{
  "id": 18016480,
  "title": "How far you can get with Expo on iOS before Apple asks for $99",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/how-far-you-can-get-with-expo-on-ios-before-apple-asks-for-99",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-03T20:43:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/expo/how-far-you-can-get-with-expo-on-ios-before-apple-asks-for-99-dhb"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Building an Expo app on iOS is possible without an Apple Developer account for the initial stages. This allows developers to create and run their app on their personal iPhone for free using the Expo Go app, which is built and signed by Expo. However, certain features like home screen widgets, Siri integration, and remote push notifications require a paid Apple Developer account to use.\n\nAt the free level, developers can build and install their app without a Mac, using the `npx expo run:ios --device` command. This development build includes most of the Expo SDK but has limits, such as a 7-day expiration and a cap of 3 apps per device. Paid capabilities like remote push notifications, in-app purchases, and certain Apple services are not available in the free tier.\n\nDevelopers without a Mac can still build their iOS app using the Expo Build service, which compiles the app on a Mac in the cloud. However, to install this build on a real iPhone, a paid Apple Developer account is still required since the build needs to be signed by Apple. The cost to use the full range of features in an Expo app on iOS is $99 per year for the Apple Developer Program.",
  "summary": "You've probably assumed you need an Apple Developer account before you can even open Xcode. So you either pay the $99 before writing a line of code, or you never try iOS at all because the fee feels like a wall between you and your first build. Neither is true. You can build an Expo app and run it on your own iPhone for free, no Apple account required at all for the first stretch. The Apple…",
  "key_points": [
    "Free Expo iOS app development possible without Apple Developer account.",
    "Features like home widgets, Siri, and push notifications require paid account.",
    "$99 annual fee for full Expo iOS app capabilities on Apple devices."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}