Top Local Databases for React Native App Development

As a mobile app developer, your struggle to achieve a device-native experience is a known fact since the first release of the iPhone. However, cross-platform app development thrived on web-view technology for a long period.

Moreover, the emergence of native app development frameworks like React Native has lagged behind old players and established its authority.

The following statistics reveal the fact that Flutter and React Native frameworks are the most popular framework today.

[Source: Statista]

The emergence of Flutter seems phenomenal but React Native enjoys a bit of consistent popularity for the last three years.

What Is React Native?

The cross-platform app developers who are familiar with React.js framework know well that React Native is a native version of the same (React). It thrives on a library developed by Facebook Inc.

Yes, it uses JS libraries as well as a combination of JavaScript and JSX markup for coding.

What Is UX with React Native?

React Native offers various platform-agnostic native UI components. Such as:

• Image
• Texts
• View

These native UI elements can map the platform’s native UI building blocks.

In short, you will have the respective platform’s native-like app user experience even with cross-platform app development.

[Source:reactnative.dev]

Well, native-like user experience (UX) also demands native-like interaction and data exchanges. It means you have to carefully select the database when you are going with React Native framework for your cross-platform mobile app development.

And today, I am going to discuss top local databases for React Native app development. Here, local means the database resides on local cross-platform devices besides the server. So, the database gets updated whenever the connectivity with the server restores. Yes, it lets you work offline too!

Criteria for Selection of Local Databases for React Native App Development

As we discussed earlier that our supreme priority for the selection of local databases for react native app development is cross-platform compatibility. Besides this, some others are:

Structure of Data:

For online apps, offline apps, and synchronized apps the structure of data differs. The SQL databases have structured data whereas the NoSQL databases have unstructured data.

Size of Data:

It depends on the data structure you have selected. You need to keep in mind what volume of data the app generates and retrieves from the database.

Speed & Scale of Data:

Speed and scale of data depend on incoming data read and write period to an application. Some are read-heavy while some are write-heavy or both.

Modeling of Data:

Some apps use more than one database. Preparing data modeling to solve many conflicts upfront while making database selection. For instance, Uber uses structured databases like MySQL for business logic while unstructured databases like MongoDB for its CDN.

Security of Data:

Secure data exchanges become a priority when you use the local database in the synchronized apps. File system and data-level encryption become the need when data storage takes place on different devices besides the server on the cloud.

Local Databases for React Native App Development

There are many local databases that respond to cutting-edge React Native app programming standards and developers already use those in the market today. However, I prefer to restrict up to four main and topmost local databases used for React Native application development.

They are:

1. Realm
2. Firebase
3. SQLite
4. PouchDB

Let’s one by one.

Realm: Local Databases for ReactNative Apps Development

First, let me tell some important things regarding Realm databases especially for ReactNative application programming:

• It is an open-source database.
• It is OOP (Object-Oriented Programming) database.
• It is autonomous means no need to rely on the SQLite engine.
• Capable of handling Big Data.
• High performance.

Now, based on these facts, let me describe its distinct features.

• Realm is easy to use. It is an OOP database so you can easily access the fields and other objects using elementary annotations. Moreover, no need to do manual query conversion as it does that automatically.
• Realm is truly cross-platform. It either uses a universal code table or native object format to store the data. It means it is a local and server side database, fits in both categories at once.
• Realm is a zero-copy cloning database. It means it creates the clone of the database on the device and the system retrieves data from that clone when a query is made. It cuts frequent exchanges with server-side databases using language-level objects.
• Realm is an object database. Thereby, it doesn’t need to convert operations into SQL statements. It means no copying and direct reflection. It makes actions faster than other non-object/SQL databases.
• It is offline persistence. It makes no difference in the interactions whether you do it online or offline.
• It offers concurrency control. It is done by employing the MVCC model.
• There is platform-specific security. Realm uses AES-256 encryption technology for Android apps. For iOS apps, it uses the CommonCryoto library.

Firebase: Local Databases for ReactNative App Programming

Firebase is a Google product. It is a NoSQL database with a dynamic schema for unstructured data. It is an excellent choice when you create data synchronized apps with an offline-first approach. It is elastic as it scales horizontally.

Some of its distinct features are:

• Real-time synchronization
• Offline working capacities
• Rapid deployment with BaaS API
• Cross-platform functionality
• Scalable
• Secure with use of Cloud Firestore Security Rules

SQLite: Local Databases for ReactNative Application Development

SQLite is a famous and great choice for the local database in ReactNative application development. Many other database solutions also are using SQLite engine as the base. It has great cross-device functionality though it is famous as a mobile database.

It has some outstanding features, such as:

• The quick setup means time-to-deployment is legendary.
• It accepts requests and acts directly means it has fast performance.
• It offers high performance in four dimensions: Atomic, consistence, isolated, and durable (ACID).
• You can save the database as a single application file format and use it on any platform.
• It’s a server-less database means a device to a device working. It often comes with security threats but its encryption extension can mitigate this issue.

PouchDB: Local Databases for ReactNative Application Programming

PouchDB has the capability of completing CRUD operations using JS API so it works seamlessly with ReactNative applications. It also supports JSON file storage and can scale horizontally.

Some good features are:

• It is an in-browser database means you can run it from your browsers too.
• It provides P2P replication so when the database on one device gets updated, it subsequently updates the databases linked in the network of devices.
• It is a part of CouchDB so it first refreshes cookie files in the storage thus, it saves the database from attacks. It also uses PBKDF2 cryptography for security.

Still. Are you confused? It means you need some more details or one on one conversation with a seasoned ReactNative App Development Company. Let’s have it.