The Tool Desk
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Start with the work your app needs
React Native lets JavaScript application code connect to platform APIs and native views. A credible partner should be able to show which parts of your app can remain shared and where iOS- or Android-specific work is needed. React Native distinguishes native modules, which expose non-UI platform functions to JavaScript, from native components, which expose platform views and controllers.
Ask the company to map your requirements to existing libraries, shared React Native code, and native integrations. For any proposed native code, ask who will maintain it, how it will be tested on each platform, and what happens when the relevant React Native or operating-system APIs change. Request a walkthrough of shipped work relevant to your app, along with a proposed technical design; a general portfolio alone does not establish that the team can handle your specific integrations.
Evaluate architecture and upgrade planning
Ask which versions the proposal assumes
Require the proposal to name its React Native version, any Expo SDK version, and the key native libraries it depends on. Version matters: React Native documentation says the New Architecture became enabled by default in React Native 0.76. Expo’s guide says React Native 0.82 was the first version to remove the option to disable it; Expo SDK 55 uses React Native 0.83, while SDK 54 is the last Expo SDK version where disabling it is possible. These are version-specific statements, so confirm the versions applicable when you contract and when the app is built. See React Native’s New Architecture overview and Expo’s New Architecture guide.
#1 Best Overall
Request an upgrade and compatibility plan
Have the team provide a dependency inventory and explain how it will verify each library against the proposed React Native or Expo version and the app’s native modules. Expo recommends checking library compatibility and notes that some third-party libraries may require updates or changes. Ask candidates to identify unsupported or uncertain dependencies, who owns necessary upgrades, and how they will handle a library that cannot be upgraded cleanly.
React Native also notes that legacy native module APIs are deprecated. Depending on the app and library, a team may recommend an alternative, a library upgrade with first-class support, or porting to Turbo Native Modules or Fabric Native Components. Ask which path applies to your dependencies and what the maintenance implications are; “we use React Native” does not answer that question.
Rank #2
Do not accept architecture as a performance guarantee
Enabling the New Architecture does not, by itself, establish that your app will get faster. React Native says an app may need refactoring to use the newer capabilities and that serialization may not have been its performance bottleneck. Ask the company to identify the suspected bottleneck in your app, explain how it will measure it, and state what change it expects to improve.
Request baseline and target measurements tied to your actual requirements, plus a plan for checking the result on relevant devices and platforms. Treat an architecture label or a general claim about React Native’s performance as a hypothesis to validate, not proof of an outcome.
Rank #3
Examine how the company will protect data
Keep secrets out of the app bundle
React Native’s security guide warns: “Never store sensitive API keys in your app code.” An application bundle can be inspected, so credentials embedded in it should not be treated as secret. If the app needs a secret to access a resource, ask whether a server-side orchestration layer should make that request instead. Have the vendor distinguish public app configuration from credentials that must remain confidential.
Match storage to sensitivity
Ask where access tokens and persisted user data will live, and why that storage is suitable for their sensitivity. React Native describes Async Storage as an asynchronous, unencrypted key-value store maintained by the community; it is appropriate for non-sensitive persisted data, not tokens or secrets. The guide points to platform-specific secure storage options such as iOS Keychain Services and Android Keystore. Ask the team to explain what it will store, what protection it relies on, and how the app handles data that should not persist.
Rank #4
Ask about network protections and their upkeep
Have the vendor explain how the app communicates with APIs over SSL encryption and what its threat model requires beyond that. Certificate pinning can be a client-side technique, but it creates operational work: embedded certificates must be updated when server certificates change. Ask who owns that maintenance and recovery plan rather than treating pinning as a universal security checkbox.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Compare candidates with the same evidence requests
Use these prompts consistently so you can compare the substance of each proposal. The areas are evaluation prompts, not a validated weighted scorecard; give them weight according to your app’s native features, data sensitivity, existing codebase, and in-house maintenance capacity.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11| Evaluation area | Ask the company | Request evidence |
|---|---|---|
| iOS and Android integration | Which requirements need native APIs, modules, or views, and how will those integrations be maintained? | A relevant shipped-work walkthrough, a technical design, and a clear boundary between shared JavaScript and native code. |
| Architecture and dependencies | Which React Native or Expo versions and libraries does the design require? How will compatibility and upgrades be handled? | A dependency inventory and version-specific upgrade plan, with risks and unsupported modules identified. |
| Security and data handling | Where will credentials, tokens, and persisted user data be stored? What data leaves the device? | A data-flow explanation that distinguishes configuration from secrets, sensitive from non-sensitive storage, and protected network traffic. |
| Performance | What measurements identify the app’s bottleneck, and what change is expected to improve it? | Baseline and target measurements tied to the app’s requirements—not an architecture claim standing in for evidence. |
Make the decision fit your app and team
A company’s proposal should make trade-offs visible: which parts are shared, where native work is needed, which dependencies carry upgrade risk, and how security and performance decisions will be maintained after launch. Compare candidates on how clearly they answer those questions and substantiate their plans. The official React Native and Expo materials cited here establish technical considerations, but do not establish agency rankings, rates, contract terms, or provider outcomes; those claims need separate, provider-specific verification.
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