CI and test infrastructure / Expo Application Services (EAS Build) alternative

Expo EAS alternative for portable persistent agent stages

Expo Application Services builds, submits and updates mobile applications; the Expo SDK is a separate free software framework. EAS Build uses fresh environments, including a new macOS VM for each iOS build. A durable Linux agent can prepare compatible work while EAS or another Mac service still handles native Apple stages.

Start buildingCompare capabilities ↓

Reviewed 2026-10-19 · Published by the Sandbox0 team

When Expo Application Services (EAS Build) fits

Choose EAS for managed mobile builds, signing/submission workflows and app-update services around Expo/React Native projects. Those services cover a different application delivery scope from a Linux sandbox runtime.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 for returning Linux agents that edit repositories, prepare assets or run compatible tests while retaining installed tools and growing system state. Keep native iOS compilation/signing, simulator work and app-store submission on suitable tooling.

Capabilities

Expo Application Services (EAS Build) and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeExpo Application Services (EAS Build)Not established in this reviewSandbox0ttl and hard_ttl default to 0 (disabled). Configure idle pause and deletion policies for the same persistent sandbox identity; an idle running sandbox still accrues compute charges.Read documentation →
Persistent filesExpo Application Services (EAS Build)Fresh build environments do not provide a retained worker disk; selected caches are separate.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSExpo Application Services (EAS Build)A new iOS build VM does not retain the previous worker’s complete installed system.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Persistence extends beyond /workspace to paths such as /usr/local, /etc, and /home. Runtime tmpfs and virtual filesystems are excluded.Read documentation →
Release compute, keep stateExpo Application Services (EAS Build)Build scheduling and cached dependencies do not establish a returning machine pause/resume contract.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Pause compute between tasks; resume on available capacity. Default resume starts fresh processes from the saved filesystem.Read documentation →
Memory and process stateExpo Application Services (EAS Build)EAS Build does not document arbitrary live build-process RAM snapshots in this infrastructure guide.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Experimental memory checkpoints can preserve compatible process state. Use memory: true on both pause and resume on a compatible deployment. A filesystem checkpoint alone does not preserve running processes.Read documentation →

Online RootFS growth

On growth-enabled images, Sandbox0 automatically expands the writable RootFS as free space runs low, within a configured sparse logical ceiling up to 64 TiB. Agent processes keep running. Growth is enabled in the qualified Cloud region; confirm activation for other regions. Existing images and snapshots retain their captured storage geometry. The ceiling is logical capacity, not preallocated host disk.

EAS build images and worker resource classes provide repeatable clean builds with selected caches. They do not provide automatic online growth of a retained full worker RootFS across builds; Sandbox0’s growing Linux agent state addresses a different stage.

Files while compute is paused

Sandbox0's Files API reads persistent files without resuming compute. Filesystem-only pauses also permit edits; retained-memory pauses are read-only and reject mutations with 409. SSH, SFTP, file watching, and runtime-only mounts require running compute.

Build artifacts and caches retain selected outputs. They are distinct from arbitrary file reads/mutations throughout an inactive worker’s OS filesystem; EAS does not describe that paused-computer file contract in the cited build guide.

See paused file operations →

Fresh build workers are different from saved machines

EAS documents a fresh macOS VM for every iOS build. Image selection and build hooks configure the environment each time; dependency and custom caches preserve selected reusable data. They do not retain every previous worker’s system change or live process for a later agent task.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗

Build credits offset usage rather than duplicate it

Paid plans include EAS Build credit and charge additional usage after allowances. Starter’s monthly fee includes $45 of build credit, while Production includes $225. Do not add the full included credit amount again as a mandatory usage charge on top of the subscription.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗

Per-build and workflow-minute meters differ

EAS Build charges a flat amount per build for the selected resource class, while other Workflows jobs use minute rates. Free monthly build quotas use a low-priority queue and do not create paid overage; paid-plan allowances and queue/resource access have different terms.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗

Pricing

Compare billing models, then price your workload

CPU allocation, memory, billing minimums, disk, plan fees, and supported workload differ. These meters are not equal-performance machine quotes. Confirm region, resource units, and included allowances before estimating a total.

Expo Application Services (EAS Build)

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-19

Free EAS reference
$0/month; 15 Android + 15 iOS builds
Low-priority queue; quota limits and other service allowances apply.
Rate source ↗
Starter subscription
$19/month + additional usage
Includes $45 of build credit; distinct from the open-source Expo SDK.
Rate source ↗
Production subscription
$199/month + additional usage
Includes $225 of build credit; verify current concurrency and other entitlements.
Rate source ↗
iOS EAS Build usage reference
$2 medium / $4 large per build
Resource-class build charges, not per-hour Mac rental; included credits offset usage.
Rate source ↗

Subscription, build credit, per-build usage, Workflows minutes and EAS Update users/bandwidth are different billing dimensions. Use current plan entitlements and the project’s real workload; no equal-throughput or generic savings claim follows from a per-build versus Linux-runtime comparison.

Check current Expo Application Services (EAS Build) pricing ↗

Sandbox0

$0.015/GiB-hour compute (billed by the second at approximately $0.000004167/GiB-second), plus $0.02/GiB-month of retained incremental RootFS and memory checkpoint data. Shared base images and platform recovery retention are excluded; paused sandboxes accrue storage charges only.

Compute / GiB-hour
$0.015
Retained data / GiB-month
$0.02
Paused compute
$0.00

A 4 GiB agent, 100 running hours

$6.00 compute

4 GiB × 100 hours, billed by the second. Keeping 20 GiB of billable incremental data for a full billing month adds $0.40. CPU is derived from memory by the platform; choose a tier that fits your workload.

Understand storage billing →

Before migrating from Expo Application Services (EAS Build)

  1. Separate Expo framework usage from EAS Build, Submit, Update and Workflows; inventory native tools, signing, caches, artifacts and usage allowances.
  2. Move only compatible Linux preparation/agent stages and required data while keeping native Apple and managed delivery stages on suitable services.
  3. Test artifact handoff, repeated agent tasks, RootFS growth, paused files and combined EAS subscription/usage plus Linux runtime cost.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Expo Application Services (EAS Build) replacement?

Evaluate API compatibility and product scope. These products serve different core workflows, so a change may require a different architecture.

Does keeping files also keep a running agent?

Filesystem state and volatile process state are separate. Sandbox0 requires explicit compatible memory checkpoints to preserve running processes; its default filesystem resume starts fresh processes.

Sources and review scope

The Boat team's Battleships directory is the discovery source. References below describe the product and plan discussed on this page. Check current availability, regional terms and billing units before migrating. Where the cited material does not establish a capability or price, the comparison identifies that uncertainty.

Battleships research record ↗docs.expo.dev/build-reference/infrastructure/ ↗docs.expo.dev/build-reference/caching/ ↗expo.dev/pricing ↗docs.expo.dev/billing/usage-based-pricing/ ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

Related comparisons

Apple Xcode Cloud vs Sandbox0 →Artillery vs Sandbox0 →AWS CodeBuild vs Sandbox0 →Azure Pipelines vs Sandbox0 →Bitbucket Pipelines vs Sandbox0 →Blacksmith (GitHub Actions runners) vs Sandbox0 →