Choosing React Native for Mobile App

Why React Native?

While Vue.js excels in web development and powers the SuperSaaS Backend and Dashboard, it falls short for native mobile app development. Here's why we chose React Native:

• Robust mobile framework: Vue.js lacks a mobile framework matching React Native's maturity, community support, and feature set. Options like Weex, Quasar and Capacitor can't compete with React Native's native performance and ecosystem.
• Near-native performance: React Native renders components using native APIs, crucial for a smooth mobile user experience.
• Thriving ecosystem: A vast array of libraries, tools, and community support makes problem-solving, third-party integration, and staying current with mobile development best practices easier.
• Efficient cross-platform development: Build for both iOS and Android from a single codebase, saving time and resources.
• Easy skill transition: Web developers often find React Native more accessible due to its similarities with React for web development.

Expo vs. React Native

Expo, built on React Native, simplifies the development process. While React Native provides core native mobile app building functionality with JavaScript, Expo adds tools and services for more accessible and efficient development. So Expo is like Set of tool used for developing the React Native app, like NuxtHub for Nuxt.

Key differences:

• Setup: Expo offers quick setup with minimal configuration; vanilla React Native requires more initial setup.
• Native modules: Expo provides pre-built native modules; React Native often needs manual linking.
• Build process: Expo features a managed workflow with cloud builds; React Native requires local iOS and Android build toolchains.
• Flexibility: React Native allows more custom native code flexibility; Expo trades some flexibility for ease of use.

For the SuperSaaS mobile app, we chose Expo. Here's why:

• Streamlined development: Expo abstracts complex React Native project setup and management, letting developers focus on coding.
• Quick prototyping: Start new projects and see them on your device in minutes—perfect for rapid iteration.
• Over-the-air updates: Push updates without app store reviews, ideal for quick fixes and feature releases.
• Managed workflow: Handles native dependencies and configurations, reducing version mismatch and native module linking issues.
• Comprehensive API coverage: Extensive APIs cover most mobile app functions, minimizing the need for third-party libraries and custom native modules.
• Cloud build service using EAS: Eliminates the need for local iOS and Android build environments.

The React Native core team recommends Expo as the best community framework for React Native development. Please read more about it here.

Expo Go vs Development Build

• Expo Go: A pre-built app for quick testing without full setup.
• Development Build: A custom version of your app with more debugging tools and native module support.

We support both for the SuperSaaS mobile app, offering flexibility in development and testing.