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React native and PhoneGap are two really different things when it comes to creating a JS based app.

React native is based on the bridge between the native platform and JS, that allows to render real native component instead of a webview. It creates then far more possibilities because we have access to a big part of the Android/IOS API through the bridge. It shortens the difference between native and JS based app. ​ And there are some big benefices to using React Native:

• The app is faster and more performant since it is rendering native component and not webview
• ​ The app feels & looks native and not like a responsive webapp

Some disadvantages:

• You must be using React
• You can't use HTML, you must use​ native components.
• Since this is bridge based, you must write an app per platform ( Some components are specific to the platform )

PhoneGap / Cordova is different since this is a HTML / CSS / JS app rendered in a webview. This way you can use any of the frameworks or JS based libraries to make your app. You can still access phone components via the navigator API.

Main benefits:

• Use every framework/library you want
• Write once run on every platform

Disadvantages :

​- Slower and less performant

I would say go for React-Native if you already know React, but if you haven't fooled around with it, you should consider PhoneGap as a good option.

I would bet that more Bridge based library will appear in the next months!

Hope it helps :)