What is the difference between Expo CLI and React Native CLI?

Question

React Native provides two way to create Project.

First:

npm install -g expo-cli

Second:

npm install -g react-native-cli

so what is different between them and what should be used if we create react native app?

Answer 1

React Native init:

Advantages:

• You can add native modules written in Java/Objective-C (probably the strongest feature)
• You will be having control over the builds.

Disadvantages:

• Needs Android Studio and XCode to run the projects
• You can't develop for iOS without having a mac
• Device has to be connected via USB to use it for testing
• Fonts need to be imported manually in XCode
• If you want to share the app you need to send the whole .apk / .ipa file
• Does not provide JS APIs out of the box, e.g. Push-Notifications, Asset Manager, they need to be manually installed and linked with npm for example
• Setting up a working project properly (inlcuding device configuration) is rather complicated and can take time

Expo:

Advantages:

• Setting up a project is easy and can be done in minutes
• You (and other people) can open the project while you're working on it
• Sharing the app is easy (via QR-code or link), you don't have to send the whole .apk or .ipa file
• No build necessary to run the app
• Integrates some basic libraries in a standard project (Push Notifications, Asset Manager,...)
• You can eject it to ExpoKit and integrate native code continuing using some of the Expo features, but not all of them
• Expo can build .apk and .ipa files (distribution to stores possible with Expo)

Disadvantages:

• You can't add native modules (probably a gamechanger for some)
• You can't use libraries that use native code in Objective-C/Java
• The standard Hello World app is about 25MB big (because of the integrated libraries)
• If you want to use: FaceDetector, ARKit o Payments you need to eject it to ExpoKit
• Ejecting it to ExpoKit has a trade-off of features of Expo, e.g. you cannot share via QR code
• When ejecting to ExpoKit you are limited to the react native version that is supported by ExpoKit at that point in time
• Debugging in ExpoKit (with native modules) is a lot more complicated, since it mixes two languages and different libraries (no official Expo support anymore)

And you can use any one which satisfies your applications requirement