Mobile Development · head to head
Codemagic vs EAS Build
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
- Each has a real cost: Codemagic minute-based pricing opacity: exact costs for concurrent builds become difficult to predict at scale without calculator; 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.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 2 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Codemagic and EAS Build actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Codemagic
Nothing recorded that EAS Build does not also cover.
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.
Codemagic
- Mobile CI/CD pipelines for iOS and Androidnot EAS Build
- React Native CodePush over-the-air update distributionnot EAS Build
- Enterprise multi-team CI/CD at scalenot EAS Build
EAS Build
- A React Native team with no macOS build machine that needs signed iOS buildsnot Codemagic
- Removing signing credentials from individual laptops and putting them under an auditable servicenot Codemagic
- Shipping JavaScript only fixes through EAS Update without waiting on store reviewnot Codemagic
- Distributing internal test builds by link to non technical reviewersnot Codemagic
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Codemagic
- Minute-based pricing opacity: exact costs for concurrent builds become difficult to predict at scale without calculator
- Free tier severely limited to 500 minutes/month with single parallel build vs. competitors offering more generous free allocations
- M1/M2/M4 pricing variance creates complexity; customers must right-size machine type upfront without clear performance guidance
- Additional concurrency is expensive at $49/month per concurrent build, potentially costing $588/year per extra slot
EAS Build
- iOS builds run on macOS workers charged at a much higher rate than Linux, so the invoice is dominated by the platform you have least ability to move off.
- Lower tiers queue behind higher paying customers, which is invisible until a hotfix build waits in a queue while an incident is running.
- It is specific to React Native and Expo, so a company with a native Swift or Kotlin codebase alongside gets no benefit and needs a second build system anyway.
- Deep use of managed credentials and over the air updates makes leaving harder than swapping a continuous integration provider, because the release process itself has been built around the service.
- Build failures happen on infrastructure you cannot inspect, and reproducing an environment specific failure locally is harder than with a self hosted runner you can log into.
Pricing, plan by plan
Codemagic
Free- Pay as You Go$undefined/mo
- M2 Fixed Plan$3990/year
- M4 Fixed Plan$5400/year
- M4 Max Fixed Plan$9000/year
EAS Build
Free- Free$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 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 Codemagic or EAS Build better?
- Neither clearly leads. Codemagic starts at Free and EAS Build at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Codemagic or EAS Build?
- Codemagic starts at Free and EAS Build at Free.
- Does Codemagic or EAS Build run on more platforms?
- Codemagic runs on Web. EAS Build runs on iOS, Android.
- Can I use Codemagic for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Codemagic best used for?
- Codemagic is most often used for mobile ci/cd pipelines for ios and android, react native codepush over-the-air update distribution, enterprise multi-team ci/cd at scale. Of those, mobile ci/cd pipelines for ios and android and react native codepush over-the-air update distribution are not what EAS Build is typically brought in for.
- What can Codemagic do that EAS Build cannot?
- EAS Build covers Hosted macOS and Linux workers, Managed signing credentials, Bare React Native support, EAS Submit.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Codemagic: How much does it cost to add more parallel builds?
Each additional concurrent build costs $49/month ($588/year). Fixed-plan customers can purchase additional concurrency at $1,500–$3,000/year depending on tier.
SourceEAS 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.
Codemagic: Does Codemagic offer a free tier?
Yes. The free tier includes 500 free M2 build minutes monthly with 1 parallel build maximum, then paid usage kicks in.
SourceEAS 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.
Codemagic: What is the difference between monthly billing and annual fixed plans?
Pay-as-you-go charges per minute of build time. Fixed annual plans provide unlimited minutes on a specific machine type (M2, M4, or M4 Max) for one upfront yearly payment plus the option to purchase additional concurrency.
SourceEAS 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.
Codemagic: Is there a limit to monthly users on React Native CodePush?
Yes. On the fixed-price CodePush plan, users are billed per 100,000 Monthly Active Users (MAU). Overage pricing is $1 per 2,500 installs on pay-as-you-go or a higher per-instance fee on fixed plans.
SourceRelated pages
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