React Native app development

When React Native is the right choice

React Native lets you write the iOS and Android app from one TypeScript codebase, while the screens are drawn with the phone’s own native components. For most business apps (accounts, content, forms, payments, notifications, camera) it moves faster than two separate native teams, and one team maintains it.

Where React Native fits well

You want to launch on iOS and Android at the same time
There will be a web dashboard next to the app, and you want one team to run both
You use standard device features such as subscriptions, in-app purchases, notifications and the camera
You want to test the market with a small first release and grow from there

Where we would suggest native instead

The heart of the product is heavy 3D graphics or a game engine
The app depends on a brand-new system feature of a single platform
You already have a large native codebase and a team running it

Expo or bare React Native

We use both. SoruVerse is built with Expo and Expo Router; for Rigel and LydiaVault we chose bare React Native because they needed deeper access to native modules. We decide during discovery, based on the device features and third-party SDKs the app will use.

	Expo	Bare React Native
Getting started	Fast; builds and signing run in the cloud with EAS	Needs Xcode and Android Studio set up
Native modules	Most SDKs are added through config plugins	Direct access to native code
Good fit for	New products, MVPs, content and community apps	Apps that need custom native integration
Our example	SoruVerse	Rigel, LydiaVault

What we use alongside React Native

TypeScript

The mobile app, web dashboard and server are written in one language, and type errors are caught at build time.

Firebase

Authentication, database and notifications. We use it in SoruVerse, Rigel and LydiaVault.

RevenueCat

One place to manage App Store and Google Play subscriptions and in-app purchases. We use it in Rigel and LydiaVault.

i18next

To ship the app in more than one language. We use it in Rigel and SoruVerse.

Reanimated

Animations and transitions that stay smooth on the phone. We use it in LydiaVault and SoruVerse.

Expo Router

File-based navigation and deep links. We use it in SoruVerse.

How a React Native project runs

01
Free scoping call
30 min
We talk about who the app is for, which device features it needs and the budget you have in mind.
02
Written scope and quote
We write down the screens, the acceptance criteria and the choice between Expo and bare React Native.
03
Weekly releases
Every week you install the new build on your own phone and try it; your feedback sets the next week’s priorities.
04
Testing and store release
A senior QA tests the build before release. We go through App Store and Google Play review and updates with our own apps too.
05
The 30 days after launch
30 days
We fix the bugs that surface in this period free of charge; after that you can continue with monthly maintenance.

Timelines and budget ranges are published on our mobile app development and pricing pages; everything on this page follows the same figures.

Questions about React Native

Is a React Native app as fast as a native one?

The screens are drawn with the phone’s own components, so in most business apps users notice no difference. React Native’s new architecture has also sped up communication between JavaScript and native code. For edge cases such as heavy 3D graphics or games we recommend native development.

Does the same team build the web dashboard?

Yes. React Native and React share a language and a way of thinking. On Hippotenus, for example, the same team builds the web dashboard with React and the mobile app with Expo.

Can you add subscriptions and in-app purchases?

Yes. In Rigel and LydiaVault we manage subscriptions with RevenueCat, through the App Store’s and Google Play’s own billing.

What do I keep when the project ends?

A perpetual licence to use the software and user documentation. If you want the source code transferred to you, that is possible for an extra fee, stated separately in the quote.

React Native app development

What we have built with it

Rigel

LydiaVault

SoruVerse