Expo vs React Native
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Open-source framework for building native Android, iOS, and web apps with React.
Open source · MIT
A framework for building native Android and iOS apps using React and JavaScript.
Our verdict
Expo is a platform built on top of React Native that adds tooling, libraries, and hosted build services, and it also covers web from the same codebase. React Native is the underlying framework for native Android and iOS apps, and it gives you more direct control over the native layer. Choose Expo for a faster, more guided path to mobile and web apps; choose React Native directly if you want the core framework and are ready to handle native toolchains yourself.
Pick Expo if you want to build iOS, Android, and web apps from one React codebase with extra tooling and hosted build services.
Pick React Native if you already know React, want the core mobile framework itself, and are prepared to set up native Android and iOS toolchains.
| Key difference | Expo | React Native |
|---|---|---|
| Relationship | Platform built on React Native, adding SDK, CLI, Router, and tools | Core framework for native Android and iOS apps using React |
| Platforms | Android, iOS, and web from a single codebase | Android and iOS, plus other platforms, drawn with native UI |
| Hosted services | Build and release services provided through separate EAS platform | No hosted services in the described material |
| Setup | Intermediate difficulty; install with a package manager | Intermediate difficulty; requires native Android and iOS tooling |
| Community size | About 53.2k GitHub stars; MIT license | About 127k GitHub stars; MIT license |
Written with AI from both products' catalogue entries · updated 2026-10-29
Who each one is for
Choose Expo if you need…
- Developers who want to build iOS and Android apps with React and JavaScript
- Teams that want one codebase covering mobile and web
- People who want to try Expo quickly in the browser via Snack
- Developers who want hosted build and release services through EAS
Choose React Native if you need…
- Web developers who already know React and want to build mobile apps
- Teams that need one codebase for both Android and iOS
- Developers who want quick feedback through Fast Refresh while editing JavaScript
- Projects that need access to platform APIs through Native Modules
Side-by-side
| Expo | React Native | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Framework | Framework |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 53.3k | 127k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | C++ |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Expo
Expo is an open-source platform for building apps that run on Android, iOS, and the web, written in React and JavaScript. It includes a universal runtime and a set of libraries so one codebase can produce native apps. The repository also holds the Expo SDK, CLI, Router, Expo Go app, and documentation source.
React Native
React Native lets developers build apps for Android, iOS and other platforms using React, a popular JavaScript UI library. The code is written in JavaScript but the interface is drawn with the platform's own native UI elements. Developers use it to share most of their code across platforms instead of writing separate apps in each platform's own language.
Best for
Expo
- Developers who want to build iOS and Android apps with React and JavaScript
- Teams that want one codebase covering mobile and web
- People who want to try Expo quickly in the browser via Snack
- Developers who want hosted build and release services through EAS
React Native
- Web developers who already know React and want to build mobile apps
- Teams that need one codebase for both Android and iOS
- Developers who want quick feedback through Fast Refresh while editing JavaScript
- Projects that need access to platform APIs through Native Modules
Strengths
Expo
- Covers Android, iOS, and web from a single React and JavaScript codebase
- Large public project with active development and an MIT license
- Has official documentation, a community chat, and a browser-based playground
React Native
- Native UI rendering, so apps use the same platform APIs as other native apps
- Fast Refresh applies JavaScript changes without rebuilding the native app
- Large ecosystem and documentation, with an MIT license
Not ideal for
Expo
- People who only need a website and have no mobile plans, since a simpler web framework may suffice
- Developers who need full control over native code from day one, as the README points to custom native modules as a separate workflow
- Non-programmers, since the project assumes React and JavaScript knowledge
React Native
- People who only want to build websites, since this targets native mobile apps
- Developers who need to write everything in one native language and avoid JavaScript
- Teams that cannot take on the setup work of native Android and iOS toolchains
Trade-offs
Expo
- The README is a monorepo overview, so most setup detail lives in external docs rather than here
- Some dependencies use other licenses, such as BSD, per the README
- Some capabilities such as hosted services are provided by EAS, a separate platform
React Native
- Requires working knowledge of React and JavaScript, plus native tooling for Android and iOS
- The README recommends using a framework such as Expo for most apps, which adds another layer to learn
- Some native-level problems still need platform-specific knowledge
Getting started
React Native
Create a new Expo project (recommended by the README)
npx create-expo-app@latestFrequently asked questions
Should I use Expo or React Native?
Expo is a platform built on top of React Native that adds tooling, libraries, and hosted build services, and it also covers web from the same codebase. React Native is the underlying framework for native Android and iOS apps, and it gives you more direct control over the native layer. Choose Expo for a faster, more guided path to mobile and web apps; choose React Native directly if you want the core framework and are ready to handle native toolchains yourself. Pick Expo if you want to build iOS, Android, and web apps from one React codebase with extra tooling and hosted build services. Pick React Native if you already know React, want the core mobile framework itself, and are prepared to set up native Android and iOS toolchains.
What is the difference between Expo and React Native?
Expo: Open-source framework for building native Android, iOS, and web apps with React. React Native: A framework for building native Android and iOS apps using React and JavaScript. Expo suits developers who want to build ios and android apps with react and javascript, while React Native suits web developers who already know react and want to build mobile apps.
Are Expo and React Native free?
Expo: Free and open source. React Native: Free and open source.
Is Expo or React Native more popular?
React Native has more GitHub stars (127k) than Expo (53.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Expo and React Native?
Other options people compare them with include Capacitor, Avalonia, Next.js, Razzle, Proton Native.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.