At DevTech, we've shipped apps using both React Native and fully native Swift/Kotlin. We've used cross-platform development for rapid MVPs and native code for performance-critical enterprise apps. Here's how we honestly think about the decision — and what we'd recommend for your project.
Why we default to React Native
For the majority of business apps, React Native (specifically with Expo) gives you 90% of native performance at roughly half the development cost. You get one codebase that ships to both iOS and Android, which means faster time-to-market and simpler long-term maintenance.
React Native has matured dramatically over the past few years. With the New Architecture rollout (Fabric renderer, TurboModules, JSI), the performance gap between cross-platform and native has narrowed significantly. For most apps — forms, lists, maps, camera, push notifications, payments, auth — it's indistinguishable from native for end users.
We built and shipped Ride Tracker, a GPS tracking app, entirely in React Native with Expo. It's on both the App Store and Google Play, uses background location, real-time mapping, complex data tracking, and in-app purchases. Cross-platform handled all of it without any issues.
The real cost difference
Here's what the math actually looks like:
- One React Native codebase is roughly 1x the development effort.
- Two native codebases (Swift + Kotlin) is roughly 1.7–2x the effort, because most features need to be built and tested twice.
- Ongoing maintenance is cheaper with a single codebase — bug fixes, feature additions, and OS updates (like iOS 17 or Android 15 behavioral changes) only need to happen once.
For a mobile app MVP that might cost $8,000–$15,000 in React Native, the native equivalent could run $15,000–$30,000+. The savings compound over the lifetime of the product.
When native still wins
There are situations where going fully native with Swift (iOS) or Kotlin (Android) makes more sense. We've done both with enterprise clients and know where the limits are:
- Heavy graphics or real-time processing — games, AR experiences (ARKit/ARCore), complex animations that push the GPU hard
- Deep OS-level integration — apps that need tight access to platform APIs not yet supported by React Native (HealthKit depth, specific Bluetooth profiles, CarPlay)
- Performance-critical paths — if every millisecond matters (high-frequency trading screens, professional audio processing)
- Single-platform apps — if you only need iOS or only need Android, native removes the abstraction layer and gives you full platform expressiveness
- Enterprise apps with existing native codebases — if an organization has a large native codebase and an established team, cross-platform can be harder to integrate cleanly
How we make the call
We ask three questions at the start of every mobile project:
- Do you need both platforms at launch? If yes, cross-platform saves significant time and money. If it's only one platform to start, native is worth considering.
- Does the core feature rely on something React Native doesn't handle well? We've done enough native development to be honest when cross-platform isn't the right fit.
- What's the budget and time horizon? A startup building an MVP has very different constraints than an enterprise company hardening an existing app.
What about Flutter?
Flutter is Google's cross-platform framework and it's excellent for certain use cases, especially when you need maximum UI customization. We prefer React Native for most projects because it uses JavaScript (which most web developers already know), has a larger ecosystem, and integrates more naturally with REST APIs and popular backend services. But Flutter is a legitimate choice, and we can advise on it if you're evaluating frameworks.
The bottom line
Start with React Native unless you have a specific technical reason not to. For most business apps, it's the pragmatic choice — faster to build, cheaper to maintain, and your users genuinely won't notice the difference.
If you're unsure which approach is right for your project, get a quote or reach out for an honest recommendation. We'll give you our actual opinion, not just tell you what you want to hear.
Related resources
- Our mobile development services — how we scope and build apps
- Mobile app pricing — what an MVP costs from $3,000 to $25,000+
- How we estimate project costs — our transparent pricing process