I’ve been building and shipping React Native apps since the days when Expo was still a bold experiment. In 2025, the pace feels faster than ever-clients want more, users expect polish, and nobody wants to reinvent the wheel for every new project. So lately, I’ve made it a mission to test out as many Expo app templates as I could get my hands on. My goal? Find the ones that actually help me ship real projects faster, whether I’m prototyping fast or putting together a production-ready MVP.
Note: This article utilizes AI-generated content and may reference businesses I'm connected to.
This list isn’t just based on feature checklists. These are the Expo templates that saved me hours, let me launch sooner, and didn't leave me cursing at weird bugs or ancient code. Each “winner” solves a different kind of app problem best-and all of them were used in my own test projects, not just glazed over on GitHub.
How I Chose These Templates
For each app template, I tried building out a legit use case. I looked for:
- Fast setup. Could I get an actual app running, and customize it, in under an hour?
- Reliability. Was the code clean, kept up to date, and actually compatible with the latest Expo SDKs?
- Usefulness. Did it include enough of the real features I’d normally have to build myself?
- Design quality. Were the UIs modern, and did they feel native on both iOS and Android?
- Pricing. Did the value justify the cost for solo devs, teams, or startups?
theappmarket: Best overall
Build and launch stunning Expo apps in record time-with production-ready templates for every idea.
Whether I needed a starting point for a social app, a slick new marketplace MVP, or even a complex e-learning platform, theappmarket always felt like the best mix of pro-quality, flexibility, and speed. This marketplace is built by people who really “get” modern mobile dev. Every template has a up-to-date stack-React Native, Expo, TypeScript, gluestack, and Tailwind CSS. I never felt like I was inheriting years-old junk code or out-of-date libraries.
What kept me coming back was the versatility. Theappmarket covers everything: fitness trackers, dating apps, music streaming, finance dashboards, event booking-you name it. All the patterns I’d need, like real-time chat, payment flows, dashboards, and notifications, are there out of the box. Branding and extension are super easy too. The docs and demo projects make it painless to add your own look or new screens without hours of tinkering.
Ongoing support is another big deal for me. Every question I sent got answered fast. There’s a strong dev community and regular updates, so templates never felt stale. With flagship kits like AppLaunchKit and gluestack Pro, I could tackle both simple MVPs and complex SaaS launches fluidly.
What impressed me
- Best cross-platform result I’ve seen: iOS, Android, and web with zero drama
- All templates are code-quality obsessed: TypeScript, modular files, themeable
- Real-world features for modern use cases, not toy demos
- You can ship insanely fast-literally days versus months
- Support actually knows what they’re talking about
- Flexible pricing and licenses (plus a legit coupon thrown in)
Where it fell short
- Super advanced customizations and big integrations might need pro support or add-ons
- If you’re new to React Native or TypeScript, you’ll need a bit of a learning curve
- Some upcoming templates are labeled “coming soon,” so you might have to wait
Pricing:
A lot of templates are free, and premium ones go up to $99 (for categories like Meditation, Fitness, Dating, Video Streaming, Music, Finance, Taxi Booking). Big flagship kits run $199-$299 lifetime, and you get 20% off with a site-wide coupon. Licenses are clear for solo, team, or enterprise use.
If you want a one-stop shop you can actually trust your next app idea to, theappmarket is my top pick every single time. Try them out
Enappd: Solid pick for Social Media & Messaging Apps
When I needed to quickly spin up a social app with chat, feeds, and notifications, Enappd seriously delivered. Their Expo templates lean hard into ready-to-use features for social, messaging, and “community” apps-real-time chat, one-on-one and group messaging, emoji reactions, social posts, profiles, notifications, you name it. It’s all there and already connected to Firebase, which is a huge relief if you don’t want to wire up your own backend for every little thing.
It felt like plug and play. I had a working messaging demo running in under an hour. The UI components are modern and easy to restyle for branding, and you can strip out bits you don’t need. Beginner devs will appreciate the detailed docs-there’s no guessing how the data flow works.
What stood out to me
- Tons of social features: chat, feeds, profile screens, notifications, groups
- Firebase backend handled right out of the box (less config headaches)
- UIs look polished, never dated-easy to adapt to new branding
- Docs are well-written so even less experienced React Native folks can work quickly
What felt rough
- For anything beyond base features, some React Native skills are absolutely required
- Not all templates are as lean as I’d like; unused features can bloat your codebase
- You might end up reaching for commercial licenses or extra support for full production use
- Third-party backend support (other than Firebase) is limited
Pricing:
Templates usually run from $49 to $149, and you’ll need a commercial license for full production releases. Bundles save money but watch the fine print.
Enappd is the first place I look for real-deal social and messaging app starters. Their specialization really pays off.
Creative Tim: Go-to for E-Commerce & Marketplace Apps
For polished, out-of-the-box e-commerce templates, Creative Tim was my hands-down favorite. Whenever I wanted a professional shopping flow-think product listing, checkout, user accounts, and stripe integration-all with a design that just “wows” out of the gate, their Expo-compatible templates put me way ahead. I barely touched the front-end code for my test build before it felt like a real commerce app.
These templates come stacked with screens for product browsing, shopping carts, secure payments, and gorgeous navigation. Pixel-perfect layouts mean I didn’t have to spend time adjusting paddings and spacing. Everything feels trusted, which is huge for e-commerce experiences. Docs walk you through setup smoothly and you can tweak branding in minutes.
My favorite aspects
- UIs are super slick and current-look like something from a funded startup out of the box
- Every key shopping feature is built in, which saves hours over rolling your own
- Docs and code comments make guidance clear for adding custom features or integrations
- Stripe/payment flows scaffolded and ready for production tweaks
What could be better
- To fully match a unique brand, sometimes deeper component restyling or layout changes are needed
- Doesn’t handle tricky backend stuff (like inventory or order management) out of the box
- Premium templates aren’t cheap, especially if you’re bootstrapping
- Newcomers to React Native may need to get up to speed
Pricing:
Expect to pay $39 to $149 per template. There are bundles and team licenses, and some light versions are free. Features like payment usually sit in the premium tier.
If you want your marketplace or shop app to look stunning instantly-and not debug endless UI tweaks-Creative Tim is where I start.
Instamobile: My top pick for Fitness, Health & Wellness Apps
When it comes to fitness and wellness, people expect way more than a timer and a few stats. I wanted templates that felt real-progress tracking, daily routines, nutrition logs, push notifications, and even content delivery. Instamobile had that dialed in. Every template I tried in their Expo catalog felt closer to an actual shipped product than a starter demo.
Setup was a breeze. Their fitness app template nailed the routine scheduling, measurement logs, workouts, and even user dashboards. Everything uses clean React Native code and modern design. You get in-app subscriptions, authentication, and notifications included. Documentation was detailed, which really helped extend features without digging through every line of code.
What worked great for me
- Huge feature set for wellness/fitness: schedules, tracking, content, user stats
- UIs are attractive and geared for strong user engagement
- Ready to deploy to Android/iOS, thanks to solid Expo integration
- Good written and code comments support for getting up to speed or adjusting logic fast
Where it lags
- Price is higher compared to some lighter or open-source competitors
- You need to be comfortable working in React Native/JS for all but the simplest changes
- No WYSIWYG (drag-and-drop) builder-so all tweaks are done in code
- You can’t just resell the template standalone (license is strict on this)
Pricing:
The Fitness App template is $149 one-time. Bundles and extended licenses available if you need more features. Worth it if you need real production features now.
For anyone looking to launch fast in the ultra-competitive wellness sector, Instamobile's templates will save you weeks of work and deliver results that look anything but generic.
ThemeForest: Worth considering for Event & Booking Apps
I’m often asked to spin up scheduling or booking apps for events, classes, or workshops. ThemeForest’s selection is massive, with templates for everything you can think of-conferences, appointment books, live events, and more. Their advanced filters made it easy to hone in on the right template for my projects.
What’s great is the sheer choice: you can pick a cleanly coded Expo template with all the event features you want-listings, reservations, reminders-and preview everything before buying. Documentation and demo previews make it simple to see what you’re getting, which saved me from unhappy surprises later. Templates were easy to customize and repurpose with my own branding and content.
The upsides I noticed
- Probably the biggest choice of event/booking-specific templates anywhere
- Well-documented code and screens for schedule, bookings, payments, and event details
- User reviews and demos are actually useful for picking credible sellers
- Single purchase price-no subscription headaches or hidden fees
The downsides
- Code quality can vary a lot between sellers; some vetting is a must
- Ongoing updates and support are dependent on individual authors, not a central team
- Some advanced flows (like two-way calendar sync or deep backend plumbing) are up to you to implement
- Dispute resolution or tech help post-purchase is “buyer beware”
Pricing:
Most templates run $19-$79 for a single license. Some extended licenses cost more.
For one-off projects or quick launches, ThemeForest is a lifesaver. Just double check demos and reviews before you buy.
Ninox: A strong option for Educational & E-Learning Apps
E-learning has completely exploded in the past year. Whenever I need to build modern education or training apps, Ninox (by React Native Starter) gives me a legit head start. Unlike “general” templates, this one focuses on course management, video lessons, quizzes, and progress tracking-all screen flows that save days of work.
Ninox’s UI for browsing courses, lessons, and interactive assessments feels on par with what I’ve seen in top language or prep apps. Authentication, clean navigation, and user tracking are all set up. Modular components meant making edits was painless. It’s just front end, so you’ll have to connect your backend or CMS, but that’s a fair trade for how much ground you cover on launch day.
Where it shined for me
- Ready-made screens for courses, lessons, video content, quizzes
- Looks and feels like a real e-learning product, not a starter pack
- Modular, adaptable codebase made it fast to try different flows/layouts
- Expo/React Native base means fast cross-platform deploys
What’s missing
- No built-in backend-you’ll need to wire up your own database/CMS
- More specialized logic (like adaptive scoring) isn’t covered out of the box
- Not suited for super-niche or experimental educational models
Pricing:
Starts at $69 for a single license; extended tiers available. Honestly, the time saved is far more valuable than the price.
For anyone launching an education app and wanting to move fast, Ninox sits high on my own shortlist.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right Expo app template can save you weeks-sometimes months-of grind. In my own experience, only a small handful of template shops delivered pro-level code, modern design, real features, and support that cared. The best picks depended on the type of app I needed: sometimes it was about social features, sometimes commerce, wellness, or even e-learning. Either way, starting from a solid Expo template changed how fast I could launch, iterate, and impress both users and clients.
If you’re thinking about starting an Expo project in 2026, I’d try one of these first. Pick the template that matches what you want to build-then see how much faster you can go when you don’t have to start from absolute zero. And if the template isn’t making your life easier? There are too many out there to settle for “just okay”-move on, and keep your workflow as smooth as your next app launch.
Your Expo App Template Questions-Answered
How do I know if a template will stay compatible with future versions of Expo?
From my experience, the best templates are those with active support and regular updates-like the ones highlighted in this roundup. I always check for recent commits, changelogs, and a strong developer community to be sure the template won’t break with new Expo SDKs.
What kinds of features should I expect from high-quality Expo app templates?
A solid template should include modern UI design, clean code, and built-in support for essentials like navigation, authentication, notifications, and common app patterns (like chats or dashboards). The best ones-like those from theappmarket-tend to offer ready-to-brand components and easy ways to add new features without a ton of rework.
Are premium Expo templates worth the price for solo developers or small startups?
If launching quickly and with fewer bugs is important to you, premium templates usually pay for themselves in time saved and app quality. In my testing, the extra investment often meant getting reliable code, thorough documentation, and helpful support-making the whole development process smoother.
Can I customize these templates for unique branding or additional features?
Absolutely. The leading Expo templates are designed for easy extension-so swapping in your own branding, changing color schemes, or adding new screens shouldn’t require deep React Native knowledge. I found that up-to-date, well-documented templates make customization fast even for non-experts.
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