React Native vs WebViewJavascriptBridge
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A framework for building native Android and iOS apps using React and JavaScript.
Open source · MIT
A small library for passing messages between native iOS/macOS code and JavaScript in a web view.
The short answer
Choose React Native if you need…
- Web developers who already know React and want to build mobile apps
- Teams that need one codebase for both Android and iOS
- Developers who want quick feedback through Fast Refresh while editing JavaScript
- Projects that need access to platform APIs through Native Modules
Choose WebViewJavascriptBridge if you need…
- iOS developers who show web pages or web-based screens inside a native app
- OS X developers embedding a WebView who need native-to-JavaScript calls
- Teams maintaining an existing app that already uses UIWebView or WebView and needs a simple message bridge
Side-by-side
| React Native | WebViewJavascriptBridge | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Framework | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 127k | 14.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | C++ | Objective-C |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 2 years ago |
What each one is
React Native
React Native lets developers build apps for Android, iOS and other platforms using React, a popular JavaScript UI library. The code is written in JavaScript but the interface is drawn with the platform's own native UI elements. Developers use it to share most of their code across platforms instead of writing separate apps in each platform's own language.
WebViewJavascriptBridge
WebViewJavascriptBridge is an Objective-C library for iOS and OS X apps that lets native code and JavaScript running inside a web view send messages to each other. You register named handlers on one side and call them from the other, optionally getting a response back. It is aimed at app developers who embed web content in a native app and need the two to communicate.
Best for
React Native
- Web developers who already know React and want to build mobile apps
- Teams that need one codebase for both Android and iOS
- Developers who want quick feedback through Fast Refresh while editing JavaScript
- Projects that need access to platform APIs through Native Modules
WebViewJavascriptBridge
- iOS developers who show web pages or web-based screens inside a native app
- OS X developers embedding a WebView who need native-to-JavaScript calls
- Teams maintaining an existing app that already uses UIWebView or WebView and needs a simple message bridge
Strengths
React Native
- Native UI rendering, so apps use the same platform APIs as other native apps
- Fast Refresh applies JavaScript changes without rebuilding the native app
- Large ecosystem and documentation, with an MIT license
WebViewJavascriptBridge
- Simple API: register a handler, then call it from the other side, with an optional response callback
- Installable with CocoaPods or by copying the folder into a project
- Released under the MIT license, which permits commercial use
Not ideal for
React Native
- People who only want to build websites, since this targets native mobile apps
- Developers who need to write everything in one native language and avoid JavaScript
- Teams that cannot take on the setup work of native Android and iOS toolchains
WebViewJavascriptBridge
- Developers building a fully web-based app with no native code, since the bridge only links native and JavaScript
- Projects that need Android or other non-Apple platforms, since the description covers only iOS and OS X
- Beginners with no Objective-C or Xcode experience, since setup requires editing native and JavaScript code
Trade-offs
React Native
- Requires working knowledge of React and JavaScript, plus native tooling for Android and iOS
- The README recommends using a framework such as Expo for most apps, which adds another layer to learn
- Some native-level problems still need platform-specific knowledge
WebViewJavascriptBridge
- The README covers older web view types (UIWebView, WebView) alongside WKWebView and includes a migration note, so the docs may need careful reading for current projects
- The README warns that a disabled alert safety timeout will hang the app if JavaScript alert, confirm, or prompt is called
- Manual installation requires adjusting compiler flags if the project does not use ARC
Getting started
React Native
Create a new Expo project (recommended by the README)
npx create-expo-app@latestWebViewJavascriptBridge
Add to your podfile, then install
pod 'WebViewJavascriptBridge', '~> 6.0'Install pods
pod installFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between React Native and WebViewJavascriptBridge?
React Native: A framework for building native Android and iOS apps using React and JavaScript. WebViewJavascriptBridge: A small library for passing messages between native iOS/macOS code and JavaScript in a web view. React Native suits web developers who already know react and want to build mobile apps, while WebViewJavascriptBridge suits ios developers who show web pages or web-based screens inside a native app.
Are React Native and WebViewJavascriptBridge free?
React Native: Free and open source. WebViewJavascriptBridge: Free and open source.
Is React Native or WebViewJavascriptBridge more popular?
React Native has more GitHub stars (127k) than WebViewJavascriptBridge (14.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to React Native and WebViewJavascriptBridge?
Other options people compare them with include NativeScript, Capacitor, Expo, Avalonia.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.