devsimsek's Blog

Hey there, fellow coders! Recently, I noticed ByteDance (the company behind TikTok) has launched Lynx, a new open-source framework positioned as a React Native challenger.

What is Lynx?

Lynx is ByteDance’s answer to cross-platform development, already being used in production at TikTok. It’s important to note this isn’t the old terminal-based web browser sharing the same name—it’s a fully-fledged framework designed to compete directly with React Native.

A Personal Disclosure

I should be upfront: I don’t have experience with React because I don’t like it. The component model, JSX syntax, and the overall approach never clicked with me. So my perspective comes from someone who deliberately chose other technologies for my development work.

The Trust Problem with Big Tech

Developers should not trust sketchy big corporations like Meta, ByteDance, or Google. These companies have repeatedly demonstrated that their priorities lie with their shareholders and data collection, not with the developer community or end users’ best interests.

Consider:

• Meta’s numerous privacy scandals and platform policy changes that have left developers stranded
• ByteDance’s concerning data practices and government relationships
• Google’s history of abruptly killing products that developers and users relied on

When we adopt technologies created by these corporations, we’re inherently accepting some level of dependency on entities that may not share our values or priorities.

Why Learning and Creating Alternatives Matters

That’s why learning how these technologies work under the hood and creating our own independent versions is so important. By understanding the fundamental principles behind frameworks like React Native or Lynx, we gain the knowledge to:

1. Build truly independent solutions free from corporate control
2. Avoid vendor lock-in that could compromise our projects
3. Ensure our users’ privacy and data sovereignty
4. Create tools that prioritize developer experience without hidden agendas

The open-source community has consistently shown that developer-led initiatives can produce robust, secure, and ethical alternatives to corporate offerings. Projects like Linux, PostgreSQL, and many others prove this approach works.

The ByteDance Trust Factor

I don’t trust ByteDance. There, I said it. And I’m probably not alone in this sentiment.

The company has faced significant scrutiny over data privacy concerns, particularly regarding its handling of user data and potential ties to the Chinese government. This creates a legitimate dilemma for developers considering adopting Lynx for their projects.

Even with Lynx being open-source, questions remain:

• Will contributions from the community be genuinely welcomed and incorporated?
• Could there be hidden telemetry or unexpected behavior not immediately apparent in the codebase?
• How much control will ByteDance exert over the project’s direction?

Trust is a critical factor when choosing technologies for our development stack. No matter how technically impressive Lynx might be, these concerns can’t be ignored when evaluating its potential for adoption.

My Preferred Alternative: Angular with Capacitor

While we’re discussing cross-platform options, I should mention that I would always prefer Angular with Capacitor for my projects. Here’s why:

Angular provides a robust, opinionated framework that enforces consistency and maintainability—something I deeply value when working on complex applications. Combined with Capacitor (Ionic’s native runtime), it offers a compelling approach to building cross-platform applications.

The advantages of this combo are significant:

• True web standards: Write once with standard web technologies, then deploy everywhere
• Strong typing with TypeScript comes built-in, not as an afterthought
• Dependency injection system that makes testing and component reuse more straightforward
• Predictable update path with clear migration strategies between versions
• Battle-tested in enterprise environments

Unlike React Native or Lynx, which use a bridge to native components, Capacitor leverages the device’s WebView, which has dramatically improved in performance over recent years. This approach also means fewer unexpected platform-specific bugs to chase down.

My Take

While competition in the development space is generally positive, we must remain vigilant about the source of these tools. I might experiment with Lynx on a small project out of technical curiosity, but my trust concerns would prevent me from adopting it for anything substantial.

Instead, I’d encourage fellow developers to:

1. Study these frameworks to understand their architecture and innovations
2. Support truly community-driven alternatives
3. Consider building specialized tools that solve specific problems without the corporate baggage

The future of development shouldn’t be dictated by corporate interests. It should be shaped by developers committed to independence, security, and user freedom.

Have any of you experimented with creating your own development frameworks? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!