Top React Native Local Database for App Development
A study reveals that cross-platform apps can save up to 30% of cost and time as compared to developing native apps. Since then, React Native has gained momentum as the top cross-platform framework and is being trusted by 42% of developers in 2023.
Cross-platform apps are surging in demand and developers are wholeheartedly welcoming this change. However, businesses and React Native app developers are under the constant challenge of developing high-quality apps with offline accessibility and ensuring digital business expansion.
As a result, this has led them to recall the technology stack and selection of platforms to create React Native apps. Moreover, it’s time to pay attention to React Native’s app foundation that allows them to store and manage the data locally to increase their efficiency in developing feature-rich apps.
This is where “Local Databases” enter as superheroes for the developers. This blog will give you an overview of top React Native Databases, their urgent need, and tips to select the best React Native Database for your next project in 2024.
Key highlights of the blog:
- A Brief Note on React Native
- Why There is a Need for React Native Local Databases?
- Top 5+ Local Databases for React Native App Development
- How to Choose the Best Local Databases for React Native App Development
- Wrapping Up!
Let’s get into the details of each point for better understanding…
A Brief Note on React Native
Being launched in March 2016, React Native has gained extreme hype and has become a prime choice for cross-platform app development frameworks. There were two major reasons behind this popularity, first, it was launched by Facebook and second, its primary language is JavaScript.
Above all, React Native is an open-sourced framework, easy to use, and offers exceptional performance capabilities which makes it a perfect fit for various programmers and entrepreneurs.
Here are the quick key features of React Native:
- React Native developers can use the same codebase for developing both iOS and Android apps reducing 40% the effort and time of coding apps.
- React Native offers ready-to-use UI SDK to ensure native apps like user experience.
- It boasts modern architecture that makes it easy to upgrade and update with new features.
- Despite being a young framework, it boasts a strong, large, and active community.
- The Live Reload feature of React Native enables you to make instant changes in coding without recompiling the entire app.
With various built-in features and the ability to reuse the codes, React Native significantly reduces coding efforts and speeds up the app development process.
Apart here are some facts and stats about React Native that you need to know:
- Adoption: According to the Stack Overflow Survey, React Native is considered the most loved framework by developers.
- Usage: 500,000+ apps are being developed with React Native and many high-profile apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and Airbnb have developed using React Native.
- Popularity: On Github, React Native is boasting 116k Stars and 24k Fork.
With that said, there are a lot of positive things about React Native and leading brands are already trusting on React Native. You can easily get started with React Native apps by hiring a top mobile app development company in Dallas. So why then why local databases are needed for the app development to enhance its performance? Let’s learn!
Why There is a Need for React Native Local Databases?
As React Native has gained huge traction, JavaScript companies have decided to start building various similar technology stacks. Though it would be beneficial for the developers, at the same time it increases the challenge of picking up the right technology stack for the project. And the same goes for the React Native app development projects.
Choosing the right local database for a React Native Application is important to ensure optimal performance, easy data management, and offering exceptional user experience.
But how could local databases help React Native developers achieve the same?
Here’s why using Local Databases is important for app development:
- Offline Functionality: With local databases, the usability of apps without an internet connection can be assured and data gets automatically synced with the server when online.
- App Performance Optimization: As fetching data from local databases is far more convenient therefore it reduces the latency and makes network requests work faster.
- Data Security: Storing sensitive data locally can ensure data protection with the assurance that your data will not be transmitted over the network. Further, developers can implement robust encryption techniques to extend data security.
- Efficient Data Handling and Management: The right choice of React Native Local Databases provides efficient ways to store, manage, and retrieve structured data and makes it easier to handle complex data operations within the app.
- Ensuring Scalability: As the application grows, the data it handles also grows. This is where a local database allows the app to manage larger datasets and enable it to meet the increasing data demands without compromising on performance.
Though the local databases can help you manage and store your app’s data more conveniently, therefore, it is important to know the list of top databases that you can use for React Native app development…
So which is the best choice of the React Native Local Databases that you can use to build a smart application?
Top 5+ Local Databases For React Native App Development
In 2024, there are several local databases available for React Native App Development that can provide developers with the flexibility and convenience of storing and managing the data locally on the user’s device.
Let’s evaluate the features and capabilities of various local databases that can satisfy the development needs. Let’s explore the list of top React Native databases for developing smart apps in 2024.
1. Firebase Realtime Database
Firebase Realtime database is a cloud-hosted NoSQL database that is known for storing and syncing data in real-time. It is ideally used for applications that require real-time data synchronization and seamless integration with other Firebase services.
React Native has a Firebase plugin that allows developers to interact with the Firebase Realtime Database and take advantage of its real-time capabilities.
Key Features of Firebase Realtime Database:
- Offering seamless offline support
- Ensuring real-time data synchronization
- Easy integration of the Firebase ecosystem
Pros of Firebase Realtime Database
- Developers can access real-time data updates
- Supporting offline mode
Cons of Firebase Realtime Database
- It can be an expensive option for large-scale apps
- For complete functionality, it may require internet connections
Pricing Model: Though it is free to use with limited access paid plans start anywhere from $25 per month depending upon the usage.
2. AsyncStorage Database
Async is also one of the best local databases for React Native developers that allows them to store data locally in the system storage. The AsyncStorage class will let you persist the data between the app reboots which ultimately cuts down the need for additional deployment as it’s already built in React Native.
While using this database, keep in mind that you need to deserialize before storing, and should be decentralized after retrieving the data, which makes the process slower. Therefore, it is ideal for applications that need to store small amounts of data.
Key features of the Async Storage Database
- It is built with React Native
- It is accessible whenever required
Pros of using Async Storage Database
- Easy to use for storing and managing the data
- Ideal for small data storage
- Integrated with React Native
Cons of using Async Storage Database
- Limited to small datasets
- Not suitable for complex data queries
Pricing Model: Async Storage is an open-source and free-to-use database.
3. Realm Database
Realm data is ideally developed for mobile devices. It is one of the strongest databases that can manage complex data loads and is super easy to use. Realm is a software developer’s prime choice for managing data as it makes the app development process easier both online and offline.
Realm is ideal for applications that require high performance, complex data management along offline capabilities.
Key Features of Using Realm
- Boasting brilliant concurrency control
- Supports reactive mobile applications
- Offer object-oriented data model
Pros of using Realm Database
- It is entirely encrypted and ensures data security
- Working cross-platform for both Android and iOS
- Designed for open-source
Cons of using Realm Database
- Larger APK size
- No auto-increment feature
- High RAM usage
Price Model: It is a free and open-source database. But its pro version costs around $1750 per month.
4. PouchDB Database
PouchDB is an open-source JavaScript database inspired by CouchDB that preserves the data in JSON format and enables all CRUD (Create, Read, Update, delete) functions to be queried and mutated using a simple JS API.
It allows React Native developers to store data locally even while offline and then sync it with servers when the app is again online.
Key features of using PouchDB
- Data stores PouchDB can be easily synced with any supported server.
- It is made with CouchDB protocols and offers both offline and online capabilities.
- It helps in replicating data like a pro.
Pros of using PouchDB Database
- Offering strong data storage capabilities
- Easy synchronization with CouchDB
- Ensuring flexible NoSQL schema
Cons of using PouchDB Database
- Seems to get slow with complex data queries
- Larger library size
Price Model: It is free to use.
5. BerkeleyDB
BerkeleyDB Database is a string and publically available backend platform that allows React Native developers to easily manipulate data differently. It has an API for different languages so developers can access the platform-specific one.
Moreover, developers can manage data in various ways in BerkeleyDB including relationally and support numerous data items for a single key.
Key features of using Berkeley DB
- It’s an open-source database
- It offers a portable library for easy data management.
Pros of Using Berkeley DB
- It supports high-intensity concurrent processes
- Offering easily accessible data services
- It is an embedded database as it operates in the app’s memory space.
Cons of Using Berkeley DB
- Most devices won’t meet the network-sharing requirements
- It is more sensitive to interruptions than a normal relational database system
Price Model: It is open-source and free to use.
6. Vasern
If you are looking for a lightweight and fast database for React Native app development, then Vasern will be an ideal option for your next app development project. Its API is used not just for local data or React Native data storage but also for cloud storage and syncing data across the client’s choice of server.
Key Features of Using Vasern Database
- Majorly focus on providing consistency and performance
- Ensuring lightening operations
- Offering schema-based storage
Pros of using Vasern Database
- Built specifically for React Native
- Easy-to-use database
- Offering developer’s friendly end-to-end database syncing
Cons of using the Vasern Database
- Boasting small community
- Offering fewer features compared to established databases.
Price Model: It’s free to use.
So these are the few top choices of local databases that you can consider for your React Native app development. But how will you decide which one will best fit your requirements? Here we are explaining the parameters that you need to check while choosing the local database for developing smart apps.
How to Choose the Best Local Databases for React Native App Development?
Choosing the best database for React Native app development can be a challenging decision. The right one can increase efficiency and enable you to meet the user expectations. However, the wrong one can add up to the coding lines.
Each database listed above is best for React Native app development. But all of them come up with their benefits and limitations. So to make the best decision, you need to validate various parameters to pick the best one for smart app development.
1. Understanding Your Data Conflicts Challenges
Understanding your data requirements and their scaling complexities is one of the major challenges. As your apps grows and user interaction increases, there will be a possibility that data conflicts will arise. This usually happens when multiple users attempt to modify the same data simultaneously. Therefore, it is worth choosing a database that is strong enough to store and manage data conflicts efficiently. Look for the databases that offer auto data conflicts and ensure quick resolution.
2. Offline Data Synchronization is Important
Users expect their apps to run offline as smoothly as they access online. To add this capability to your app, you need to look for a database that can store data offline offer immediate server connectivity, and synchronize the data with an app.
The right choice of database allows the app to store the data locally when offline sync it with the server and restore the data when comes into the connectivity. Effective offline data handling enhances user experience as users can continue using the app without any interruption.
3. Capabilities to Handle Complex Data Structure
Not all databases are the same! Few databases are ideal for small and lightweight data structures whereas few are strong and capable of handling complex data structures.
So while looking for the best databases for React Native app development, make sure you look for databases that can handle complex data structures. In addition, your chosen database should efficiently manage and store various data formats, including nested objects, arrays, and documents.
This is particularly important for applications dealing with rich data models, such as social media apps, e-commerce platforms, and content management systems.
A database that supports advanced querying capabilities, indexing, and data manipulation functions can significantly enhance the performance and scalability of your app.
4. Number of Lines of Code
Efficiency in coding is paramount to maintaining a streamlined development process. A database that requires minimal lines of code for common operations, such as CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete), can significantly reduce development time and complexity. Advanced databases that necessitate extensive coding for basic operations can slow down development and increase the likelihood of bugs.
Furthermore, excessive code can degrade app performance, leading to slower response times and a poor user experience.
5. Memory Handling
Efficient memory management is crucial for maintaining app stability and performance. Poor memory handling can lead to frequent crashes, especially in resource-constrained environments like mobile devices. The database should implement effective cache management techniques to free up memory when not needed, ensuring that sufficient memory is available for the app to run smoothly.
6. Ease of Use
A database that is easy to integrate and use can significantly streamline development. Developers should look for databases that offer comprehensive documentation, intuitive APIs, and strong community support. Ease of use also includes how quickly developers can set up and start using the database, and how easily it can be integrated with other tools and services.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this blog guide has helped you understand the importance of using local databases for the React Native app development and which are the top choices of Databases that you can consider for the app development. However, choosing the best one from various options can take time and effort for both businesses and developers. That’s where hiring a top mobile app development company in Chicago will be a worthy choice. Since Chicago has become a hub for top innovative app development companies, they will evaluate your app requirements and accordingly pick the database that ensures best outcomes.
If you still have a doubt left about any local database for React Native app development, you can ask our experts or contact for a smart solution.
