React Native Development Company | iOS & Android in TypeScript

ClickMasters builds production-grade React Native applications using the New Architecture JSI, Fabric renderer, and TurboModules for B2B companies across the USA, Europe, Canada, and Australia. TypeScript throughout. Zustand for state. WatermelonDB for offline data. Detox for E2E. EAS Build for CI/CD that produces iOS builds without a macOS runner. Both stores from one TypeScript codebase.

• React Native is built and maintained by Meta (Facebook) used in production by Facebook, Instagram, Discord, Shopify, and Microsoft
• React Native is the most widely adopted cross-platform framework by number of developers (Stack Overflow 2024)
• Largest developer talent pool any React/TypeScript developer can contribute to a React Native project
• React Native 0.76 (2024) ships the New Architecture as default eliminating the bridge that caused RN's performance limitations

React Native's reputation for performance issues was largely earned by the Legacy Architecture a design where JavaScript and native code communicated via an asynchronous JSON bridge. Every time the JavaScript thread needed to call a native API (access the camera, update a view, call a sensor), it serialised the call to JSON, sent it across the bridge, waited for a response, and deserialised the result. This bridge was the performance bottleneck responsible for frame drops on complex animations and sluggish native module calls. The New Architecture, shipped in stable form in React Native 0.71 (2023) and made the default in React Native 0.76 (2024), eliminates the bridge entirely with three components: JSI (JavaScript Interface a direct C++ interface between JavaScript and native code, enabling synchronous calls without serialisation), Fabric (the new React Native UI renderer replaces the legacy UI Manager with a C++ component that renders synchronously and correctly handles concurrent React features), and TurboModules (lazy-loaded native modules that load only when first called, reducing startup time). The result is React Native that performs significantly closer to native than the legacy architecture and is compatible with React 18's concurrent features (Suspense, transitions, automatic batching).

The New Architecture is default in React Native 0.76+. If an agency's React Native work uses the legacy bridge architecture (you can identify this from their stack descriptions AsyncStorage as the primary storage, no mention of JSI or TurboModules, no EAS Build), they are building on deprecated patterns. ClickMasters builds all new React Native projects on the New Architecture and can migrate legacy codebases to the New Architecture as part of a modernisation engagement.

Expo is the most popular toolchain for React Native development. Understanding the two Expo approaches is important for buyers evaluating React Native.

• Expo Managed Workflow: Limited native code access (cannot add arbitrary native code). Minimal setup complexity. OTA updates via Expo Updates. Build without Mac via EAS Build. When to use: standard requirements, smaller teams, fast prototype/MVP, teams without native mobile experience.
• Bare React Native (or Expo Bare): Full native code access (write Kotlin/Swift directly). Higher setup complexity (Xcode + Android Studio required). OTA updates via EAS Update. Build without Mac via EAS Build (available for bare too). When to use: custom native code requirements, hardware SDK integration, maximum native performance, teams with native specialists.

React Native is an open-source framework developed by Meta (Facebook) for building native iOS and Android mobile applications using JavaScript and TypeScript, with the React component model. Unlike hybrid web apps wrapped in a WebView, React Native renders using actual native platform UI components iOS UIKit components on iOS, Android Material components on Android via a bridge (Legacy Architecture) or directly via JSI (New Architecture). The result is apps that look, feel, and perform like native apps while sharing a single JavaScript/TypeScript codebase across both platforms. React Native is used in production by Meta, Instagram, Discord, Shopify, and Microsoft. Its primary advantage over Flutter is language familiarity any React web developer can contribute to a React Native project with minimal ramp-up.

State management is the most commonly debated React Native architecture decision. The answer has become clearer as the ecosystem has matured.

• Zustand (Default): Very small bundle size (~3KB). Minimal boilerplate store in one function. Very low learning curve. Excellent TypeScript. Zustand Devtools compatible with Redux Devtools. Best for most new React Native projects simplicity, performance, easy async. ClickMasters default for all new projects.
• Redux Toolkit: Medium bundle size (~15KB). Medium boilerplate (slices, actions, selectors). Medium learning curve. Excellent TypeScript. Redux Devtools best in class. Best for legacy codebases with existing Redux, complex state machines, large teams.
• Jotai: Small bundle size (~8KB). Minimal boilerplate (atoms). Low learning curve. Excellent TypeScript. Jotai Devtools. Best for atomic state (fine-grained reactivity), similar to Recoil.
• MobX: Medium bundle size (~16KB). Low boilerplate (observables + actions). Medium learning curve. Good TypeScript. MobX Devtools. Best for reactive programming advocates, complex derived state. Not recommended for new projects.

Expo Application Services (EAS) Build is one of the most valuable tooling improvements in the React Native ecosystem it enables building iOS apps in the cloud without requiring a macOS machine for every developer. EAS Build handles certificate and provisioning profile management automatically (no Fastlane match required), builds both iOS (.ipa) and Android (.apk/.aab) on cloud infrastructure, and distributes directly to TestFlight and Play Store internal testing. GitHub Actions trigger EAS builds on merge to main a complete CI/CD pipeline without a self-hosted macOS runner.

• Cloud iOS builds: Windows or Linux developers can trigger iOS builds without a Mac eliminating the macOS machine requirement from the CI/CD pipeline
• Automatic code signing: No Fastlane match required EAS manages certificates and provisioning profiles automatically in the cloud
• Internal distribution: EAS builds can be distributed directly to TestFlight (iOS) and Play Store internal track (Android) after a successful build
• EAS Update (OTA): Push JavaScript bundle updates to users instantly without going through App Store review within Apple's guidelines for bug fixes and minor feature changes
• Build profiles: Development (local dev client), preview (internal testing, no store), production (signed, store-ready) build profiles in eas.json
• GitHub Actions integration: Trigger EAS builds via GitHub Actions on PR or push to main builds and distributes to test tracks automatically