Expo vs React Native CLI in 2025

The Expo vs React Native CLI debate used to be simple: Expo for beginners, CLI for serious apps.

That's outdated now.

Expo in 2025 isn't a training-wheels version of React Native. It's a full framework with custom native code support, production-grade build services, and over-the-air updates. The New Architecture is enabled by default. Major companies ship production apps with it.

Meanwhile, the React Native CLI hasn't fundamentally changed. It's still the raw, unopinionated foundation. Full control, full responsibility.

So which should you choose? Let's talk about real tradeoffs instead of outdated assumptions.

The Core Difference

Expo is a framework built on top of React Native. It provides tooling, services, and conventions that make development faster. You get a managed build pipeline, a standard project structure, and integrated services for updates, notifications, and more.

React Native CLI is the bare-bones foundation. It gives you direct access to native iOS and Android code. No opinions, no managed services, no guardrails.

The question isn't which is better—it's which matches your requirements.

When Expo Is the Right Choice

You Want to Ship Fast

Expo removes the native build complexity. No Xcode, no Android Studio, no CocoaPods issues, no Gradle errors. Write JavaScript, run expo build, get an app.

For startups, MVPs, or solo developers, this is a massive time saver. Time you would spend fighting build configs goes into shipping features instead.

You're Building Standard Apps

Most apps don't need deep native customization. If your app has:

Standard navigation
API calls and data display
Forms and user input
Camera, location, notifications
Social auth

Expo handles all of this out of the box. The managed workflow gives you access to a huge library of pre-built native modules through the Expo SDK.

You Value Over-the-Air Updates

With Expo Updates, you can push JavaScript changes to users instantly—no app store approval, no waiting. Fix bugs in production within minutes.

This is built-in with Expo. With the CLI, you need to integrate something like CodePush manually.

You Need Cross-Platform Consistency

Expo enforces conventions that make your app work the same way on iOS, Android, and web. The CLI gives you freedom to diverge, which sounds good until you're maintaining three separate codebases.

Your Team Is Small

If you're one person or a small team, you probably don't have a dedicated mobile engineer who knows Objective-C and Kotlin. Expo lets you stay in JavaScript land and still ship production-quality apps.

When React Native CLI Makes Sense

You Need Custom Native Code

If you're integrating with hardware, using bleeding-edge native libraries, or building SDKs for other apps, you need raw access to native code.

Expo supports custom native code now (via development builds), but if your app is heavily native-dependent, the CLI is the clearer path.

You Have Existing Native Code

If you're adding React Native to an existing iOS or Android app ("brownfield" development), the CLI integrates more naturally. Expo can work but requires extra setup.

You Want Maximum Build Control

Expo's build service (EAS Build) is powerful, but it's an abstraction. You configure it with JSON files and it handles the rest.

If you need to tweak native build scripts, modify Gradle configurations, or integrate with custom CI/CD pipelines in specific ways, the CLI gives you that control.

You're Optimizing for Performance at the Native Layer

Most apps don't need this, but if you're building a game, a video editor, or something performance-critical, direct access to native modules and the ability to optimize at the platform level matters.

Expo's abstractions are lightweight, but they're still abstractions. The CLI is pure metal.

The Expo Managed vs Bare Workflow Confusion

Expo used to have two modes: Managed (Expo handles everything) and Bare (you eject and get a CLI-like project with Expo libraries).

This is no longer the main distinction.

In 2025, the recommended approach is:

Start with Expo using the default managed workflow.
Add custom native code when you need it using development builds.
Use EAS Build for cloud builds or build locally if you prefer.

You don't need to "eject" anymore. Expo projects can include custom native code without losing the benefits of the Expo ecosystem.

This makes the decision simpler: start with Expo. If you hit a real limitation (not a hypothetical one), you can add native code without rewriting everything.

What About Native Modules?

This used to be the dealbreaker. Expo only supported a curated set of libraries. Need anything else? Eject or use the CLI.

Not anymore.

Expo Supports Custom Native Modules

With config plugins, you can integrate any native module into an Expo project. The plugin system modifies your native configuration automatically.

Example: Want to use react-native-ble-plx (a BLE library)? Add the plugin to your app.json:

{
  "expo": {
    "plugins": ["react-native-ble-plx"]
  }
}

Then create a development build, and the module works.

Development Builds

Development builds are like a customized version of Expo Go. You create a build with your specific native dependencies, install it on your device, and get the same fast-refresh experience as Expo Go—but with your custom code.

This closes the gap. The main advantage the CLI had (any native module) now works in Expo projects too.

Build Pipelines: EAS Build vs Local Builds

EAS Build (Expo's Cloud Build Service)

EAS Build runs your builds on Expo's servers. You run eas build, and it returns an APK or IPA.

Pros:

No Mac needed for iOS builds
Consistent build environment
Caching for faster rebuilds
Integrated with EAS Submit for app store uploads

Cons:

Costs money (free tier exists, but serious apps need paid plans)
Less control over the build environment
Slower iteration if you're tweaking native config constantly

Local Builds (CLI Approach)

With the CLI, you build locally using Xcode and Android Studio.

Pros:

Complete control over the build process
Faster iteration when tweaking native code
No reliance on third-party services

Cons:

You need a Mac for iOS builds (or a CI/CD service with Mac runners)
Maintaining build environments across team members is painful
More upfront setup

Hybrid: You can use Expo with local builds. Run npx expo run:ios or npx expo run:android and it builds locally like the CLI. You get the best of both worlds.

Over-the-Air Updates

This is where Expo shines.

Expo Updates

Push JavaScript changes (UI, logic, API calls) directly to users without going through the app stores:

eas update --branch production

Users get the update the next time they open the app. No review process, no waiting.

This is critical for:

Fixing bugs in production
A/B testing features
Rolling out changes incrementally

CodePush (CLI Alternative)

With the CLI, you can use Microsoft's CodePush, which provides similar functionality. But it requires manual integration, configuration, and maintenance.

Expo Updates is built-in and zero-config.

Long-Term Maintenance Tradeoffs

Expo Maintenance

Upgrading Expo is usually smooth. Run npx expo upgrade, and it updates dependencies, fixes breaking changes, and handles migrations.

The tradeoff: you're on Expo's upgrade schedule. You can't cherry-pick React Native versions or delay upgrades indefinitely. But in practice, Expo upgrades are less painful than manually upgrading a CLI project.

CLI Maintenance

You control when and how to upgrade. More freedom, more responsibility.

Upgrading React Native manually is notoriously painful. Breaking changes in native dependencies, CocoaPods conflicts, Gradle version mismatches. Budget hours (sometimes days) for major version bumps.

If you have dedicated mobile engineers, this is manageable. If you're a small team or a solo developer, it's a time sink.

What the Ecosystem Looks Like in 2025

Expo is no longer the "beginner option." It's the default for most new React Native projects.

Here's what major teams are doing:

Startups almost always start with Expo. Speed to market matters more than theoretical flexibility.
Agencies use Expo for client projects because it's faster and easier to maintain.
Enterprises are split. Some use the CLI for legacy reasons or specific native integrations. Others have migrated to Expo for faster iteration and easier maintenance.

The React Native CLI still makes sense for:

Brownfield apps (adding React Native to existing native apps)
Apps with deep native dependencies (hardware integrations, custom SDKs)
Teams with strong native mobile expertise who want full control

But for most apps, Expo is the better starting point.

Decision Framework

Here's how to choose:

Choose Expo if:

You're starting a new project from scratch
You want to ship fast and iterate quickly
Your app uses standard mobile features (APIs, navigation, auth, etc.)
You're a small team or solo developer
Over-the-air updates matter to you
You want simpler builds and deploys

Choose React Native CLI if:

You're integrating React Native into an existing iOS/Android app
Your app has heavy custom native requirements that can't be met with Expo modules
You need maximum control over native build configuration
You have dedicated mobile engineers comfortable with native development
You need to integrate with proprietary native SDKs that don't have Expo config plugins

Start with Expo, Migrate If Needed

The safest bet: start with Expo. If you hit a real limitation (not a hypothetical one), you can add custom native code or migrate to the CLI.

Most projects never need to migrate. The limitations people worry about rarely become actual blockers.

Common Misconceptions

"Expo apps are slower." Not true. Expo uses the same React Native runtime as the CLI. Performance is identical. The only difference is which native modules are included.

"You can't use native code with Expo." Not true anymore. Development builds and config plugins let you use any native module.

"Expo is only for small apps." Not true. Production apps from major companies (including some with millions of users) run on Expo.

"Expo locks you in." Not really. You can migrate from Expo to the CLI if needed. It's work, but it's not a rewrite. And most apps never need to.

The Practical Recommendation

Unless you have a specific reason to use the CLI (brownfield app, heavy native dependencies, dedicated native team), start with Expo.

You'll ship faster, maintain easier, and iterate quicker. If you outgrow it—which most apps don't—you can migrate. But shipping fast and learning what users actually need is more valuable than optimizing for a future that might never come.

The React Native CLI is powerful. But power you don't need is just complexity.

Sources:

Expo vs React Native CLI in 2025

Expo vs React Native CLI in 2025

The Core Difference

When Expo Is the Right Choice

You Want to Ship Fast

You're Building Standard Apps

You Value Over-the-Air Updates

You Need Cross-Platform Consistency

Your Team Is Small

When React Native CLI Makes Sense

You Need Custom Native Code

You Have Existing Native Code

You Want Maximum Build Control

You're Optimizing for Performance at the Native Layer

The Expo Managed vs Bare Workflow Confusion

What About Native Modules?

Expo Supports Custom Native Modules

Development Builds

Build Pipelines: EAS Build vs Local Builds

EAS Build (Expo's Cloud Build Service)

Local Builds (CLI Approach)

Over-the-Air Updates

Expo Updates

CodePush (CLI Alternative)

Long-Term Maintenance Tradeoffs

Expo Maintenance

CLI Maintenance

What the Ecosystem Looks Like in 2025

Decision Framework

Choose Expo if:

Choose React Native CLI if:

Start with Expo, Migrate If Needed

Common Misconceptions

The Practical Recommendation

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