One codebase, three platforms (and when that's actually true)
· 5 min read
"Write once, run anywhere" has been a pitch since Java applets. React Native's version of it — one JavaScript codebase for iOS, Android, and web — is closer to reality than most attempts. But "closer" isn't "there." The asterisks matter.
We've shipped cross-platform React Native apps on Appifex that share 90%+ code across platforms. We've also seen projects where platform divergence crept up to 40%. The difference isn't the framework — it's what the app actually does.