React or React Native: What are the differences?

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React.js

React.js, also often called React or React.js, is a JavaScript library to build hierarchies of UI components, i.e. the part that is responsible for rendering UI components.

You could say that React.js is the V in MVC, i.e. the part that is meant to render your views.

React Native

React Native is a framework to build “native applications” on JavaScript. React Native get compiled as native app components, which enables you to create native mobile applications.

Differences between React.js and React Native

In React.js, React is the base abstraction of React DOM for the web platform, whilst in React Native, React is the base abstraction of React Native. So syntax and workflow are similar but components are different.

In short: React is a framework to build applications with the use of JavaScript. React Native is a platform that allows you to build native, cross-platform mobile applications while React.js is a Javascript library that you use to create high performing UI layers.

React.js is the foundation of React Native and uses the same principles and syntax, so it should be fairly straightforward to learn React Native if you already know React.js.

Finding talented React developers is not an easy task. That is why we at Proxify have gathered Europe's most talented React.js and React Native developers who we have taken through a comprehensive vetting process, so you don't have to.