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Comparison guide
Expo vs Flutter vs React-native
Side-by-side NPM package comparison
Quick Verdict
Smallest Bundle
Flutter
12.7 KB gzipped
Most Popular
React-native
9.0M 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
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react-native
A framework for building native apps using React
9.0M weekly downloads · 6.1 MB gzip · Health 85/100
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Choosing between Expo and Flutter 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 9.0M weekly downloads — roughly 1.3x more. Expo has 7.1M weekly downloads. Flutter has 316 weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.
Bundle Size
Flutter has the smallest gzipped bundle at 12.7 KB. Expo comes in at 509.3 KB. React-native comes in at 6.1 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. Flutter has an overall health score of 45/100 (moderate), with strong security 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 large community support, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Flutter if you value strong security track record. Choose React-native if you value large community support, actively maintained, strong security track record.
Our Verdict
Both Expo and Flutter 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 flutter?
- It depends on your needs. Expo has a health score of 85/100 while Flutter scores 45/100. Expo has more recorded weekly downloads (7.1M). 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 flutter?
- Flutter has the smaller gzipped bundle at 12.7 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 flutter?
- Expo has more recorded weekly downloads (7.1M). Download counts reflect package installations, not unique developers.
- Which is better maintained, expo or flutter?
- Expo has a maintenance score of 100/100. Expo scores 100/100 and Flutter scores 20/100 on maintenance.
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