In 2026, there are two primary paths to start a React Native project. Expo is the recommended 'Framework' approach (similar to Flutter's standard flow), providing a managed suite of tools and easy OTA (Over-the-Air) updates. React Native CLI is the 'Bare' approach, giving you full control over the ios/ and android/ directories, which is essential if you plan to write complex native C++ or Swift modules for Revochamp.

Before installing React Native, you need the underlying platform tools. As a Lead Developer, you likely already have these for Flutter, but React Native adds a dependency on Node.js and a package manager like Yarn or pnpm.

Expo has evolved into a production-grade framework. It handles the 'Native Runner' complexity for you while allowing 'Continuous Native Generation' (CNG), which means you don't have to manually touch Xcode or Android Studio files unless necessary.

For projects requiring custom native engines or integration with existing native libraries, the CLI is the way to go. This setup requires more manual configuration of environment variables (like ANDROID_HOME).

To leverage JSI and Fabric, you must ensure the New Architecture is enabled. In 2026, this is the default for new projects, but it's important to verify it in your project settings to ensure your AI generation logic isn't running through the legacy bridge.