React Native vs Sails.js: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this Markdown code, we will highlight the key differences between React Native and Sails.js.

1. Development Framework: React Native is a JavaScript framework used for developing mobile applications, while Sails.js is a web application framework for Node.js. While React Native is primarily used for building mobile apps, Sails.js is focused on creating web applications.

2. User Interface: React Native uses a virtual DOM (Document Object Model) to render user interfaces. It provides a set of customizable components that allow developers to build rich, responsive UIs for mobile apps. On the other hand, Sails.js does not have a specific UI library but provides APIs and tools for building web interfaces, including support for server-side rendering.

3. Native vs. Web Technology: React Native uses native components to render UI, which means it can achieve better performance and native-like look and feel. In contrast, Sails.js uses web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build web-based applications. While web technologies have their advantages (easy to develop, platform-independent), they might not provide the same level of performance as native components.

4. Mobile Platform Compatibility: React Native allows developers to build mobile apps that can run on both iOS and Android platforms with a shared codebase, making it easier to target multiple platforms simultaneously. On the other hand, Sails.js is primarily focused on web applications, although it can be used to build RESTful APIs that can be consumed by mobile apps.

5. Database Integration: Sails.js has integrated support for databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and others. It provides an object-relational mapping (ORM) layer called Waterline, which simplifies database operations. React Native, on the other hand, does not have built-in support for databases. Developers need to use additional libraries or APIs to integrate databases into their apps.

6. Community and Ecosystem: React Native has a large and active community of developers, contributing to a vast ecosystem of libraries, tools, and resources. There is a strong support network, extensive documentation, and many open-source projects available. Sails.js also has an active community but is not as extensive as React Native's. However, it still provides a decent level of community support and resources.

In summary, React Native is primarily used for mobile app development, utilizes native components, has built-in cross-platform compatibility, and boasts a large community with extensive support. On the other hand, Sails.js is focused on web app development, relies on web technologies, has built-in database support, and has a comparatively smaller community.