As a business owner, you should have the highest quality cross-platform apps to expand your field. Cross-platform applications are affordable projects and also have very little development cycle time. To develop a reliable and successful cross-platform app, it is essential to use the right framework i.e., React Native.
In the tech era, React Native is considered the best framework for cross-platform application development. Whether it is Android or iOS, demand for React Native is increasing as many companies believe in the working of this ecosystem. Both Startups and established companies want to enter the app domain affordably and time-efficiently. As per the 2020 developer survey, the most famous cross-platform mobile framework used by developers worldwide, and 42% of iOS and Android app developers used React Native.
However, one of the challenging decisions while developing React Native application is choosing the right database for the project. In this blog, we will discuss all the possible options and help you select the best database. We probably understand many modern-day businesses are depending on this framework to ship high performing native applications. So, here is a list of local mobile app databases for react-native. Before deep-diving into it, let’s first start with the React Native introduction.
What is React Native?
A native version of React.js, React Native is a popular web library developed by Facebook. It is a JavaScript open-source framework used to design native applications for Android, iOS and Universal Windows platform. That’s why it is often considered as ‘React Native the future of hybrid app development’.
But, React Native allows a web developer to build truly “native” mobile apps using an already existing and popular JavaScript library. At the same time, it helps write for different platforms as the written code can be shared between platforms. These applications are written with a combination of XML-like markup called JSX and JavaScript. The app renders using elements of a real mobile UI instead of web views. Most popular brands are using React Native are shown in figure:
Why Choose React Native app development?
Here are various reasons are shown in figure why choose React Native for startups and established businesses:
As you know, there are different types of local databases for React Native app development; it is difficult to find the right one for your project. So, here are some factors you should consider before discussing the best local databases for React Native app development projects.
How to choose the right Database for React Native App Development in 2021
Here are some factors to take into consideration in selecting a database for your React Native app:
Factor #1 – The data complexity
The complexity of data is one of the common factors to consider when selecting the right React Native app database. For maximum mobile applications, data is stored in the form of key values or JSON structure. So, it is essential to select the right local database to manage complex data structures and handle complexity easily.
Factor #2 – Number of Lines of Code
If you take more than 20 lines of code to write a simple CRUD operation, any advanced database should be your last choice. The reason behind this is that an advanced DB not only makes coding complex but also affects database performance and the overall React Native app development cost. In addition, the processing of long code lines would slow down the app greatly. So, it is essential to use a database that comes with high functionality, especially if it lowers your app’s user experience and delays the release speed.
Also, you can read this post: How App Development With React Native Can Reduce Cost?
Factor #3 – Synching of the offline data
Make sure you use a simple database for applications with lower complexity and no multiple-user collaboration. React Native apps work better thanks to simple synchronized functionality. These applications can be synced easily with a server in the presence of an internet connection. If your app has a collaboration feature, you need to go with a complicated DB to facilitate seamless integration. Applications like Trello leverage complicated DB to ensure all documents are synchronized on all devices.
Factor #4 – Handling data conflicts and agreement
The possibility of a data conflict is directly proportional to the collaboration features of your application. Go with a database that shares the conflict handling policies on the repository website. Ensure you read database documents thoroughly to help you understand how databases handle syncing and conflicts. Also, check out how data complication and agreements affect your app.
Factor #5 – Memory Management
Did you know that a mobile application can dash due to poor memory management? Squeezing is one of the most used memory management processes that deletes the data and documents that are no longer in use. It always ensures that there is always some free memory available.
Now, let’s begin to talk about the best React Native database in 2021.
Top React Native Databases for 2021!
As you have understood with the details mentioned above, choosing a suitable database is not easy as several options are available in the market. So, here are the best seven React Native DBs for your application.
#1 – Realm: Known for handling more amount of data
If you want to develop offline and real-time apps, Realm is the best React Native DB. It is an object-oriented, flexible database that is easy to understand to your coding’s existing level. This DB allows developers to build React Native apps for Android and iOS, which run on both wearable and mobile devices. This database is ideal for high-quality, great performance and reliable react native apps.
Core Features:
#1 – Performance-driven
Realm can handle the most complicated queries and huge data loads. It also enables you to build high-performance apps that are always updated with new data and features.
#2 – Reactive architecture
As it is a live object-based database, Realm ensures the data is updated everywhere if it is updated anywhere. You can connect your UI to Realm for observing the data changes automatically.
#3 – High security
Your data remains encrypted while working or not working. Realm is the database that can secure the most sensitive data. Keep your data and document safe with transparent encryption and decryption.
Benefits:
- It saves user interaction
- It features a great set of APIs
- It uses different encryption standards for all mobile platforms
- It is offline-friendly with Redux offline
Prices:
The Realm is a local react DB app that is completely open-source and free. You can select to start a free 30-days trial and continue with its Standard plan at $30 per month.
#2 – Firebase: Ideal for better data synchronization
If your app is more into offline data updating and synchronization, Firebase is the Right React Native database. It is a Google-owned database with NoSQL that can significantly manage MVC-based mobile apps with high data necessities. When using its Android, iOS and JS SDKs to build cross-platform apps, every client gets the latest updates automatically. Using this database, developers can create rich and collaborative applications with safe access to the database.
Core Features:
#1 – Realtime
This database uses data synchronization at the pace of standard HTTP requests. So, engaging and collaborative experiences are available without highlighting on network code.
#2 – Scale across several databases
You separate your app data across database’s multiple databases in the same project to support your data requirements. With your database instances, you can also authenticate users. You can control the access to every database differently throughout the personalized Firebase Realtime Database Rules.
#3 – Access from client devices
Users can access this database right from a web browser or mobile device without any app server. Data validation and security can help use database security rules.
Benefits:
- It allows real-time data syncing for all clients simultaneously
- It offers a cross-platform API that can be easily installed with minimum effort
- It can be directly accessed with a mobile device
- It is ideal for developing real-time apps with offline persistence capabilities.
Prices:
The Firebase starts with a free plan called Spark Plan, which comes with a few limits but facilitates getting started. As you move ahead, you can update the Blaze Plan to make many databases.
#3 – Watermelon DB: Ideal for high performance
Do you want to build powerful React Native apps? WatermelonDB is the right reactive database framework. Optimized for great performance, this DB can handle complicated apps easily on this technology. It is developed by SQLite and can be scaled millions of records without any loss in speed or accuracy.
Core Features:
#1 – Completely observable
This database is reactive and can notice any object automatically is its most dominant feature. Everyone has to make changes in this app and this DB will update every element in the app.
#2 – Sync adapter and sync primitives
While Watermelon is a local DB, it offers sync adaptors and sync primitives, making it simple to use any back-end databases. For that, users only need to comply with the sync protocol and input the endpoints.
#3 – Uses SQLite
WatermelonDB uses just-in-time complications to increase the speed in a modern browser. But, you can’t find it for mobile devices as mobile hardware is slower than a computer. That’s why JS applications function slowly in an app. It uses SQLite and lazy loading for faster response times.
Benefits:
- Static typing with flow
- Offline-first system by synchronizing your engine
- Simple data plugging into components
Prices:
WatermelonDB is an open-source and free to use database for React Native apps.
#4 – Pouch DB: Ideal for strong mechanism
PouchDB is an in-browser database that allows an application to save data locally and allow the users to enjoy the features of an app even when offline. It is the most popular open-source project written in JavaScript. It is developed using CouchDB protocols. Instead of having strong mechanisms, it is a reliable server-side React Native database and compatible with MySQL, PostgreSQL and MongoDB.
Core Features:
#1 – Client synchronization
PouchDB syncs the data between clients and keeps users updated no matter where they are. So, if you are offline, your progress is stable.
#2 – Compatible with outside servers
It can also run in Node.js, so this database can be used as a direct interface to make compatibility easy with CouchDB. You also don’t have to spend more time writing consistent and clean codes.
#3 – Supports multiple browsers
PouchDB can operate on all browsers using IndexedDB and WebSQL where the former doesn’t work.
Benefits:
- It is made with CouchDB protocols
- It supports both offline and online capacities.
- It helps replicate data like a pro
Prices:
PouchDB’s development related updates are available on GitHub and they are free to download and use.
#5 – MySQL: Ideal for fast and reliable operations
MySQL is a relational database that uses thread-based memory allocation, making it faster and best suited for React Native apps. The database for React Native plays a big role in increasing its speed and performance. Highly compatible with the React Native local database, MySQL has some libraries that will help you to use SQLite with this technology. In addition, you can use AsyncStorage to store data locally on a mobile device.
Core Features:
#1 – High performance
MySQL is faster, more reliable and more affordable than other databases thanks to its unique storage engine architecture. It provides high-performance results without losing the software’s essential functionality. Due to several cache memory, this database has fast loading utilities.
#2 – Great security
MySQL includes a solid data security layer that protects sensitive data from hackers.
#3 – Client/ Server Architecture
MySQL follows a client/server architecture and there are many clients which communicate with the server, i.e., they can query data and save changes.
Benefits:
- It has host-based verification features to create a very flexible React Native database.
- It has a password-based encryption system to implement different data layers of security.
- It is highly preferred in the finance and the banking sector.
Prices:
The open-source version is Free to download, but if you want the enterprise version you have to pay.
#6 – AWS DynamoDB: Ideal for single-digit millisecond performance
AWS DynamoDB is a document and NoSQL server-side database and fully managed with inbuilt memory caching, backup restore and security for internet-scale applications. It doesn’t need several administrations as it is completely decentralized, easy to operate.
Core Features:
#1 – Serverless management:
DynamoDB doesn’t possess servers to manage any software to install and operate. Its integrated fault tolerance removes the need to develop apps for using scalability features. In addition, this DB is also ideal for on-demand app development.
#2 – Enterprise-ready
DynamoDB’s ACID transaction support allows for developing business-focused apps. Whereas it encrypts the data and lets you control and identify on all tables. Also, there is no issue of downtime so that you can recover this data easily.
#3 – Performance at scale
This database supports one of the huge scale apps by giving continuous, single-digit millisecond response time at any scale. It enables developers to build apps with virtually limitless storage.
Benefits:
- Ideal for advertising technology and gaming industries
- Scalability and high performance
- Easy to set up and operate
Prices:
It charges a user for reading and writing data on your tables, while the latter allows specifying the number of reading/write per second to adjust your costs.
#7 – Google Cloud Database: Ideal for building and deploying faster and transformative apps
A fully managed database service, Google Cloud database allows developers to install, maintain and operate relational databases on the Google Cloud Platform. It comes with three architectures for globally data distribution, multi-cloud and hybrid applications.
Core features:
#1 – Google Cloud Console
Users can make and manage examples in the console. It provides huge data storage and memory to increase the storage size as per convenience.
#2 – Data replication and automatic failover
Its scalability allows data replication between multiple zones to suit your business growth. Moreover, its automatic failover triggers decrease downtime by switching to standby.
#3 – Security and backup
User data is encoded on the internal networks of Google and backups, temporary files and database tables. This database supports private server access and features on-demand and automated backups and PITR.
Benefits:
- Easy to integrate with other Google Cloud Solutions
- Good documentation and high durability
Price:
It is free to download.
You can also read this post: Top database management trends in 2021!
Factors Influencing React Native App Development Cost
Somes factors essential to determine the cost of React Native is shown in figure:
So, these are the top six React Native databases for fast and high-performance mobile app development projects. While using these local databases, many back-end tools are used to build their mobile apps. It is essential to list requirements before selecting the right database for your React Native app development. For that, you can get in touch with a reputed mobile app development company – Appventurez!
How can Appventurez help in React Native app development?
As a reliable React Native app development company, Appventurez helps you select the most suitable database for React Native application. We also help in developing successful mobile apps for both Android and iOS Platforms. We have a dedicated team of app developers with many years of experience in delivering reliable and high-performance React Native apps for established and startup businesses.
