Ionic vs React-native

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

ionic

Niche

Version 5.4.16

57
Fair

A tool for creating and developing Ionic Framework mobile apps.

Weekly Downloads
8.7K
↑21%
Bundle (gzip)
263.6 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
40
Popularity
50
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

react-native

Very Popular

Version 0.84.1

85
Excellent

A framework for building native apps using React

Weekly Downloads
5.9M
↑41%
Bundle (gzip)
6.1 MB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Ionic and React-native? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

React-native leads with 5.9M weekly downloads — roughly 671.8x more. Ionic has 8.7K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Ionic has the smallest gzipped bundle at 263.6 KB. React-native comes in at 6.1 MB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

React-native has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Ionic has an overall health score of 57/100 (moderate), with strong security scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Ionic if you value strong security track record. Choose React-native if you value large community support, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Ionic and React-native are solid choices for JavaScript development. React-native has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ionic better than react-native?
It depends on your needs. Ionic has a health score of 57/100 while React-native scores 85/100. React-native has more weekly downloads (5.9M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, ionic or react-native?
Ionic has the smaller gzipped bundle at 263.6 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use ionic vs react-native?
Based on npm download statistics, Ionic has approximately 8.7K weekly downloads and React-native has approximately 5.9M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, ionic or react-native?
React-native currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. Ionic has a maintenance score of 40/100 and React-native scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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