React Native for Web vs styled-components
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Runs React Native UI components in the browser, using React DOM.
Open source · MIT
A library for styling React components with CSS written inside your JavaScript.
The short answer
Choose React Native for Web if you need…
- Developers who already use React Native and want the same components on the web
- Contributors who want to work on the react-native-web package itself
- Teams sharing UI code between a mobile app and a web app
Choose styled-components if you need…
- React developers who prefer writing styles alongside components in JavaScript
- Teams building apps that use server-side rendering or React Server Components
- Projects that also target React Native and want one styling approach
Side-by-side
| React Native for Web | styled-components | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 22.2k | 41.1k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 7 days ago |
What each one is
React Native for Web
This project is the development monorepo for React Native for Web, a set of packages that let React Native style components run on the web. The README shown here mainly describes how the repository is organized and how to build, develop, and test its packages. It does not spell out the library's API or usage details in the excerpt provided.
styled-components
styled-components is a TypeScript library for React that lets you attach CSS styles directly to React components. Per its description, it supports server components, client components, streaming server-side rendering, and React Native through one API. Developers use it to keep styles close to the components they belong to.
Best for
React Native for Web
- Developers who already use React Native and want the same components on the web
- Contributors who want to work on the react-native-web package itself
- Teams sharing UI code between a mobile app and a web app
styled-components
- React developers who prefer writing styles alongside components in JavaScript
- Teams building apps that use server-side rendering or React Server Components
- Projects that also target React Native and want one styling approach
Strengths
React Native for Web
- MIT licensed, so it is free to use and modify
- Has a large community, with over 22,000 stars on GitHub
- Includes a contributing guide and a list of good first issues for newcomers
styled-components
- MIT licensed and open source, with a large community (about 41,000 GitHub stars at time of listing)
- Covers client, server, and React Native rendering under one API, per the project description
- Written in TypeScript, which helps with type-checked props and styles
Not ideal for
React Native for Web
- People who only build websites and have no React Native code, since the library targets shared React Native UI
- Users looking for an end-user app, because this is a developer library and monorepo
styled-components
- People who only need plain CSS or a utility-class system; the README describes a CSS-in-JS approach, so a different tool may fit better
- Non-React projects, since the library is built for React and React Native
- Beginners new to React, who should learn React basics first
Trade-offs
React Native for Web
- The README excerpt is mostly about contributing, so usage details are thin here
- Setup for end users is not described in the provided text
- Description and topics suggest broad scope, but the README does not show examples
styled-components
- Adds a runtime styling layer to your app, so trade-offs in bundle size and performance depend on setup; the README excerpt provided does not give measurements
- Because the README was truncated, detailed setup and configuration specifics could not be confirmed here
Getting started
React Native for Web
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/necolas/react-native-webBuild all packages
npm run buildstyled-components
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/styled-components/styled-componentsFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between React Native for Web and styled-components?
React Native for Web: Runs React Native UI components in the browser, using React DOM. styled-components: A library for styling React components with CSS written inside your JavaScript. React Native for Web suits developers who already use react native and want the same components on the web, while styled-components suits react developers who prefer writing styles alongside components in javascript.
Are React Native for Web and styled-components free?
React Native for Web: Free and open source. styled-components: Free and open source.
Is React Native for Web or styled-components more popular?
styled-components has more GitHub stars (41.1k) than React Native for Web (22.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to React Native for Web and styled-components?
Other options people compare them with include Tamagui, UI Kitten, Emotion, Linaria, React Native Elements.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.