Mobile Development · head to head
Codemagic vs Expo

Expo
Mobile Development
React Native framework and cloud platform for building and shipping apps
- 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; Expo free tier build counts and MAU support are low, pushing active projects to paid plans quickly.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 2 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Codemagic and Expo 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 Expo does not also cover.
Only in Expo
- Expo SDK
- EAS Build
- EAS Submit
- EAS Update
- Expo Router
- EAS Hosting
- EAS Insights
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 Expo
- React Native CodePush over-the-air update distributionnot Expo
- Enterprise multi-team CI/CD at scalenot Expo
Expo
- Building cross-platform apps with React Native without native toolingnot Codemagic
- Running cloud builds and store submissions via EASnot Codemagic
- Shipping over-the-air updates to bypass app store reviewnot Codemagic
- Adding file-based navigation with Expo Routernot Codemagic
- Hosting companion web apps and APIsnot 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 $588/year per extra slot
Expo
- Free tier build counts and MAU support are low, pushing active projects to paid plans quickly.
- Usage-based overage charges for builds, CI/CD minutes, and MAUs can make costs less predictable.
- Concurrent build limits on lower tiers slow down teams with frequent releases.
- Some native functionality still requires ejecting to bare workflow or writing custom native modules.
Pricing, plan by plan
Codemagic
Free- Pay as You Go$undefined/mo
- M2 Fixed Plan$3990/year
- M4 Fixed Plan$5400/year
- M4 Max Fixed Plan$9000/year
Expo
Free- FreeFree
- 15 Android and 15 iOS builds
- Low-priority build queue
- 60 minutes of CI/CD workflows
- Starter$19/month
- $45 build credit included
- High-priority queue and large workers
- 3,000 MAUs for updates
- Production$199/month
- $225 build credit included
- 2 concurrent builds
- 50,000 MAU support
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- $1,000 build credit included
- 5 concurrent builds
- 1M+ MAU support
Which should you pick?
Choose Expo if
- You need expo sdk.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on web, ios, android, api.
- You also want eas build.
Questions people ask
- Is Codemagic or Expo better?
- Neither clearly leads. Codemagic starts at Free and Expo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Codemagic or Expo?
- Codemagic starts at Free and Expo at Free.
- Does Codemagic or Expo run on more platforms?
- Codemagic runs on Web. Expo runs on web, ios, android, api.
- 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 Expo is typically brought in for.
- What can Codemagic do that Expo cannot?
- Expo covers Expo SDK, EAS Build, EAS Submit, EAS Update.
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.
SourceExpo: What does Expo cost?
Expo offers a free plan, a Starter plan at $19/month with $45 build credit, a Production plan at $199/month with $225 build credit, and custom Enterprise pricing.
SourceCodemagic: 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.
SourceExpo: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?
The Free plan includes 15 Android and 15 iOS builds, low-priority build queue access, 60 minutes of CI/CD workflows, and support for 1,000 monthly active users on updates.
SourceCodemagic: 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.
SourceExpo: How is usage metered on paid plans?
Beyond included build credit, Expo charges per build by platform and worker size, per CI/CD workflow minute, per million Observe events, and graduated per-MAU overage rates for updates.
SourceCodemagic: 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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