React Native vs Swift, cross-Platform Budget or Native iOS Quality?

	React Native	Swift (native iOS)
Maintainer	Meta	Apple
First release	2015	2014
License	MIT	Apache 2.0
Learning curve	Easy for React developers; the real curve is native tooling (Xcode, Gradle) and writing native modules when you hit the edges.	Moderate, the language is friendly and SwiftUI simplified UI work dramatically, but mastering Apple's frameworks takes time.
Performance	Near-native for most business apps since the New Architecture (Fabric and JSI); graphics-heavy screens still need careful optimization.	The ceiling on iOS, compiled code with direct access to every Apple API, Metal graphics and the latest hardware features.

Verdict

React Native ships iOS and Android from one codebase for roughly the cost of one native app; Swift extracts the maximum from iOS at the price of a separate Android build. Choose React Native when you need both platforms on a startup budget; choose Swift when your product is iOS-first and quality, performance or deep Apple integration is the differentiator.

React Native · Swift (native iOS) · All technology comparisons