What Is the Difference Between React and React Native?
React builds web interfaces in the browser. React Native uses React concepts to build native iOS and Android apps.
React and React Native share the same component model and developer mindset, but they target different platforms.
- React is for web apps. It renders to the DOM in a browser.
- React Native is for mobile apps. It renders to native UI components on iOS and Android.
You still write JavaScript/TypeScript in both, but the primitives are different:
- React web:
<div>,<button>,<span> - React Native:
<View>,<Text>,<Pressable>
React Native also gives you access to device features (camera, push notifications, sensors) through native APIs and libraries.
Which one should you use?
- Choose React when you are building a website or web dashboard.
- Choose React Native when you are building a mobile app.
- Use both in a monorepo if you want shared business logic across web and mobile.
VibeFast is built around this approach: React Native (Expo) for mobile and Next.js (React) for web.
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