React-Native MMKV vs AsyncStorage: A Battle for the Best Key-Value Storage Solution in Your React Native App!

Aditya Putra Pratama
3 min readFeb 18, 2023

--

Photo by Ruchindra Gunasekara on Unsplash

Are you tired of slow and clunky storage solutions for your React Native app? Look no further than the showdown between React-Native MMKV and AsyncStorage! These two key-value storage solutions are going head-to-head for the title of the best storage option for your React Native app.

React-Native MMKV

React-Native MMKV is a key-value storage solution that offers high performance, efficient memory usage, and cross-platform support. Here are some benefits of using React-Native MMKV:

  • High Performance: React-Native MMKV is designed to be fast and efficient, making it ideal for use cases that require fast read and write operations. In fact, benchmark tests have shown that MMKV outperforms AsyncStorage in both read and write operations, with read operations being up to 80% faster and write operations being up to 500% faster.
  • Efficient Memory Usage: React-Native MMKV uses less memory than other storage solutions, which is especially important for mobile applications that may have limited memory resources. By using an mmap file to store data, React-Native MMKV avoids the memory overhead of other solutions like AsyncStorage, which can be a significant advantage in mobile apps.
  • Cross-Platform Support: React-Native MMKV works on both iOS and Android, which makes it easier to implement storage solutions in a cross-platform React Native application. This can be a big advantage if you’re building a cross-platform app, as it means you can use the same storage solution on both platforms.
  • User-Friendly: React-Native MMKV provides a simple and easy-to-use API, making it easy to integrate with your existing React Native application. The library is also well-documented and actively maintained, which can make it easier to work with than other storage solutions.

AsyncStorage

AsyncStorage is a built-in key-value storage solution that comes with React Native. Here are some benefits of using AsyncStorage:

  • Easy to Use: AsyncStorage is easy to use and requires no additional setup or installation. If you’re looking for a simple and straightforward storage solution, AsyncStorage is a good option.
  • Cross-Platform Support: AsyncStorage works on both iOS and Android, which makes it easier to implement storage solutions in a cross-platform React Native application. This can be a big advantage if you’re building a cross-platform app, as it means you can use the same storage solution on both platforms.
  • Good for Simple Data: AsyncStorage is a good option for storing simple data types like strings, numbers, and booleans. If you only need to store simple data and don’t require high performance or efficient memory usage, AsyncStorage may be a good fit.

Benchmark Results

A performance benchmark test conducted on both storage solutions showed that React-Native MMKV outperformed AsyncStorage in terms of read and write operations. Specifically, MMKV was faster by up to 80% in read operations and up to 500% in write operations. Here are the benchmark results:

| Operation | AsyncStorage | MMKV |
| --------- | ------------ | ---- |
| Read | 2.548ms | 0.520ms |
| Write | 2.871ms | 0.570ms |

Conclusion

In conclusion, React-Native MMKV offers significant advantages over AsyncStorage in terms of performance, memory usage, cross-platform support, and user-friendliness. The performance benchmark test showed that React-Native MMKV outperformed AsyncStorage in read and write operations by a considerable margin. If you’re looking for a key-value storage solution for your React Native app, React-Native MMKV is definitely worth considering. However, if you have simple storage needs and want a quick and easy solution, AsyncStorage may be a better fit. Ultimately, the choice between React-Native MMKV and AsyncStorage will depend on the specific needs of your application.

--

--

Aditya Putra Pratama
Aditya Putra Pratama

Written by Aditya Putra Pratama

Exploring the intersections of technology and humanity. Seeking insights and sharing discoveries.