December 31, 2024

The Year That Was: Lessons Learned and Milestones Achieved

The Problem: What Sparked the Journey?

Building exceptional developer tools is never straightforward, especially in a rapidly evolving ecosystem like React Native. In early 2024, we paused and asked ourselves a critical question: What do developers truly need? The State of React Native Survey provided a detailed glimpse into the ecosystem's landscape. gluestack emerged as a standout in the Styling and UI Component Libraries categories, establishing its relevance and reliability for developers worldwide. This recognition served as a catalyst, driving our commitment to build solutions that are functional, intuitive, scalable, and future-ready. With this momentum, gluestack's journey to reshape the developer experience took flight. The results were eye-opening. Despite being the new entrant, gluestack-ui ranked impressively high among UI component libraries:

• 69% of users expressed a willingness to use gluestack-ui again.
• 52% of users showed significant interest.

This was more than validation—it was the momentum we needed. The potential was clear, but so were the challenges waiting on the horizon.

The Struggle: Growing Pains with gluestack v1

Every great journey comes with its share of obstacles; for us, that was gluestack v1. While it aimed to simplify React Native development, real-world usage revealed performance issues that could not be overlooked. Our team worked tirelessly, tweaking the architecture and optimizing components, but the results fell short of expectations. The blazing-fast, efficient experience developers needed remained out of reach. It became clear: fixing v1 was not enough. We needed a radical shift. That's when we discovered NativeWind, a framework gaining momentum in the React Native ecosystem. Its promise of performance optimization and seamless styling capabilities offered more than a solution—it was an opportunity to rebuild our foundation with modern principles. By early 2024, NativeWind had surpassed 65k weekly downloads on npm, proving its popularity and reliability. For us, the choice was clear: it was time to rebuild gluestack with NativeWind at its core. This decision was not about patching up old issues—it was about reimagining what gluestack could become.

The Idea: Shifting Gears to Build Something Better

The writing was on the wall: v1’s challenges could not be resolved with quick fixes. The solution required something bigger, smarter, and future-proof. That's when NativeWind entered the picture. With its utility-first styling and seamless performance integration, it wasn't just making waves—it was setting a new standard in the ecosystem. For the gluestack team, this marked a turning point. We envisioned a better future—one where our tools would be leaner, faster, and more reliable. Shifting to a NativeWind-based architecture meant rethinking everything: performance, accessibility, and usability. This was not about fixing problems anymore. It was about giving developers the tools they needed to innovate, thrive, and shape the future of app development.

The Solution: gluestack v2 Is Born

After months of ideation, rebuilding, and rigorous testing, gluestack v2 was launched, setting a new benchmark in performance and design. This new version addressed the limitations of its predecessor with faster load times, optimized components, and a smoother developer experience, making it a reliable and efficient tool for developers. Powered by NativeWind, it brought the simplicity of Tailwind's utility classes to React Native, enhancing customization and ensuring consistency across platforms. The transition from NativeBase's prop-based APIs to gluestack v2’s compound APIs provided a more cohesive and flexible interface, empowering developers with greater control and adaptability. To elevate design collaboration, we introduced a brand-new Figma design file, featuring customizable components and tokens. This design kit not only facilitated seamless collaboration between developers and designers but also ensured visual consistency across projects. The shift from v1 to v2 wasn't merely an improvement—it marked the beginning of a new era. With stronger foundations, innovative features, and a clear focus on empowering developers, gluestack v2 is poised to transform how user interfaces are built.

The Achievements: Milestones Unlocked

2024 was a landmark year for gluestack, with achievements that highlighted our growth, innovation, and the unwavering trust of our community. At the React Summit 2024, gluestack earned the prestigious Boost Productivity Award, recognizing its transformative impact on developer workflows. This momentum continued at thegeekconf, Berlin, where our booth became a hub for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and exciting innovations. Our growth in numbers reflects the strides we made this year:

• 25k+ weekly downloads on npm, showcasing increased adoption.
• 3,000 GitHub stars, underscoring developer trust and community engagement.
• A thriving community of 2,000 followers on X, actively shaping the conversation around React Native development.

One of the most exciting milestones was the release of NativeWind v4.1 support, a major step forward in ensuring gluestack remains at the cutting edge of the React Native ecosystem. This update provides developers with robust tools to build intuitive, scalable solutions that are future-ready.

Unitools: Simplifying Workflows

2024 also saw the release of Unitools, a powerful toolkit designed to streamline workflows and enhance productivity for developers. Unitools brings together essential utilities that enable developers to optimize their processes and reduce repetitive tasks. From managing complex configurations to simplifying integrations, Unitools empowers developers to focus on what truly matters—building innovative applications. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with Unitools quickly becoming an integral part of many developers' toolkits. Its modular design and user-friendly approach have set a new standard for workflow efficiency. As we look ahead, Unitools is poised to evolve further, adding even more capabilities to meet the growing needs of the developer community.

Real-World Impact: gluestack in Action

2024 was proof that gluestack wasn't just about building tools; it was about driving real-world impact. TheAppMarket.io became a shining example of gluestack's potential, showcasing polished UI ideas that turned concepts into tangible solutions. Developers didn't just find templates—they discovered tools that seamlessly combined scalability with simplicity. Meanwhile, Vadim's tutorials empowered developers globally. These in-depth guides transformed complex concepts into practical techniques, equipping creators with the skills and confidence to innovate and build smarter. By putting tools into action, gluestack redefined possibilities and became a trusted ally for developers worldwide.

The Finale: Kitchensink & Looking Ahead

As 2024 concluded, we unveiled Kitchensink, our most comprehensive toolkit yet. This package brought together every feature and utility. It showed the full potential of what gluestack can achieve. Kitchensink was more than a showcase. It represented our progress and the possibilities of aligned innovation and intention. Looking ahead to 2025, we have an exciting roadmap filled with initiatives to redefine the developer experience:

• New Components: Recent additions like PinInput, Calendar, TimeInput, and ImageViewer enhance functionality and expand our toolkit for diverse use cases.
• gluestack Framework: A unified codebase for web, mobile, and backend applications, streamlining development across platforms for greater efficiency.
• gluestack Style Enhancements: Advancements in our universal styling library will deliver more flexibility and performance across React Native, Next.js, Expo, and React.
• Incremental Adoption Features: Enabling developers to adopt Gluestack UI components at their own pace, making integration seamless and adaptable to unique project needs.
• Performance Benchmarks: Transparent metrics will empower developers to optimize applications with confidence and effectiveness.

This roadmap is more than a list of features. We commit to pushing boundaries and fostering innovation. We will deliver the tools that developers need to thrive. Join us on this journey. Share your ideas, collaborate with our growing community, and help shape the future of development. Together, we are building tools that inspire innovation and set new benchmarks for the industry. Because the future is bright, and we are building it together.