Ever since cross-platform development has geared up, many technologies are up for grabs. Xamarin and React Native are some of these technologies to keep an eye on. But how are they different and which would be better for your project? Let's compare them.

1. Xamarin vs React Native: 5 Step Comparison Guide 2021
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Ever since cross-platform development has geared up, many technologies are up for
grabs. Xamarin and React Native are some of these technologies to keep an eye on.
But how are they different and which would be better for your project? Let's compare
them.
According to app development stat, a total of 5.22 billion people use mobile and 4.66
billion people have access to the internet. The race to create innovative applications
with new ideas is now greater than ever.
All types of businesses have set a budget to create the most relevant mobile application
to address their customers' needs and preferences.
Choosing between these frameworks for mobile app development can be confusing. So,
through this piece of article, I will describe the major differences between Xamarin and
React Native.
Let’s get started!
What is Xamarin: A Brief Introduction

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Xamarin is created by Microsoft and has a share of only 14% among the
development community. And it has come down to 26% in 2019. In addition, Xamarin
is an open-source platform.
The major function of Xamarin is to maintain communication between shared code and
platform code. Its ability to expand the capabilities of the .NET developer platform with
platform-independent tools and libraries make Xamarin a specific framework for
building applications.
In addition, Xamarin may use the full spectrum of functions provided by the underlying
platform. This implies that when the application runs on Android, it will use
platform-specific functions to provide the expected user experience.
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Here are some of the coolest stats you must have a look at:
● 14% of developers around the world use Xamarin for cross-platform app
development.
● More than 15 billion apps have been created using Xamarin frameworks,
accounting to over 2 billion downloads.
● Xamarin applications have an average market share of 1.74%, the highest
share of 6.23% for business-related apps.

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What is React Native: An Overview

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React Native is a popular open-source framework that runs on JavaScript. It mainly
focuses on native rendering of applications that are compatible with Android and iOS.
React Native XML is written with a combination of -Esque markup and JavaScript also
known as JSX. It is supported by social media giant Facebook, which has more than 50
dedicated engineers working on the framework currently.
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Why use React Native?
Below are some of the benefits of using React Native to build cross-platform mobile
apps.
User Interface: Implements native UI components, allowing apps to look like native
apps, and therefore providing a high-quality user interface
Ready-made components: Offers a vast library of UI components, allowing for faster
development time.

5. Platform-specific code: Allows you to further optimize your separate native apps by
using native code
Hot reload: Allows developers to apply changes to the apps right away without having
to recompile the apps
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Xamarin vs React: Know the Differences
Let’s take a quick round about the core differences of Xamarin and React and churn out
the major advantages it holds.
#1 Performance
React Native
It offers near native performance meaning that applications built with it are fast. The
official site may claim that it provides native performance, but ensure that true native
performance can only be achieved with native languages ​
​
such as Java, Objective C,
and Swift.
Xamarin
Similar to React Native, it also provides near native performance. It uses platform
specific hardware acceleration to provide great application speed.
The online dominance of the two frameworks can be traced from the trends drawn from
Stack Overflow:

6. As you can see here, React Native’s performance is better than Xamarin.
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#2 Popularity
With over 1.6 million developers in 120 countries, Xamarin has developed a
considerable user base over the years. However, this is largely due to the fact that it is
one of the oldest frameworks there.
Since its release, React Native has slowly but surely gained popularity, overtaking
Xamarin.

7. According to Stack Overflow’s 2020 Developer Survey, React Native is more loved over
Xamarin, with 57.9 percent of developers expressing interest in developing with React
Native, as opposed to 45.4 percent for Xamarin.
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#3 Support and Assistance by the Community

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React Native
React Native comes from a place that has changed the meaning of networking and
online community building. Facebook is a leader in building new communities and
increasing community support.
Even though the React Native Framework is fairly new, there is a substantial community
at the disposal of the developer, enabling them to understand more about the
framework's possibilities.
With over 2200 professional developers and 19,800 live projects, anyone who wants to
learn about React Native can do so with an expanded amount of community support.
Many entrepreneurs hire react native developers to get a professional hand in their
apps.
There are dedicated Discord channels, forums, and official channels to help you know
more about the framework.
Xamarin
Because Xamarin is large and has deep roots in the development community,
approximately 1.4 million developers work in its 120 countries. Like React Native, it

9. is also an open-source network and has all kinds of contributions to help each other
learn and grow.
The difference between React Native and Xamarin's community support is that the
former is easy to reach. Official channels include Xamarin Blog and Xamarin Q & A.
Other community support systems are stack overflow and reddit.
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#4 Development Speed
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React Native
The hot reloading feature in React Native increases the speed of development.
Thanks to this feature you can quickly reload the app without the need to compile it.
In addition, React Native offers a number of pre-built components that can be used
to achieve faster app development speeds.
Xamarin

10. Development tools in Visual Studio speed up the development process thanks to
pre-built controls and layouts. Additionally, Xamarin and NuGet plugins can be installed
to make work even easier.
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#5 Pricing
Xamarin and React Native are free. However, Xamarin is open only for the use of
individuals and small companies. For large xamarin app development companies,
single-user licenses start at $ 499 and up to $ 2,999 for a Visual Studio Enterprise
annual subscription.
This is why more prominent companies go with React Native over Xamarin.
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Must Read: Why Should You Choose Python for Mobile App Development?
React Native vs Xamarin – Which is better?
Answering which framework is better is a difficult task as both are of very high quality
and both have been developed by giant companies - Facebook and Microsoft.

11. Choosing between the two frameworks depends on whether you want to create apps
with a simple UI or something that is native-like UI. And can leverage the hardware of
the platform to increase performance. Choose Xamarin if your goal is the former and
React Native if latter is your objective.
If you are still confused about which one to select between React Native and Xamarin,
then you must consult a top mobile app development company in India. I am sure
they will help you out with choosing the right framework for your project.
Good Luck!