Best Expo Starter Kit 2026: Pick by the App You Build
The best Expo starter kit is the one closest to the app you are building: pick a product kit when your idea matches one, and a general boilerplate when you need subscriptions, a SaaS back office or a browser extension around the app.
The best Expo starter kit in 2026 is the one closest to the app you are building. If your idea is a booking, fitness, marketplace or games app, start from an OTF Expo kit: the product is already built for iOS, Android and the web from one codebase, at $99. If you need subscriptions through in-app purchases, a SaaS back office or a browser extension, a general boilerplate such as NativeExpress, TurboStarter or MakerKit fits better.
Competitor facts on this page come from each vendor's own site, read on 2026-11-10. Prices change, so check the live page before you pay.
The kits, by the app you're building
| Kit | Best for | Sign-in | Payments | Price (2026-11-10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTF Booking (Cadence) | Appointments for coaches, stylists, clinics | Supabase Auth | Stripe Checkout per booking | $99 |
| OTF Fitness | Workout and wellness apps | Email and Google | Not switched on | $99 |
| OTF Marketplace | Two-sided services marketplaces | Email and Google, for buyers and sellers | Add your own payment key | $99 |
| OTF Arcade | Games hubs and stores | Local demo session | Not included | $99 |
| NativeExpress | Subscription apps | Google, Apple and email on Supabase | RevenueCat subscriptions | $229 one-time |
| TurboStarter | Web, mobile and a browser extension in one repo | Email, magic link, social, two-factor | Six providers incl. Stripe and RevenueCat | Core $249 one-time |
| MakerKit React Native | Multi-tenant SaaS with a mobile client | Supabase, with MFA and OAuth | Checkout on the web only | Supabase kit Pro $299 lifetime |
All four OTF kits are on Expo SDK 58 and ship an eas.json. The Everything Bundle is $149 for every Live kit, including the two web kits.
How to choose
Your idea matches a product kit. Open the live demo, on the web and on your phone, and check the kit's "not included" line on its page. A product kit saves the screens and flows, not only the plumbing. OTF's kits each ship CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, .cursorrules and task prompts, so Claude Code or Cursor can extend them in the kit's own conventions.
You sell subscriptions inside the app. NativeExpress says its subscriptions run on RevenueCat, with a purchase and restore flow. TurboStarter also lists RevenueCat and Superwall. None of OTF's Expo kits switches on in-app purchases today.
You need web, mobile and an extension together. TurboStarter's Core Kit lists a Next.js web app, an Expo mobile app and a WXT browser extension in one codebase.
You are building a B2B SaaS that also needs an app. MakerKit's React Native kit is an Expo app plus a Next.js app on one Supabase project, with teams and invitations. It installs only on MakerKit's Next.js Supabase kit, and its page lists push notifications, magic link and passkey sign-in as planned but not built.
Coming from a web-only starter or an AI app builder? Read how to get a Lovable or Bolt app into the App Store, or compare otf-kit vs MakerKit, otf-kit vs ShipFast and otf-kit vs Supastarter.
Sources
- NativeExpress homepage, price, sign-in, RevenueCat and Expo SDK note: https://native.express/ (read 2026-11-10)
- TurboStarter homepage, price, platforms and billing providers: https://www.turbostarter.dev/ (read 2026-11-10)
- MakerKit React Native SaaS Starter Kit: https://makerkit.dev/react-native-supabase (read 2026-11-10)
- MakerKit pricing: https://makerkit.dev/pricing (read 2026-11-10)
- Expo EAS Build: https://docs.expo.dev/build/introduction/ and EAS Submit for iOS: https://docs.expo.dev/submit/ios/ (read 2026-11-10)
- OTF kit pages, including what each kit leaves out: https://otf-kit.dev/templates
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best Expo starter kit in 2026?
- It depends on the app. For a booking, fitness, marketplace or games app, an OTF Expo kit gives you that product already built for iOS, Android and the web at $99. For a subscription app that needs in-app purchases, NativeExpress ships RevenueCat. For one codebase that also covers a web app and a browser extension, TurboStarter. For a multi-tenant SaaS with a mobile client, MakerKit's React Native kit.
- Which Expo starter kits include payments?
- On 2026-11-10: NativeExpress runs subscriptions on RevenueCat; TurboStarter lists Stripe, Lemon Squeezy, Polar, Dodo Payments, RevenueCat and Superwall; MakerKit keeps checkout on the web. OTF's Booking kit takes payment per booking through Stripe Checkout, Marketplace confirms orders without charging until you add your own payment key, and Fitness and Arcade do not switch payments on.
- Can an Expo starter kit ship to the App Store?
- Yes. Expo projects are built into iOS and Android binaries with EAS Build and uploaded with EAS Submit, and a paid Apple Developer account is required to submit to the App Store. Every OTF Expo kit ships an eas.json with development, preview and production profiles.
- Are these one-time purchases?
- On 2026-11-10 all four vendors sold one-time licences: NativeExpress $229, TurboStarter Core $249, MakerKit Pro $299 for the Supabase kit that the Expo add-on needs, and OTF $99 per kit or $149 for every Live kit.
