Best React Native Boilerplates for 2026

React Native in 2026: Expo-First Era

React Native in 2026 means Expo. The React Native community's shift to Expo is complete — the New Architecture (JSI, Fabric, TurboModules) ships stable, and Expo SDK 52 supports it fully. For new React Native projects, starting without Expo is now the exception, not the rule.

For JavaScript developers building mobile SaaS, React Native's JavaScript/TypeScript foundation and shared ecosystem with web development makes it the most natural choice.

Quick Comparison

Starter	Price	Auth	Billing	Navigation	Testing	Best For
Expo Router Starter	Free	❌	❌	File-based	❌	Modern Expo baseline
Ignite	Free	JWT	❌	React Navigation	MobX-State-Tree	Teams, production apps
Expo + Supabase	Free	Supabase Auth	❌	Expo Router	❌	Supabase-backed apps
t4-app	Free	Clerk/Supabase	❌	Expo Router	❌	Next.js + Expo monorepo
ShipFlutter	$149	Firebase/Supabase	RevenueCat	—	❌	⚠️ Flutter, not RN

The Starters

Expo Router Starter — Best Baseline

Price: Free | Creator: Expo team

The official Expo starter for Expo Router v3. File-based routing (like Next.js but for mobile), tab navigation, stack navigation, TypeScript, and shared code patterns. The right foundation for any modern React Native app.

npx create-expo-app@latest --template
# Choose: Navigation (Tabs) template

Choose if: You want the current official Expo baseline with file-based routing.

Ignite — Best Production Architecture

Price: Free | Creator: Infinite Red

The battle-tested React Native boilerplate. MobX-State-Tree state management, React Navigation, TypeScript, Reactotron debugging, AsyncStorage, i18n, and Jest testing. Actively maintained since 2016 with a large community.

npx ignite-cli@latest new MyApp
# Generates complete project structure with:
# models/ (MST stores)
# screens/ (with pre-built examples)
# components/ (design system)
# services/ (API layer)
# i18n/ (multi-language)

Choose if: You're building a serious production app with a team and need a proven architecture.

Expo + Supabase Template — Best Free Backend

Price: Free | Creator: Supabase team

Official Expo + Supabase integration template. Supabase Auth (email/password, OAuth), Supabase client setup, protected routes, and TypeScript. The fastest way to get a React Native app talking to a PostgreSQL backend.

Choose if: You're using Supabase and want an official starting point.

t4-app — Best Monorepo

Price: Free | Creator: Tim Miller

Type-safe, universal monorepo for Next.js (web) and Expo (mobile) sharing code. Tamagui UI components, tRPC, Solito navigation abstraction, and Supabase/Clerk auth. Write UI components once, use on web and mobile.

packages/
├── ui/          # Tamagui components (web + mobile)
├── api/         # tRPC router
└── db/          # Prisma schema + migrations
apps/
├── next/        # Next.js web app
└── expo/        # Expo mobile app

Choose if: You're building a SaaS that needs both a web app and mobile app sharing UI code.

Mobile Billing for React Native

In-app purchases are mandatory for App Store distribution and recommended for Play Store:

RevenueCat

import Purchases from 'react-native-purchases';

// Initialize
await Purchases.configure({ apiKey: 'YOUR_KEY' });

// Fetch offerings
const offerings = await Purchases.getOfferings();
const monthly = offerings.current?.availablePackages.find(
  p => p.packageType === PACKAGE_TYPE.MONTHLY
);

// Purchase
const { customerInfo } = await Purchases.purchasePackage(monthly);

RevenueCat handles the platform differences between StoreKit (iOS) and Google Billing (Android) behind a unified API.

Stripe (Web Billing via WebView)

For apps that charge via web rather than in-app purchases:

import { WebView } from 'react-native-webview';

// Open Stripe Checkout in WebView
<WebView
  source={{ uri: `https://yourapp.com/checkout?userId=${userId}` }}
  onNavigationStateChange={handleNavigationChange}
/>

React Native vs Flutter Decision

Factor	React Native	Flutter
Language	JavaScript/TypeScript	Dart
Team background	Web developers	Any background
Web code sharing	✅ (t4-app pattern)	⚠️ (separate web strategy)
Native look	✅ Uses native components	⚠️ Custom rendering
Performance	Good (New Architecture)	Excellent (Impeller)
OTA updates	✅ Expo EAS Update	❌ Not possible
Ecosystem	npm (massive)	pub.dev (growing)

Rule of thumb: If your team builds web apps with React, use React Native. If you're starting fresh and want the best cross-platform performance, evaluate Flutter.

Compare all React Native boilerplates on StarterPick — find the right mobile SaaS starter.

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