Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Expo VS React Admin

Compare Expo VS React Admin and see what are their differences

Expo logo Expo

The fastest way to build an iOS and Android app ๐Ÿ“ฑ

React Admin logo React Admin

A frontend Framework for building B2B applications running in the browser on top of REST/GraphQL APIs, using ES6, React and Material Design
  • Expo Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-11
  • React Admin Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-20

React Admin

$ Details
freemium โ‚ฌ135.0 / Monthly
Release Date
2017 January

Expo features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Expo simplifies the development process by providing a managed workflow that handles configuration and builds, allowing developers to focus on coding.
  • Cross-Platform Development
    Expo enables developers to write code once and deploy it on both iOS and Android platforms, ensuring a consistent user experience across devices.
  • Pre-Built Components
    Expo offers a library of pre-built components and APIs that streamline the development process and reduce the time needed to implement common functionalities.
  • Over-the-Air Updates
    Developers can push updates to users in real-time without needing to go through the app store review process, facilitating quick bug fixes and feature releases.
  • Strong Community Support
    Expo has a vibrant and active developer community, offering a wealth of resources, tutorials, and third-party packages to assist developers.
  • Integrated Development Environment
    Expo provides tools like Expo CLI and Expo Go that make it easier to build, test, and debug applications, particularly for newcomers to mobile app development.

Possible disadvantages of Expo

  • Custom Native Code Limitations
    Expo's managed workflow restricts the use of custom native code, limiting developers when they need to integrate with third-party native libraries not supported by Expo.
  • Larger App Size
    Expo includes additional libraries and dependencies by default, which can result in a larger application size compared to custom builds.
  • Performance Overhead
    The abstraction added by Expo can introduce performance overhead, making it less suitable for highly performance-sensitive applications.
  • Dependency on Expo's Updates
    Developers are dependent on Expo's update cycle for bug fixes and new features, which may not always align with their project timelines.
  • Limited Configuration Options
    Expo's managed workflow abstracts many configurations for build processes, which can be a hindrance for developers needing granular control over app settings.
  • Ejection Complexity
    Ejecting from the managed workflow to a bare workflow for more customization can be complex and time-consuming, potentially negating some benefits of using Expo.

React Admin features and specs

  • Component-Based Architecture
    React Admin utilizes a component-based architecture that promotes reusability and modularity, allowing developers to build complex interfaces with less effort.
  • Rich Ecosystem
    Being a React-based framework, React Admin benefits from a vast ecosystem of libraries and tools which can be easily integrated, providing enhanced functionality and scalability.
  • Customizable and Extensible
    Developers can customize and extend React Admin to fit specific needs, thanks to its high degree of flexibility and comprehensive support for custom components.
  • Built-in Data Providers
    React Admin comes with built-in data providers, making it easy to connect with a variety of REST, GraphQL, or other APIs out of the box.
  • Active Community and Maintenance
    Maintained by Marmelab, React Admin has an active community and is well-maintained, ensuring regular updates and improvements.

Possible disadvantages of React Admin

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Beginners might find React Admin challenging at first, especially if they are not familiar with React or the paradigm of component-based architecture.
  • Limited Server-Side Rendering
    React Admin is primarily designed for client-side rendering, which can be limiting for applications that require robust server-side rendering features for SEO purposes.
  • Opinionated Framework
    While being opinionated can be advantageous for some, it might restrict developers who are looking for more freedom in how they architect their applications.
  • Performance Overhead
    The abstraction and number of features included might introduce some performance overhead, especially in large-scale applications with complex data interactions.
  • Dependency on Third-Party Libraries
    React Admin's reliance on third-party libraries can sometimes lead to issues with compatibility or require additional learning for integration and use.

Analysis of Expo

Overall verdict

  • Expo is a solid choice for developers looking to quickly build and deploy mobile applications using React Native. Its ease of use and comprehensive toolset make it particularly attractive for rapid prototyping and development of small to medium apps. However, some advanced native functionalities might require ejecting from Expo, which can introduce additional complexities.

Why this product is good

  • Ease of use
    Expo is known for its user-friendly interface that allows developers to quickly prototype and build apps with React Native without needing to set up native development environments.
  • Cross platform
    Expo simplifies the process of building cross-platform applications, giving developers tools to deploy apps for both iOS and Android effortlessly.
  • No native code
    With Expo, developers can build applications entirely in JavaScript, which is beneficial for those who may not be familiar with native coding languages.
  • Developer tools
    It provides a suite of tools such as an interactive development environment, error reporting, and debugging services that enhance the development experience.

Recommended for

    {"beginners" => "New developers who are just getting started with app development will find Expo's simplicity and comprehensive documentation helpful.", "rapid_prototyping" => "Teams seeking to quickly prototype and iterate on ideas can benefit from Expo's convenient tools and cross-platform capabilities.", "react_native_developers" => "Developers familiar with React Native who want a streamlined solution to deploy apps without deep diving into native code."}

Expo videos

Scenes from the 2019 National FFA Convention & Expo | Review Video

More videos:

  • Review - Auto Expo 2020 Film | Real-life review
  • Review - Expo Dry Erase Set Unboxing & Review

React Admin videos

10 Best React Admin Templates in 2022 | ReactJS Admin Templates

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Expo and React Admin)
Developer Tools
56 56%
44% 44
Mobile App Builder
100 100%
0% 0
Design Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Application Builder
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Expo might be a bit more popular than React Admin. We know about 35 links to it since March 2021 and only 26 links to React Admin. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Expo mentions (35)

  • Video player with React Native. Part 1: Expo
    We are going to review it in a series of two articles. This is the first one, where we will touch on Expo. Expo is quite popular and is even recommended in Getting Started guide for React Native. But it differs a lot. Here we will go through the process of building an app with Expo and then make technology comparison based on the results. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • State Management Nx React Native/Expo Apps with TanStack Query and Redux
    This workspace is created using @nx/expo (Nx and Expo). - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • New OAuth Vulnerability (CVE-2023-28131) impacts hundreds of websites and Apps
    Just be clear this isn't an OAuth vulnerability. It's an vulnerability in expo.io. It doesn't even really have anything to do with OAuth. They've just terrible return url handling so it probably impacts a lot more than just stealing OAuth tokens. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Convert Reactjs + Firebase Project to a Mobile apk app. Please help
    I haven't messed with React Native in a hot minute, but it should be rather easy to port your React app to React Native. I recall using expo.io in uni for react native development. Hope that helps. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Form Validation in React (Native) using Formik
    Expo: Expo is a free and open source toolchain built around React Native to help you build native iOS and Android projects using JavaScript and React. Expo is a great way to get started with React Native. - Source: dev.to / almost 4 years ago
View more

React Admin mentions (26)

  • Top 20 Modern React Libraries To Supercharge Your Next Big Project
    Resource: React Admin Documentation. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • How to build a CMS with Supabase and React-admin
    I've been working with react-admin on various projects, some of which required basic CMS features in addition to the core application. We've used headless CMS like Strapi, Directus, or Prismic for these features. However, react-admin is so powerful that it can be used to build the CMS part, too. That's why I worked on a CMS proof-of-concept using react-admin for the admin UI and Supabase (which provides a REST... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • A Year of Transformation: Reflecting on 2024's Journey in Tech and Beyond
    I was learning React JS front end and in this journey of self learning, I have achieved many milestone like utilizing react-admin framework. I also implemented two-factor authentication using Authenticator tools with react-admin framework. It was a very challenging job to include two-factor alongside react-admin authentication as there is no tutorial available for it. But this is very much required in the era of... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Building a Complete React CRM App with Atomic CRM ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ
    With a simple relational data model, developers can easily modify the system to store additional data. Its component-based architecture allows for replacing or customizing any part of the application, giving developers full control over the user experience. Built using React and react-admin, two widely supported frameworks, it comes with a rich library of pre-built components ready for use. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Major updates from the open source community: Release Radar ยท June 2024
    Whenever I see the word "framework", I can't help but think of the Linebreakers' song "We're Gonna Build a Framework". That aside, React-admin has over 25,000 users around the world. It's a single-page application framework, allowing you to build web apps running on top of REST/GraphQL APIs, using TypeScript, React and Material Design. React-admin's latest update brings refined lists and forms, dependency update,... - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Expo and React Admin, you can also consider the following products

React Native - A framework for building native apps with React

Refine - A React Framework for building internal tools, admin panels, dashboards & B2B apps with unmatched flexibilty.

Thunkable - Powerful but easy to use, drag-and-drop mobile app builder.

Mantine - React library, 60+ hooks and components with dark theme support and focus on accessibility

Android Studio - Android development environment based on IntelliJ IDEA

Chakra UI - Simple, modular and accessible UI components for your React applications.