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Babel VS Realm React Native

Compare Babel VS Realm React Native and see what are their differences

Babel logo Babel

Babel is a compiler for writing next generation JavaScript.

Realm React Native logo Realm React Native

The fastest database for cross platform mobile apps
  • Babel Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-02
  • Realm React Native Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-23

Babel features and specs

  • JavaScript Version Compatibility
    Babel allows developers to write code using the latest JavaScript features and syntax, and transpile it into a version of JavaScript that can run on older browsers. This ensures greater compatibility across different environments.
  • Future-Proof Code
    With Babel, developers can start using upcoming JavaScript features today. This means that codebases can stay modern and developers can take advantage of new functionalities without waiting for full browser support.
  • Ecosystem and Plugins
    Babel has a rich ecosystem of plugins and presets that can extend its capabilities, making it highly adaptable to different project needs. This modularity allows for customization and enhancement of the build process.
  • Integration with Modern Development Tools
    Babel integrates well with various development tools such as Webpack, making it easier to include in existing build processes and workflows. This helps streamline development and maintain efficient workflows.
  • Community and Support
    Babel has a large and active community, which means extensive documentation, tutorials, and support forums. This can be particularly useful for troubleshooting and staying updated with best practices.

Possible disadvantages of Babel

  • Performance Overhead
    Transpiling code with Babel introduces a performance overhead during the build process. This can slow down development workflows, especially for large codebases with many files.
  • Configuration Complexity
    Setting up Babel can be complex, particularly for beginners. The numerous options and plugins available can sometimes be overwhelming and require significant time to configure correctly.
  • Source Map Issues
    Generating accurate source maps can sometimes be tricky with Babel, leading to difficulties in debugging. Misconfigured source maps can make it harder to track down issues within the original source code.
  • Dependency Bloat
    Including Babel in a project can add a significant number of dependencies. This dependency bloat can increase the size of the project and potentially introduce maintenance challenges or security vulnerabilities.
  • Learning Curve
    There is a learning curve associated with Babel, especially for developers who are new to modern JavaScript tooling. Understanding how Babel works and how to effectively use its features can take time and effort.

Realm React Native features and specs

  • Offline First
    Realm React Native enables offline-first experiences, allowing applications to function without network connectivity by storing data locally on the device.
  • Data Synchronization
    Built-in synchronization with MongoDB Atlas ensures that local data is automatically synchronized with the server, reducing the need for custom sync logic in the app.
  • Performance
    Realm offers high-performance data handling by using a custom database engine that is optimized for mobile devices, allowing quick access to and manipulation of data.
  • Ease of Use
    The API is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, making it accessible for developers to implement database operations without excessive complexity.
  • Real-time Updates
    Provides real-time data updates, ensuring that any changes in the database are immediately reflected in the application UI.

Possible disadvantages of Realm React Native

  • Learning Curve
    Developers new to Realm may face a learning curve compared to more traditional databases, as it introduces unique data models and patterns.
  • Limited Support for Complex Queries
    While Realm supports basic queries efficiently, handling complex queries may be less straightforward than with a traditional relational database.
  • Dependency on Specific Ecosystem
    Using Realm tightly integrates an application with MongoDB's ecosystem, potentially complicating migration to other databases or systems.
  • File Size
    Realm's file size can grow significantly, especially with large datasets, which may be a concern for apps with limited storage space.
  • Open Source Limitations
    Realm is open-source but certain advanced features are tied to MongoDB Atlas, requiring consideration of potential costs and limitations in free-tier usage.

Babel videos

Babel - Movie Review

More videos:

  • Review - Day 16 | Babel Review | 365 Films
  • Review - Worth The Hype? - BABEL Review
  • Review - Book CommuniTEA: Is BABEL a rac1st mani!fest0? [you should know the answer]
  • Review - Babel is a Masterpiece, And Here's Why

Realm React Native videos

No Realm React Native videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Babel and Realm React Native)
Development Tools
96 96%
4% 4
Databases
0 0%
100% 100
Javascript UI Libraries
100 100%
0% 0
NoSQL Databases
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Babel seems to be a lot more popular than Realm React Native. While we know about 147 links to Babel, we've tracked only 5 mentions of Realm React Native. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Babel mentions (147)

  • Valentine’s Day Breakup: React Dumps Create React App
    Create React App (CRA) is a command-line interface tool that allows developers to set up a React project easily. It primarily serves as a project scaffolding tool, allowing you to create a new project with a single command: npx create-react-app . CRA comes with tools like Webpack and Babel, which handle the bundling and transpiling of code. The tools are pre-configured. It comes with a development server that... - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • #wecode Landing Page - WeCoded Challenge March 2025
    @vitejs/plugin-react uses Babel for Fast Refresh. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • You Don’t Know JS Yet: My Weekly Journey Through JavaScript Mastery
    For new and incompatible syntax, the solution is transpiling—converting newer JS syntax to older syntax that can run on older engines. The most popular transpiler? Babel. This process ensures modern JS code can still reach a wide audience, even on legacy systems. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Desktop apps for Windows XP in 2025
    Fortunately we have tools like PostCSS and Babel, that let you target your specific Browser version, and they'll do their best to transpile and polyfill your code to work with that version. This alone will do a lot of the heavy lifting for you if you are working with a lot of code. However, if you are just writing out a few HTML, CSS, and JS files, then that would be overkill and you can just figure out what code... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • The Tools and APIs That Made My GeoGuessr 🌍 Project Possible
    Cross-Browser Compatibility: Some features worked differently across browsers. I used Babel to transpile my JavaScript code, ensuring it worked consistently everywhere. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
View more

Realm React Native mentions (5)

  • Using Expo and Realm with expo-dev-client
    The Realm React Native SDK has a hermes branch that is indeed compatible with Hermes. So, it'll work with react-native-reanimated v2 but not with Expo, due to the React Native version the Expo SDK is pinned to. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
  • Getting started with Realm for React Native Using Expo Template, Enhanced
    Simple Expo React Native application to quickly get started with React Native RealmDb API, based on the starter template that is provided by Realm. I added a few things, specifically working with relationships in RealmDB since it was really what I was looking for before I started to create the video. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
  • Build an Offline-First React Native Mobile App with Expo and Realm
    To add our Realm library to the project we’ll type in the Terminal:. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • Local database for RN
    Realm maybe the thing you’re looking for, https://docs.mongodb.com/realm/sdk/react-native/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Observing Realm database transactions with React Native
    Realm’s React Native SDK is an incredibly powerful tool that takes advantage of the NoSQL database developed by MongoDB. Realm can be used for offline first mobile apps or as a general purpose database for traditional mobile applications. One of the biggest advantages of using Realm for data storage is that it’s Objects are “live” by default; meaning that transactions and the state associated with a given Object... - Source: dev.to / almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Babel and Realm React Native, you can also consider the following products

jQuery - The Write Less, Do More, JavaScript Library.

React Native - A framework for building native apps with React

ObjectBox - ObjectBox empower edge computing with an edge device database and synchronization solution for Mobile & IoT. Store and sync data from edge to cloud.

Composer - Composer is a tool for dependency management in PHP.

React Native Seed - Starting point for your React Native project

OpenSSL - OpenSSL is a free and open source software cryptography library that implements both the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols, which are primarily used to provide secure communications between web browsers and …