What it's for
Our mobile-app note uses it for the framework and cloud builds.
- Cross-platform mobile apps
- Cloud builds
- Over-the-air updates
Plans and prices
| Plan | Price (USD unless shown) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 15 Android and 15 iOS builds; 60 min CI/CD; updates to 1K MAUs |
| Starter | $19/mo + usage | $45 of build credit; updates to 3K MAUs |
| Production | $199/mo + usage | $225 of build credit; updates to 50K MAUs; 15 concurrencies |
| Enterprise | From $1,000 |
Read on the official pricing page on . Prices change; check before you buy.
Free plan in real output
Free covers 15 Android and 15 iOS cloud builds and over-the-air updates to 1,000 monthly active users. The Expo framework itself is open source.
- Free: 15 builds per platform is enough to ship an MVP to both stores.
- Starter at $19/mo matters once you build often or pass 1,000 MAUs on updates.
Cost at your stage
| Plan | Monthly cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 (testing, low volume) | Free | $0 |
| Month 12 (working volume) | Starter | $19 |
Break-even: Starter at $19/mo is covered by a handful of subscribers.
Month-12 plan is our estimate of what a solo seller at steady weekly output needs, based on the plan limits above. Costs exclude tax.
Commercial use and output rights
Not a content generator. A framework and build service; your app stays yours.
Your data and AI training: Not checked.
This is a summary of public terms, not legal advice. Terms change; re-read the clause before client work.
First-hour setup
- Create an app with create-expo-app.
- Run it on your phone with Expo Go.
- Set up EAS Build.
- Submit to TestFlight and Play internal testing.
- Ship updates with EAS Update.
Competitors compared
| Tool | Pricing model | Free plan | Starting price | Difficulty | Output rights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expo | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then $19/mo + usage | 3/5 | Not a content generator | Shipping mobile apps from one codebase |
| Replit | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then $20/mo monthly or $18/mo billed annually | 2/5 | Not a content generator | Building and hosting an app entirely in the browser |
| Firebase | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | – | – | Mobile and web app backends |
| RevenueCat | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then 1% of tracked revenue | 3/5 | Not a content generator | Mobile app subscriptions |
| v0 | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then from $30/user/mo | 2/5 | Ownership with conditions | UI and Next.js app scaffolding |
| Lovable | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then $25/mo (billing period not stated) | 1/5 | You own or may use output commercially | Non-developers shipping a web app MVP |
| Bolt.new | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | 1/5 | – | Prototyping web apps from a prompt |
Learning difficulty
3/5: React Native knowledge needed.
When not to use it
If you don't write code, a no-code app builder is a better fit.
Cheaper or free alternatives:
- Replit: Building and hosting an app entirely in the browser (yes free plan)
- Firebase: Mobile and web app backends (yes free plan)
- RevenueCat: Mobile app subscriptions (yes free plan)
Which of our hustles use it
- Mobile app built with AI coding tools: Cross-platform app framework and cloud builds
Price history
Each monthly check adds rows here. Older rows are never edited, so you can see when prices changed.
Sources
- Expo pricing (read 17 October 2026)
Last verified . Anything we couldn't confirm on an official page is marked "not published", "not shown" or "not verified".