Ionic vs React Native

React Native builds native iOS/Android apps with JavaScript, whereas Ionic uses web components and Capacitor for native access.

IonicOpen source UI toolkit for mobile apps built with web technologies

React NativeBuild native iOS and Android apps with React

Which to pick

Pick Ionic if you want…

Cross-platform mobile UI with web tech
Hybrid apps using web views
Integrations with Angular, Vue or Capacitor (on Ionic's list, not React Native's)

Pick React Native if you want…

Cross-platform native mobile apps with React
Integrations with Expo, React Native Windows or React Native macOS (on React Native's list, not Ionic's)

Ionic uses web technologies inside a native wrapper, whereas React Native renders true native UI

Side by side

What it is: Ionic:Ionic is an open-source UI toolkit that lets web developers build cross-platform mobile apps and PWAs using web technologies.; React Native:React Native is a JavaScript framework that lets you build native iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and web apps using React.
Best for: Ionic:Cross-platform mobile UI with web tech; React Native:Cross-platform native mobile apps with React
Who it’s for: Ionic:Web developers who want to create native-like mobile apps with a single codebase.; React Native:JavaScript/React developers who want to create cross-platform native apps
Pricing: Ionic:Open source; React Native:Open source
Open source: Ionic:Yes, 52,686 GitHub stars; React Native:Yes
Works with: Ionic:Angular, React, Vue, JavaScript, Capacitor, iOS, Android, Web; React Native:JavaScript, React, Expo, Android, iOS, React Native Windows, React Native macOS, React Native Web

Ionic features

UI Component Library. Over 100 pre-built, themeable web components for iOS, Android and web.
Powerful CLI. Create, build, test and deploy apps from the command line, integrating with any JS framework.
VS Code Extension. Editor tooling that enforces best practices and runs common Ionic tasks inside VS Code.
Capacitor Bridge. Native plugin API to access device features like Camera, Filesystem and Share from web code.
On-Device Hot Refresh. Instantly see code changes on a connected device without rebuilding.
Appflow Cloud CI/CD. Cloud builds, live updates, native binary generation and app-store publishing.
Multi-Framework Support. Works with Angular, React, Vue or no framework at all.
Dark/Light Mode. Built-in theming for user-preferred light or dark UI.

React Native features

Write once, run everywhere. Use JavaScript and React primitives that render to native UI components on each platform.
Core native components. Provides platform-agnostic components like View, Text and Image that map directly to native UI.
File-based routing. Create stack, modal, drawer, and tab screens with minimal boilerplate via the filesystem.
Extensible with native code. Add or modify native modules, or use over 50 existing modules for platform APIs.
Developer tools integration. Start with Expo Go and later use expo-dev-client for apps requiring native changes.
Community ecosystem. Supported by Meta, Microsoft, Expo and many contributors, with extensions for Windows, macOS and Web.

Ionic vs React Native FAQ

Is Ionic or React Native free?+

Yes, both are free and open source.

Is Ionic or React Native open source?+

Yes, both are open source: Ionic (ionic-team/ionic-framework on GitHub, MIT license) and React Native (facebook/react-native on GitHub).

Do Ionic and React Native integrate with the same tools?+

Partly. Both list React, JavaScript, iOS and Android. Ionic also lists Angular, Vue, Capacitor and Web; React Native also lists Expo, React Native Windows, React Native macOS and React Native Web.

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React Native