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Apache Cordova vs NativeScript: What are the differences?
Introduction: Both Apache Cordova and NativeScript are popular frameworks used for developing cross-platform mobile applications. While they both serve the same purpose, there are key differences between the two.
Development Approach: Apache Cordova follows a web-based approach, where applications are developed using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These applications are then wrapped in a native container to run on different platforms. On the other hand, NativeScript uses a Native UI approach, where developers can write platform-specific code and create native user interfaces using XML and JavaScript/TypeScript.
Access to Native APIs: Apache Cordova provides plugins to access native APIs, allowing developers to utilize device features. However, the access to these APIs is often limited and requires plugin implementation. In contrast, NativeScript provides direct access to the native APIs of the target platform, enabling developers to utilize all the features without any plugin limitations.
Performance: NativeScript uses a Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation approach to deliver high-performance applications. This means that the code is compiled at runtime, providing faster execution. On the other hand, Apache Cordova applications use WebView, which can lead to performance limitations compared to NativeScript.
App Size: Apache Cordova applications tend to have a larger app size, as they require a WebView to be bundled along with the app. This can result in slower download times and occupy more device storage space. NativeScript, on the other hand, allows developers to directly access native components, resulting in smaller app sizes.
UI Flexibility: With Apache Cordova, developers have limited control over the user interface, as applications follow web standards. Native user interface elements might not be fully customizable or may not look identical across different platforms. In contrast, NativeScript allows developers to create custom user interfaces with platform-specific design patterns and full control over UI components.
Development Community: Apache Cordova has been around for a longer time and has a larger development community. This means that there is a vast amount of community support, plugins, and resources available. NativeScript, while growing steadily, has a smaller development community with fewer resources and plugins available.
In Summary, Apache Cordova and NativeScript differ in their development approach, access to native APIs, performance, app size, UI flexibility, and development community support.
Hello,
We're just brainstorming for the moment and we have a few questions.
We have an idea for an app that we want to develop, here are the prerequisites:
1) cross-platform (iOS, Android, and website);
2) as easy to maintain as possible / well documented / widely used;
3) Visual Studio Code and Copilot compatible;
4) Text to speech;
5) Speech recognition;
6) Running in background (screen off with TTS and speech recognition);
7) could be using TypeScript;
8) Monetized through ad and in-App payment for premium version;
9) Display on lock screen (Android only I guess)
So what would you recommend?
I've been trying to review the options available, and I've considered:
NativeScript
React Native
Flutter
Any other?
Thanks in advance for your help, and I'm open to any comments.
Use Flutter and Firebase as a backend service, Firebase also helps to speed up the development and rollout of the app. The cloud-hosted NoSQL database provides a real-time database that helps you store and synchronize data between the clients. This indeed makes it easier for you to access the data using any of the devices.
Hi there, for cross-platform functionality in terms of 3D assets if any, echo3D can help you with that. It's 3D asset management on the cloud so you can write your references to the objects and update them in the echo3D web browser. echo3D is not yet on this platform but it will be soon!
I would like to evaluate a good option to migrate an existing WordPress portal, where the customer can continue to access the news and also have a private area where they can receive personalised information and can demand or interact with the company and also have mobile support on both iOS and Android.
Currently the whole back system is in SAP and my main doubts are;
- Best solution for the web portal that can generate content and can render well in the mobile solution.
- Best option for the mobile implementation of the same portal and its private area ( React Native?)
I think that React Native or Vue Native is the best choice for modern cross-platform mobile applications. And both of these frameworks have a large community. Apache Cordova was the pioneer in this way. We used it in projects in 2014. Ionic is also an old tool and in 2014 it was based at Apache Cordova. I don't think that it has so a big community like React Native or Vue Native.
For a web system, React or Vue is a good and modern choice too.
No shade on the hard work of/on Ionic and Cordova over the years, but they are not the future and you will be going down a dead-end for maintainability going forward. React Native is an excellent bridge for any pre-existing JavaScript/TypeScript skills you might already have from web development.
Flutter is worth considering as a close second but I would recommend RN for the above reasons. Also consider using Expo to ease your build process.
Heya, I'm very new on here! And I hope I can get advice on this matter :
We are working on a new app. The web version is on Sails.js (V1)/node.js/vue.js. Started with the Web App default settings (including login and payments, which we are using use). We started with a web version to give access to the customer to start creating the data while building the mobile version. (iOS and Android)
I heard of Apache Cordova, that using the same JavaScript/css could be used to not re-code the front-end of the app for iPhones and Androids. I've been told that it is end-of-life now (? - I couldn't find this info myself).
I saw that Vue Native might be an alternative and would only need a few adjustments from our web version as we are using Vue.js for the frontend.
I know next to nothing on this, so I would really appreciate it if you guys could point me to possible solutions you've used and why instead of searching through all the existing solutions. (I'm very open to know if there are alternatives to those two too !!)
We will need to be using the GPS functions of the mobiles, which is a big part of the app.
Thank you!
i don't have any experience with the vue native what so ever but i think Quasar and Ionic are the best options for an HTML/CSS/JS based mobile app ionic has full support of vue and quasar is built on vue you may have to change some configurations in your project files
I wanted to develop a student app that possibly could be used by many teams (students from other schools)
I chose Ionic, because:
single codebase: previously, we used React Native for Android and Angular for web/PWA, which was troublesome
portability: runs on PWA (which is important, because iOS license is too expensive for school app), web, Android iOS (+ others, if needed)
full use of web technologies: Next.js, Tailwind, React in this example (in oppose to Flutter/Java/Kotlin)
stability and maintainability: low-entry level due to basic web technologies without new syntax (in oppose to React Native and Flutter), web is really stable and won't lose support (which doesn't have to be true with Flutter/Dart)
I've yet to see a non-native application that I felt performed as well and/or provided the same user experience with Cordova/PhoneGap/Xamarin. Frankly, at best they all seemed like underpowered web applications deployed to a sandbox that ran on a phone. They didn't feel "slick" or "mobile-first" and in some cases the performance was unacceptable. At previous companies, we built a few of these apps at the client's insistence, and in every case, they re-engaged us about 18 months later to re-write the app(s) natively.
We are doing some research on React Native and Flutter, but I am not yet convinced that they can provide the same level of experience and performance as native, though I am trying to keep an open mind.
Angular
Apache Cordova
CSS 3
Ionic
JavaScript+2 more
Android SDK
NativeScript
React
Swift
Vue.jsAs a startup, we need the maximum flexibility and the ability to reach our customers in a more suitable way. So a hybrid application approach is the best because it allows you to develop a cross-platform application in a unique codebase. The choice behind Ionic is Angular, I think that angular is the best framework to develop a complex application that needs a lot of service interaction, its modularity forces you (the developer) to write the code in the correct way, so it can be maintainable and reusable.
I've done some Hybrid Mobile apps with both technologies Apache Cordova and React Native and described my experience in my blog.
In a few words, I would suggest to use each technology in accordance what what is your current code base and what do you want to achieve.
React Native is a great option if you need that extra edge in performance with multi-threading and native UI rendering. Or you already have a web app based on React which you want to port to mobile.
On the other hand, if you have an existing web application code and you want to reuse some or all, including the ability to use web third-party libraries, then Cordova is the best option.
Proguard?
ProGuard is the most popular optimizer for Java bytecode. It makes your Java and Android applications up to 90% smaller and up to 20% faster. ProGuard also provides minimal protection against reverse engineering by obfuscating the names of classes, fields and methods.
How to use it inCordova app?
I didn't find any plugins for it. So I've implemented it by myself and shared it on GitHub.
Feel free to use!
Pros of Apache Cordova
- Lots of plugins48
- JavaScript35
- Great community26
- Easy Development25
- Easy to learn18
- Cross platform15
- Open Source7
- Easy, fast, not buggy in my experience with my code6
- Lots of descendants; PhoneGap, Ionic, Intel XDA etc6
- Can use CSS34
- Rich HTML 54
- Easy debugging4
- HTML, CSS and JS3
- Fast and hot reload3
- Rich css ui3
- Use what you code in your browser3
- Need a light system2
- Native Web Technologies2
- Without extra tooling needed2
- One code base everywhere2
Pros of NativeScript
- Access to the entire native api75
- Support for native ios and android libraries47
- Support for javascript libraries46
- Angular 2.0 support46
- Native ux and performance44
- Typescript support37
- Backed up by google and telerik35
- Css support29
- Cross-platform declarative ui and code27
- Fully open source under apache 2.0 license25
- Vuejs support11
- 60fps performance9
- Powerful data visualization with native UI6
- VS Code integration5
- Angular, typescript and javascript support5
- No need for Mac to build iOS apps in Telerik Platform5
- Extended CLI support4
- Cloud builds as part of Telerik PLatform4
- Truly Object-Oriented with Typescript4
- On-device debugging4
- Extensibility4
- Access to entire native api3
- Live reload3
- Easiest of all other frameworks3
- Easy to learn3
- Backed by google3
- 0 day support for new OS updates3
- Publishing modules to NPM3
- Vue.js support out of the box2
- VueJS support2
- Svelte support2
- Powerfull mobile services as part of Telerik Platform2
- Native ui with angular2
- Vue support2
- Playground1
- Hot Reload1
- HMR via webpack1
- Very small app size1
- Write once, use anywhere1
- Easy to use, support for almost all npm packages1
- Rich ecosystem1
- Compile to Apple/Google Stores via CloudCompiler1
- Has CSS ;-)1
- It works with Angular1
- Code reuse with your website1
- Dart0
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Cons of Apache Cordova
- No native performance2
- Hard to install1
- Hard to install0
Cons of NativeScript
- Lack of promotion5
- Slower Performance compared to competitors1
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