Knowing how to hire React Native developers starts with one decision most teams skip: what kind of React Native work you actually have. A developer who is excellent with Expo and a straightforward app can be the wrong hire for a bare React Native build with custom native modules. Get that question right and the rest of the hire gets much easier.
This is a buyer’s checklist. It walks the whole process: the setup question to answer first, the skills to screen for, the task to set instead of a trivia quiz, the engagement model, and what it costs.
First, decide what kind of React Native work you have
Generic React skills are not enough. Before you look at a single CV, decide which of these you are building, because they need different strengths.
Expo-managed suits fast iteration and most standard apps: you stay inside the managed workflow and ship quickly. Bare React Native suits apps that need custom native modules, deep platform access, or heavy third-party native dependencies. The two are related but not the same skill, and a strong Expo developer is not automatically strong in the bare workflow.
If your roadmap includes the React Native New Architecture (TurboModules, Fabric, the JSI), you want someone who has actually shipped on it, not just read about it. Since React Native 0.76 the New Architecture is on by default, so this is less optional than it was a year ago. This is where how to hire React Native developers gets specific: decide the setup first, then hire for it. The Expo documentation helps you sanity-check which workflow your project really needs.
The skills checklist: what to screen for
JavaScript and TypeScript fundamentals
This is the floor, not a bonus. Look for real fluency in modern JavaScript and TypeScript, and an understanding of how the runtime behaves: the event loop, how promises are scheduled, and closures. A developer who is shaky here will write code that looks fine and then stalls the UI thread under load.
React fundamentals
Good candidates write predictable components, manage state with care, and do not drill props through five layers to move one value. Ask how they decide where state should live. The answer tells you more than any framework trivia.
State, architecture, and performance
Expect a clear view on state management, whether that is Context, Redux, or another library, and why they would pick one over another for your app. Performance is baseline: smooth scrolling, a steady frame rate, and predictable battery use, not something they bolt on at the end.
Navigation and native ownership
React Navigation is the common standard, so probe it directly. Then decide whether this hire also owns releases: store submission, native dependency problems, and the CI/CD that ships the app. On a small team, the answer is usually yes, so hire for it rather than discovering the gap at launch.
Testing
Great hires pick a sensible mix of unit and screen tests, keep them fast, mock only what deserves mocking, and wire continuous integration to run the suite on every push. Ask what they test and what they deliberately do not. A thoughtful answer beats “100 percent coverage” every time.
How to hire React Native developers: a quick scorecard
Use this on the first technical call. Score each area, and treat a cluster of red flags as a reason to keep looking.
| Skill area | What good looks like | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Setup fit (Expo vs bare) | Has shipped the kind of app you are building | Only Expo demos when you need bare, or vice versa |
| JavaScript / TypeScript | Fluent; understands the event loop and async | Copies patterns without knowing why they work |
| React fundamentals | Predictable components, deliberate state | Prop drilling and re-renders everywhere |
| Performance | Smooth scrolling and steady FPS as a baseline | “We will optimise it later” |
| Native ownership | Can handle store submission and native deps | Has never touched a release or a native module |
| Testing | Fast, sensible tests wired into CI | No tests, or coverage theatre |
| Communication | Scopes clearly, flags risk early | Vague answers, no questions back |
Set a real task, not a trivia quiz
Abstract questions reward people who memorised answers. A small, bounded, realistic task shows you how someone actually works. Give a single screen that uses a gesture, a form, and a network call, then watch how they scope it, test it, and document it. You learn more from one honest hour of real work than from twenty definitions.
Pair that with a short JavaScript and TypeScript check so you separate framework familiarity from genuine engineering. The goal is not to trick anyone; it is to see the habits you will live with for the next year.
Watch the small things: do they ask about edge cases before writing code, handle the loading and error states, and leave the code readable for the next person? Those habits scale. Raw speed on a toy problem does not.
In-house, freelance, or a dedicated team?
Hire in-house when mobile is your core product and you can keep a senior developer busy for years. A freelancer fits a small, well-defined piece of work with a clear end. A dedicated team or staff augmentation fits when you need senior skill now, for a real build, without carrying long-term payroll, which is where most product teams land.
Whichever you choose, insist on senior-led work and named people you can meet before you commit. If you want a team that already ships React Native in production, our React Native development service and our mobile developers are a place to start.
What does it cost to hire React Native developers?
There is no single rate, because cost tracks seniority and where the team sits far more than the framework. Senior developers cost more per hour and usually cost less overall, because the real number is rate multiplied by hours, and they rework less. Rates range widely by region, from higher North American rates down to lower offshore ones, so compare total cost and shipped quality, not the sticker rate.
For a full breakdown of how custom software and app budgets are built, see our guide to custom software development cost. And before you shortlist anyone, the broader checklist in questions to ask before hiring a software development company applies here too.
How Mobilions staffs React Native
We put senior engineers on the work, so the person who scopes your app is the person who builds it, with no bait and switch to a junior bench after the contract is signed. You own the code, the repositories, and the IP. We have shipped mobile apps to production since 2016, and the team stays through launch and support rather than handing you a build and leaving.
Where hiring React Native developers goes wrong
Most bad hires fail the same few ways. The first is hiring a generalist React developer and assuming mobile is just React with different components, which it is not. The second is skipping the setup question, so you hire Expo strength for a bare build that needs native modules. The third is testing trivia instead of real work, which rewards memorisation over judgment. The fourth is forgetting who owns releases, so nobody can ship to the stores when launch arrives.
Knowing how to hire React Native developers is mostly about catching these before they cost you a quarter: match the hire to the setup, test with a real task, and make release ownership explicit from day one.
Frequently asked questions
What skills should a React Native developer have?
Strong JavaScript and TypeScript, solid React fundamentals, a clear view on state management, React Navigation, real performance habits, and the ability to own releases and native dependencies. For anything beyond a simple app, add experience with the New Architecture. Screen for the fundamentals first; frameworks are easier to learn than good engineering judgment.
Expo or bare React Native, which should I hire for?
Hire for the one you are actually building. Expo suits fast iteration and most standard apps; bare React Native suits custom native modules and deep platform access. A strong Expo developer is not automatically strong in the bare workflow, so match the hire to your setup rather than assuming one covers both.
How much does it cost to hire a React Native developer?
It depends on seniority and region far more than on the framework. Senior developers cost more per hour but usually less per shipped feature, because they rework less. Compare total cost (rate multiplied by hours) and quality, not the hourly rate alone. See our cost guide for the regional ranges.
Should I hire in-house, freelance, or a dedicated team?
In-house fits when mobile is your core product for the long term. A freelancer fits a small, bounded piece of work. A dedicated team or staff augmentation fits when you need senior skill now for a real build without long-term payroll, which is where most teams land.
How do I test a React Native developer’s skills?
Set a small, realistic task rather than abstract trivia: one screen with a gesture, a form, and a network call, then watch how they scope, test, and document it. Pair it with a short JavaScript and TypeScript check to separate framework familiarity from real engineering.
Can one React Native developer build for both iOS and Android?
Yes, that is the point of React Native, but “builds for both” is not the same as “ships cleanly on both.” Ask about platform-specific issues they have handled, store submission for each, and how they test on real devices, not just a simulator.
What are the red flags when hiring React Native developers?
Only Expo demos when you need bare (or the reverse), no sense of performance, never having owned a release or a native module, no testing, and vague answers that dodge the specifics. One of these is a question to raise; several together is a reason to keep looking.
Start with the setup question
Before the CVs, answer one thing: Expo or bare, and is the New Architecture on your roadmap? That single decision is the core of how to hire React Native developers well, because it tells you which ones to even consider. When you are ready to put your shortlist against a team that ships React Native in production, talk to Mobilions.
Tushar Patel is the founder and CEO of Mobilions, an AI-first software engineering company. With over a decade helping businesses build custom software, mobile apps, and AI solutions, he leads strategy and delivery for teams shipping products across 20+ countries. He writes practical, senior-level guides on software development, hiring engineering talent, and scaling products.