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Most of us use React-based apps every day without even realizing it. What are the most famous apps built with ReactJS?
What is ReactJS?
React.js is an open-source JavaScript that has gradually become the go-to framework for modern web development, especially user interfaces. It was developed and maintained by Facebook, along with a community of individual developers and companies. Its primary focus is on efficiently updating and rendering components in response to changes in data, leading to a more seamless and responsive user experience.
Thanks to its popularity we can choose between a lot of frameworks and extensions tailored to the needs of our project. These include:
- React Native: As a framework based on React.js for developing Android and iOS applications, React Native diverges from traditional React.js by utilizing native user interface elements instead of HTML and CSS. Similarly to React, this framework is also developed and maintained by Meta.
- Next.js: This React.js framework, developed and maintained by Vercel, is renowned for its capabilities in Server Side Rendering (SSR) and Static Site Generation (SSG). From version 13 onwards, Next.js advocates for the new approach using React Server Components (RSC), where components can be rendered and optionally cached on the server.
- React Bootstrap: Offering an extensive choice of styling features right out of the box, React Bootstrap enhances React.js projects with its grid system and numerous component templates, including typography, forms, buttons, navigation, and more.
- React Redux: Tailored for React.js, this variation of the Redux library focuses on centralizing the application state.
React apps used by internet giants
Facebook’s website utilizes React as an integrated script in the application code. The mobile app is built on React Native, a version of React for displaying iOS and Android native components. As React was created in Meta, it is a natural choice for Facebook. Meta still maintains and regularly updates React.
Netflix
Netflix is a streaming giant with one of the best recommendation engines in the world. It utilizes React, especially on the “Gibbon” platform designed for low-performance TV devices. One of the most important factors leading Netflix’s engineers to choose React was runtime performance and modularity.
Instagram, as a part of Meta, also relies primarily on React. Numerous innovative features were built with React, such as SEO accuracy, tags, Google Maps APIs, and geolocations. Instagram is one of the most popular apps in the world, and its efficiency, innovation, and usage of mobile native components are the reasons for that.
Pinterest is a picture-sharing social media platform that helps users find new inspiration daily. React helps users manage their growing collection of images, videos, and inspirational boards. Some of the most important features of Pinterest include content organization, seamless navigation, a recommendation engine, and SEO accuracy.
PayPal
PayPal improves customer experience with easy payment options. PayPal has incorporated React for mobile devices. With React, PayPal can efficiently manage real-time updates, such as balance changes, transaction histories, and notifications, without compromising the performance or speed of the application.
Whatsapp is the most popular messaging app, used by 2.7B users worldwide. and yet another company that switched to React after being acquired by Meta in 2014. WhatsApp uses React for the Facebook-like user interface of their web app.
Airbnb
Known for its innovative approach to UI/UX, Airbnb uses React to offer an engaging and responsive platform for booking accommodations and experiences. React is mostly used for features connected to search functionality and in-app communication. More than 60 devs work on their React-based software.
Reddit is a community network website where people can dive into their interests, hobbies, and passions. Users submit information on certain topics and others can discuss and vote on said post. Reddit is a react-enabled platform, employing React to allow users to quickly share content.
Dropbox
Dropbox, a cloud storage service used by 700M users, switched to React some time ago. The switch allowed them to improve user experience and brought numerous benefits like smaller file sizes and faster reloading speeds.
Discord
Discord is a streaming and communication platform for gamers known for its voice, video, and text chat features. Being built on React in 98%, Discord delivers a great communication experience to players worldwide. Gamers can communicate while playing, stream their game, and build communities. The app is incredibly user-friendly, and tech giants like Midjourney utilize Discord to foster communities and serve as a base for their generative AI program.
Why do companies use apps made with React?
Component-based structure
React promotes the use of reusable components, allowing developers to build complex user interfaces (UI) from small, isolated pieces of code. This modular approach simplifies development and maintenance, making it easier to manage large-scale projects.
Flexibility
React can be used for developing a wide range of applications, from single-page apps to complex ones. It can also be integrated with other frameworks and libraries, offering flexibility in development and allowing companies to tailor solutions to their specific needs. React extends to building cross-platform apps, including web and mobile via React Native, offering a consistent user experience across devices.
Popularity
A 2023 Stack Overflow survey of over 90,000 developers found that more than 40% favored React for developing front-end applications. Its widespread popularity ensures there is no trouble finding new developers.
High performance
ReactJS implements a virtual DOM (Document Object Model), which optimizes rendering and improves app performance. By only updating parts of the page that have changed, rather than refreshing the entire page, React ensures a faster and smoother user experience. It also provides techniques like lazy loading, code splitting, and memoization to ensure smooth and responsive UI interactions, even in complex or large-scale applications.
Streamlined design-to-code transition
Thanks to the React community, numerous plugins are available to facilitate the direct conversion of Figma designs into React code. This capability accelerates the UI development phase.
Advanced developer tools
React is equipped with various tools for component inspection, state change tracking, and UI issue debugging. These tools expedite problem resolution, contributing to a more refined and error-free application.
Check out also:
- Why Choose React for Front-End Development? Benefits in 2024 - Considering React for your next project? Learn the top reasons why teams choose React for front-end development.
- React: Don't Settle on Primitives, Build Abstractions Also Around Your Data - In React, create abstractions also around data to increase the reusability of parts in your code.
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