So, you just got hired to build a mobile application for a big company? But there is one problem, you are not sure which JavaScript framework to use between Vue Native vs React Native. Well, this is quite normal since both tools are equally good hence their popularity in the web application industry.
But which is better between the two tools? After all, Vue User Interface components are similar to those of React Native. However, when it comes to learning difficulty, size, and documentation, Vue has the edge over React. On the other hand, React seems to be a more popular option.
To help you decide which is a better choice, we will compare these two app development tools against each other, including how they work and their differences.
What Is Vue Native And How Does It Work?
Essentially, this is a JavaScript-based app development framework designed to help you as a developer build cross-platform native mobile apps using Vue.js. The tool was created by Evan You, an independent software developer and a former employee at Google.
However, it appears to be a relatively new tool since it was officially released in 2018. But despite this, it still does provide you with so many benefits, including great documentation, server-side rendering, two-way binding, and having a gentle learning curve. Not to mention it supports JSX. And thanks to its small size and powerful features, you will find that it is best suited for developing high-performing small applications.
But how does it work? It’s simple! The framework code is designed to transpile to React Native. In simple words, since Vue is a wrapper around React Native APIs, it works by letting you create mobile apps with a rich User Interface. Vue also works by using components provided by React Native to help you build native apps for both iOS and Android.
What is React Native and how does it work?
Also known as RN, this is a popular JavaScript-based UI software framework created by Meta Platforms, Inc, the company behind Facebook. The framework was released in 2015, which means it has been in existence for a longer period than Vue Native. This, therefore, explains why it continues to top the list of best app development frameworks.
Like Vue, RN comprises many powerful features such as code sharing, which means you can share most of your code across various platforms, be it Windows, Android, or iOS. In addition, it has great rendering capabilities, a strong community, and offers support for 3-rd party libraries.
In terms of how it works, React Native allows you to build robust mobile apps using your existing JavaScript knowledge and the same codebase. In other words, what the framework does is that it compiles the JavaScript code to native components using its APIs and modules. Consequently, this enables you to build natively-rendered apps that look exactly the same in Android and iOS.
React Native vs Vue Native: Why compare?
You are probably wondering, why choose to compare React native vs Vue native and not other frameworks? Well, there are so many reasons, one being their popularity and wide usage in the app development industry.
Another reason is that the tools are quite similar since Vue Native wraps the Vue.js syntax around React Native. This means that everything you do in React Native, you can still do it in Vue Native because they work with the same code.
But despite their similarities, there are differences between Vue and React. For instance, Vue is easier to learn than RN because it uses simple HTML and CSS in JavaScript and single-file components. React, on the other hand, uses separate reusable components.
On top of that, they differ in other areas such as server-side rendering, security, size, community, and documentation. For example, Vue has built-in server-side rendering capabilities, but RN does not, although it still does allow server-side rendering.
Vue Native Vs React Native: What Are The Key Differences?
At first glance, you might think that the Vue Native app and Reactive Native are the same. After all, both are designed to help you build mobile/web applications. However, this is not the case. And in this section, we will look at their key differences.
Popularity
When you take a look at these two frameworks, you will be quick to notice that Vue Native has been gaining so much popularity among many new app developers and startups since its release. But is this tool more popular than its React Native counterpart?
According to a survey conducted by Stack Overflow platform (a popular platform for programmers), React Native seems like a more popular option. With a score of 35.9%, React Native boasts a strong lead compared to Vue, which scored only 17.3%.
In the same survey, React Native scored 68.9% in the category of most loved web frameworks while Vue Native 66.0%.
Interestingly, React Native also seems to have been doing quite better than Vue between 2019 and 2021, according to statistics by Google Trends. So, while both frameworks are popular, React Native takes the lead.
Security
One of the things we love about Vue is the fact their apps are a little easier to secure compared to React apps. This is because Vue uses HTML templates that you can sanitize by removing HTML tags that may be used to run unwanted scripts. You sanitize HTML codes to protect against attacks like cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection.
Additionally, you can use third-party libraries such as react-native-SSL-pinning or react-native-pinch for additional security.
React Native, on the other hand, does not provide you with any means of storing sensitive information. However, both iOs and Android platforms do have pre-existing solutions. But for less sensitive data, the framework features Async Storage, which saves data to documents on the phone’s hard drive.
You should also know that similar to other JavaScript-based frameworks, both React and Vue.js are also vulnerable to many security threats such as XSS attacks. However, RN is more vulnerable than Vue. So, as a developer, you must make good use of all the security features on both iOS and Android to ensure maximum security. Also, by using the right libraries and React Native APIs, you could minimize security risks.
Performance
Surprisingly, both frameworks share most of the elements. As such, you will find that there is no major difference in their general performance.
For instance, React Native uses the virtual DOM (Document Object Model) element to render HTML pages. One of the best things about Virtual DOM is that the entire page is not rendered once you make changes but only the changed element. As such, you can expect React to perform more efficiently compared to other frameworks that use DOM or real DOM.
Just like React, Vue also utilizes virtual DOM to automatically render HTML pages without having to depend on a browser. Because of this, there is no significant difference in both the performance and speed quality of React and Vue.js.
However, if you are keen, you will realize that Vue Native uses HTML templates while React Native works with a syntax extension. Consequently, Vue apps tend to be slightly faster in terms of performance than React apps.
Scaling
React Native allows better scaling because all of its apps are purely written in JavaScript. So, as a developer, you will be able to use traditional methods to organize the code correctly for easier scaling.
In addition, React Native allows you to create reusable UI components, thereby making the development process more scalable. So, if you need a framework that enables you to start small and later, you can add more powerful tools, React Native will not disappoint you thanks to its powerful tools.
Just like React Native, you can also scale up Vue. The difference is that the former can be used in multi-page applications while the latter is best suited for smaller applications. However, when it comes to scaling Vue, you will need to import libraries to help you integrate multiple components into the already existing infrastructure. You can also use Mixin elements that Vue offers for enhanced scaling.
Adapting to Mobile Gadgets
With Vue Native, you can develop cross-platform mobile applications that are sure to run on both iOS and Android platforms using rich UI elements. After all, the framework is designed to transpile files to React Native, or simply put, and it relies heavily on React. This means that without React Native, it would be almost impossible to build native Android and iOS apps.
While Vue does excel at adapting to mobile gadgets, React Native seems to be doing better. It works by letting you build native mobile apps on both iOS and Android platforms using the same React component structure. This means that, unlike Vue, you don’t need to use third-party frameworks just to build the front-end of a mobile app.
Serverside Rendering
For applications that are server-side rendered, you will notice that their pages tend to load faster, thereby enhancing user experience. The feature may also result in better SEO.
Luckily, Vue Native is integrated with server-side rendering capabilities, unlike RN. Therefore, you will be able to load a client’s side applications on the server rather than having to download the entire Vue Native app and then load everything at once.
As for React Native, the only way to render the pages on the server is by using libraries from external vendors such as Next.js. So, overall, Vue seems to have the upper hand over React as far as server-side rendering is concerned.
Size
At around 80 KB in size, Vue Native is relatively small compared to React, which is about 100 KB in size. And thanks to the small size of Vue, you get to enjoy a faster performance in terms of speed and overall better efficiency.
However, it is worth mentioning that the overall size of React may exceed the 100 KB mark since you might have to download new features constantly, such as third-party libraries. But overall, you will have to agree with us that both tools are fairly small in size.
Documentation
With both Vue and React, documentation is available and covers everything that you might need to know to build the best applications. Also, you will be happy to know that the docs are available in various languages for ease of use.
Vue documentation is quite in-depth and easy-to-understand compared to that of React Native. Basically, it covers the basics, including installation and setup, testing, routing, component basics, the internal API, and much more.
Just like Vue, React Native also provides great documentation for reference. Basically, what you get are detailed solutions to common problems that you might face while using this tool. However, the docs are not as detailed as that of the Vue Native tutorial.
Community
Because of the popularity of React Native, it seems to have a larger community than its Vue counterpart. Also, the fact that this framework is supported by Facebook could explain why it has a huge following from thousands of enthusiastic app developers.
As of mid-2020, the framework reported nearly 50,000 active contributors according to the Stack Overflow platform.
Just like React Native, Vue Native also has an active community. However, the community is a little small compared to that of React, probably because the platform has fewer resources and third-party libraries. The good news is that the framework keeps improving, and the community has also been growing.
Learning Difficulty
Vue is considered one of the easiest to learn JavaScript frameworks. This is because it uses single file components for HTML templates, CSS, and JavaScript, unlike React, where both HTML and CSS are expressed via JavaScript.
It also boasts great documentation, excellent programming styles, and a complete getting-started Vue Native tutorial. So, if you are a newbie in app development, we would recommend you start with Vue.
Compared to Vue, React has a relatively steep learning curve. However, some of its elements make it easier to work with. For instance, if using React with JSX, you will have an easy time understanding how the template engine works since it looks almost like a simple HTML.
On top of that, RN features one-way data binding, which provides you with additional control over your code. Consequently, this helps to minimize errors.
Vue native vs React native: Which one should I learn?
This entirely depends on the kind of applications you want to develop. For instance, it would be an excellent idea to learn React Native if you plan to build larger applications such as gaming apps since the framework is more flexible and customizable.
In addition, if you plan to get a job as a developer, you should learn RN because it offers many employment opportunities. This is due to the fact that it can function with any existing program, it is significantly more popular, and it provides a large number of external tools.
However, if all you want is to learn a framework with the easiest learning curve, we recommend Vue Native. It gets even easier to learn if you are already familiar with JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.
FAQs
Before we conclude, let’s take a look at some of the commonly asked questions about React native vs Vue native. You can use this info to help you make a better decision on which framework is ideal for you.
Is Vue good for mobile apps?
Yes. The framework offers a range of UI elements designed to help you build fast and easy native applications for the web, Android, and iOS. And the fact that it is easy to learn only makes everything better.
Is Vue JS front end or backend?
Vue.js is an open-source front-end framework based on JavaScript. As such, there is no default backend for a Vue application. This means you will be able to develop scalable frontend applications independently from backend options.
Is React Native good for websites?
Yes. However, it is advisable to use React Native only if you are planning to develop both web and mobile applications together. RN is also good for websites if you already have an existing mobile app in React-native and plan to build a web version of it.
Is react native and Reactjs the same?
No, because React Native is the whole framework, although it is based on Reactjs. Reactjs, on the other hand, is simply a JavaScript library containing reusable components for building web applications. This means that React Native offers all the benefits of Reactjs.
Is Vue Native production ready?
The answer is yes. You can easily create production-ready mobile applications that look and even perform just like Native iOS/Android apps using this framework.
Final Thoughts
From our Vue Native vs React Native review, you can clearly tell that these two frameworks have a lot in common. But which is a better choice? Overall, React Native seems like the best choice based on how popular it is among enthusiast developers. Not to mention, it is quite flexible when it comes to building large-scale and complex applications.
But then again, we feel that there are situations where Vue Native may be a better framework for you than RN. For instance, when you need to build a small and lightweight mobile app that boasts fast performance or simply a web app with templates.
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