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Comparison guide
Expo vs React-native
Side-by-side NPM package comparison
Quick Verdict
Smallest Bundle
Expo
21.6 KB gzipped
Most Popular
React-native
14.7M weekly downloads
Best Maintained
Expo
100/100 maintenance score
Highest Quality
Expo
50/100 quality score
Overall Pick
Expo
Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality
react-native
A framework for building native apps using React
14.7M weekly downloads · 5.9 MB gzip · Health 85/100
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Choosing between Expo and React-native? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.
Downloads & Popularity
React-native leads with 14.7M weekly downloads — roughly 1.3x more. Expo has 10.9M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.
Bundle Size
Expo has the smallest gzipped bundle at 21.6 KB. React-native comes in at 5.9 MB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.
Health Score Comparison
Expo has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. React-native has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.
When to Choose Each
Choose Expo if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose React-native if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record.
Our Verdict
Both Expo and React-native are solid choices for JavaScript development. Expo has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is expo better than react-native?
- It depends on your needs. Expo has a health score of 85/100 while React-native scores 85/100. React-native has more recorded weekly downloads (14.7M). Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
- Which has a smaller bundle size, expo or react-native?
- Expo has the smaller gzipped bundle at 21.6 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
- How many developers use expo vs react-native?
- React-native has more recorded weekly downloads (14.7M). Download counts reflect package installations, not unique developers.
- Which is better maintained, expo or react-native?
- Expo has a maintenance score of 100/100. Expo scores 100/100 and React-native scores 100/100 on maintenance.
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