React is the most popular front-end JavaScript library for building component-based, interactive user interfaces. Its robust features, flexibility, and extensive range of reusable UI components make it a must-have tool for developers. React is so in demand that, according to eSparkBiz Technologies, 84.7% of JavaScript developers use it professionally.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that React has built many successful apps and websites. In today’s guide, we’ll explore some of the best React projects that are currently thriving thanks to React.
Why is React So Popular?
Before we look at some of the best React-built apps and websites, it’s important to understand why they use React in the first place.
For starters, because of its modular structure and component-based design, React is highly flexible. This means that React code is easy to maintain and alter, saving developers valuable amounts of time and costs. Not to mention that thanks to React’s vast reusable component library, developers can easily streamline their workflows. As a result, your entire development team can focus their efforts on other important tasks, becoming more productive overall.
Additionally, React celebrates fast rendering. By using a Virtual DOM (a lightweight copy of a Real DOM), developers can test modifications without the risk of compromising the application’s structure. As you can imagine, a Virtual DOM is crucial for maintaining high app performance.
To top it all off, React is also SEO-friendly. Since React is the master of fast rendering, slow page load times are a thing of the past, helping your business secure the top ranks on a Google SERP.
The Pros and Cons of Using React
From what you’ve already read, you can already start to see the pros of using React. But aside from what we’ve already discussed, React supports a rich ecosystem, complete with several libraries, tools, integrations and resources that you need to enhance your development process.
But a rich ecosystem isn’t the only thing that React supports - there is also the React community.Consisting of millions of developers, React’s discussion forums are jam-packed with helpful advice, assistance, and answered questions. This is just what you need when you’re stuck in a rut.
That being said, like every digital product out there, React isn’t without its drawbacks.
To keep up with the ever-evolving nature of application development, React releases new updates and features several times a year. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can prove a challenge for developers who need to learn how to use these new features quickly. What’s more, there is no standardized way or recommended method of application development with React.
Although the lack of conventions does offer experienced developers more freedom, it can make the React learning curve steeper for new developers.
The Most Popular Apps and Websites That Use React
Now that you know why React is so popular, it’s time to discuss the apps/websites that made it that way. From Dropbox to Discord, React-built projects are more commonplace than you might think.
Netflix
Netflix is an immensely successful streaming service that has used React since 2015, especially for their Gibbon platform. Netflix designed this platform for users with low-performance TV devices. To combat this pain point for their users, Netflix chose to use React due to its runtime performance, quick start-up speed, and modular structure.
What’s more, Netflix also used React’s components to conduct thorough A/B tests to derive valuable feedback from their users. After all, you can’t know if React works without testing it on real users, right? Ultimately, React played a vital role in improving the user experience for a large chunk of Netflix’s user base.
It’s not uncommon for React and Facebook to go hand-in-hand, especially since React was founded by Facebook software engineer Jordan Walke.
This social media giant uses React as an integrated script in the application code. Put simply, Facebook uses React to move data between applications with ease. With React, changes on a Facebook user’s feed can load immediately, making for a frictionless user experience that boosts overall user engagement.
Instagram is another social media giant that truly maximises the potential of React. Think Google Maps APIs, tags, geolocations, and search engine accuracy.
Instagram employed all of these React functions and features to establish itself as one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. Now, Instagram’s users can enjoy an app that celebrates improved performance, speed, and flexibility.
Dropbox
Dropbox is a well-known cloud storage solution that has used React’s library for a long time.
Why? Because React offers services like Dropbox many benefits, including smaller file sizes and quicker reloading speeds. Combine that with React’s easily maintainable and updateable UI components and you now know why Dropbox exhibits an extremely user-friendly interface.
Discord
Discord is a voice, video, and text communication platform that gamers across the globe love to use. Discord has used React since 2015, and now, 98% of its code comes from React’s library.
Due to React’s extensive library, Discord users can enjoy an intuitive app on any Android or iOS device. Ultimately, thanks to React, gamers can stream games and communicate with large communities while playing on Discord.
Pinterest is a social media service that allows users to share and discover visual content such as images, GIFs, and videos. Pinterest implemented a fully functional iOS app in as little as ten days with the help of React Native.
From there, it took only two days to implement Pinterest’s Android app all because they were able to share the UI code between the two platforms. All in all, by using React Native, Pinterest’s team saved over a week of implementation time.
PayPal
PayPal is a financial technology company that offers its users online payment services. It used React to redesign its application’s user interface, making it more mobile-friendly.
In fact, PayPal uses two of React’s codebases. They use PayPalExpressCheckOut.js, which helps with the mobile app configuration. In addition to this codebase, PayPal uses React for the payment button in its web app. Overall, React allows PayPal’s app to efficiently manage real-time updates without compromising its speed or performance.
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper that provides its readers with domestic, national, and international news. The news outlet refactored its web pages using React to improve its users’ digital experiences with its brand. Ever since, The New York Times’s users have enjoyed fast-loading webpages, which are HTML-rendered for accessible viewing.
Airbnb
Airbnb is an online marketplace that enables property owners to rent out their spaces to travellers looking for homestays. It uses React to offer more engaging customer experiences across both its web and mobile applications.
With the help of React, Airbnb provides its users with better communication and search functions. As a matter of fact, Airbnb’s team consists of over 60 developers who use React to construct and optimise their platforms.
WhatsApp is an instant messaging service that employs React to create Facebook-based user interfaces for its web application. What’s more, thanks to React Native, WhatsApp created a singular codebase that allowed them to launch their app on iOS and Android platforms.
Why You Should Choose React For Your Next Project
We could talk for days about why you should use React for its valuable features and wide range of reusable components alone. But the reason why you should use React for your development projects is because of the reason you want to develop better digital products in the first place - your users.
Every developer and designer strives to create products that meet and exceed their users’ expectations. In order to achieve that goal, you need to first find tools that satisfy your needs as a developer/designer. That’s precisely why you should use React - it prioritises simplified, streamlined workflows that grant you more time to focus on the users you’re building for.
The Dynamic Duo: Enhancing React With Tapptitude
While React is great for the development stage of product creation, the best apps and websites don’t just rely on said stage.
There’s a lot of work that happens before and after application development, and that’s why you also need Tapptitude. Tapptitude specialises in web and mobile app development, from the ideation phase to the launch of a fully finalised product.
Our team of talented professionals help our clients optimise their workflows, providing solutions for product strategies, UI/UX design and everything in between.
Tapptitude’s work ethic is fast-paced, using agile sprints to deliver high-quality deliverables governed by user testing data quickly. Our ethos is even more simple - we want to help designers and developers shape a more user-centric future.
Start your next project with Tapptitude, and together, we’ll upgrade the benchmark for success.
Tapptitude
Tapptitude is a mobile app development company specialized in providing high-quality mobile app development services, and a top-rated app company on Clutch.
