Mobile Development · head to head
AppsFlyer vs EAS Build
AppsFlyer
Mobile Development
Mobile attribution and marketing analytics measuring which campaigns produced which installs
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
EAS Build
Mobile Development
Hosted iOS and Android build service for React Native, with signing credentials managed for you
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only EAS Build has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: AppsFlyer pricing is per attributed conversion on an annual commitment, so a successful quarter raises the measurement bill in step with media spend and overage rates above the commitment are usually punitive.; EAS Build iOS builds run on macOS workers charged at a much higher rate than Linux, so the invoice is dominated by the platform you have least ability to move off.
- They diverge on capability: AppsFlyer covers Multi touch install attribution, EAS Build covers Hosted macOS and Linux workers.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which AppsFlyer and EAS Build actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Mobile Development).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in AppsFlyer
- Multi touch install attribution
- SKAdNetwork and iOS aggregation
- Deep linking
- Fraud protection
- Raw data export
- Incrementality testing
Only in EAS Build
- Hosted macOS and Linux workers
- Managed signing credentials
- Bare React Native support
- EAS Submit
- Internal distribution
- Build profiles
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
AppsFlyer
- An app spending meaningfully on paid acquisition across several networks that need reconciling against one source of truthnot EAS Build
- Publishers who suspect they are paying for fraudulent installs and want them rejected before billingnot EAS Build
- Teams that must move event level marketing data into a warehouse for their own modellingnot EAS Build
- Apps running deferred deep links from web, email and social into specific in app contentnot EAS Build
EAS Build
- A React Native team with no macOS build machine that needs signed iOS buildsnot AppsFlyer
- Removing signing credentials from individual laptops and putting them under an auditable servicenot AppsFlyer
- Shipping JavaScript only fixes through EAS Update without waiting on store reviewnot AppsFlyer
- Distributing internal test builds by link to non technical reviewersnot AppsFlyer
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
AppsFlyer
- Pricing is per attributed conversion on an annual commitment, so a successful quarter raises the measurement bill in step with media spend and overage rates above the commitment are usually punitive.
- iOS attribution lost genuine capability when App Tracking Transparency arrived, and a good deal of what the interface now shows is modelled rather than observed, which the reports do not always make obvious.
- The headline price covers attribution only; deep linking, fraud protection, audiences and raw data export are separate modules, so the quoted figure and the invoice differ substantially.
- Self attributing networks such as Meta and Google report their own numbers, and reconciling those against AppsFlyer is ongoing work that no vendor eliminates.
- Historic attribution data does not transfer between measurement partners, so switching vendors resets year on year comparisons and effectively locks in the incumbent after a couple of years.
EAS Build
- iOS builds run on macOS workers charged at a much higher rate than Linux, so the invoice is dominated by the platform you have least ability to move off.
- Lower tiers queue behind higher paying customers, which is invisible until a hotfix build waits in a queue while an incident is running.
- It is specific to React Native and Expo, so a company with a native Swift or Kotlin codebase alongside gets no benefit and needs a second build system anyway.
- Deep use of managed credentials and over the air updates makes leaving harder than swapping a continuous integration provider, because the release process itself has been built around the service.
- Build failures happen on infrastructure you cannot inspect, and reproducing an environment specific failure locally is harder than with a self hosted runner you can log into.
Pricing, plan by plan
AppsFlyer
On request- AppsFlyer$undefined/year
- Annual commitment purchasing a volume of attributed conversions, with overage charged above it
- Deep linking, fraud protection, audiences and raw data export are priced as separate modules
EAS Build
Free- Free$undefined/month
- Limited monthly builds that queue behind paying customers
- Sufficient for evaluation and hobby projects, not for a release cadence
- Paid tiers$undefined/month
- Monthly subscription buying build concurrency and included minutes, with overage per minute above them
- macOS minutes cost several times Linux minutes, so iOS pipelines dominate the bill
Which should you pick?
Choose AppsFlyer if
- You need multi touch install attribution.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want skadnetwork and ios aggregation.
Choose EAS Build if
- You need hosted macos and linux workers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android.
- You also want managed signing credentials.
Questions people ask
- Is AppsFlyer or EAS Build better?
- Neither clearly leads. AppsFlyer starts at On request and EAS Build at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, AppsFlyer or EAS Build?
- EAS Build has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for AppsFlyer and Free for EAS Build.
- Does AppsFlyer or EAS Build run on more platforms?
- AppsFlyer runs on iOS, Android, Web. EAS Build runs on iOS, Android.
- Can I use EAS Build for free?
- Yes. EAS Build has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. AppsFlyer starts at On request.
- What is AppsFlyer best used for?
- AppsFlyer is most often used for an app spending meaningfully on paid acquisition across several networks that need reconciling against one source of truth, publishers who suspect they are paying for fraudulent installs and want them rejected before billing, teams that must move event level marketing data into a warehouse for their own modelling, apps running deferred deep links from web, email and social into specific in app content. Of those, an app spending meaningfully on paid acquisition across several networks that need reconciling against one source of truth and publishers who suspect they are paying for fraudulent installs and want them rejected before billing are not what EAS Build is typically brought in for.
- What can AppsFlyer do that EAS Build cannot?
- AppsFlyer covers Multi touch install attribution, SKAdNetwork and iOS aggregation, Deep linking, Fraud protection. EAS Build covers Hosted macOS and Linux workers, Managed signing credentials, Bare React Native support, EAS Submit.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
AppsFlyer: How is it priced?
Per attributed conversion against an annual commitment, plus separate fees for the additional modules. Negotiate the commitment carefully.
EAS Build: Does it work without the Expo managed workflow?
Yes. Bare React Native projects build fine, which is a common misconception that costs teams an unnecessary evaluation.
AppsFlyer: Did App Tracking Transparency break attribution?
It removed deterministic device level attribution for users who decline tracking. What remains on iOS is aggregated and delayed, and vendors fill the gap with modelling.
EAS Build: Why not just use GitHub Actions macOS runners?
You can, and it is often cheaper. You then own credential management and the Xcode version treadmill, which is the work EAS is actually selling.
AppsFlyer: Can we take our data if we leave?
You can export raw data while under contract. Attribution history itself does not migrate to another vendor.
EAS Build: Can JavaScript updates skip App Store review?
Yes through EAS Update, within Apple's rules about not changing the app's purpose. Native changes still require a store submission.
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