The Thing About React Native...

Speaking of development... Yesterday we published some numbers around the usage of non-native frameworks React Native and Flutter, which took Twitter by storm and (re)started the general debate of whether non-native app development is the future.

The short answer is: Maybe.

First, let's look at the numbers behind a few more popular non-native frameworks, Unity and Cordova.

When adding up all the apps that use React Native, Flutter, Cordova, and Unity, we a much different picture than by just looking at one. I know non-native frameworks as much of a religion as preferring the native alternative, but for the sake of analysis I'll add them up.

When we do that, we see that on the App Store, 10% of apps and games are non-native. On Google Play that number more than doubles to 25%.

Surprised? Don't be.

The benefit of non-native frameworks, of build-once-deploy-everywhere, is the kind of thing every developer would want if it were possible. Why? Because for all the opportunities the stores offer, success isn't merely a result of how you code your app (or game). It wasn't before and it isn't now.

Right now non-native frameworks can't offer a smooth experience for all types of apps, but they can for a bunch. That's why TikTok and Instagram use React Native in production.

The real challenge, and the thing that will make-or-break the future of non-native development, in my opinion, is the tools around it. The frameworks are evolving fast to get as close as they can to native performance and in their journey also change a lot. Those changes make it hard to build tools and maintain packages that the masses can use, and that's making some dislike native development.

But, that will eventually (and inevitably) slow down, bringing stability to those developers that stuck around long enough.

According to our SDK Intelligence, 416K developers have at least one app built in one of these frameworks. This number suggests enough will stick around. It's not a question of "if" but "when".