For AI agents: the complete documentation index is available at /llms.txt, the full documentation bundle is available at /llms-full.txt, and this page is available as Markdown at /expo-updates-self-hosted-vs-cresc.md.
Cresc

    Self-hosting Expo Updates vs using Cresc

    When an EAS Update invoice starts growing with monthly active users and bandwidth, the next idea is usually to run your own update server. Expo supports this: the expo-updates client (MIT) can point at any server that implements the Expo Updates protocol. This page compares that route with moving to Cresc.

    Facts about Expo are taken from Expo's official documentation and pricing page as of October 2026. Tell us at [email protected] if anything here is out of date.

    Short answer

    • Self-host Expo Updates if you want to keep the expo-updates client and are prepared to build and operate a production update server yourself.
    • Use Cresc if what you want is lower, predictable OTA cost without building a server: you swap the client library once and get diff patches, rollback and a dashboard from a hosted service. If you must run the server in your own infrastructure, Cresc also offers a supported self-hosted deployment on custom pricing.

    What self-hosting actually involves

    Expo publishes custom-expo-updates-server as a simplified example, not a production server. To run it for real you need to build and own:

    • The protocol server: manifest and asset endpoints that implement protocol v1, multipart responses, runtimeVersion matching and channel selection.
    • Storage and CDN for every bundle and asset you publish, with cache headers that don't serve stale manifests.
    • Code signing if you want clients to verify manifests, including key rotation.
    • A publishing pipeline: export with npx expo export, upload assets, write manifests, promote between channels. EAS CLI's eas update only publishes to EAS.
    • Rollback and rollout: the protocol defines a rollBackToEmbedded directive; percentage rollouts, release history and dashboards are up to you.
    • Diff patches: EAS Update serves bsdiff patches from Expo SDK 55, but the public protocol spec does not define how a custom server should serve patches. Expect to send full bundles unless you build this yourself.

    Comparison table

    TopicSelf-hosted Expo Updates serverCresc
    Clientexpo-updates (MIT)react-native-update (MIT), Expo SDK 50+ via prebuild; bundle URL configured automatically
    ServerYou build and operate itHosted with CDN included, or a vendor-supported self-hosted deployment (custom pricing)
    PublishingYour own pipeline around expo exportcresc bundle from a laptop or CI
    Diff patchesNot defined by the protocol; full bundles unless you build itHermes bytecode-aware diff: 3.4 KB for a one-line fix (benchmark)
    RollbackrollBackToEmbedded directive; client error recovery for fatal errors before first renderAutomatic rollback of updates that crash on launch, plus force boot from the dashboard
    Gradual rolloutBuild it yourselfBuilt in
    Dashboard and analyticsBuild it yourselfBuilt in, with analytics and JS error monitoring
    PlatformsiOS, AndroidiOS, Android, HarmonyOS, tvOS
    CostYour cloud bill plus engineering timeFlat tiers from $19/mo, no overage bills

    Where EAS Update pricing sits

    For reference, EAS Update's Production plan is $199 a month including 50,000 updated monthly active users and 1 TiB of bandwidth. Beyond that it bills $0.005 per extra MAU up to 200,000 (tiered down after that) and $0.10 per extra GiB. Cresc Pro is $99 a month for 1,000,000 update checks per day with CDN delivery included. See the full model in Expo pricing vs Cresc.

    Moving an Expo app to Cresc

    1. Install react-native-update and the CLI, and run npx expo prebuild; with Expo SDK 50+ the native bundle URL is configured automatically (Installation).
    2. Replace Updates.checkForUpdateAsync() and Updates.fetchUpdateAsync() with the useUpdate hook or an update strategy (Code Integration).
    3. Remove expo-updates from the project so the two clients don't compete for the bundle.
    4. Build and upload your native baseline, then publish updates with cresc bundle (Publishing).

    FAQ

    Can I self-host EAS Update?

    Not EAS Update itself, but Expo supports custom servers: the expo-updates client can point at any server implementing the Expo Updates protocol. Expo's example server is a simplified demo, so production use means building your own server, storage, publishing pipeline and rollout tooling.

    Does a self-hosted Expo Updates server support diff patches?

    The public Expo Updates protocol spec does not define patch delivery for custom servers. EAS Update's bsdiff patches (Expo SDK 55 and later) are a feature of Expo's hosted service.

    Can Cresc be self-hosted?

    Both options exist. The standard plans are hosted with CDN delivery included. Teams that need the server in their own infrastructure can get a supported self-hosted deployment on a separately negotiated plan; contact [email protected]. The client SDK (MIT) and CLI (BSD-3-Clause) are open source.

    Does Cresc work with Expo?

    Yes. Cresc supports Expo SDK 50 and later through prebuild, with the bundle URL configured automatically. Expo Go is not supported, since OTA updates need native code.