The cross-platform development space has undergone an unexpected shakeup. Bytedance, the company behind Tiktok, has launched Lynx, an open source framework built to challenge React Native. And to clear up the confusion, this Lynx is not an old terminal-based web browser that shares the same name. This is a full-scale production-ready framework already in use at Tiktok.
The Lynx, announced Wednesday, is more than just another experimental project. It is a framework already proven within Tiktok, promoting high traffic features used by millions. Now that it’s open to developers, I’m making that clear. This is not just for internal use. This is a direct challenge for tools that have dominated mobile development for many years.
Meet Lynx: Bytedance’s Bold Play challenges React Native
In an X post, Bytedance described Lynx as a set of open source tools designed to help developers leverage their web expertise to build native mobile and web UIs using a single codebase.
Hello Words! Lynx is a family of open source technologies that allow developers to use their existing web skills to create truly native UIs, both mobile and web, from a single codebase, with scale and speed performance. Please visit https://t.co/2lexoul4wj pic.twitter.com/rifouflap9
– Lynx (@lynxjs_org) March 5, 2025
What is the difference between Lynx?
Lynx promises native performance across Android, iOS and the web from a single codebase. Unlike frameworks that rely heavily on JavaScript, Lynx is built on top of Rust. It is known for its speed and memory safety. Bytedance bets that developers are ready for something faster and more efficient than what is currently available.
This is not an experiment. Lynx is already running behind the scenes on Tiktok, handling important features in a variety of apps. It’s not behind the main Tiktok app where users upload dance videos, but it powers key features such as the search panel, Tiktok Studio, and several other support apps within the Bytedance ecosystem.
It is currently open source and offers React Bindings (supports React 17 and later), native CSS styling, and a custom JavaScript engine. The goal is clear. This is how developers can build mobile apps without encountering the same bottlenecks that plague cross-platform development.
Bottleneckless performance
The main selling point of Lynx is how you handle performance. React Native has long been criticized for its dependence on JavaScript bridges. This can slow things down when JavaScript needs to communicate with native code.
Bytedance takes a different route. Lynx uses a dual-threaded architecture to maintain internal operations of the framework separate from the developer’s application code. The main thread with Primjs (built in QuickJS) focuses on UI tasks. Everything else runs in a separate thread, preventing slowing down due to inefficient JavaScript execution.
This setup leads to immediate rendering of the first frame. This means there are no blank screens or delays when the app opens.
Unlike React natives, Lynx does not force developers to rely on a particular framework. It supports Svelte, Vue, and other JavaScript-based frameworks. The styling is also more flexible. Developers can use standard CSS with transitions and gradients without additional tools or workarounds.
Testing Lynx: What to expect
Setting up Lynx will introduce you to some surprises. It uses RSPACK, a rust-based module bundler built for speed. The newly generated Lynx project is very similar to the React.js app, but with non-standard elements. These maps map to native UI elements on various platforms
For developers familiar with React Native, this experience will feel refreshingly different from familiar. It can be used for styling with regular CSS, or even tailwinds, making your workflow even smoother.
Running a Lynx project is not completely seamless. A compilation error appeared on Windows, and Linux (WSL) gave me a variety of results. MacOS provided the smoothest experience with the Lynx Explorer app offering instant mobile preview.
Can Lynx overtake native speakers?
React natives have been the dominant force in cross-platform development since 2015, running apps such as Instagram and Airbnb. It has an established ecosystem, a large library of tools, and a deep pool of experienced developers.
However, it is not without problems. Complaints about performance limitations persist, particularly in application size. The ordinance appears to position Lynx as a direct response to these concerns.
The developers are already weighing it. Some call it the future of mobile development, while others are skeptical about whether they can gain enough traction to compete with established communities of response natives. The GitHub repository is already active, and early adopters have tested what Lynx can do and document their experience.
What’s next for Lynx?
Lynx has a chance, but it has a long way to go. React Native has spent years building an ecosystem that facilitates the expo, component libraries, and third-party tools that have become the default for cross-platform apps. It’s not available on Lynx yet.
When the developer starts building a production app, it will be tested in practice. Can you handle complex use cases? Will it shrink outside the bytedance ecosystem? The answer determines whether Lynx is an alternative that developers can rely on or another framework that becomes obscure.
For now, it’s obviously not satisfied with owning social media. That’s because they’re playing for developer mindsharing as well.
Developers interested in Lynx can check their Github repository to see if they can withstand the hype. If bytedance offers that promise, this could mark the beginning of a major change in cross-platform app development.
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