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Xamarin

  • Write the model in C#
  • Write the views for each OS in their own native way
  • Xamarin promises that the new functionality in libraries is added the same day

Telerik Native script

  • Write in javascript and call native script's api that then calls the separate OS javascript apis?
  • Write the view in html5 and css which is re-usable for all OSs as they now all support html5 and css front ends?
  • Telerik simply states... and I paraphrase 'it does not have this problem'

If the above is so, how is Telerik any better than Xamarin as it states on its website:

"When using NativeScript the new additions to the native platform are available immediately. This is not the case in neither Xamarin or Appcelerator, where there are technical limitations and wrappers needs to be created when new native platform features are added."

I am confused at how Telerik is being penned as being better than Xamarin when Xamarin comes with strong type language without using TypeScript's slightly loose thing going on. And also that Xamarin does in fact sit in exactly the same boat as Xamarin apart form the view part... which is actually supposed to be a benefit?

Question:
- What's the difference between them apart from the two I have denoted?
- Why would Telerik claim such a thing?

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  • Deciding what framework we should use also depends which factor is more important to us. Hence I have created a decision matrix
    – Amit Kumar Gupta
    Commented Jan 20, 2018 at 4:29

2 Answers 2

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[Disclaimer: I work for Telerik.]

Telerik NativeScript and Xamarin are solving similar problems in different ways. Both frameworks are focused on enabling developers to create cross-platform mobile applications with native UI and shared, common code across all platforms.

For NativeScript, we're focused heavily on the web developer skill set. We want anyone that is comfortable today writing HTML/CSS/JavaScript to feel instantly at home creating native apps using NativeScript.

The only thing that is a little different is that views are defined in an XML-based markup. This markup is parsed by NativeScript and rendered as native UI on all target platforms. (NativeScript modules encapsulate the platform-specific renderings.)

The capability you highlight is also something unique to NativeScript's approach for exposing underlying native platform APIs. NativeScript effectively uses (build-time) reflection to make ANY native API available to the JavaScript proxy. That includes 3rd party native libraries. You do not depend on Telerik (or the open source community) to update NativeScript to take advantage of these new APIs. You simply execute a command and auto-discover the new APIs.

Of course, we don't expect a lot of people to write against the raw native APIs using JavaScript, so that's where modules again help encapsulate the different native APIs and expose a single, clean, cross-platform JavaScript API. Anyone can create NativeScript modules.

There's a great post that explains how all of this works in much more detail on the Telerik Developer Network (TDN): http://developer.telerik.com/featured/nativescript-works/

NativeScript's public beta will be available this week, and v1 will ship in May.

UPDATE [Feb 2016] Since this was originally posted, NativeScript has shipped and is now in v1.6. It is also now integrating heavily with Angular 2. You can track the project progress on GitHub: https://github.com/NativeScript/NativeScript

UPDATE [June 2016] There are now performance metrics comparing NativeScript and Xamarin. Please find them here: https://github.com/NativeScript/sample-iOS-Profiling/tree/performance-tests

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  • Hi Todd, thanks for your explanation. Can you also include a comparison with Appcelerator? To me NativeScript seems very similar to Appcelerator, I'm still deciding which one to go for but leaning towards Appcelerator since it's been around for much longer and will probably have better support.
    – yangli-io
    Commented Mar 12, 2015 at 3:01
  • Hi Todd. How about using native Xcode developed storyboards with Telerik NativeScript? How about native Android views? Can you build iOS extensions with Telerik NativeScript? How about WatchKit support?
    – dimoss
    Commented Mar 12, 2015 at 3:20
  • If NativeScript uses JavaScipt, how can it call itself of creating native apps?
    – Purus
    Commented Feb 24, 2016 at 17:25
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    @Purus The distinction is in the UI layer. NativeScript produces apps that have 100% native UI, unlike "hybrid" apps that typically use WebView-based UI. NativeScript also provides 100% access to native APIs via JavaScript, no extra native code plugins required. Hope that helps.
    – Todd
    Commented Feb 24, 2016 at 21:05
  • @Todd can please share how much is the apk size difference created by both platforms ?
    – A.T.
    Commented Feb 3, 2017 at 6:58
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Telerik is a UI component and it has some beautiful control for designing in xamarin forms,MVC. Net and etc, but xamarin forms is a technology that helps deveopers to make mobile application using c#

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  • Question is about Telerik Native script vs Xamarin and not about Telerik UI Controls.
    – Shubham
    Commented Aug 29, 2019 at 20:24

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