Used For

• +**Your React Native setup keeps breaking and you've reinstalled Xcode 4 times this month** → One command builds for both iOS and Android in the cloud, no local setup hell
• +**App Store rejected your bug fix and users are angry while you wait 7 days for review** → Push JavaScript fixes instantly to live users, bypass store reviews entirely
• +**You're a web developer who needs mobile but native code looks like hieroglyphics** → Write JavaScript, test instantly on your phone by scanning a QR code
• +Over-the-air updates - fix bugs in production without going through app store reviews
• +Pre-built modules for camera, GPS, notifications - no native code required

Best For

• >JavaScript devs who need a mobile app but would rather eat glass than learn Swift and Kotlin
• >Startups that need to ship iOS and Android fast without hiring native developers
• >Solo developers tired of Xcode breaking their builds at 2am

Not For

• -Teams needing deep native iOS/Android customization beyond what their pre-built modules offer
• -Non-JavaScript developers - you still need to know React to use this effectively
• -Companies wanting to avoid any monthly costs - the free tier caps out fast once you're building regularly

Pairs With

• *GitHub (where your code lives and triggers automatic builds when you push changes)
• *Stripe (for in-app payments since their SDK handles the mobile payment flow)
• *Firebase (for backend services like authentication and real-time data that mobile apps always need)
• *TestFlight (where iOS beta testing happens after Expo builds your app)
• *Google Play Console (for Android app publishing and beta distribution)
• *Sentry (for crash reporting since mobile apps crash in creative ways you never expect)

The Catch

• !Free tier gives you 30 builds per month, but you'll burn through that testing on both iOS and Android with dev/staging/prod versions
• !You're locked into their ecosystem - if you need to 'eject' to bare React Native later, you lose all the nice cloud features
• !Still requires understanding React Native concepts, not a true no-code solution

Bottom Line

The only way to build mobile apps without wanting to throw your laptop out the window.