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Stephen Senkomago Musoke
Stephen Senkomago Musoke

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Kotlin vs React Native for Android only app

I am looking for any advice on what the benefits of Kotlin or React would be for an Android only app, which will be running on some older hardware - 4.4.2, and will need to run offline syncing data to a backend server

  1. What are the developer benefits

  2. What are the end-user benefits

  3. Any pit-falls to watch out for, when selecting one or another?

  4. Overall which will be better for the end users

Update 1: Came across this article https://medium.com/mop-developers/mobile-app-development-react-native-vs-native-ios-android-49c5c168045b which points more to Kotlin (not decided yet)

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Xavier Chretien

Personally, I'm more into Kotlin 😅even for a cross-platform app (with Kotlin multiplatform). For an Android only app, Kotlin is great, simple to code and use (especially if you know Java).
Most people say Kotlin has a smaller community than React-Native and so this is more complex to find an answer to a question but since Google change, almost the entire documentation in Kotlin, and a lot (lot lot lot) of people use it now that isn't that difficult to find an answer!
Also Kotlin = less code = less tests

For the end-user its result to a lighter application, better usage of the battery and, maybe it's only me, a smoother flow 😄