Looking for the best budget React Native app templates? I've spent more than 60 hours researching and testing the most affordable options out there. My goal was simple: find templates that actually save time, cut costs, and avoid unnecessary headaches in development. This review is based on hands-on time, digging into codebases, setting up demo projects, and pushing these tools through real app scenarios.
Notice: This content was developed using AI tools and may mention businesses I'm associated with.
With several years of cross-platform app development under my belt, plus working with startups and indie teams, I’ve tested plenty of templates. Some work well, others not so much. If you want to move fast, keep your app looking modern, and avoid getting bogged down, picking the right template can make all the difference.
Have a React Native template you think should be featured here, or want to share your own story? I’m always open to community tips!
My Comparison Approach
To keep things fair and useful, I used the same process for each template:
- Setup Process – How fast can I get a project running, and how clear is the initial setup?
- Core App Features – I built test apps to see which UI elements and features actually work without much fixing.
- Code Organization – Is it clean, modular, and understandable? Can beginners find their way around?
- Performance & Stability – I ran each template on Android and iOS and watched for build errors or crashes.
- Documentation & Help – Is the documentation helpful? Does anyone answer questions if I’m stuck?
- Cost vs Value – What’s the real spend for indie developers, and is there a decent free tier or trial?
- Overall Experience – Would I honestly use this to jumpstart a real project?
🏆 Best Overall: Gluestack Market
Effortless setup, smart design, and an actually enjoyable dev experience.
Right from signup, Gluestack Market felt smooth. Setup takes just a few minutes, and everything is laid out plainly. I found myself building real screens almost instantly. Gluestack focuses on providing React Native app templates and UI kits that reduce repetitive work. With cross-platform support and a modern stack, there’s less worry about code quality or future-proofing.
Explore it here: Gluestack Market
What stood out
- Ready-to-go React Native app templates and UI kits
- Works for iOS, Android, and web with one codebase
- Uses React Native, Expo, TypeScript, gluestack-ui, NativeWind
- Offers premium, “copy-paste” UI screens, all accessible and easy to customize via gluestack-ui pro
- Big time saver when compared with building everything from scratch
- Clearly thought-out to cover accessibility and mobile responsiveness
Where it could improve
- Some comfort with React Native and TypeScript unlocks more flexibility
- A few advanced templates are not live yet and marked as “Coming Soon”
Pricing breakdown
Standard premium templates run $99.00; you’ll also find a few free ones (like their Weather App). Accessing the full pro UI screen library is a one-time $199.00. Their full-stack starter AppLaunchKit is also $199.00. They sometimes run promos but do not require a recurring subscription.
🥈 Second Place: Code.market - Lots of Choices, Steep Learning Curve
Vast library that works better if you know what you’re doing.
Code.market really shines if you want a huge range of template options. There’s stuff for every app category - from fintech tech to food delivery. For all the breadth, I found the marketplace cluttered, and it felt like you need solid app dev experience. Documentation is there, but it jumps in the deep end quickly.
See their marketplace: Code.market
What I appreciate
- Likely the widest assortment of React Native mobile templates anywhere
- Good for advanced and niche app types
- Has integration support with things like Shopify and WordPress
- Option to upload and sell your own templates
What I struggled with
- Onboarding is tough, especially if you’re just getting started
- Marketplace is busy and feels a little outdated
- Documentation often expects you already know mobile frameworks
- Customer support can be scarce-often requires digging through forums to troubleshoot
Price points
Templates usually start at about $18 each. There’s no free trial, and full access to features only kicks in after payment.
🥉 NativeBase Market - Feature-Rich, But Not For Everyone
Great range of tools, but not always simple to use.
NativeBase Market gives you a big menu of React Native and web templates and themes. It’s built on the well-known NativeBase UI library. You can find everything from free starter kits to “all-in” paid bundles with TypeScript and production code quality. Still, to really use these templates, you’ll need a working knowledge of React Native.
Browse options at: NativeBase Market
What works well
- Huge list of prebuilt screens and reusable app components
- Flexible template categories: e-commerce, delivery, startup starter kits
- Solid documentation and custom themes
- Active developer community for questions and sharing
What slows you down
- Not easy if you’re new to the React Native ecosystem
- Libraries are updated often and sometimes break during upgrades
- Heavy customization often means sifting through the internals
- Tends to feel traditional and less streamlined than some competitors
Pricing info
Individual templates start at $49. The biggest Startup+ Bundle is $199 (one-off). Free starter kits exist, but premium app features sit behind a paywall.
React Native Market - Good Templates, But Little Help
Plenty of resources, but you’re mostly on your own.
React Native Market provides a broad selection of app templates and UI kits. Some are built for instant use; others need a bit of work to round out. You’ll find both free and paid templates, with live demos to try before buying. Unfortunately, hands-on help and written guides are minimal.
Explore: React Native Market
What’s useful
- Strong template and UI kit variety
- Modern stack options (many based on react-native-paper)
- Both paid and free templates to browse
- Source code always included
- Live demos to preview designs
Where it lacks
- Some templates feel unfinished and require extra work
- Support responses can be slow (wait times of several days for email help)
- If you want more than React Native, template choices are thin
- Limited reviews or clear ratings to judge quality in advance
- New users need to rely on self-troubleshooting; not much onboarding advice
Price range
Most templates cost $15–$29. They offer subscriptions for regular updates but no public free trial. Sometimes there are free templates with limited features.
CraftReactNative - For Tinkerers, Not Out-of-the-Box Solutions
You get flexibility, provided you have some patience and skill.
CraftReactNative delivers a big library of React Native UI components and templates. Components come neatly documented, and you pay once for perpetual access. The catch is that assembling a fully-polished app is still DIY work. It’s more about piecing together flows and logic using their building blocks rather than copying full app templates.
Browse at: CraftReactNative
What’s handy
- Wide variety of customizable components and production templates
- Lifetime access (no renewals or subscriptions)
- Frequent updates from an engaged developer
- Supports both Expo-managed and bare React Native projects
What’s tricky
- Better suited to developers who already know how to stitch things together
- Templates don’t immediately function as complete apps; require extra glue
- Expect a learning curve putting flows together
- Support is limited to GitHub and community, not live chat
Pricing
- Free – Basic component library
- Individual – One-off $79, lifetime templates and updates (discount from $109)
- Team – One-off $199 for 5 dev seats (discount from $299)
- No recurring costs and no free trial
Matic UI - Comprehensive, But Not the Easiest on a Budget
Strong multi-stack support, but not ideal for tight budgets or quick launches.
Matic UI aims to cover both web and React Native developers. Its collection spans hundreds of reusable blocks and components across React Native, Next.js, Tailwind, and more. If you build in multiple frameworks or need a mix of web and mobile kits, this helps with consistency.
However, budget users and teams running small projects will probably outgrow the free version quickly. The number of included components is limited, and commercial usage starts at $29/month. Some onboarding docs are dense, and support response times can lag during busy seasons.
Start here: Matic UI
Where it delivers
- Libraries for React Native, Next.js, Tailwind, Bootstrap, ShadCN
- Comprehensive docs and TypeScript support
- Responsive out-of-the-box: both for web and mobile
- Frequent updates and increasingly active community
What could be better
- Free plan lets you access only 5 components a month (non-commercial only)
- Many components cannot be heavily customized
- Pricing is steeper for indie users-$29/month (Dev), $99/month (Agency)
- Support can be slow to answer questions
- The dashboard and onboarding can be overwhelming for beginners
Pricing options
- Free: 5 components per month, non-commercial
- Developer: $29/month
- Agency: $99/month
- Lifetime: $499 one-time
- 30-day money-back guarantee and free trial for paid plans
code.market - Big Numbers, Unpredictable Experience
Endless catalog, but spotty delivery and support.
code.market advertises tens of thousands of templates and assets for all sorts of frontend frameworks, including React Native. You’ll never run out of options, but the experience of buying and getting support can be rocky. Documentation varies, and sometimes purchases are slow to be delivered.
Browse it here: code.market
What’s impressive
- An enormous spread of templates and UI assets
- Quality screening for what actually goes up for sale
- Large, active user base
- Wide-ranging payment options
What’s frustrating
- Some purchases take time to arrive, and there’s rare cases of non-delivery
- Customer support is unreliable, with many users reporting slow or no responses
- Unclear refund policies; contested purchases are tough to resolve
- Template docs are often basic or incomplete
Typical costs
Most templates average around $18. There’s no try-before-you-buy, and demo projects tend to restrict key functions.
Other Platforms I Tried (At a Glance)
- React Native Directory: Large catalog, but focuses on component listings.
- React Native Components: Few templates, mostly just UI parts.
- React Native: Official site-great docs, but no templates.
- React Native Elements: Only UI components, not starter app kits.
- NativeBase: Stylish, modular UI, but not complete templates.
- Material UI: Powerful, but made for web React, not mobile.
- Flutter: Different framework; not for React Native.
- Ionic Framework: Hybrid/cross-platform, not React Native-based.
- Tailwind UI: Web-oriented, not for React Native apps.
- Bootstrap: UI system for web, not mobile app templates.
- Bulma: CSS framework, not geared for React Native.
- Foundation: Web-centric, little mobile support.
- Onsen UI: Hybrid mobile, not for React Native.
- Xamarin: Not part of React Native ecosystem.
- Apache Cordova: Lacks true template marketplace; different tech.
- Framework7: Focused on web apps, not React Native.
- Sencha: Enterprise-focused, expensive, and not React Native.
- Kivy: Python UI, unrelated to React Native.
- SAP Build Apps: Low-code only; not customizable templates.
- NativeScript: Different stack, not React Native.
- Figma: Design only, no code output.
- Sketch: UI design, not app code.
- InVisionApp Inc.: Prototyping-no templates or code.
- Adobe XD: Design tool, not a code starter.
- Axure RP: Wireframes, no app code output.
- Flinto: Just for prototyping.
- Proto.io: Mockups, not aimed at app code.
- Marvel: For prototyping only.
- Balsamiq: Wireframe-focused, not for devs.
- UXPin: UX design, not for React Native PMs.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the best budget React Native app template is about more than just cost-it’s about setup speed, code confidence, and having real features when you deploy. Most tools have their own pitfalls: some are too complicated for everyday use, others lack features or stay stuck in beta. Some don’t get updates or simply don’t deliver as promised.
After all my testing, I keep coming back to Gluestack Market. The templates there are production-ready, cross-platform, and simple to get started with. For any developer or team who wants to deliver functional, modern-looking mobile apps quickly, it strikes the right balance between flexibility, reliability, and UE polish. The tech stack feels fresh, the screens work out of the box, and you won’t spend ages fighting setup bugs.
That wraps up my rundown of the best budget React Native app templates. Thanks for reading, and if you discover new platforms or have your own success stories, reach out. It helps the whole community build better apps, faster.
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