Our Journey From Ionic To React Native: The Why, The How, And The Results

Introduction

In today’s competitive digital landscape, mobile applications are no longer just an extension of businesses—they are the primary medium for customer engagement. With user expectations continuously rising, businesses must choose a mobile app framework that delivers the best performance, scalability, and user experience.

When we first launched our mobile app, Flambea, a social network for food enthusiasts, we opted for the Ionic framework. It allowed us to develop a cross-platform application quickly using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. However, as our user base grew, so did the performance and scalability issues associated with Ionic.

We faced slow loading times, UI lags, and limitations when integrating native device features. As we aimed to offer a smoother and more engaging user experience, we knew it was time to transition to a framework that provided better performance while maintaining cross-platform capabilities. That’s when we decided to migrate from Ionic to React Native.

This blog will take you through our journey of migration, why we made the switch, how we executed the migration process, and what benefits we achieved. If you are a business or developer contemplating a similar move, this article will help you understand if transitioning to React Native is the right choice.

The Why: Why We Migrated from Ionic to React Native

When we initially launched Flambea, Ionic Framework was a logical choice. It allowed us to quickly develop a cross-platform app using a single codebase in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The use of a Capacitor enabled access to native device features while keeping development simple.

However, as the app evolved, several limitations of the Ionic Framework became apparent:

1. Performance Issues and User Experience Limitations

While Ionic Framework is excellent for prototyping and building MVPs, we noticed significant slowdowns as we added more features. Since Ionic is a web-based framework, it relies on WebView to render UI components. This often resulted in:

• Slower load times compared to native apps
• Janky animations and reduced UI responsiveness
• Inefficiencies in handling complex app logic

Users expect a seamless, high-performance experience, and our app was falling short of that expectation.

2. Limited Access to Native Features

Since Ionic is not a fully native framework, integrating certain device-specific features became challenging. One major roadblock we faced was the inability to customize Google Maps markers effectively. This was crucial for our app, as location-based recommendations were a core feature.

React Native, on the other hand, provides direct access to native APIs without relying on WebView. This meant we could build better integrations with native functionalities without compromising performance.

3. Scalability and Long-Term Maintenance

As we scaled, we needed a robust and maintainable codebase that would allow us to introduce new features without breaking existing functionality. Since Ionic Framework relies heavily on Angular or React with WebView, debugging performance-related issues has become increasingly complex.
With React Native, we could:

• Write clean and structured code
• Optimize for both iOS and Android without compromise
• Use native modules to extend functionalities when needed

4. Expertise and Ecosystem Support

Our new development team had extensive experience with React Native. Since React Native has a strong ecosystem, we could leverage a variety of third-party libraries, improving our development speed and efficiency.

Ultimately, React Native emerged as the best-performing mobile app framework for 2025, enabling us to future-proof our application.

The How: Our Migration Process

Migrating from Ionic to React Native was a significant undertaking that required careful planning, execution, and testing. Since Ionic and React Native use different architectures and development approaches, we had to ensure that the transition was smooth, minimizing disruption to users while improving app performance.

We followed a structured migration process divided into multiple phases to ensure a successful transition.

1. Assessment and Planning

Before writing any code, we took the time to analyze our existing Ionic application and determine the best approach for migration. This step was critical in reducing unnecessary work and ensuring efficiency throughout the process.
Before jumping into development, we conducted a code audit to determine

• Which components could be reused
• What needed to be rebuilt from scratch
• How could we replicate existing functionalities in React Native

This phase was crucial in avoiding unnecessary delays and optimizing the migration process.

2. Incremental Migration

Once we had a detailed migration plan, the next step was to set up a React Native development environment. Rather than completely halting app updates and rewriting everything from scratch, we decided to migrate in stages, ensuring that the app remained functional while transitioning.
We adopted an incremental approach:

• First, we recreated core functionalities in React Native, such as authentication and user profiles.
• Then, we migrated feature by feature, testing each module independently.
• Finally, we integrated all components and conducted end-to-end testing.

3. UI/UX Enhancements

Since Ionic relied on web-based rendering, our UI was often limited in responsiveness and smoothness. We took this opportunity to improve our UI/UX design using React Native’s flexible styling options. The transition from WebView-based UI to native components improved rendering speed and responsiveness. At this stage, the app’s performance also significantly improved, even before migrating all remaining features.

4. Performance Optimization

With React Native, we leveraged:

• Hermes JavaScript engine for better startup times
• React Native’s gesture system for smoother animations
• Direct interaction with native APIs for improved efficiency

5. Testing and Deployment

Once the migration was complete, we performed rigorous unit, integration, and performance testing before deploying the new version. After launching the new version, we continued to monitor app performance and user feedback to make necessary improvements.

The Results: What We Achieved

Migrating from Ionic to React Native was a game-changer for our mobile app. The transition brought significant improvements across multiple areas, including performance, user experience, development efficiency, and long-term business benefits. Below, we take a detailed look at the key outcomes we achieved post-migration.

1. Enhanced Performance and Speed

• Our app’s loading time improved by 40%
• UI interactions felt more fluid and natural
• Users reported a smoother experience across both iOS and Android

2. Better User Experience

• The ability to customize Google Maps markers improved usability
• Native animations made the app feel modern and interactive
• Users engaged more with the app due to improved responsiveness

3. Easier Development and Maintenance

• Debugging was easier and faster with React DevTools
• Updating features became simpler and less error-prone
• We could reuse more code between platforms, reducing development time

4. Business Benefits

• Higher user retention rates due to improved performance
• Easier onboarding for new developers familiar with React
• Future-proofed app architecture, making it scalable for future growth

By migrating, we positioned ourselves with a best-performing mobile app framework ready for 2025 and beyond. These improvements helped us stand out in the market, giving us a competitive edge over similar apps that still relied on web-based frameworks.

Conclusion: Is Migrating from Ionic to React Native Right for You?

Deciding whether to migrate from Ionic to React Native depends on your app’s requirements. If you are facing performance bottlenecks, struggling with native feature integrations, or finding it hard to maintain your Ionic-based app, React Native could be the right solution.

At G2TechSoft, we specialize in mobile app development services, helping businesses transition to frameworks that offer better scalability and performance. Whether you’re looking for digital transformation solutions or need expert guidance on migration, our team can assist you in making the right decision.

If you’re considering upgrading your mobile app framework to deliver a superior user experience, reach out to us. Our experience with React Native migration can help ensure a smooth and successful transition.

Are you willing to take your mobile app to a whole new level? Contact G2TechSoft today!