Native Modules vs WebView

Developers should learn Native Modules when building cross-platform mobile apps with frameworks like React Native or Flutter that require access to hardware features or native platform APIs not supported out-of-the-box meets developers should use webview when building hybrid applications that need to leverage existing web code or when creating apps that require dynamic web content updates without full app redeployment. Here's our take.

Native Modules

Nice Pick

Developers should learn Native Modules when building cross-platform mobile apps with frameworks like React Native or Flutter that require access to hardware features or native platform APIs not supported out-of-the-box

Pros

• For example, integrating a custom Bluetooth library on Android or using iOS-specific ARKit features in a React Native app
• Related to: react-native, flutter

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

WebView

Developers should use WebView when building hybrid applications that need to leverage existing web code or when creating apps that require dynamic web content updates without full app redeployment

Pros

• It's particularly useful for embedding web-based dashboards, displaying help documentation, or integrating third-party web services within a native app interface, balancing development speed with native performance
• Related to: react-native, flutter

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Native Modules is a concept while WebView is a tool. We picked Native Modules based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Native Modules wins

Based on overall popularity. Native Modules is more widely used, but WebView excels in its own space.