I'm looking to build a real estate app capable of handling millions of users, and I already have a NestJS backend set up that can scale to 1-2 million users. However, as a solo developer, I need to avoid separate native builds and want a unified stack for both mobile and web. I'm contemplating using React Native with Next.js in a monorepo for maximum code sharing since I'm comfortable with React, but I'm concerned about how it will perform with heavy image feeds, maps, and real-time chat features. I'm also considering Flutter with Next.js for its smooth performance and potential for AR, though I'd need to learn Dart. Alternatively, I could go for a PWA-first approach, which seems the quickest but raises worries about lacking certain iOS features. My main requirements include handling heavy image galleries, maps with over 1000 listings, camera functionality, and real-time chat. What stack would be the most practical for launching quickly without limiting future scalability and native feature support?
9 Answers
Here’s another option: consider Capacitor! I started with a PWA, then tried React Native but found Capacitor to offer the best balance for my project. It integrates well and might fit your needs without too much hassle. I’m not sure about maps yet, but it’s working great for everything else I need.
Honestly, yes. Looking at the requirements, you might be a bit overambitious with React Native for this scale.
React Native might not be the best for AR since its support is limited. It’s decent for simpler apps, but when your app scales, lag can be a concern. I'd be cautious if you're heavily relying on AR features.
You’re right that a real estate app is fundamentally basic—just listings, maps, and details. For maps, clustering should keep things responsive. I recently used Angular with Capacitor for a hybrid app. It worked great with camera and file features, but of course, you can’t beat the feel of native UI.
I think your focus should be more on the backend than the frontend when it comes to supporting millions of users. If you're concerned about performance, why not prototype a simple React Native app to test how it handles images? I really doubt you’ll run into issues.
I get that, but since we're talking about handling a lot of listings on maps, you should still have some worries about how the frontend behaves with that load.
True, if you’re targeting iOS, a web app can lead to a major headache down the road, so the frontend is crucial too.
We have a React Native app with over 3 million users, and it's working great for us. We use Over-the-Air updates for quick bug fixes and employ MapLibre for our maps. Haven't tried AR yet, but for scaling, React Native has been a solid choice for us.
Thanks for sharing! Given my situation, React Native might be the right path for me too.
I find Flutter to have performance issues and it’s bulky for web development. Plus, I wouldn’t count on it for something that doesn't generate revenue for Google. The hype around code sharing between React Native and React might not deliver as much as you expect, plus web apps are accessible to anyone.
Didn't Flutter face some major setbacks? Last I heard, the team was mostly let go, and there’s a community fork now.
Just a heads-up: if you go the web app route for iOS, Apple’s restrictions could really limit your features. You definitely don’t want to tell users to switch to a computer or Android.
What type of features do you mean?
If you already have your backend in place, using Next.js might complicate things unnecessarily. Maybe it’s not the best fit after all.
I disagree. I've had great experiences with React Native.