How much does it cost to hire an offshore React Native developer?

React Native is a software development framework created by Facebook in 2015. It is based on the ReactJS library that allows developers to create mobile and web applications for Android, Android TV, iOS, macOS, tvOS, Web, Windows, and UWP.

Both React Native and ReactJS are built on the same principles by Facebook. They are quite similar, but the fundamental difference is that React Native uses native components instead of web components for building code.

According to Github, React Native had the second most number of contributors for any repository as of 2018. It is currently being maintained and updated regularly with contributions from Microsoft, Callstack, Infinite Red, and Expo making the programming language more sustainable.

React Native is mainly used for creating mobile applications.  It is also used to build applications for Android, Android TV, iOS, macOS, tvOS, Web, Windows, and UWP from the same framework. The language is also equipped with several pre-developed features that increase portability for the developers while writing code.

Over the last few years, React Native is becoming an increasingly popular solution for developing a great user experience on mobile applications. These apps are very easy to use, have high processing speed, and are very responsive.

Since there is a unified codebase for Android and iOS, there is no need for the app developer to learn Java for Android apps and Swift for iOS. Using React Native enables software developers to manage the same app on both platforms very conveniently.

Several tools are used to improve the functioning of React Native for cross-platform software development. Here are some of the most popular ones:

• Nuclide: An open-source tool that helps developers make improvements to their code. The most highly-rated features are health statistics, code diagnostics, context view and working sets.
• Visual Studio Code: It supports technologies like node.js, JavaScript and TypeScript. Visual Studio Code works as a robust source code editor. It is open-source, free to use and supports languages like Python, PHP, C# and Java.
• Redux: Redux is mainly used to develop user interfaces with React, and has features such as live code editing and traveling debugger. The main use of Redux is in managing the application state.
• Expo: An open-source tool-chain that has its own CLI and offers APIs and components that are very easy to use. It also offers tools like real-time updates, accelerometer, and fine documentation.
• XCode: XCode is Apple’s integrated development environment (IDE) that has several useful tools for iOS and Mac development. It is a great tool for creating iOS and Mac applications using React Native. XCode also works very well while installing and debugging iOS packages.

A React Native developer focuses on mobile development for different platforms using the same code. This is the primary advantage of this framework. Here are some of the key responsibilities and tasks of a React Native developer:

• Using JavaScript to be able to fully command application development.
• Using functional and object-oriented programming to be able to meet the client’s needs.
• Using native APIs for integration through all available frameworks.
• Creating interchangeable front-end modules and repositories.
• Creating automation checks to make it more convenient to test the software.
• Finding bugs and fixing them.

Depending on the years of experience and skillset of the app developer, they can be classified into three categories.

Junior developer

A junior React JS developer has a solid understanding of how app development in React Native works. These developers might also be asked to work as interns or understudies of their superiors.

Middle Developer

After 2-3 years of experience, the middle developer is be expected to tackle the more complex problems of the project. They also have the responsibility of mentoring juniors and assigning work to them in some cases. They must also have a concrete foundation of web development, mobile app development, and how the two are interlinked using React Native.

Senior Developer

After 5 years of experience on average, the senior-level developer usually works as the leader of a project. A senior React Native developer’s main task will be to lay down the foundation of the project and how it will pan out in the future. They also have to take responsibility for their subordinates and guide them accordingly.

A React Native developer’s main task is to work to build a well-performing mobile app across different platforms. Depending on their skill set and preferences, they can choose how much of React Native they want to use. They can also use other tools for software development such as XCode in the case of iOS and Android Studio for Android apps.

Apart from developing apps from scratch, they might also be recruited to diagnose problems in an existing app and make upgrades to it. A vital part of this is ensuring that the user interface is rich and immersive. Engineers specializing in React Native mostly work as front-end developers. They also have to work closely with the back-end developers to ensure that the software is working smoothly, without any bugs or glitches.

The skillset of the developer is what shows you if they will be a good fit for your project or not. Here are some of the essential skills that a good developer must have:

• JavaScript: Since React Native is primarily based on JS, the developer you choose must have a basic understanding of how JavaScript works.
• ES6 and React: React is used to build web applications, and is important in evaluating the competence of a potential candidate. ES6 is a Java interoperability standard and is also vital if you are working with several different platforms.
• Back-end Skills: Having a basic understanding of how back-end software such as Meteor or Parse Server is a good way to determine if the candidate can be a full-stack developer or not.
• Testing and optimization: The developer you hire must be able to test a passage of code, debug it and optimize it so that it works at the highest level.

Depending on your needs, you can choose any one of the options to work on your mobile development project:

Freelancers

Freelancers are a great solution for companies not looking for permanent hires. Freelancers are also a good choice for small fixes such as debugging and optimization. These coders are signed on for the duration of the project and don’t need to be fired afterward.

In-house engineers

Having an in-house engineer is the best solution to build a strong core team. These are software engineers that are hired to work full-time for your company and help in addressing all the problems you might face in certain software. They deeply understand the project and business needs and create the needed solutions.

Outsourced programmers

Outsourcing software developers means assigning an external offshore company to your project. This option is a cost-efficient solution suitable for companies that need to assemble a temporary team for their software project, or need additional developers to help their in-house team.

Writing a project description for a React Native developer requires you to properly state what is expected from the software solution you need. You will have to state the business problem that you are trying to tackle and your vision of what is needed to be implemented.

It’s also better to mention the industry you are in, so the chances to hire a developer with a similar experience are higher.

For the developer, it would be also convenient to understand at what stage the project is now and what team is already working on the solution. List the requirements to the engineers and describe the responsibilities they will have.

It is very important that you assess the skills of a potential candidate before you get them on board to work on your project. Employers often conduct different coding tests to evaluate their programming skills. But you can also ask the exact question to understand if the candidate has a solid knowledge of the technology. Here are some questions to ask:

• What is the relationship between React Native and React?
• What is Fabric in React Native?
• In Fast Refresh, what will happen if you edit files imported by modules outside of the React Tree?
• What is the importance of clear animations in React Native?
• Can you provide some ideas on how to prevent memory leaks in your app?
• When would you prefer a class component over a functional component?