React Native Development Company for Cross-Platform Apps

Use Expo (managed with dev client) for 85 percent of modern React Native projects. The dev client workflow lets you add most native modules Expo doesn't include out of the box. So the old objection "Expo cannot do X" is outdated in 2026.

Use bare workflow only when you need deep native work that cannot live behind an Expo config plugin: custom Bluetooth stacks, specialized camera pipelines, background audio processing, or hardware-specific integrations.

Team size matters. For 2 to 4 engineers shipping a standard app, Expo wins. For teams with dedicated iOS and Android engineers doing specialized native work, bare may fit better.

Senior React Native engineers run $145-200/hour at boutique agencies in the US and UK, and $85-140/hour in India.

An MVP with Expo Router, auth, push notifications, OTA updates, and store submission takes 10-16 weeks. A production build with native modules, offline sync, in-app purchases, and deep links takes 14-22 weeks. A rewrite from native iOS or Android takes 16-26 weeks depending on features.

A 2-week audit is refundable. You'll get a scoped quote in 48 hours.

Over-The-Air (OTA) updates via EAS Update let you ship JavaScript bundle changes to users without App Store or Play Store review. JS-only changes reach users in minutes, not 1-7 days. These include bug fixes, content updates, feature flags, and new screens using existing native modules.

Native changes still need store submission. OTA matters because it decouples JS velocity from review cycles. You can roll out fixes same-day and use staged rollouts (beta, canary, production).

Three paths. One: use an existing Expo module like expo-camera, expo-notifications, or expo-location. Two: use a community module with an Expo config plugin. Most major libraries have these now. Three: write a custom Expo module when the need is unique.

The Expo Modules API is mature enough to write Swift and Kotlin code inside an Expo project. So "we need custom native code" is no longer a reason to leave Expo. We recommend bare only when native work is large enough to justify dedicated iOS and Android engineers.

Yes. For simple offline (cached API responses, offline write queues), TanStack Query with persistent cache via AsyncStorage or MMKV handles most cases.

For full offline-first with collaborative editing and complex sync, WatermelonDB or Legend State plus a custom sync layer is our pattern. For the hardest cases (offline with CRDTs or operational transforms), Replicache or PowerSync via a managed backend.

Offline-first adds 4-8 weeks to scope. We map offline requirements in week one.

expo-notifications handles the client side. Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) on Android and APNs on iOS deliver the payloads. On the backend, we integrate with a provider: Expo Push for small volumes, OneSignal or Customer.io for marketing and rich notifications, or direct APNs/FCM when you need full control.

Critical UX details: permission prompts appear at the right moment, not on app launch. Not-opted-in state is handled gracefully. Silent push for background data is measured and respected by iOS throttling rules.

EAS Submit handles both stores from the command line. Before your first submit, we set up App Store Connect and Google Play Console accounts under your organization. We configure signing certificates (managed via EAS), write store listings, and create screenshots in every required size using our Figma template.

We prepare privacy labels and data safety forms. First submit typically takes 1-3 days of review on Apple, same-day on Google. We run a dry-run internally against the review guidelines before submitting. Rejection is rare; if it happens, we fix and resubmit within a week.

You do, fully. GitHub repository under your organization. Apple Developer Program membership and Google Play Developer account under your legal entity. EAS account and signing certificates under your EAS organization with DH engineers as named collaborators removable any time. Push notification provider (Expo Push, OneSignal) under your billing. On exit: repository transferred, credentials rotated, store access handed off, 30-day support tail. No lock-in through signing, tooling, or vendor choice.