Native-feel mobile apps — React Native and Swift, on the stores from day one.
React Native development agency for cross-platform apps, Swift and SwiftUI for iOS where native craft is the product. Novura Studios ships mobile apps users open daily — instrumented for engagement, launched on the App Store and Play Store with TestFlight and Play Console workflows, and architected on the modern React Native (Fabric, Hermes, TurboModules) that closed the native-performance gap for 2026.
- Cross-platform default: React Native with the New Architecture (Fabric renderer, Hermes engine, TurboModules).
- Native when it matters: Swift / SwiftUI for iOS, Kotlin / Jetpack Compose for Android — invoked through native modules or full-native when the app demands it.
- Launch-ready: TestFlight + App Store Connect, Google Play Console, App Review preparation included.
- Production toolchain: Expo + EAS Build, RevenueCat for IAP, cloud or custom backend, Sentry for crash reporting, OTA updates via EAS Update.
- ASO support: store metadata, screenshots, keywords, and on-page conversion treated as part of the launch — not a separate engagement.
Cross-platform, native when it matters.
The New Architecture closed the gap — React Native is indistinguishable from native for most apps.
The 2020 trade-off between React Native and full-native is not the 2026 trade-off. The New Architecture — Fabric for rendering, Hermes for JS execution, TurboModules for synchronous native calls — closed most of the performance gap that mattered in earlier versions. Apps that animate with Reanimated 3 and use native modules selectively for the platform-heavy parts are indistinguishable from full-native to users.
That said: full Swift / SwiftUI still wins for apps whose identity is the platform — heavy gestures, premium animations, iOS-first quality as the product's differentiator. We build both, and the recommendation in a scoping call is based on your audience and ambition, not on what's cheapest to staff. Dual-stack — Swift for iOS, React Native for Android, sharing API contracts — is also on the table when it makes sense.
Modern mobile, top to bottom.
The toolchain we reach for — adjustable to your platform constraints and product ambition.
- Framework
- React Native (New Architecture) on Expo + EAS Build for most engagements; bare RN when needed.
- Native (iOS)
- Swift, SwiftUI, Combine for the cases that call for it.
- Native (Android)
- Kotlin and Jetpack Compose for Android-native modules and full-native engagements.
- Animation
- Reanimated 3, Gesture Handler, Skia where the design pushes the platform.
- Backend
- Supabase or Firebase for many MVPs; Next.js + Postgres when the app shares an API with a web product.
- Payments
- RevenueCat for in-app purchases and subscriptions; Stripe for any non-IAP flows.
- Observability
- Sentry for crashes, OTA-aware. Optional PostHog or Mixpanel for product analytics.
- OTA updates
- EAS Update (Expo) or CodePush (bare) for JS-only fixes without a store review cycle.
Architecture to App Store, in twelve weeks.
From design tokens to App Review prep — sequenced for a real launch, not a demo.
- Weeks 1–2
Architecture, design system, store accounts.
Routing structure, data model, design tokens for both platforms, App Store Connect / Play Console set up under your team account.
- Weeks 2–8
Core flows.
The 3–5 user flows that define the MVP, on both platforms, demoable via TestFlight and internal Play track from week 4.
- Weeks 8–12
Polish, ASO, store submission.
Store metadata, screenshots, keyword research, App Review prep. Submission, then shepherding through review.
- Ongoing
Iteration and OTA.
OTA channel for JS fixes; planned binary releases for new features. Crash and engagement monitoring live.
Frequently asked questions.
What teams ask before scoping a mobile build.
- React Native or Swift — which should I choose?
- React Native when you're building both iOS and Android, the UI is mostly standard surface (lists, forms, navigation, charts), and you want one codebase plus the option of native modules where needed. Swift (or Kotlin) when the app's identity is the platform — heavy use of platform-specific APIs, complex gestures, demanding animations, or when iOS-first quality is the product's differentiator. We build both, and we'll tell you honestly which one fits your case.
- How long does it take to build a mobile app in 2026?
- Scoped MVPs (3–5 core flows, real auth, real backend, both stores) typically take 10–14 weeks to first submission. Larger apps with offline-first, payments, complex media, or significant AI surfaces are scoped separately. Faster than 10 weeks usually means a template you don't actually own; slower than 14 means scope creep — let's scope honestly.
- How much does an iOS app cost in 2026?
- Engagements are custom-quoted because cost scales with feature surface, native-module count, design depth, and platform parity. The compressed answer: scoped MVPs with auth + database + 4 flows + both stores are an order of magnitude lower than they were in 2020, because the stack has matured. We'll model your specific scope in a 30-minute call before quoting.
- Can React Native deliver native performance?
- In 2026, yes — for the vast majority of apps. The New Architecture (Fabric renderer, Hermes engine, TurboModules) closed most of the gap that was real in 2020. Apps that animate at 60+ FPS with Reanimated 3 and use native modules selectively for platform-heavy work are indistinguishable from full-native to users. The edge cases that still demand Swift are real but smaller than they used to be.
- What's the difference between Expo and bare React Native?
- Expo is a managed framework on top of React Native that handles native build configuration, OTA updates, and a curated module set for you. Bare React Native means owning the iOS and Android projects directly. Expo wins for time-to-launch and apps that don't need exotic native modules. Bare wins when you need full native control. With EAS Build, Expo's commercial offering, most teams now stay managed longer than they used to.
- How do I publish to the App Store and Play Store?
- App Store: Apple Developer Program enrollment, TestFlight for beta, Xcode upload to App Store Connect, then App Review (typically 24–48 hours in 2026). Play Store: Google Play Console enrollment, internal/closed testing tracks, signed bundle upload, then review (typically faster than Apple). We handle the submission and shepherd it through review including any common review-team push-backs.
- Should I build iOS first or both platforms together?
- If you're React Native, both. If you're native, iOS first when your audience is North American consumer or premium; Android first when your audience is global or emerging-market. iOS-first is a common pattern not because Android is worse but because the iOS App Store user base is more willing to try new apps from new brands, so it's a faster validation loop.
- How do mobile app updates work after launch?
- Two channels. Native code changes — anything that touches the binary — go through the App Store and Play Store with review. JavaScript and asset updates can ship over-the-air (OTA) via EAS Update or CodePush, which is how you fix a copy typo without a 48-hour review cycle. We set up both channels and document which kinds of fixes go where, so an emergency on launch night is a 10-minute deploy, not a 2-day wait.
Services that ship alongside mobile.
Mobile rarely ships alone — these are the services that surround it.
Build an app users open daily.
Tell us what you're building. Same business day reply with a scoped next step.