diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 653bba22..43a0b4ff 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@
  * Base Markdown component
  * @author Mient-jan Stelling
  */
-import React, { Component } from 'react';
+import { useMemo } from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
-import { View } from 'react-native';
 import parser from './lib/parser';
 import applyStyle from './lib/util/applyStyle';
 import getUniqueID from './lib/util/getUniqueID';
@@ -38,178 +37,111 @@ export {
 };
 
 /**
- * react-native-markdown-renderer
+ *
+ * @param children
+ * @return {string}
  */
-export default class Markdown extends Component {
-  /**
-   * Definition of the prop types
-   */
-  static propTypes = {
-    children: PropTypes.node.isRequired,
-    renderer: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.func, PropTypes.instanceOf(AstRenderer)]),
-    rules: (props, propName, componentName) => {
-      let invalidProps = [];
-      const prop = props[propName];
+const getCopyFromChildren = children => {
+  return children instanceof Array ? children.join('') : children;
+};
 
-      if (!prop) {
-        return;
-      }
+const getRenderer = (renderer, rules, style) => {
+  if (renderer && rules) {
+    console.warn(
+      'react-native-markdown-renderer you are using renderer and rules at the same time. This is not possible, props.rules is ignored'
+    );
+  }
 
-      if (typeof prop === 'object') {
-        invalidProps = Object.keys(prop).filter(key => typeof prop[key] !== 'function');
-      }
+  if (renderer && style) {
+    console.warn(
+      'react-native-markdown-renderer you are using renderer and style at the same time. This is not possible, props.style is ignored'
+    );
+  }
 
-      if (typeof prop !== 'object') {
-        return new Error(
-          `Invalid prop \`${propName}\` supplied to \`${componentName}\`. Must be of shape {[index:string]:function} `
-        );
-      } else if (invalidProps.length > 0) {
-        return new Error(
-          `Invalid prop \`${propName}\` supplied to \`${componentName}\`. These ` +
-            `props are not of type function \`${invalidProps.join(', ')}\` `
-        );
+  // these checks are here to prevent extra overhead.
+  if (renderer) {
+    if (!(typeof renderer === 'function') || renderer instanceof AstRenderer) {
+      return renderer;
+    } else {
+      throw new Error('Provided renderer is not compatible with function or AstRenderer. please change');
+    }
+  } else {
+    return new AstRenderer(
+      {
+        ...renderRules,
+        ...(rules || {}),
+      },
+      {
+        ...styles,
+        ...style,
       }
-    },
-    markdownit: PropTypes.instanceOf(MarkdownIt),
-    plugins: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.instanceOf(PluginContainer)),
-    style: PropTypes.any,
-  };
+    );
+  }
+};
 
-  /**
-   * Default Props
-   */
-  static defaultProps = {
-    renderer: null,
-    rules: null,
-    plugins: [],
-    style: null,
-    markdownit: MarkdownIt({
-      typographer: true,
-    }),
-  };
+const getMarkdownParser = (markdownit, plugins) => {
+  let md = markdownit;
+  if (plugins && plugins.length > 0) {
+    plugins.forEach(plugin => {
+      md = md.use.apply(md, plugin.toArray());
+    });
+  }
 
-  copy = '';
-  renderer = null;
-  markdownParser = null;
+  return md;
+};
 
-  /**
-   * Only when the copy changes will the markdown render again.
-   * @param nextProps
-   * @param nextState
-   * @return {boolean}
-   */
-  shouldComponentUpdate(nextProps, nextState) {
-    const copy = this.getCopyFromChildren(nextProps.children);
+/**
+ * react-native-markdown-renderer
+ */
+const Markdown = ({
+  children,
+  renderer = null,
+  rules = null,
+  plugins = [],
+  style = null,
+  markdownit = MarkdownIt({
+    typographer: true,
+  }),
+}) => {
+  const momoizedRenderer = useMemo(() => getRenderer(renderer, rules, style), [renderer, rules, style]);
+  const markdownParser = useMemo(() => getMarkdownParser(markdownit, plugins), [markdownit, plugins]);
+
+  const copy = (this.copy = getCopyFromChildren(children));
+  return parser(copy, momoizedRenderer.render, markdownParser);
+};
 
-    if (copy !== this.copy) {
-      this.copy = copy;
-      return true;
+/**
+ * Definition of the prop types
+ */
+Markdown.propTypes = {
+  children: PropTypes.node.isRequired,
+  renderer: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.func, PropTypes.instanceOf(AstRenderer)]),
+  rules: (props, propName, componentName) => {
+    let invalidProps = [];
+    const prop = props[propName];
+
+    if (!prop) {
+      return;
     }
 
-    if (
-      nextProps.renderer !== this.props.renderer ||
-      nextProps.style !== this.props.style ||
-      nextProps.plugins !== this.props.plugins ||
-      nextProps.rules !== this.props.rules ||
-      nextProps.markdownit !== this.props.markdownit
-    ) {
-      return true;
+    if (typeof prop === 'object') {
+      invalidProps = Object.keys(prop).filter(key => typeof prop[key] !== 'function');
     }
 
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  /**
-   *
-   * @param props
-   */
-  updateSettings(props = this.props) {
-    const { renderer, rules, style, plugins, markdownit } = props;
-
-    if (renderer && rules) {
-      console.warn(
-        'react-native-markdown-renderer you are using renderer and rules at the same time. This is not possible, props.rules is ignored'
+    if (typeof prop !== 'object') {
+      return new Error(
+        `Invalid prop \`${propName}\` supplied to \`${componentName}\`. Must be of shape {[index:string]:function} `
       );
-    }
-
-    if (renderer && style) {
-      console.warn(
-        'react-native-markdown-renderer you are using renderer and style at the same time. This is not possible, props.style is ignored'
+    } else if (invalidProps.length > 0) {
+      return new Error(
+        `Invalid prop \`${propName}\` supplied to \`${componentName}\`. These ` +
+          `props are not of type function \`${invalidProps.join(', ')}\` `
       );
     }
+  },
+  markdownit: PropTypes.instanceOf(MarkdownIt),
+  plugins: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.instanceOf(PluginContainer)),
+  style: PropTypes.any,
+};
 
-    // these checks are here to prevent extra overhead.
-    if (renderer) {
-      if (typeof renderer === 'function') {
-        if (!this.renderer || this.renderer.render !== renderer) {
-          this.renderer = {
-            render: renderer,
-          };
-        }
-      } else if (renderer instanceof AstRenderer) {
-        if (this.renderer !== renderer) {
-          this.renderer = renderer;
-        }
-      } else {
-        throw new Error('Provided renderer is not compatible with function or AstRenderer. please change');
-      }
-    } else {
-      if (!this.renderer || this.props.renderer || this.props.rules !== rules || this.props.style !== style) {
-        this.renderer = new AstRenderer(
-          {
-            ...renderRules,
-            ...(rules || {}),
-          },
-          {
-            ...styles,
-            ...style,
-          }
-        );
-      }
-    }
-
-    if (!this.markdownParser || this.props.markdownit !== markdownit || plugins !== this.props.plugins) {
-      let md = markdownit;
-      if (plugins && plugins.length > 0) {
-        plugins.forEach(plugin => {
-          md = md.use.apply(md, plugin.toArray());
-        });
-      }
-
-      this.markdownParser = md;
-    }
-  }
-
-  /**
-   *
-   */
-  componentWillMount() {
-    this.updateSettings(this.props);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   *
-   * @param nextProps
-   */
-  componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
-    this.updateSettings(nextProps);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   *
-   * @param children
-   * @return {string}
-   */
-  getCopyFromChildren(children = this.props.children) {
-    return children instanceof Array ? children.join('') : children;
-  }
-
-  /**
-   *
-   * @return {View}
-   */
-  render() {
-    const copy = (this.copy = this.getCopyFromChildren());
-    return parser(copy, this.renderer.render, this.markdownParser);
-  }
-}
+export default Markdown;