React Native and Django serve different purposes in web and mobile app development, leading to key differences. Is there any common ground?
In a period marked by cloud computing and microservices, there are some essential tools that software development executives need to know. Docker and Kubernetes are one of them. Here’s why these are being used by all major software development companies: Docker allows you to build the application and ship it in a container where all dependent operating systems like Linux, or Windows and Runtime Environments like Java, .Net, or Node simplify the application deployment process letting you ship the Docker image to a fellow developer or deploy it into any host or cloud platforms. On the other hand, Kubernetes has changed the way you can develop and deploy applications, by automating tasks like scaling, load balancing, and self-healing. Docker and Kubernetes are used along with React Native and Django to build and deploy a full-stack application.
Docker
| React Native | Django | Compose |
| React Native is not directly used to build Docker images. But Docker improves the development and deployment process of your React Native app. | This is used to build a Docker image for your Django backend. | Use Docker Compose to orchestrate these containers, defining how they interact (in networking, and data sharing). |
Kubernetes
| Deployments | Services | Ingress |
| Creates Kubernetes deployments for your React Native and Django images to manage the running containers and handle scaling. | These define Kubernetes services to expose your applications to the network. For example, you’ll need a service to expose your Django API. | These configure an ingress controller to route traffic from the outside world to your services. |
Docker and Kubernetes make the application portable, enabling deployment to any environment that supports them. Docker Compose is used to run the React Native app and Django backend locally in separate containers.
React Native code written once is deployed across platforms, based on js. Django is a Python web framework for building server-side web applications. We’ll let this blog look typical, differentiating all the features down, one by one, until we find something similar.
React Native and Django are not both web frameworks. However, they are used to create mobile apps for android and iOS.
While react focuses on using JS and react to create mobile apps, Django uses Python. React native produces apps for mobile. Django produces web pages and API’s served by the web server. React Native uses a single codebase. Django builds complex web applications with ORM, authentication and admin interface.
They are different solutions for backend (Django) and frontend (React Native). We have discussed the differences here.
| Removing the Chaff from Wheat | Django | React Native |
| Meaning, definition, purpose, logic, future | A full-stack Python framework for building web applications. It provides a comprehensive set of features for handling the backend logic, database interactions, routing, authentication, and more. | A JavaScript framework for building native mobile apps. It allows you to write code once and deploy it on both iOS and Android platforms, leveraging native components for a smooth user experience. |
| What is it built of? | Follows the Model-View-Controller architectural pattern, separating the application’s concerns into models, views and controllers. | The User Interface makes use of old components and uses CSS. |
| Cite some strengths | Built-in features accelerate the development process. Extensive security features protect against common vulnerabilities. Well-suited for building large and complex web applications. | App can access native features of the device. Strong community support and lot of libraries. |
| Are there any weak points too? | Templating systems can be limiting for building complex UIs. Primarily designed for building web applications. | Performance is slightly lower than fully native apps in some cases. Prerequisite: Knowledge of JS and React. |
| Examples, applications, use cases | It is used for creating web applications, content management systems, APIs, data-driven applications. | It is used for creating mobile apps, cross-platform apps, apps with complex user interfaces. |
| What to choose? How to choose? | If you want to build a web application and need a full-stack framework with robust features and security. | Pick React Native if you want to build cross-platform mobile apps with a native-like experience, leveraging the power of React. |
| What is the outcome? | A web application built with Django might experience slight delays when updating dynamic content or navigating between pages. | A mobile app built with React Native achieves near-native performance, providing smooth animations and transitions. |
| Which libraries are in use? | It uses Django REST Framework to build a REST API for the application. | It makes use of libraries like React Navigation for routing and React Native Maps for integrating maps into your app. |
Django and React Intersect at some point
Both React and Django can co-exist to create powerful, full-stack applications. Django REST framework builds APIs that expose product data, user authentication, order management, and other functionalities. Its Object-Relational Mapping simplifies database interactions, allowing efficient storage and retrieval of product information, user profiles, orders, etc. It handles complex business logic, such as inventory management, payment processing, and shipping calculations. Its built-in admin panel provides a user-friendly interface for managing products, users, and other data.
This combination has some good effects
Scalability, performance, maintainability and flexibility in short. Django and React Native are both highly scalable, allowing your app to handle increasing traffic and user demands. Django’s efficient backend and React Native’s optimized rendering engine deliver excellent app performance. The clear separation of concerns and modular architecture promote code maintainability and ease of updates. Django and React Native can be integrated with a wide range of third-party tools and services.
Django development services provide expertise in Custom Django Development, API Development, Database Design and Management, and Deployment and Scaling.
Challenges and Solutions: What to prefer – React Native vs. Django?
Basing our decision on which framework is good for doing what can be biased. Instead base your decision on what problems can it solve and for which solution people are ready to pay
React Native framework is perfect for cross-platform mobile app development, where native performance and a rich user experience are crucial. Powerful applications can be built by combining Django and React Native. Use Django as the backend to provide a robust API for data management and business logic. Build the mobile app using React Native, consuming the Django API to access data and interact with the backend.
Identify high end challenges, problems that are tougher than usual and that persist in the market unresolved. Spot the gap in web development and mobile app development. Learn react native development services or any frontend framework or backend framework like Django that is potent enough to build systems to deliver results.
Create an MVP and check the initial results, after letting your customers make the decision. Did the outcome was as you expected, was the market problem solved, will the app scale up to adopt future trends?
Django is ideal for web applications with complex backend logic, database-driven functionality, and a focus on server-side rendering. Instead of asking what is it good for, start asking what problem are people willing to pay a premium price to solve.
Then become good at solving those problems.