Airbnb moved away from React Native in 2018 and has not returned to it
Airbnb stopped using React Native across its main apps in 2018. The company announced this decision publicly, citing performance issues and the difficulty of maintaining a single codebase across iOS and Android. As of 2024, Airbnb uses native code — Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android — for its core mobile applications. This shift happened years ago and remains the company's approach today.
The decision was significant in the mobile development world because Airbnb had been one of React Native's most visible users. When they left, it sent a message to other companies weighing the same choice. However, React Native itself has continued to evolve, and other companies have stayed with it or adopted it since then.
Key Takeaways
- Airbnb discontinued React Native in 2018 and switched to native Swift and Kotlin development for iOS and Android.
- The company cited performance bottlenecks and maintenance complexity as reasons for the shift away from cross-platform code.
- Airbnb's departure from React Native was widely covered because the company had been a major public user of the framework.
- As of 2024, Airbnb continues to use native mobile development and has not returned to React Native.
Why Airbnb left React Native
Airbnb's engineering team published a detailed post in 2018 explaining the move. The core issue was that React Native did not perform well enough for Airbnb's scale and complexity. The app needed to handle real-time updates, complex animations, and heavy user interactions — things that React Native struggled with at the time.
Maintaining a single codebase across two platforms also proved harder than expected. When bugs appeared, they often affected both iOS and Android simultaneously, and fixing them required deep knowledge of both the React Native framework and the underlying native code. The team found it faster to hire iOS and Android specialists and let them write native code than to maintain a hybrid layer.
Another factor was the size of the app bundle. React Native added overhead that made the initial read larger and slower to launch. For a consumer app competing with others in the App Store, this mattered.
What Airbnb uses now
Airbnb's iOS app is written in Swift, Apple's modern programming language. The Android app uses Kotlin, Google's preferred language for Android development. Both teams work independently, which means they can optimize for each platform's specific strengths and constraints.
This native-first approach lets Airbnb use platform-specific features as soon as Apple or Google releases them. It also means performance is not limited by a cross-platform framework. The trade-off is that the company maintains two separate codebases, which requires more engineers and more coordination between teams.
React Native today and other companies' choices
React Native has improved significantly since 2018. The framework now has better performance, faster refresh cycles for developers, and a more stable foundation. Companies like Microsoft, Shopify, and Discord have invested in React Native or continued using it, and the ecosystem around it has grown.
However, Airbnb's departure highlighted a real trade-off: cross-platform frameworks work best for simpler apps or for companies willing to accept some performance compromises. For apps with complex interactions, heavy animations, or strict performance requirements, native development often wins.
Airbnb's scale and user expectations made native development the right choice for them. Smaller companies or those building their first version of an app might still find React Native valuable.
Whether Airbnb might return to React Native
There is no public indication that Airbnb plans to return to React Native. The company has invested years in its native codebase and built teams around Swift and Kotlin. Switching back would mean rewriting large portions of the app and disrupting a system that currently works.
If React Native were to improve dramatically — or if Airbnb's priorities shifted toward speed of development over performance — a return might make sense. But that would require a major change in either the framework or the company's needs, and neither seems likely in the near term.
What this means for developers considering React Native
Airbnb's experience is useful context if you are deciding whether to use React Native for your own project. The framework is not a bad choice — it works well for many apps. But it is not a universal solution, and Airbnb's departure shows that even well-funded companies with experienced teams can find it limiting.
The right choice depends on your app's requirements. If you need maximum performance, heavy animations, or deep platform integration, native development or a hybrid approach like Flutter might serve you better. If you are building a simpler app and want to share code between iOS and Android, React Native can still be a good fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Airbnb say why they left React Native?
Yes. Airbnb published a technical post in 2018 explaining that React Native had performance issues, made the app bundle larger, and created maintenance problems because bugs often affected both platforms at once. The team found it faster to hire native specialists than to maintain a hybrid codebase.
Is React Native dead?
No. React Native is still actively developed and used by many companies. Airbnb's departure was significant because the company was a visible user, but it did not kill the framework. Other major companies have continued investing in React Native or adopted it after Airbnb left.
Can I still use React Native in 2024?
Yes. React Native is stable and has improved since 2018. It works well for many types of apps. The question is whether it fits your specific needs — performance requirements, team skills, and timeline all matter.
What do other travel apps use?
Different travel and booking apps make different choices. Some use native code, some use React Native, and some use other frameworks like Flutter. There is no single standard in the industry.