Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

React Native VS itch.io

Compare React Native VS itch.io and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

React Native logo React Native

A framework for building native apps with React

itch.io logo itch.io

An online game marketplace and community.
  • React Native Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-16
  • itch.io Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-22

React Native features and specs

  • Cross-platform development
    React Native allows developers to write code once and use it to build applications for both iOS and Android platforms, significantly reducing development time and effort.
  • Performance
    React Native uses native components under the hood, providing better performance compared to hybrid technologies like Cordova or Ionic.
  • Community support
    React Native has a large and active community, which means plenty of libraries, tools, and support are available to help developers solve problems and add features.
  • Hot reloading
    React Native supports hot reloading, enabling developers to see the results of the latest change instantly without losing the application's state.
  • Reusable components
    Developers can use React Native's component-based architecture to create reusable UI components, making code more modular and easier to maintain.
  • Strong backing
    Backed by Facebook, React Native benefits from continuous development, regular updates, and a high level of reliability and stability.

Possible disadvantages of React Native

  • Complexity for advanced features
    Implementing complex features and achieving deep integrations with native APIs may require more effort and a good understanding of native programming.
  • Performance limitations
    While React Native performs well for most use cases, it may still fall short in performance-intensive applications compared to fully native solutions.
  • Limited third-party libraries
    Some third-party libraries might not be available for React Native, or they may lack features compared to their native counterparts.
  • Platform-specific code
    Despite being cross-platform, certain features might still require platform-specific code, increasing the complexity when developing for both iOS and Android.
  • Potential for outdated documentation
    As React Native evolves quickly, some documentation or tutorials might become outdated, leading to confusion and extra effort to find up-to-date information.
  • Size of the application
    React Native applications tend to have larger file sizes compared to their native counterparts due to the inclusion of the JavaScript runtime and other dependencies.

itch.io features and specs

  • Indie Focus
    Itch.io is heavily focused on indie games, providing a platform for lesser-known developers to showcase their projects without being overshadowed by big studios.
  • Revenue Split
    Developers can set their own revenue split with itch.io. The default is 10%, which is much lower than the industry standard of 30%.
  • Customization
    Developers have a high degree of control over their game's page, including design and layout, which allows for better branding and differentiation.
  • Community Features
    The platform includes forums, comment sections, and devlogs that encourage community interaction and feedback.
  • Alternative Payment Options
    Itch.io supports pay-what-you-want pricing models, bundles, and donations, giving developers and consumers flexible transactional options.
  • Open Publishing
    Anyone can publish their games without going through any approval process, making it easy and quick to get products to market.

Possible disadvantages of itch.io

  • Limited Visibility
    Since the platform is popular among indie developers, it can be challenging for individual games to gain visibility without additional marketing efforts.
  • Lesser Known
    Compared to platforms like Steam, itch.io has a smaller user base, which can limit the potential audience for games.
  • Quality Control
    The open publishing model means there is less quality control, which can result in a marketplace cluttered with lower-quality games.
  • Feature Set
    Itch.io may lack some of the advanced features and tools that bigger platforms offer, such as more robust analytics, achievements, or broader multiplayer support.
  • Payment Processing
    Developers are responsible for handling their own payment processing, which can be a hassle compared to other platforms that handle this aspect for you.

Analysis of React Native

Overall verdict

  • React Native is generally a good choice for mobile app development, especially if you're looking for a cross-platform solution. Its ease of use, combined with the ability to leverage a single codebase for both iOS and Android, makes it a popular option among developers.

Why this product is good

  • React Native is considered good because it allows developers to build mobile applications using JavaScript and React, enabling code reuse between Android and iOS platforms. This can speed up development time and reduce costs. It also has a vibrant community and a strong ecosystem with numerous libraries and tools, making it easier to implement complex functionalities. Additionally, React Native provides a native-like performance for most use cases, which enhances the user experience.

Recommended for

  • Startups and small businesses looking to develop mobile apps quickly and cost-effectively.
  • Developers with a background in JavaScript and React who want to expand into mobile app development.
  • Projects that require rapid prototyping and iterative development.
  • Applications that need to maintain a shared codebase between web and mobile platforms.

React Native videos

React Native in 2019 & Beyond

More videos:

  • Review - What Is React Native?
  • Review - Why React Native is garbage.

itch.io videos

What isโ€ฆ ITCH.IO & GAMEJOLT?! - Softlocked

More videos:

  • Review - Top 10 FREE Games on Itch.io
  • Review - ITCH.IO FREE Games Jampack Review!!! [23 reviews]

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to React Native and itch.io)
Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Games
0 0%
100% 100
Javascript UI Libraries
100 100%
0% 0
Online Games
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare React Native and itch.io

React Native Reviews

Explore 9 Top Eclipse Alternatives for 2024
Pioneered by Meta Platforms, Inc., React Native is a remarkable JavaScript framework that merges native app development with JavaScript libraries, offering a dependable solution for creating exemplary native apps for Android, iOS, and other platforms.
Source: aircada.com
Top 10 Flutter Alternatives for Cross-Platform App Development
Introduced in 2015 by Facebook, React Native is an open-source framework based on JavaScript. Being a developer-friendly framework, itโ€™s a mobile-first platform that is capable of rendering mobile apps for multiple platforms, including iOS and Android.
Exploring 15 Powerful Flutter Alternatives
React Native is an open-source UI framework for writing native Android and iOS apps using JavaScript and React. React Native does deliver excellent prototyping capabilities, however. The React framework lends itself nicely to creating basic proofs of concept and experimenting with different interaction models and UI designs with little overhead. Features like Fast Refresh...
THE BEST 34 APP DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE IN 2022 LIST
Create native apps for Android and iOS using React. React Native combines the best parts of native development with React, a best-in-class JavaScript library for building user interfaces. You can use React Native in your existing Android and iOS projects or you can create a whole new app from scratch. Written in JavaScriptโ€”rendered with native code. React primitives render...
Top 10 Visual Studio Alternatives
React native is famous for enabling the users to develop the core native applications and offers the best quality. It does not compromise on providing the best customer services and support. The react-native components surround the codes that already exist and then interact with the native APIs. That, in turn, allows the developers to learn the development process and makes...

itch.io Reviews

The best Steam alternatives for PC gamers
The independent PC gaming platform, equivalent to the eccentric bric-a-brac shop selling obscurities from stuffed animals to crystal skulls. Itch.io is exclusively committed to indie games, and thereโ€™s a good chance that some of your favourite indie titles on Steam actually started life on Itch.io before growing to become fully-fledged commercial products. This makes it one...
The 7 Best Steam Alternatives
Itch.io has a strange name but a great premise: a place for independent PC game developers to sell their work with a pay-what-you-want model. Some games come with minimum prices, but you can pay more than this amount to help support the creators. Many free games are also available, which you can pay nothing or as much as you want for. Itch.io does offer some indie titles you...
10 Alternatives to Steam for Buying Cheap PC Games
Itch.io is all about the indies. Though most of the games offered on the site and download client are free (thanks to a mobile-style open submission policy), developers can add a price to their games, and many popular independent developers now use Itch.io as a primary distribution platform. There are zero games to be had from major publishers, but anyone who appreciates a...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, itch.io seems to be a lot more popular than React Native. While we know about 7502 links to itch.io, we've tracked only 236 mentions of 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.

React Native mentions (236)

  • React Native New Architecture: What You Need to Know in 2025
    React Nativeโ€™s 2025 architecture introduces Fabric, TurboModules, and JSI for faster performance and smoother development. By removing the legacy bridge, it enables quicker rendering and efficient native integration. Developers benefit from improved tools, crash handling, and native module access. This upgrade makes React Native a robust, future-ready choice for mobile app development. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • React Native vs Flutter in 2025: Which Is Better for Startups?
    Introduction In 2025, startups face a critical decision when choosing their mobile development framework. The React Native vs Flutter debate continues to dominate discussions among entrepreneurs and developers alike. Both frameworks offer compelling advantages for cross-platform development, but which one truly serves startups better in today's competitive landscape? - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Cross-Platform Development: Flutter vs. React Native โ€“ Which is the Right Choice for Your Project?
    Cross-platform development means writing code once and running it on multiple platforms like iOS and Android. This reduces time, cost, and effort compared to developing separate apps for each platform. Developers use frameworks to simplify this process, and two of the most popular are Flutter and React Native. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • How I Created and Deployed An iPhone (and Android) App Without A Mac, And So Can You Too
    This course was great for me because one, it was made within the last year (at the time I took the course anyway). It seemed anything older than this had out-of-date information (using an older version of React Native) and it would throw me off when I encountered something that wasn't done using the more recent versions of React Native/Expo. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Apprendre Flutter
    React Native: Assez faile ร  prendre en main si on maitrise React. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
View more

itch.io mentions (7502)

  • Proper setup for a MiniScript GitHub repo
    In many of my projects, I also have some local files that I use to pack up and deliver the project to itch.io. I want to ignore most of the tools related to that as well, so my .gitignore will also contain:. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Itch.io: "This is not a joke, Funko just called my mom"
    Brandshield has been deleting and rewriting their non-statement deflecting responsibility repeatedly while hiding all the comments calling out their cascade of BS. Here is their current statement blaming iwantmyname and link to the hidden replies: > We want to address recent reports surrounding a website takedown. > BrandShield serves as a trusted partner to many brands. Our AI-driven platform detects potential... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Itch.io: "This is not a joke, Funko just called my mom"
    Funko's statement: >At Funko, we hold a deep respect and appreciation for indie games, indie gamers, and indie developers. Weโ€™re fans of fans, and we love the creativity and passion that define the indie gaming community. >Recently, one of our brand protection partners identified a page on http://itch.io imitating the Funko Fusion development website. A takedown request was issued to address this specific page.... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Ask HN: Platform for 11 year old to create video games?
    As several people has pointed out here, don't focus on programming. That can kill the urge to make games pretty quick. And an important thing often overlooked, is prototyping. Whatever kind of game you are making, find a way to make a fast mockup using paper or whatever - and test it. That being said, you should take a look at simple game engines like; Twine, GDevelop, TyranoBuilder and PICO-8. Remember; the... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Featured Mod of the Month: Phil Ashby
    Publishing on platforms like itch.io are a great way to get feedback (but see comments about comments earlier!) and to see if an idea is worth pursuing. Self-published mini-games are also a good way to scratch that gamedev itch when it isn't your day job too - I should push a couple myself actually! - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing React Native and itch.io, you can also consider the following products

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

GOG.com - DRM-free game store, selling both new and old titles. No clients required.

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 โ€ฆ

OpenGameArt.org - A site dedicated to sharing artwork & other assets for game development.

Babel - Babel is a compiler for writing next generation JavaScript.

IsThereAnyDeal - "When the price is right, you will play all night."