Difference between Ionic and React Native

1. Ionic :
Ionic is an open-source user interface toolkit for building high-quality mobile apps, desktop apps, and dynamic web apps using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, AngularJS and TypeScript. It allows developers to build hybrid apps and run everywhere and even code be tested using any web browser. It was developed by Max Lynch, Ben Sperry, and Adam Bradley of Drifty Co. in year 2013. 

Ionic provides developers with a range of pre-built user interface components, including buttons, menus, forms, and typography, which can be used to build high-quality, visually appealing mobile applications. Additionally, Ionic provides a set of themes and color schemes that can be customized to fit the needs of an application.

Ionic also includes a command-line interface (CLI) tool that can be used to generate new projects, build and package applications, and run tests. This CLI tool simplifies the development process and allows developers to focus on building their application rather than on the infrastructure required to support it.

Some of the main features of Ionic include:

• Cross-platform compatibility: Ionic is designed to work across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, and Windows. This means that developers can use a single codebase to create apps that run on different devices.
• Native functionality: Ionic provides access to native device features like camera, contacts, and GPS through Cordova plugins. This allows developers to create apps with features that are specific to each platform.
• UI components: Ionic comes with a set of pre-built UI components that are optimized for mobile devices. These components include buttons, forms, lists, and more, and they can be customized to match the look and feel of any app.
• Theming: Ionic offers a range of pre-built themes and styling options that developers can use to customize the appearance of their apps. This allows them to create unique and visually appealing apps without spending a lot of time on design.
• Performance: Ionic is designed to be fast and efficient, with features like lazy loading and optimized rendering that help to reduce load times and improve overall performance.
• Integration with Angular: Ionic is built on top of AngularJS, which means that developers can take advantage of Angular’s powerful features, including two-way data binding, dependency injection, and more.

2. React Native :
React Native is an open-source framework for developing mobile applications on Android and iOS platforms. It helps developers to build mobile applications by using JavaScript to which they are very much comfortable with. React Native makes it very much simple to develop graphics and even most of the code written can be shared across platforms. It was launched by Facebook in the year 2015. 

React Native is a popular choice for mobile app development because it allows developers to create apps that have the same look and feel as native apps. This is because React Native uses native UI components instead of web views, which can make apps feel slow and unresponsive.

Some of the key features of React Native include:

• Cross-platform development: React Native allows developers to write code once and deploy it on both iOS and Android platforms.
• Hot reloading: With hot reloading, developers can make changes to the app’s code and see the changes in real-time, without having to reload the app.
• Native UI components: React Native provides a set of native UI components that can be used to create a native look and feel for the app.
• Third-party library support: React Native has a large community of developers who create third-party libraries that can be used to add additional functionality to the app.

Difference between Ionic and React Native :

	Ionic	React Native
1.	It was launched in the year 2013.	It was launched in the year 2015.
2.	It was created by Drifty Co. .	It was created by Facebook.
3.	It helps to build hybrid apps.	It helps to build native apps.
4.	Ionic uses HTML, CSS, JavaScript, AngularJS and TypeScript to build apps.	React Native uses React and JavaScript to build apps.
5.	It is slower than React Native due to its web apps.	It is faster than Ionic.
6.	Documentation of Ionic is very simple, clear and consistent	Documentation of React Native is not much good.
7.	It is difficult to develop graphics in Ionic.	It is easy to develop graphics in React Native.
8.	It can be tested using any web browser.	It needs mobile devices for testing.
9.	It uses Apache Cordova for accessing the hardware.	It does not need any external support for accessing the hardware.
10.	It is simpler and easier to learn Ionic for beginners.	It is difficult for beginners to learn React Native as compared to Ionic.

Conclusion

Ionic and React Native are both excellent frameworks for developing cross-platform mobile applications. Ionic is a better choice if you want to build applications quickly and if you have web development skills. React Native is a better choice if you want a native look and feel and if you prioritize performance. Ultimately, the choice between Ionic and React Native depends on your specific needs and the requirements of your project.