Publishing options

Shiptavio vs Expo EAS, Codemagic, and Fastlane

These tools solve different parts of the release pipeline. Shiptavio is a managed publishing service that builds and submits under its own organization developer accounts, not an individual account. Expo EAS, Codemagic, and Fastlane are build and automation tools that run with your accounts.

Updated 26 October 2026. Vendor features and pricing change; check the current vendor documentation before you decide.

Company organization accounts, not individual accounts

App Store publishing runs on the Apple Developer organization account of our Malaysia-based organization. Google Play publishing runs on our Google Play organization account. We do not use an individual or personal developer account for a customer app.

Swipe the table sideways to compare all four options.

Topic	Shiptavio	Expo EAS	Codemagic	Fastlane
What it is	A managed app publishing service.	Expo's cloud build, submit, and update platform.	Hosted CI/CD for mobile projects.	Open-source release automation.
Who runs the build	The Shiptavio team on its own Mac.	Expo's cloud, or your machine with a local build.	Codemagic's cloud build machines.	Your Mac or your CI runner.
Developer accounts	Shiptavio's Apple Developer and Google Play organization accounts, never individual accounts. You can transfer later.	Yours. You stay the developer of record.	Yours. You stay the developer of record.	Yours. You stay the developer of record.
Mac required	No.	No for cloud builds.	No for cloud builds.	Yes for iOS builds, or a macOS CI runner.
Store submission	Shiptavio submits and handles store feedback.	EAS Submit uploads with your credentials.	Configured in the pipeline with your credentials.	deliver and supply upload with your credentials.
OTA updates	No OTA service.	EAS Update.	Not built in.	Not built in.
CI/CD	Not a CI/CD product.	Build service, not a general CI platform.	Yes, including tests and signing steps.	Runs inside your existing CI.
Free apps only	Yes. No paid apps, in-app purchases, or subscriptions.	No. You control the app and its business model.	No. You control the app and its business model.	No. You control the app and its business model.
In-app purchases	Not supported.	You manage them.	You manage them.	You manage them.
Pricing model	Per app per term, with release credits.	Plan or usage based. Check Expo's current pricing.	Plan based, often with build minutes. Check current pricing.	Open source. You pay for Mac hardware or CI.
Best for	Teams that want a publisher of record and no Mac or store accounts.	Expo teams that want cloud builds, EAS Submit, or EAS Update.	Teams that want hosted CI, tests, and signing for mobile projects.	Teams with an existing Mac or CI and custom release scripts.

Vendor documentation: Expo EAS, Codemagic, and Fastlane.

Choose Shiptavio if

You do not have a Mac or Apple and Google developer accounts, and you do not want to publish under an individual account.
You want one company to build, sign, submit, and handle store feedback under organization accounts.
Your app is free, with no in-app purchases or subscriptions, and is in an allowed category.
You want to keep your code and transfer the app to your own accounts later.

Choose EAS, Codemagic, or Fastlane if

You already have Apple and Google developer accounts and want to keep the developer of record.
You want to run builds and releases from your own pipeline.
You need OTA updates, custom CI, or release scripts.
Your app has in-app purchases, subscriptions, or a business model Shiptavio does not support.

What Shiptavio does not replace

Shiptavio is not a CI/CD platform, an OTA update service, or a way to publish under your own developer account from day one. It is a publishing service. If you need per-commit builds, EAS Update, custom native test matrices, or release scripting, use one of the other tools.

Shiptavio also cannot publish paid apps, in-app purchases, or digital subscriptions. Those are business-model limits, not temporary gaps.

What the other tools do not replace

EAS, Codemagic, and Fastlane do not act as your publisher of record. You still need Apple and Google developer accounts, signing credentials, and someone to handle store feedback. They automate parts of the release; they do not take over the account.

Fastlane is open source and scriptable, but it is not a hosted build service. EAS and Codemagic host builds, but they run with your accounts.

Questions about the comparison

Is Shiptavio a replacement for Expo EAS?

Only if you want a managed publisher instead of a build service. EAS builds with your accounts and can submit with your credentials. Shiptavio builds and submits with its Apple Developer and Google Play organization accounts. The right choice depends on whether you want to keep the developer of record.

Whose developer accounts does Shiptavio use?

Company-held organization accounts. App Store releases use our Apple Developer organization account, and Google Play releases use our Google Play organization account. We do not use an individual developer account, so you do not need your own store account.

Does Codemagic publish apps under its own developer account?

No. Codemagic runs your build and can upload with your credentials. You remain the developer of record and keep the Apple and Google accounts.

Is Fastlane free?

Fastlane is open source. You still pay for the Mac hardware or CI runner, and you still need your own Apple and Google developer accounts for store distribution.

Do I need an Apple Developer account with EAS?

Yes, for App Store distribution. EAS can produce a simulator build without an Apple Developer account, but App Store distribution and device signing require a membership and credentials.

Do I need a Google Play developer account with EAS or Codemagic?

Yes, for Google Play distribution. EAS Submit, Codemagic, and Fastlane upload with your Play Console credentials.

Can Shiptavio publish a paid app or in-app purchases?

No. Shiptavio is for free apps without in-app purchases or digital subscriptions. EAS, Codemagic, and Fastlane do not impose that business-model limit, but the stores still apply their own rules.

Can I combine these tools with Shiptavio?

You can use Fastlane or another tool for local screenshots, metadata drafts, or your own development builds. Shiptavio still builds and signs from source. It cannot submit a binary that you built with your own keys.

Which option is cheapest?

It depends on your build volume, developer accounts, and how much release work you want to do yourself. Compare current vendor pricing and count the cost of your time. Shiptavio's current price is on the pricing page.

Related guides

Publish a Flutter app

The Flutter publishing flow and source checklist.

Publish an Expo app

The Expo publishing flow and prebuild notes.

Publish a React Native app

The bare React Native publishing flow.

Shiptavio CLI tutorial

Submit a release from your terminal or CI.

Shiptavio pricing

The current per-app price, credits, and Apple platform add-on.

How to submit

The full submission flow and store requirements.