Reviewers see Expo as a practical way to ship React Native apps faster, especially for small teams and solo developers. Users repeatedly praise the convenience: quick setup, easier debugging, and often no need to touch Xcode or Android Studio. Makers of products like Cal.com, Rork, and Playbook add that EAS Build, OTA updates, and the managed workflow smooth deployment and reduce native setup. The main caveats are npm package compatibility and the sense that the tooling is still improving.

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cross-platform development (9)

fast development (9)

react native integration (7)

EAS build system (3)

easy setup (3)

excellent documentation (2)

hot reloading (2)

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Other Reviews (6)

used Expo to build Clutch Alarm

•3 reviews

Quick clarification, since people mix these up: Expo isn't really "instead of" React Native — it's the framework I build React Native with. The actual choice was Expo's managed workflow vs. bare React Native (and React itself is web — wrong tool for an app that needs native push and a full-screen alarm). I went with Expo, and it wasn't close: 1. EAS Builds. I ship iOS + Android from one command, no babysitting Xcode and Gradle. As a solo founder, that alone paid for itself. 2. Config plugins let me go native exactly where I needed to. Clutch Alarm's whole thing is a loud, full-screen alarm that bypasses silent mode — that takes real native Android work (full-screen intent, alarm audio attributes, screen wake, bundling the sound file). Expo's config plugins let me do all of it without ejecting and owning the entire native project. 3. Expo Router + OTA updates. File-based routing kept the app clean, and over-the-air updates mean I can push a fix the same night a bug shows up — no waiting on store review. Bare React Native would've handed me more raw control I didn't need, in exchange for a lot more setup and maintenance I really didn't want. Expo got Clutch Alarm into people's pockets faster — and still let me reach down to the metal for the one feature that matters most. 🚀

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4 views6d ago

used Expo to build NeoCharge

•2 reviews

Expo was instrumental in bringing our NeoCharge App to life. Its open-source platform allowed us to rapidly develop and deploy our native app across both iOS and Android, significantly reducing our development time and costs. The hot reloading feature was particularly useful for quick iterations on our UI, helping us create a smooth and intuitive interface for our users. Expo's extensive library of pre-built components also enabled us to implement complex features like real-time energy tracking and scheduling with ease. We're grateful for how Expo streamlined our development process, allowing us to focus more on our core functionality of optimizing EV charging.

What's great

fast development (9)cross-platform development (9)hot reloading (2)

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48 views2yr ago

used Expo to build Javu

•3 reviews

I promote Expo whenever I can because I would not have been able to build Javu without it. Not only do they support development with React Native, but they provide the best guides on all steps of the app development process, even stages that are not necessarily expo related, like App Store content best practices, and warnings for app review rejections. I would always recommend first-time app makers (like myself) to use Expo over a bare React Native project.

What's great

excellent documentation (2)react native integration (7)

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35 views1yr ago

Expo

An open-source framework for making universal native apps

An open-source framework for making universal native apps

Expo Reviews

The community submitted 111 reviews to tell us what they like about Expo, what Expo can do better, and more.

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