Mobile (Native)

Building real native iOS / Android apps from a JavaScript / TypeScript codebase.

The "true native" path — a real .ipa and .apk, not a wrapped web view. For "wrap my web app as iOS/Android" see Mobile Packaging and for "make my web app installable" see PWA.

React-based

★ Expo (with React Native) — the default for new RN apps in 2026. Managed workflow, EAS Build/Submit/Update, dev clients, Expo Router (file-based routing across iOS/Android/Web), Hermes by default. Free tier covers most indie projects.
React Native (bare) — drop the Expo managed wrapper if you need deep native modules; pair with CocoaPods (iOS) and Gradle (Android). Many teams now use Expo's "prebuild" + dev clients to keep ergonomics while having full native control.
Lynx (ByteDance) — newer JS-driven framework; uses a forked React-like dialect. Fast, native rendering. Worth watching, niche today.

Non-React

Flutter — Dart-based; not JS, but the dominant cross-platform framework outside of RN. Worth knowing.
NativeScript — TS/JS with Vue, Angular, or Solid bindings; smaller community than RN/Flutter.
KaiOS / Trigger.io — niche.

★ Expo Router — file-based routing on top of React Navigation; the path of least resistance.
React Navigation — the underlying navigation library; standalone is fine.
Nativewind — Tailwind for React Native; pairs well with tamagui.

UI kits / styling

★ NativeWind — Tailwind for RN.
★ Tamagui — universal styled components for iOS / Android / Web; very fast.
gluestack-ui — universal RN/Web component library.
React Native Paper — Material Design components.
NativeBase — older universal kit.
Dripsy — responsive RN styling.

State / data

Zustand, Jotai, TanStack Query, Legend State all work in RN unchanged.
MMKV (react-native-mmkv) — fast key-value storage, replaces AsyncStorage for most.
Watermelon DB — local-first, sync-able SQLite.
op-sqlite, expo-sqlite — direct SQLite.
Drizzle + expo-sqlite — typed local DB.

Build / deploy

★ EAS (Expo Application Services) — build, submit, OTA updates. Free for hobbyists; paid for teams.
Fastlane — open-source classic for iOS/Android automation.
Codemagic, Bitrise — alternative CI for mobile.

Pick this if…

Default new mobile app, want to ship fast: Expo + Expo Router + NativeWind/Tamagui + EAS.
Need deep native module control: RN bare with Expo prebuild.
Maximum perf, willing to leave JS: Flutter or true native (Swift/Kotlin).
You're already a Vue dev: NativeScript with Vue bindings.