react-native-camera vs expo-media-library vs react-native-fs vs react-native-image-picker vs react-native-permissions
React Native Media and Permissions Libraries
react-native-cameraexpo-media-libraryreact-native-fsreact-native-image-pickerreact-native-permissionsSimilar Packages:

React Native Media and Permissions Libraries

React Native media and permissions libraries provide tools for handling media files, accessing device cameras, managing file systems, and handling permissions in React Native applications. These libraries simplify tasks such as capturing photos, selecting images, managing files, and requesting permissions, making it easier for developers to integrate these functionalities into their apps. expo-media-library is a comprehensive solution for managing media assets, while react-native-camera offers advanced camera functionalities. react-native-fs provides file system access, react-native-image-picker allows for easy image selection, and react-native-permissions helps manage app permissions.

Npm Package Weekly Downloads Trend

3 Years

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Stat Detail

Package
Downloads
Stars
Size
Issues
Publish
License
react-native-camera51,2809,654-1424 years agoMIT AND Apache-2.0 AND BSD-3-Clause
expo-media-library047,8281.24 MB83314 days agoMIT
react-native-fs05,046570 kB627-MIT
react-native-image-picker08,638189 kB33610 months agoMIT
react-native-permissions04,346635 kB116 days agoMIT

Feature Comparison: react-native-camera vs expo-media-library vs react-native-fs vs react-native-image-picker vs react-native-permissions

Media Management

  • react-native-camera:

    react-native-camera focuses on capturing media rather than managing existing files. It provides advanced camera features but does not offer media management capabilities.

  • expo-media-library:

    expo-media-library provides comprehensive media management capabilities, including creating, reading, updating, and deleting media assets. It supports both photos and videos, allowing for efficient handling of media files within the app.

  • react-native-fs:

    react-native-fs allows for file management at the system level, including creating, reading, writing, and deleting files. It is not specialized for media files but can handle any type of file.

  • react-native-image-picker:

    react-native-image-picker allows users to select media files but does not provide management features. It is primarily focused on picking images and videos from the device.

  • react-native-permissions:

    react-native-permissions does not handle media management but ensures that the app has the necessary permissions to access media files.

Camera Functionality

  • react-native-camera:

    react-native-camera offers advanced camera functionalities, including photo and video capture, barcode scanning, face detection, and more. It provides greater control over the camera compared to other libraries.

  • expo-media-library:

    expo-media-library does not provide direct camera functionalities but can access media captured by the device's camera.

  • react-native-fs:

    react-native-fs does not provide camera functionalities. It is focused on file system operations.

  • react-native-image-picker:

    react-native-image-picker allows users to capture photos and videos using the device's camera or select existing media from the gallery. It provides a simple interface for camera access.

  • react-native-permissions:

    react-native-permissions helps manage camera permissions but does not provide camera functionalities.

File System Access

  • react-native-camera:

    react-native-camera does not provide file system access. It is focused on capturing media.

  • expo-media-library:

    expo-media-library provides access to the device's media library but does not offer full file system access.

  • react-native-fs:

    react-native-fs provides full access to the device's file system, allowing for reading, writing, and managing files and directories. It is ideal for apps that need to handle files beyond just media.

  • react-native-image-picker:

    react-native-image-picker does not provide file system access. It is focused on selecting media files.

  • react-native-permissions:

    react-native-permissions does not provide file system access but ensures that the app has the necessary permissions to access files.

Permissions Management

  • react-native-camera:

    react-native-camera requires camera permissions, which must be managed by the app. It does not provide built-in permission handling.

  • expo-media-library:

    expo-media-library handles permissions for accessing the media library, including requesting and checking permissions on both iOS and Android.

  • react-native-fs:

    react-native-fs may require permissions for accessing the file system, especially for reading and writing files. Permission management is handled by the app.

  • react-native-image-picker:

    react-native-image-picker handles permissions for accessing the camera and photo library, including requesting permissions as needed.

  • react-native-permissions:

    react-native-permissions provides a centralized way to manage and request permissions across both iOS and Android. It supports various permission types, including camera, location, and storage.

Ease of Use: Code Examples

  • react-native-camera:

    react-native-camera example for capturing a photo

    import { RNCamera } from 'react-native-camera';
    
    const takePicture = async (camera) => {
      const options = { quality: 0.5, base64: true };
      const data = await camera.takePictureAsync(options);
      console.log(data.uri);
    };
    
  • expo-media-library:

    expo-media-library example for accessing media

    import * as MediaLibrary from 'expo-media-library';
    
    const getPhotos = async () => {
      const { status } = await MediaLibrary.requestPermissionsAsync();
      if (status === 'granted') {
        const photos = await MediaLibrary.getAssetsAsync({
          mediaType: MediaLibrary.MediaType.photo,
        });
        console.log(photos);
      }
    };
    
  • react-native-fs:

    react-native-fs example for reading a file

    import RNFS from 'react-native-fs';
    
    const readFile = async () => {
      const path = RNFS.DocumentDirectoryPath + '/test.txt';
      const content = await RNFS.readFile(path, 'utf8');
      console.log(content);
    };
    
  • react-native-image-picker:

    react-native-image-picker example for selecting an image

    import { launchImageLibrary } from 'react-native-image-picker';
    
    const selectImage = () => {
      launchImageLibrary({}, (response) => {
        if (response.assets) {
          console.log(response.assets[0].uri);
        }
      });
    };
    
  • react-native-permissions:

    react-native-permissions example for requesting camera permission

    import { request, PERMISSIONS } from 'react-native-permissions';
    
    const requestCameraPermission = async () => {
      const result = await request(PERMISSIONS.ANDROID.CAMERA);
      console.log(result);
    };
    

How to Choose: react-native-camera vs expo-media-library vs react-native-fs vs react-native-image-picker vs react-native-permissions

  • react-native-camera:

    Choose react-native-camera if you require advanced camera functionalities, such as barcode scanning, face detection, and video recording. It is suitable for apps that need more control over the camera.

  • expo-media-library:

    Choose expo-media-library if you need a comprehensive solution for managing media assets, including photos and videos, with support for both iOS and Android. It is particularly useful for apps built with Expo.

  • react-native-fs:

    Choose react-native-fs if you need to work with the device's file system, including reading, writing, and managing files. It is ideal for apps that require file manipulation beyond just media files.

  • react-native-image-picker:

    Choose react-native-image-picker if you need a simple and user-friendly way to allow users to select images and videos from their device's gallery or camera. It is easy to integrate and use.

  • react-native-permissions:

    Choose react-native-permissions if you need a centralized way to manage and request permissions across both iOS and Android. It helps ensure that your app handles permissions consistently.

README for react-native-camera

React Native Camera Backers on Open Collective Sponsors on Open Collective npm version npm downloads

🚧🚧 Looking for maintainers and backers 🚧🚧

See this issue

We are looking for maintainers for this package, or to depreciate this in favor of react-native-vision-camera or expo-camera, if nobody want to maintain this package.

Docs

Follow our docs here https://react-native-camera.github.io/react-native-camera/

Sponsors

If you use this library on your commercial/personal projects, you can help us by funding the work on specific issues that you choose by using IssueHunt.io!

This gives you the power to prioritize our work and support the project contributors. Moreover it'll guarantee the project will be updated and maintained in the long run.

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react-native-camera for enterprise

Available as part of the Tidelift Subscription

The maintainers of react-native-camera and thousands of other packages are working with Tidelift to deliver commercial support and maintenance for the open source dependencies you use to build your applications. Save time, reduce risk, and improve code health, while paying the maintainers of the exact dependencies you use. Learn more.

Open Collective

You can also fund this project using open collective

Backers

Support us with a monthly donation and help us continue our activities. [Become a backer]

Sponsors

Become a sponsor and get your logo on our README on Github with a link to your site. [Become a sponsor]

The comprehensive camera module for React Native.

Supports:

  • photographs.
  • videos
  • face detection (Android & iOS only)
  • barcode scanning
  • text recognition (optional installation for iOS using CocoaPods)

Example import

import { RNCamera, FaceDetector } from 'react-native-camera';

How to use master branch?

We recommend using the releases from npm, however if you need some features that are not published on npm yet you can install react-native-camera from git.

yarn: yarn add react-native-camera@git+https://git@github.com/react-native-community/react-native-camera.git

npm: npm install --save react-native-camera@git+https://git@github.com/react-native-community/react-native-camera.git

Contributing

  • Pull Requests are welcome, if you open a pull request we will do our best to get to it in a timely manner
  • Pull Request Reviews are even more welcome! we need help testing, reviewing, and updating open PRs
  • If you are interested in contributing more actively, please contact me (same username on Twitter, Facebook, etc.) Thanks!
  • We are now on Open Collective! Contributions are appreciated and will be used to fund core contributors. more details
  • If you want to help us coding, join Expo slack https://slack.expo.io/, so we can chat over there. (#react-native-camera)
Permissions

To use the camera,

  1. On Android you must ask for camera permission:
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />

To enable video recording feature you have to add the following code to the AndroidManifest.xml:

  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO"/>
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

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  1. On iOS, you must update Info.plist with a usage description for camera
...
<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>Your own description of the purpose</string>
...
	

For more information on installation, please refer to installation requirements.

For general introduction, please take a look into this RNCamera.

Security contact information

To report a security vulnerability, please use the

Tidelift security contact.

Tidelift will coordinate the fix and disclosure.