Looking for the top React Native UI libraries for your next app? I’ve spent more than 60 hours testing the most popular solutions to see which ones really deliver in performance, flexibility, and daily developer experience. After working with these libraries in hands-on projects, I wanted to share what I discovered to help you avoid pitfalls and speed up your workflow in 2025.
Disclosure: This content was produced with AI technology support and may feature companies I have affiliations with.
With my own 4+ years in mobile and cross-platform development, I’ve tried all sorts of UI kits, design systems, and open-source community projects. Some are genuinely helpful for building solid apps quickly, while others can eat up hours with frustrating limitations. This article aims to save you time, whether you’re building with React Native, React, or Next.js.
If you know any React Native UI library I missed, or want to tell me about your own experience with these libraries, let me know!
How I Evaluated Each Library
To give a fair and useful comparison, every React Native UI library went through this same process:
- Setup and Onboarding - How easy is installation? Can I have a working example quickly in a new project?
- Component Features - I created UIs with core elements, checking variety and flexibility. Which ones offer solid, customizable components?
- Developer Experience - Does the API make sense? How much setup, code, or theming is required for usual design patterns?
- Performance & Reliability - I watched for app bundle size, version compatibility, and any visual glitches, crashes, or console warnings.
- Documentation and Support - Are the docs clear? Are examples easy to follow? Is support helpful and current?
- Pricing and Licensing - I noted whether the tool is free, has a paid tier, or charges for commercial use.
- General Impressions - How did it feel to work with the library long-term? Is it being actively maintained?
Using this method, I wanted real-world feedback on the top React Native UI libraries to help you make the right choice for your app.
🏆 gluestack – The All-Rounder
Modern, fast, and developer-friendly from the start.
When I began working with gluestack, it was obvious why so many developers are excited about it. The install process is quick, the UI is uncluttered, and I had working components up almost instantly. gluestack lets you build web and mobile interfaces using a single component collection that you can copy and paste anywhere, so you are never trapped in a proprietary setup.
Use the library here: gluestack
What Stood Out
- You can fully customize every component and use only what you want
- Works seamlessly across React, Next.js, and React Native for consistent cross-platform UIs
- Ships with over 30 atomic, accessible components that are practical for real applications
- Styling with Tailwind CSS and NativeWind feels natural and powerful for both web and mobile
- Slim bundle size and high performance thanks to the lightweight architecture
- Excellent open-source community and fast support from active contributors
- The MCP Server helps speed up type-safe UI code generation for larger apps
What Could Be Better
- There’s no pre-designed theme, so you define your branding and styles from scratch
- Some advanced components, like certain date or time pickers, are still on their way
Is There a Cost?
No. gluestack is completely free and open source. All code and features are on GitHub, and the license supports commercial projects.
🥈 NativeBase - Lots of Features With Some Downsides
A mature choice if you value pre-built templates, but it’s rougher for modern projects.
NativeBase was one of the first React Native UI libraries to offer lots of ready-made screens and dozens of components. If you want to scaffold complex apps very fast, this library can definitely help, particularly for teams that like its utility-driven style. In practice, though, I often ran into odd behaviors, legacy compatibility issues, and a heavier feel compared to newer libraries. Its development has also slowed down.
Try it out at: NativeBase
What I Appreciated
- Large library of mobile and web UI screens and templates
- Theming and accessibility work well, thanks to a React ARIA foundation
- Documentation is detailed, and there’s a long-established user community
- A single purchase unlocks full access, which is useful for some teams
What Didn’t Work as Well
- Steep learning curve, especially for those new to their workflow
- App builds and renders feel slower than pure React Native apps
- Recent compatibility problems, especially with React Native 0.69+ and only supporting React 18.2
- Official support has stopped, with guidance to switch to gluestack
- Users mention extra-large app bundles and installation hiccups
- No standard free trial, and most features require purchasing the bundle
Price Details
A single payment of $199 (Startup+ Bundle) is required to get all screen and template access. There is a public demo you can try, but full features are behind a paywall.
🥉 React Native Paper - For Material Design Fans
A clear fit for Google Material-inspired apps, but not ideal for full customization.
If you want Material Design and need a reliable set of components, React Native Paper is a favorite. Its library captures almost all the basics, from buttons to sophisticated layouts, and is well maintained by an active community. But in larger or custom-brand projects, I found it less flexible, especially if you want deep visual changes or need advanced platform features without editing native code.
Give it a try: React Native Paper
What Works Well
- Delivers authentic Material Design components right away
- “Material You” is fully supported for modern layouts and colors
- Runs smoothly on both iOS and Android platforms
- Common actions are easy to set up with very little boilerplate
- Maintained actively and freely available
Some Limitations
- More complex features sometimes require extra tweaking or coding native modules
- Theming can feel a bit fragile, with some hard-to-predict UI quirks
- Documentation is mixed, especially as the library grows
- Updates with newer React Native versions can cause dependency issues
- The community is strong, but you may find less support for edge cases
Cost or Licensing?
React Native Paper is open source and free to use under the MIT license.
React Native Elements - Open-Source Classic
Easy to use out of the box, but its design is starting to feel dated.
React Native Elements has been a reliable option for a long time. It provides around 30 prebuilt components and a solid theming system, making it accessible even for those starting out. Documentation is straightforward, and the community is steady. However, updates have slowed, the look is less modern, and customization is not as flexible as some newer solutions.
Check it out: React Native Elements
Why I Like It
- Totally open source and well tested by the developer community
- Components drop right into most apps with minimal fuss
- Centralized theming means you get matching design throughout your app
- TypeScript support is mature, and works fine alongside Expo
Things I Noticed
- Updates and new features are less frequent now
- Some component styles look a bit old-school compared to rivals
- Gets sluggish with large or complex screens
- Not as adaptable for unique designs or detailed customizations
Price?
It is completely free and open source.
UI Kitten - Strong Consistency, Occasional Friction
Great for quick prototyping with design system built in – but deeper tweaks take effort.
UI Kitten is built around the Eva Design System giving you plenty of ready-to-use, reliably themed components. You get a fast start with built-in support for light and dark modes. For apps where a consistent brand is your top priority, UI Kitten works well. But, I found that adapting it for specific styles or complex custom UIs can be time-consuming.
Try it for yourself: UI Kitten
The Good
- Good selection of components for most basic app needs
- Theming works at runtime, so you can add light and dark mode smoothly
- Eva Design means polished, matched elements throughout
- Comprehensive documentation with practical code examples
- Updates arrive regularly, and support is responsive
Areas for Improvement
- The total bundle size is hefty, so it can slow down larger apps
- Changing the design system for heavy customization takes substantial effort
- Getting up to speed is tricky for newcomers
- You might run into some odd default behaviors or longer startup times
- The community is smaller, with fewer third-party add-ons and quick workarounds
Pricing Info
Most of UI Kitten’s functionality is open source and free. If you need advanced options or dedicated support, you may need to contact them for details.
react-native-ui-lib - A Toolkit Packed with Features and Complexity
Huge component library with flexibility, but get ready for setup and debugging challenges.
If you crave a large assortment of customizable UI parts, react-native-ui-lib is worth considering. You’ll find everything from carousels to advanced theming capabilities. Its flexible approach makes it useful for teams with varied needs and platforms, but the learning curve and some tricky bugs mean it requires patience to integrate smoothly, especially if you want to move quickly or share code with web frontends.
Preview it here: react-native-ui-lib
What’s Strong
- Wide range of components, covering everything from basics to advanced controls
- Full customization and theming ability
- Regular input from both Wix and a wide base of contributors
- Supports responsive design concepts well
Shortcomings I Hit
- Install and dependency issues sometimes stopped me at setup (especially with NPM)
- Certain components like keyboard handlers can introduce hard-to-debug problems, especially on iOS
- Documentation is complex; onboarding is not always clear if you’re new to the library
- Aesthetics are showing their age, and newer frameworks look fresher
- Working through platform-specific bugs can take up significant time
Cost Details
react-native-ui-lib is free and open-source. Any real cost comes from time spent setting things up and troubleshooting for tricky use-cases.
Ant Design Mobile - Enterprise Favorite
Plenty of components and form tools, but with legacy styling and rigid defaults.
Ant Design Mobile is a familiar name for big or enterprise mobile projects. You get a big suite of components-over 60-plus templates for dashboards or admin screens. Localization is robust and covers lots of scenarios when you need advanced forms and tables. I found the theming conservative and harder to bend to your specific style, and the default designs look a bit out of date compared to newer UI kits. Performance drops occur in dense or highly interactive screens, and documentation is deep but not always friendly to quick starts.
Jump in here: Ant Design Mobile
The Benefits
- Over 60 solid mobile-ready components for speedy builds
- Besonders good form and table handling for data-heavy use
- Supports lots of languages out of the box
- Lean bundle by default, with tree-shaking available
- Comes with templates for admin dashboards and similar patterns
- Setup is familiar if you have worked with Less or CSS theming
Where It Stumbles
- Design and theme customization is limited compared to leading libraries
- Harder for branding teams to achieve unique or modern looks
- Some components and visual flows feel a little old fashioned
- It takes effort to master complex forms or custom workflows
- Documentation is information-dense, so getting started can involve lots of reading
- TypeScript support is not best-in-class, though it’s getting better
- Major version updates might cause compatibility headaches
- Performance issues can crop up with heavy or complex layouts
Pricing
No standard pricing is displayed-expect enterprise rates if you want official support or premium-level features. There’s an online demo, but not a full free trial.
Nachos UI - Simple and Streamlined (with Limits)
Minimal component set, fast for quick builds, but lacking for big or unique apps.
Nachos UI is a lightweight option for spinning up simple interfaces. It offers a focused set of UI parts and a fast setup, so it is good for basic prototypes or internal tools. If your project grows in size or you need custom components, you’ll start to see the library’s limits. Also, documentation is on the thin side and most patterns lean toward iOS.
Check out Nachos UI: Nachos UI
What’s Nice
- Small, easy-to-understand library of modular components
- Super quick for basic layouts and MVPs
- Runs lightly for simple apps with simple requirements
- Modular, so you only use what you need
What Holds It Back
- The tiny community means there’s less help and fewer code examples
- Complex screens or larger apps bring up performance drops
- Documentation is a bit minimal, especially for dealing with platform differences
- There’s a bias towards iOS, so Android and web versions need extra work
Cost Structure
It’s free, open-source, and has no paid options or support.
Other Tools I Tried: Brief Impressions
- MUI – Optimized for web, limited native functionality.
- Ant Design – Beautiful for web, little support for React Native.
- Chakra UI – Works for web but lacks mobile building blocks.
- Tailwind UI – Needs more React Native integration.
- Semantic UI React – Not compatible with React Native.
- Blueprint – Geared towards web apps, not mobile.
- React Bootstrap – Web-focused; not for mobile apps.
- Grommet – Best suited for web, not mobile projects.
- Evergreen – Great for dashboards, lacks mobile fit.
- Flutter – Entirely different stack, not compatible here.
- React Native – Provides the base, but no built-in components.
- Xamarin – Different ecosystem, not JS-based.
- Ionic Framework – Focus is on hybrid, not true native.
- NativeScript – High learning curve, little RN overlap.
- Qt Group – Not relevant for React Native, C++ focus.
- JUCE – For audio, not a general UI kit for RN.
- Avalonia – Targets .NET, not React Native.
- Kotlin – Language, not a UI toolkit.
- Mono – Alternate runtime, not a UI library.
- AppGyver – Low-code, does not produce RN code.
- Kendo UI – Not made for React Native.
- Onsen UI – Hybrid-first, not RN-focused.
- Framework7 – Geared towards the web and hybrids.
- Quasar Framework – Built for Vue.js, no React Native support.
- react-native-gifted-chat – Chat UI only, not a full library.
- Bootstrap – CSS only, won’t help with RN.
- Tailwind CSS – Solid for styling, but more setup is required for React Native.
- Vue.js – Different ecosystem entirely.
- Angular – No React Native support.
- Svelte – Not relevant here.
- Ember.js – Web only, not cross-platform.
- jQuery – Outdated for mobile development.
- Foundation – Lacks React Native support.
Final Thoughts
In exploring the top React Native UI libraries, I saw three main issues repeat themselves:
- Some are tricky or slow to use, making even simple projects feel heavy.
- Others focus on appearance but fall short on features or stability.
- Quite a few have become outdated or aren’t updated regularly, so long-term support is a concern.
If I had to pick one library that avoids all of those problems, gluestack stands out. It gives you a strong balance of customization, modern performance, and is easy to use on React, Next.js, and React Native-all while avoiding heavy dependencies or rigid themes. The copy-paste, open source approach puts developers in charge and offers room for creativity as well as scaling.
No one library is perfect for every team or app, but this guide should help you identify the best React Native UI libraries that match your workflow, technical needs, and long-term project goals.
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