Expo Router vs React Navigation — A Detailed Comparison

Expo Router and React Navigation are two popular tools for managing navigation in React Native apps. They share the same underlying engine, but their structure, philosophy, and developer experience differ significantly.

This page compares them side-by-side to help you choose the best fit for your project.

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What Is Expo Router?

Expo Router is a file-based routing system inspired by Next.js. It builds on top of React Navigation but changes how screens are organized and how routes are declared.

Key concepts:

• File-based routing
• Automatic route generation
• Strong TypeScript support out of the box
• Unified deep linking and web URL mapping
• Zero-config nested navigation

Expo Router focuses on clarity and scalability by making folder structure = navigation structure.

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What Is React Navigation?

React Navigation is the traditional navigation library for React Native. It uses declarative components and manual configuration.

Key concepts:

• Stacks, Tabs, Drawers
• Manually defined navigators
• Fine-grained control over transitions and screen options
• Huge ecosystem and community support

React Navigation offers maximum flexibility but requires more boilerplate.

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Core Differences

1. Routing Philosophy

• Expo Router → file-based, convention over configuration
• React Navigation → explicit configuration with components

2. Nested Navigation

Expo Router automatically handles nested routes based on folder structure. React Navigation requires nested navigators defined explicitly.

3. URL & Deep Linking

• Expo Router has built-in URL mapping (great for Web and deep links)
• React Navigation requires manual setup

4. TypeScript Support

Expo Router infers types from the filesystem. React Navigation requires manual type definitions.

5. DX & Boilerplate

• Expo Router reduces boilerplate dramatically
• React Navigation offers more control over navigator composition

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When to Use Expo Router

Choose Expo Router if you:

• want a simple, scalable structure
• prefer file-based routing
• need automatic deep linking
• plan to target both native and web
• want predictable nesting without config files

This is ideal for medium and large projects with many screens.

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When to Use React Navigation

Choose React Navigation if you:

• need complete control over navigation logic
• want custom transitions or navigator compositions
• use a complex setup not suited to conventions
• don’t rely on file-based routing

React Navigation still excels in highly customized navigation scenarios.

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Comparison Table

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Conclusion

Expo Router provides a modern and intuitive navigation experience with minimal configuration. React Navigation remains the most flexible option for complex apps.

Since Expo Router is built on top of React Navigation, many teams choose based on whether they prefer convention (Expo Router) or full control (React Navigation).