React and React Native come from the same core idea: building user interfaces out of small, reusable components. If you’ve worked with one, the other will feel immediately familiar. You write components, manage state, use hooks, and think in terms of data flowing down and events flowing up. At the development layer, the experience is intentionally very similar.
Under the hood, though, they’re doing different jobs. React renders to the browser and works with the DOM and web APIs. React Native uses the same component model but translates it into real native UI elements on iOS and Android. The code may look alike, but what happens at runtime (and the constraints you work within) can be quite different.
This guide looks at where React and React Native overlap and where they diverge. The goal isn’t to argue for one over the other, but to help you understand how each environment works, what tools they rely on, and what kinds of problems they’re best suited to solve, so you can choose the right fit for your project.
Key takeaways:
- React is a popular JavaScript library for building fast, interactive web interfaces using JSX to mix structure and logic. It focuses on the view layer, giving developers the freedom to choose tools for routing, state, and data, and works well for dashboards, e-commerce sites, and apps that update without page reloads.
- React Native lets you build real mobile apps using JavaScript and React components, but instead of running in a browser, it uses native mobile elements for iOS and Android. This approach offers near-native performance with shared code, making it ideal for teams that want to build and update mobile apps quickly without juggling separate tech stacks.
- React is best for building complex, interactive web apps like dashboards or SaaS platforms, thanks to its rich ecosystem and browser-focused tools. React Native is the go-to choice for cross-platform mobile apps, and many companies use both to share code and keep a consistent development flow across web and mobile.
In this article:
- React For Web Apps
- React Native For Mobile Apps
- React vs React Native: The Main Differences
- When to Use React vs React Native
- Tools and Ecosystem
React For Web Apps
React grew into one of the most popular tools for creating web interfaces. It uses JavaScript and JSX, which lets you write markup and logic in the same language. The library focuses on the view layer, which means you decide how to structure the rest of your app. Routing, data fetching, state management, and file structure are decisions you shape with your team.
React feels natural for building dashboards, e-commerce sites, admin tools, and applications that need quick updates without refreshing the page. You work with the DOM, and you load your work through bundlers and build tools such as Vite or Webpack. When you want a more mature structure, you use frameworks built on React, such as NextJS or Remix.
React Native For Mobile Apps
React Native brings the spirit of React to mobile development. You still write components and use JavaScript to describe your interface. The difference lies in what React Native produces.
It doesn’t work with the browser, but with mobile-native building blocks. When you write a React Native component, you get a mobile app on iOS or Android rather than a website styled to behave like one.
This gives React Native a massive advantage over other native development frameworks–you get near-native performance without writing two separate apps. The framework handles the bridge that connects your JavaScript to native modules. When you need camera access, device sensors, storage, or other hardware features, you rely on built-in modules or community packages that wrap native code.
React Native fits teams that want to build mobile apps quickly without needing to manage multiple tech stacks and languages. It’s used for social media apps, delivery services, mobile commerce, fintech dashboards, and many other products that need fast iteration.
React vs React Native: The Main Differences
React and React Native share ideas, but they target different platforms and use-cases.
Where It Runs, What It Builds
React uses JavaScript and JSX to build web interfaces. It renders to the DOM, and everything lives in the browser. A React project produces HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that browsers understand.
React Native uses JavaScript along with a special set of components that translate into native views. A React Native project produces a real mobile application package that installs on iPhones and Android devices. You don’t style with CSS in the usual way, you use a styling system that behaves like CSS (but maps to native layout rules).
The place where the code runs shapes the developer experience. React apps run inside a browser. React Native apps run inside a mobile host that interprets your JavaScript and communicates with native layers underneath.
Performance, Architecture, Device Access
React depends on the browser for performance. The browser manages layouts and painting, and React updates the interface with virtual DOM. A React app is only as fast as the browser environment.
React Native goes deeper, working with device hardware through native modules. Because it uses real native components, the interface behaves closer to a platform-specific app. When you need better performance or other functionality, you can write small sections in Swift or Kotlin.
This creates two distinct worlds. React shines when you want a broad reach and simple deployment through the web. React Native is designed for building apps that live naturally on a device and can take full advantage of native capabilities.
When to Use React vs React Native
React is the best choice when your product lives on the web. It’s ideal for SaaS dashboards, data-driven interfaces, and websites with complex interactions—anything designed to run in a browser. Their mature ecosystem gives you access to powerful tools for testing, routing, caching, charts, animations, and nearly every feature a modern web application needs.
React Native is for when you need to build a mobile app. Choose it when you want a cross-platform app without maintaining separate iOS and Android codebases. For teams already familiar with React, the learning curve is minimal.
Honestly? Many companies use both. They build their core web platform with React and their mobile companion app with React Native. This approach makes it easier to share business logic and maintain consistency, since both frameworks follow the same development patterns.
Tools and Ecosystem
The strength of the React ecosystem lies in its variety. There are endless component libraries and frameworks that solve nearly any problem, and tools like Vite and NextJS for a deeper structure. The challenge is choosing wisely because each decision shapes the project in the long run.
React Native comes with its own set of tools that focus on mobile needs. Metro is the JavaScript bundler. Expo is a gentle framework that removes much of the setup and lets you build apps without touching native code until you need to. Many teams start with Expo and move to a more custom setup later when native modules become necessary.
Bottom Line
React feels like a toolbox for building anything that lives in a browser. It grows with your ideas and gives you enough space to shape the structure in your own style. Many teams enjoy the freedom because it lets them build simple sites and then expand into full web applications without switching tools.
React Native brings that same familiarity into the mobile world. It lets you create real iOS and Android apps while keeping the familiar habits of React. The bridge to native features feels natural once you learn how mobile layers behave.
Building a website or web app? That’s what React is for. If you’re looking to create a native, fully functional mobile app, you’ll want to use React Native. Both tools have strong communities and years of real-world testing behind them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between React and React Native?
React is a JavaScript library for building web user interfaces, focusing on reusable UI components and rendering to the DOM. React Native uses many of the same concepts but targets mobile apps, rendering to native UI elements on iOS and Android instead of the web.
Can I use the same code for React and React Native?
You can share JavaScript logic and some business code, but UI components and layout differ because React uses HTML/CSS while React Native uses native components and styles. Full reuse usually requires careful architecture and platform‑specific adaptations.
Which should I choose: React or React Native?
Choose React if you’re building web applications that run in browsers. Choose React Native if you want to build native mobile apps with one shared JavaScript codebase for iOS and Android. Your target platform and project goals determine the best fit.