Firstly, let’s get the comprehensive knowledge about these three languages:
Swift is the language which we, EBIZWORLD, are using to develop iOS native apps in our current projects. It is a modern, general-purpose and multi-paradigm programming language designed by Apple to build their iOS-powered devices and all following ecosystems. Apps can be designed to run also on macOS (for Apple computers), watchOS (AppleWatch), tvOS (Apple TV digital media player) and what may be a bit surprising z/OS that is powering IBM Mainframe computers.
Objective-C is an object-oriented programming language used by Apple since the 90. It combines the advantages of two earlier languages - C and Smalltalk. In 1996 Apple overtook NeXT, which developer tools would use Objective-C. These tools were later included in Xcode. That's how Apple began using Objective-C for Mac OS X development. As a result, Objective-C became the first choice language for everybody who wanted to create an application for OS X and iOS.
React Native is a Facebook-supported framework designed to build device-agnostic mobile applications. Contrary to native apps that use different programming languages for each platform, React Native is based on JavaScript and allows users to share the code between various platforms, including Android, iOS and web apps. Up to 70 percent of the code may be shared between the apps, significantly reducing the development time in cross-platform mobile app development.
Depending on each programming language’s features and advantages, developers will make the decision on which language would be the best for their iOS native app project. Now, let’s go into details of comparison these three kinds of language:
User interface:
Swift, being the iOS-native language designed by Apple to power apps has obviously no issues with integrating into the iOS design and leveraging all the UX principles. Building the app with Swift is coding a native app from scratch, so every element needs to be polished separately.
React Native, on the other hand, uses JavaScript as a power behind the scene and leverages the internal APIs to run native elements. Considering that, the user interface is indistinguishable with the native one, yet easier to code. Due to web development-legacy of JavaScript, the apps have no issues with being displayed on various screen sizes – and that may be a point when building an app for iPhone and iPad at the same time.
With Objective-C your application will run on any version of iOS available as it has accompanied with iOS for a long time. However, if comparing it with Swift, people tend to choose swift for its popularity with updated tools and possibilities.
Speed of coding:
The speed of coding influences the overall cost of an app creation, and shortens time-to- the market. Swift when it comes to coding, as the language took off the legacy of Objective-C used before, making the process easier and getting rid of drawbacks. It is a convenient way to build an iOS app.
On the other hand, React Native is a framework for JavaScript which is a simple-yet-powerful working horse of web apps. Compared to Swift, Objective- C is less friendly. Swift is more modern with simpler syntax, and it’s easier to learn. Besides, with the same application, if it is written in Swift, it will have only 30% of code lines compared to one written in Objective C. Decreasing the amount of code not only speeds up the development process but also results in fewer errors and quicker and cheaper testing.
Performance:
The better and more suitable technology you choose, the higher the performance. With higher performance comes better UX, easier refactoring and maintenance, and more. Apple claims Swift to be 2.6 times faster than Objective-C. Even though Apple has equipped Objective-C with a garbage collector, it still isn't as efficient as well written Swift code. Simpler syntax and performing type checking at compile-time help Swift to outperform Objective-C. Moreover, to optimize memory management Swift employs ARC (Automatic Reference Counting), and it supports Dynamic libraries which boost application performance. In comparison with Objective-C Swift wins, yet how with React Native? By various tests when comparing two identical apps performing the same actions, the differences vary from the task. React Native has shown that it is slightly better than Swift when coming to CPU usage optimization, but when dealing with graphical effects Swift wins.
Stability:
React Native, despite being powered by one of the most renowned programming languages, is not producing a really native app. Its work is based on leveraging the internal APIs and libraries to make the app work. Thus, it is about adding a middle-man between the code and the platform.
On the other hand, Swift produces a native app that may leverage all the platform’s possibilities. As mentioned above, Swift performs better when dealing with graphic effects and computational-heavy tasks. So when it comes to juicing-out the platform, Swift may be the better choice. However, compared to Objective-C, which has been in the IT world for over 30 years and proved its stability, Swift has less prominence.
Community and support:
React Native has a larger community than Swift, however despite that it meets problems in seeking the proper support when it comes to needing help. Swift is on the other hand, spotting the solution or asking about it in the community can be significantly easy.
Although Objective-C is still supported by Apple, it has never been an open-source language. Swift, on the contrary, is open-source, so you can see in detail how it works and understand its rudiments more thoroughly. Moreover, openness means there are more people engaged in more projects and more sources available for Swift developers. Therefore, compared to Objective- C and React Native, swift wins this round.
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