Expo vs React Native A Developer's Guide

When people talk about “Expo vs. React Native,” they’re really talking about two different ways to build the same thing. The core of the debate is this: do you want a guided, all-inclusive development experience, or do you need the raw power and total freedom of a barebones setup?

Your answer boils down to a classic trade-off: development speed versus granular control.

Choosing Your React Native Development Path

Picking between Expo and the React Native CLI is one of the first, and most critical, decisions you’ll make on a new project. Think of it less as choosing between two different frameworks and more as choosing between two distinct philosophies.

Expo offers a “managed” workflow. It’s a curated ecosystem that bundles together common APIs, services, and tools to get you from zero to coding in minutes. On the other side, the React Native CLI gives you a “bare” workflow—a blank slate with direct, unrestricted access to the underlying native projects.

The right choice is never universal; it’s always tied to your specific project goals. A startup racing to build an MVP will almost certainly benefit from Expo’s speed. But a team building an app that needs custom Bluetooth Low Energy integration will need the direct native access that only the CLI can provide.

This visual gives a quick breakdown of where each approach shines.

As you can see, Expo is all about getting you off the ground quickly, while the React Native CLI puts you in the pilot’s seat from day one, which naturally requires a bit more pre-flight setup.

Expo vs React Native CLI At a Glance

React Native continues to be a major player in the cross-platform world. As of 2024, its market share has grown to about 6.75% on app stores, largely because of the flexibility offered by tools like Expo that make the framework more approachable.

To really nail down the differences, here’s a quick summary table that cuts to the chase.

Ultimately, this isn’t just a technical decision—it shapes your entire workflow, from how you set up your project to how you deploy updates. Getting this choice right from the start is fundamental to building a process that supports agile mobile app development and allows your team to ship features without friction.

2. Setup and Developer Experience: A Tale of Two Workflows

The first major fork in the road appears right at the beginning: setting up your project. This initial step really defines the developer experience you’ll have, shaping how fast you can get up and running and how much configuration you’ll need to tackle upfront.

The Expo Approach: Speed and Simplicity

With Expo, getting started is unbelievably quick. You run a single command—npx create-expo-app—and you have a fully functional project ready to go in minutes.

The real magic happens next. You can instantly run the app on your own phone just by scanning a QR code with the Expo Go app. There’s no need to install or configure massive tools like Xcode or Android Studio. This is a game-changer, especially for developers who are new to mobile or focused on building prototypes quickly.

This frictionless setup is a massive boost to productivity. Day-to-day development feels just as smooth, with things like live reloading and a robust developer client working perfectly right out of the box.

Expo is all about minimizing friction. It abstracts away the headaches of native build environments, letting you jump straight into writing JavaScript and see your app come to life in minutes.

The React Native CLI Approach: Power and Control

Setting up a project with the React Native CLI is a much more hands-on affair. You are responsible for configuring your entire development environment from scratch. This means installing Xcode for iOS development, Android Studio for Android, and making sure all the necessary SDKs and simulators are properly configured.

It’s a significant time investment, no doubt. But what you get in return is total control. From the moment the project is created, you have direct access to the native ios and android directories. This level of access is absolutely essential if you know you’ll need to write custom native code or integrate with highly specific platform APIs.

The React Native CLI puts you in the driver’s seat. It demands a more complex initial setup, but it’s the only way to go when you need unrestricted access to the native layer.

This choice fundamentally shapes your team’s workflow. Expo is built for speed and simplicity, making it a fantastic choice for rapid development and getting an MVP out the door. The CLI, on the other hand, requires more initial effort but gives you the ultimate flexibility needed for complex, long-term projects and for setting up a solid React Native continuous integration pipeline. The “best” experience really comes down to what your project needs more: immediate velocity or deep, native-level power.

Managing Native Modules and Custom Code

The real fork in the road between Expo and React Native appears the moment your app needs to talk to the device’s native hardware or OS features. This has always been the most significant difference, but recent tools have started to blur the lines quite a bit.

Expo’s managed workflow comes packed with a huge library of pre-built native modules, all part of the Expo SDK. This thing is a beast—it covers almost everything you can think of, from camera access and accelerometer data to user authentication and push notifications. For a huge number of apps, this SDK is more than enough. It’s a true plug-and-play experience that lets you avoid writing a single line of native code.

But what happens when you hit a wall? The instant your project demands a feature that isn’t in the Expo SDK, you’ll find yourself looking toward the bare workflow.

When Custom Native Code Is Unavoidable

Let’s imagine you’re building an app that connects to a specialized piece of medical hardware over a custom Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol. The hardware manufacturer gives you a native SDK for both iOS and Android. In a situation like this, the React Native CLI is your only real path forward.

The bare workflow gives you total, unrestricted access to the underlying ios and android project directories. This means you can:

• Integrate third-party native SDKs by linking them directly in Xcode or Gradle.
• Write your own custom native modules from scratch in Swift/Objective-C for iOS or Kotlin/Java for Android.
• Tweak build configurations and any other platform-specific settings you need to.

This complete control is a deal-breaker for apps with deep hardware integrations or those that need unique performance optimizations that just aren’t possible from JavaScript alone. Even with a cross-platform framework, some native work is often inevitable. Most React Native developers find they can reuse about 70-85% of their code between platforms, which shows that a balance between shared logic and platform-specific tweaks is the norm.

Expo’s Modern Answer to Native Code

In the past, if you needed custom native code, your only option was to “eject” from Expo. This was a one-way trip that permanently converted your project into a bare workflow. Thankfully, that’s old news.

Expo Application Services (EAS) Build and development clients have completely changed the game. You can now pull in any third-party native library—or write your own—and still stay within the Expo ecosystem.

EAS Build handles the compilation process in the cloud, linking any native dependencies you’ve included. This gives you a taste of both worlds: you get the streamlined developer experience of Expo combined with the raw power of the native ecosystem. Your project stays clean, but you can still build seriously complex apps. This also makes setting up robust deployment pipelines, like Android continuous integration, much more straightforward.

This new flexibility means your initial choice between Expo and React Native CLI is far less permanent. It’s become more about which day-to-day workflow you prefer, not what your app might need six months down the road.

4. App Size, Performance, and The Build Process

Performance is always a hot-button issue when we talk about Expo vs. React Native, but a lot of the old arguments just don’t hold up anymore. Let’s clear one thing up right away: the common myth that Expo is “slower” at runtime is just not true. Your JavaScript code runs in the exact same environment, so the in-app performance is identical.

The real conversation is about app size and the build process. Years ago, Expo apps were definitely bigger because they had to bundle the entire Expo SDK, whether you used it or not. That’s a thing of the past.

Today, apps built with Expo Application Services (EAS) are a completely different story. EAS Build is smart; it scans your project’s dependencies and only packs the native code your app actually uses. The result is a lean, optimized app bundle that’s right on par with a bare React Native build.

App Size and Startup Time

In a bare workflow, you’re in the driver’s seat. Your app’s final size is a direct reflection of every single library you add. You start with a barebones project and build up, which gives you granular control over the final footprint from the get-go.

Modern Expo gets you to a very similar place, just via a different path. While the initial project you create with create-expo-app might feel a bit heavy during development, the only thing that really matters is the production build that EAS spits out.

• Expo (EAS Build): The cloud build service handles the heavy lifting, automatically stripping out any unused native code. The final app size is highly competitive with a bare app that has a similar feature list.
• React Native CLI: You manage every dependency yourself. This gives you total transparency, but it also means the responsibility for keeping the app size down is 100% on you.

What about startup time? The gap has narrowed significantly. A super-minimalist CLI app might still boot a few milliseconds faster, but for most real-world apps, the difference in startup time is negligible when using an EAS-built Expo app.

The old argument that “Expo creates bloated apps” is officially outdated. With EAS Build, the debate is no longer about a size penalty. It’s about your preferred build philosophy: automated cloud optimization versus hands-on local control.

The Build Process Itself

This is where you’ll feel the biggest difference in your day-to-day workflow. Building a React Native CLI app is a local affair. You need Xcode and Android Studio set up perfectly on your machine, and you’re responsible for managing all the signing keys, build profiles, and certificates yourself. It’s a lot to handle.

Expo’s EAS Build, on the other hand, is a managed cloud service. You run a single command, and your build is sent to Expo’s servers, where they take care of the entire compilation and signing process. This completely removes the headache of maintaining a native build environment, which is a massive win for solo developers and teams without a dedicated DevOps person.

This cloud-based approach also makes it much easier to set up continuous delivery pipelines and look into things like automatic app updates to ship fixes even faster. Ultimately, the choice comes down to what you value more: direct, granular control over your local build machine, or the sheer convenience of a managed cloud service.

Comparing Over-The-Air Update Capabilities

The power to push updates directly to your users—bypassing the app store review process—is a game-changer for any mobile team. OTA updates mean you can patch a critical bug in minutes instead of days or quickly A/B test a new feature. This is one area where the difference between Expo and React Native isn’t just technical; it’s a difference in philosophy.

Expo’s Integrated Updates Service

Expo comes with a slick, deeply integrated OTA service right out of the box called Expo Updates. It’s built to feel like a natural part of the managed workflow, meaning you can get it working with almost no configuration. When you publish a new update, Expo handles the bundling, hosting, and delivery for you.

The developer experience is incredibly smooth. A single CLI command is all it takes to send new JavaScript and assets to your users. It just works.

For startups and teams where speed is everything, Expo’s built-in OTA updates are a clear winner. It’s a fully managed, reliable system that removes nearly all the operational headaches, letting you focus purely on shipping code.

This integrated approach makes the entire process, from setup to deployment, feel effortless. It’s one of the most compelling reasons to stick with the managed workflow, especially when you’re moving fast.

CodePush for the Bare Workflow

When you’re working in the bare workflow with the React Native CLI, the go-to solution for OTA updates is CodePush. It’s a powerful open-source service from Microsoft, now part of App Center, that gives you complete control over your update strategy.

But that power comes with more responsibility. You’ll need to manually integrate the CodePush SDK into your native iOS and Android projects and manage releases through a separate CLI.

While Expo Updates is more of a “set it and forget it” service, CodePush opens the door to advanced deployment strategies. You can set up distinct deployment environments (like staging and production), roll out an update to just 10% of your users, and dig into detailed release analytics. This kind of granular control is often a non-negotiable for larger companies with strict release protocols. For a closer look at these advanced tactics, this guide on deploying a React Native app is a fantastic resource.

Ultimately, the choice boils down to a classic trade-off. Expo offers a nearly frictionless, integrated experience that’s perfect for rapid iteration. On the other hand, CodePush delivers a robust, standalone service that gives you maximum control over your deployment pipeline, making it the better fit for teams who need to manage every single detail of their update strategy.

Making the Right Choice for Your Project

So, which path should you take? Picking between Expo’s managed workflow and the React Native bare workflow really boils down to your project’s needs, your team’s background, and how quickly you need to move. There’s no single right answer, just the right answer for your situation.

Think of it as a classic trade-off: speed and convenience versus total native control. Both approaches get you to a fantastic app, but they prioritize different things along the way.

When to Choose Expo

Expo’s managed workflow is a lifesaver when getting to market fast is the name of the game. It’s designed to let you focus on building features, not wrestling with native build tools.

You should lean towards Expo if you’re:

• A solo developer or part of a small team: The less time you spend on configuration and deployment, the better. Services like EAS Build and Updates handle a ton of the operational heavy lifting for you.
• Building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP): Nothing gets you from a concept to a real, testable app in users’ hands faster than Expo. It’s that simple.
• Working with a team strong in web development: Expo allows frontend developers who live and breathe JavaScript to build mobile apps without needing a deep dive into Swift, Kotlin, or native IDEs.

The great thing about modern Expo is that you’re not permanently locked in. You can start with the managed workflow and use EAS to add custom native code later. This hybrid flexibility means your project can evolve without a painful migration.

When to Choose React Native CLI

The bare workflow, initiated with the React Native CLI, is the way to go when you need to get your hands dirty in the native code from the get-go.

Opt for the React Native CLI if:

• Your app depends on deep hardware integration: Think custom Bluetooth protocols, complex background tasks, or proprietary hardware SDKs that aren’t available through the standard Expo modules.
• You need absolute, granular control over the build process: Large companies with very specific, complex CI/CD pipelines often need the ability to fine-tune every single aspect of the native build themselves.
• Your team already has solid native development experience: If your developers are comfortable navigating Xcode and Android Studio, the bare workflow will feel like home and unlock the full power of the underlying platforms.

Making this choice is also a strategic career move. It’s worth checking out the current remote React Native job opportunities to see what the market values. In 2025, React Native is a clear favorite, with over 6,400 open roles in the US, dwarfing the roughly 1,000 available for other frameworks. This reflects just how widely adopted it has become.

Common Questions, Answered

When you’re weighing Expo against a bare React Native setup, a few questions always seem to pop up. Let’s clear the air on some of the most common points of confusion.

Is Expo Actually Slower Than Plain React Native?

This is a classic myth that needs busting. No, Expo is not inherently slower. The JavaScript code you write runs on the exact same engine in both environments, so the runtime performance is identical.

While it’s true that older, pre-EAS Expo apps could sometimes feel a tad sluggish on initial startup, that’s largely a thing of the past. Modern production builds created with EAS have pretty much closed that gap entirely, giving you performance that’s on par with a bare React Native app.

Am I Stuck With Only Expo’s Native Modules?

Not at all. This is probably the biggest misconception about the modern Expo ecosystem. While the companion Expo Go app is limited to the pre-installed modules in the Expo SDK, that’s just for development.

When you’re ready to build for production, Expo Application Services (EAS) Build changes the game completely. It lets you compile your app with any custom native module you want. You get the full flexibility of the React Native CLI but with the convenience of a managed, cloud-based build service.

The modern Expo workflow is designed to be flexible. You can start fast and easy, then pull in custom native code with EAS whenever you need it. There’s no longer a hard “ejection” cliff.

Can I Switch From Expo to a Bare Workflow if I Need to?

Absolutely, and it’s surprisingly simple. If you ever reach a point where you need total, hands-on control over the native ios and android project files, you can generate them on demand.

Just run the command npx expo prebuild. This command creates the native directories for you, effectively converting your project into a bare workflow. It’s a clean and straightforward way to transition if your needs change down the line.

Ready to ship updates instantly without waiting for app store reviews? CodePushGo offers a secure, reliable, and open-source solution for over-the-air updates that integrates perfectly with your React Native workflow. Learn more at https://codepushgo.com.