analytics effortlessly.

These tools strip away the grunt work, letting developers zero in on app logic. Teams see 30-50% faster iteration cycles compared to Native development.

Benefits of Using React Native for App Development

Here are the standout benefits of using React Native for mobile app development.  

Cross-Platform Mastery

Write one codebase, and deploy it everywhere. No more maintaining separate teams or codebases.

Speed Amplified

Features like Hot Reloading (instant code updates) and Expo’s Live Updates slash development cycles.

Cost Efficiency

One team, one codebase = a single team handles both platforms = significantly lower dev costs

The cost to develop an app with React Native can be 40% less than the cost to develop a native app for multiple platforms.

Community Powerhouse

With millions of active devs and thousands of libraries, help is always a click away.

Native-Level UX

With Fabric’s multi-threading and libraries like Reanimated – feel free to pack your app with silky animations and a ton of advanced, native-esque features while maintaining the app’s real-time responsiveness.

Future-Ready Flexibility

Want to integrate AI/AR? Use TensorFlow.js or ViroReact. Want your app to have cleaner code? Use React 19’s auto-optimized hooks. This framework is constantly getting primed to add advanced, future-proof features to apps.

Talent Portability

JavaScript pros can jump in without learning Swift or Kotlin. Your web team can become your mobile app team within days.

Modular Design

Reuse components – like login screens or payment flows – across projects. Build once, deploy often. 

Third-Party Boost

Plugins like react-native-mmkv (fast storage) or react-native-flashlist (high-performance lists) let you add advanced features – no sweat. 

OTA Updates

Push fixes or tweaks via CodePush without app store delays.

Who Should Use React Native?

If you are racing to launch an app on iOS and Android without draining your bank account, choosing React native for app development is a no-brainer. Startups love it. Tight budgets and timelines pair perfectly with its single-code-based approach. It saves up to 25% on dev time compared to native builds – so, small to mid-sized teams fluent in JavaScript or React also love using it to hit the ground running

It is ideal for apps like eCommerce platforms, social networks, or productivity tools that are feature-rich but not graphics-heavy.   

Overall, if your goal is a polished, cross-platform app with a native vibe – say, a shopping app or a community tool – React Native will deliver.

But if your app needs intense animations (like a 3D game) or deep platform-specific tricks, Native might edge it out.

Real Examples of React Native App

React Native has propelled some of the world’s most recognized apps to new heights.

Facebook’s team rebuilt their iOS app using React Native, halving the app’s time-to-market while improving its startup performance. This proved React Native’s viability at scale, paving the way for broader adoption. 

After years of clunky performance, Microsoft revamped the Skype app with React Native, unifying its UI across mobile and Windows desktops. The framework’s cross-platform flexibility allowed the seamless integration of features like chat threading and video call controls, revitalizing the app for 300+ million users.

Retail giant Walmart shared 95% of the code between iOS and Android, slashing development costs and ensuring pixel-perfect consistency. React Native’s smooth animations and near-native performance helped Walmart’s app handle Black Friday traffic spikes without lag.

React Native powers Tesla’s app for real-time car controls (locking, climate, Powerwalls, GPS tracking). By blending JavaScript logic with native modules, Tesla achieved millisecond response times -proving React Native works even for mission-critical systems.

Facing a shortage of iOS talent, SoundCloud used React Native to prototype and build this creator-focused app SoundCloud Pulse. It empowered a lean team to ship faster across platforms and keep their community engaged without needing deep mobile expertise.

Discord famously pivoted to React Native in 2015, optimizing performance with tweaks like RAM bundles and Flux store enhancements. Load times dropped to two seconds, cementing its appeal for gamers across platforms.

Is React Native the Right Choice for Your App?

Still unsure if you should choose React Native for your mobile app development project? Here’s a framework to weigh it against native development. 

Go with React Native if

• You need iOS and Android apps fast (simultaneous launches).
• The budget is tight.
• Your app is moderately complex (like shopping, social, or safety apps).
• Speedy updates matter a lot to your project.

Choose native if: 

• Your app is a performance beast (such as gaming, AR/VR with heavy graphics)
• You need deep OS-specific features React Native cannot touch
• You have time and funds for two codebases and specialized devs

Key factors to consider while making this decision are:

• Your app’s complexity – React Native handles feature-rich apps well but stumbles on ultra-intricate ones. 
• Budget
• Time frame
• Audience – if your user base is split between iOS and Android, React Native ensures consistency.

Advice: Businesses chasing efficiency thrive with React Native’s speed and scalability. If the developers are new to mobile, its JavaScript roots ease the jump.  

Future of React Native in Mobile App Development

Here’s why React Native’s future looks brighter than ever in 2025.

New Architecture Unleashed

The New Architecture rewrites the rules with Fabric and TurboModules. Fabric’s multi-threaded rendering enables 60 FPS animations for AR/VR apps, while TurboModules lazy-load native code, slashing startup times by 40%. Meta and Microsoft already use these to power Instagram Reels and Teams apps.

Debugging Made Simpler

Gone are the days of tedious troubleshooting. React Native’s DevTools now offer web-like troubleshooting ease – we are talking instant component inspection, breakpoints, and network analysis. Add tools like Reactotron and Expo DevTool Plugins and debugging becomes easier than ever.

Performance Edge

React Native now matches Flutter blow-for-blow, thanks to React Native Skia for rendering and Web-GPU for graphics. JavaScript’s familiarity, paired with Meta’s Hermes engine, gives it a leg up – closing the gap with native while outpacing rivals in developer adoption.

React 19 Boost

React 19 automates optimizations, delivering leaner code and zippier apps. For developers, it is less hassle; for users, it is a smoother ride—paving the way for React Native’s next leap.

Conclusion

React Native is not perfect, but it is the closest thing to a silver bullet in mobile development today. It is a framework that lets startups punch above their weight, enterprises scale smarter, and developers ship faster – without sacrificing performance.

Take a hard look at your app’s needs – complexity, budget, timeline, and performance goals. If React Native aligns with your vision, it is time to jump in. 

Not sure where to start? Team up with a React Native app development agency like Itobuz to nail your execution. We’ll help you code smarter, launch faster, and scale without friction.

Ready to build the app that defines 2025? Let’s talk strategy. Contact us now for a free quote!