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Same build, same signing, same submit — plus a device to run it on.
EAS Build compiles, signs and submits React Native apps without a Mac, with OTA updates and a generous free tier. For pure RN build pipelines it is excellent — and its MCP server (free plan, Jun 2026) shows Expo gets the agent era.
But a binary is not a verification. EAS has no cloud simulator to install it on (phone simulators are a waitlisted preview), no agent verbs to tap through it, no share link for the team, and no record-replay. You know it compiled. You don't know it works.
$ sidekick agent-setup # skill + MCP, one command $ sidekick xcode build . --scheme MyApp # no Mac needed $ sidekick ios create # agent drives, you watch in the browser
| What you are deciding | Sidekick | Expo EAS Build |
|---|---|---|
| Build | ||
| Remote Xcode build (no Mac needed)Sidekick: Claim-logs-finish loop unit-tested (fakeRunner); no Mac fleet witnessed | 🛣️ Roadmap | ➖ Partial |
| Android / Gradle cloud buildSidekick: Daemon runs xcodebuild only; no Gradle path implemented | 🛣️ Roadmap | ✅ Yes |
| Signing handled (certs, profiles, keystores)Sidekick: No signing code yet | 🛣️ Roadmap | ✅ Yes |
| Store submit from terminal (TestFlight + Play)Sidekick: Play dry-run validated in unit tests only; no live upload witnessed | 🛣️ Roadmap | ✅ Yes |
| Devices | ||
| iOS simulatorsSidekick: Provision/verb loop unit-tested (fakeDevice); needs a Mac fleet | 🛣️ Roadmap | ➖ Partial |
| Android emulators + adb tunnel | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Apple TV / tvOS + Android TVSidekick: No TV code yet | 🛣️ Roadmap | ❌ No |
| Roku (real hardware)Sidekick: Backlog: needs real hardware pool | 🛣️ Roadmap | ❌ No |
| Foldables (posture + rotate verbs) | ➖ Partial | ❌ No |
| Real physical devices | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Agent control | ||
| CLI with device verbs (tap, type, screenshot) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Agent skill file (skill install) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| MCP server | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| UI / accessibility tree reads | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Batch actions (ms precision) | ➖ Partial | ❌ No |
| Session video recording | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| App logs + network capture | ✅ Yes | ➖ Partial |
| Sharing | ||
| Live share links (no login needed)Sidekick: webrtc_url plumbed; no media server witnessed | 🛣️ Roadmap | ➖ Partial |
| Embeddable player (iframe / SDK)Sidekick: No iframe/SDK implemented | 🛣️ Roadmap | ❌ No |
| Live collaboration + human takeoverSidekick: Not implemented | 🛣️ Roadmap | ❌ No |
| Testing | ||
| Record once, replay everywhere | ✅ Yes | ➖ Partial |
| Visual regression per step | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| AI / plain-English testing | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| CI runner + GitHub checksSidekick: Actions + checks | 🛣️ Roadmap | ✅ Yes |
| Platform | ||
| Self-hostable (BYO Mac minis) | ➖ Partial | ➖ Partial |
| Source-available (FSL → Apache-2.0) | ✅ Yes | ➖ Partial |
| Public pricing + free tier, no card | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Per-instance sandbox tokens + region pin | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Sidekick 13 Yes · 11 Roadmap · 3 Partial · 1 No · Expo EAS Build 6 Yes · 0 Roadmap · 7 Partial · 15 No. ✅ Yes · 🛣️ Roadmap = public, lands in the open (self-host nightlies available) · ➖ Partial · ❌ No. Last updated 27 Sep 2026 — Expo EAS Build claims checked at https://expo.dev. Expo EAS Build pricing: Free (30 builds) · Starter $19/mo · Production $199/mo.
Build profiles, fingerprint-based build reuse, OTA updates to 1M+ MAUs, auto-submit. For Expo/RN teams this is the gold standard — we match the verbs, not the decade of polish.
EAS Update pushes JS bundles over the air to massive audiences. Sidekick live-dev hot-reloads onto cloud devices instead; production OTA is on our roadmap, not in our changelog.
You ship Expo/RN and only need binaries + OTA: EAS. Updates to millions of users is a distribution system, not a device lab.
An agent must verify the change on a running app: Sidekick. EAS produces the binary; Sidekick boots it on iOS/Android/TV and lets the agent tap, read and screenshot.
Your app isn't React Native: Sidekick builds any Xcode/Gradle project. EAS is RN-first by design.
Non-engineers must see the build: Sidekick share links open in a browser with no account. EAS internal distribution still means installing builds.
Not generally — phone simulators are a waitlisted preview, and TV/Roku are absent. Sidekick boots every build on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV devices today, Roku on the roadmap.
Via the Expo MCP server for build operations. But there is no device to drive afterwards. Sidekick pairs every build with a drivable device, one CLI for both.
Honestly the best RN setup today might be EAS for OTA distribution plus Sidekick for agent verification. We'd rather say that than pretend OTA isn't real.
Published Sep 2026 · Expo EAS Build homepage and docs verified 27 Sep 2026 ·t Scores count roadmap as delivered because every roadmap item is public and source-available.