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Expo push relay

Expo Push Service

A free Expo-hosted relay that accepts Expo push tokens and forwards notification requests to FCM and APNs.

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Editorial verdict

Choose Expo Push Service when an Expo app benefits from one relay API and can accept no web push, no SLA, receipt limits, and the option to move directly to FCM/APNs later.123

Best for

  • Expo mobile applications
  • Small teams wanting one relay API over FCM and APNs
  • Products that can process tickets, receipts, and token errors
123

Not ideal for

  • Web-push requirements
  • Applications requiring a contractual SLA
  • Teams needing managed segmentation, journeys, or persistent inbox state
123
Main trade-off

A convenient Expo relay reduces native-provider integration work while adding another delivery hop, rate limits, receipt handling, and no SLA.123

Product boundary

Whether Expo's relay convenience is worth an additional dependency and its rate, platform, receipt, and SLA boundaries.

Expo Push Service is a relay over FCM and APNs, not a native transport or managed engagement suite. It does not support web notifications and publishes no SLA.123

For: Expo application teams that want one push request surface over FCM and APNs

  • Web push becomes required
  • An SLA or direct native-provider control becomes mandatory
  • The 600-per-second limit or receipt model does not fit

Why teams consider Expo Push Service

  • Single relay APIExpo documents sending one request format that it forwards to FCM and APNs.123
  • Push tickets and receiptsThe service exposes tickets and receipts for asynchronous delivery feedback.123
  • No software feeExpo currently documents the push service as free within published limits.123

Pricing

The service is currently free, but the application owns client integration, ticket and receipt processing, token cleanup, retries, rate limits, and any infrastructure used to schedule and observe sends.2

Expo mobile push

Free service

Verified 2026-07-26: Expo documents the Push Service as free with a limit of 600 notifications per second per project, no web notifications, and no SLA.2

Rate limit
600 notifications per second per project2
Platform boundary
No web notifications2
Service boundary
No SLA; receipts are retained for a limited period2
Pricing checked View official pricing

Expo Push Service vs alternatives

OneSignal

Choose when
Choose it when a managed push-engagement layer across mobile and web is worth adopting a broader messaging suite.
Avoid when
Avoid it when the team only needs native transport or wants to keep audience and journey state application-owned.
Compared with Expo Push Service
Managed engagement features reduce product work while adding subscription-record pricing and suite dependence.45

Firebase Cloud Messaging

Choose when
Choose it when the team wants the native cross-platform push transport and will own targeting, tokens, permissions, and delivery operations.
Avoid when
Avoid it when managed segmentation, journeys, or a persistent notification inbox is required.
Compared with Expo Push Service
No-cost transport minimizes vendor software spend but leaves the engagement and operating layer with the application.678

Resources and sources

Official product, pricing, and operating-policy sources

  • Expo push notification overview
    Open
  • Expo Push Service pricing and limits
    Open
  • Send notifications with Expo Push Service
    Open
  • OneSignal documentation
    Open
  • OneSignal pricing
    Open
  • Firebase Cloud Messaging documentation
    Open
  • Firebase Cloud Messaging quotas
    Open
  • Firebase pricing
    Open
  1. 1
    Expo push notification overview

    Expo · Accessed Official

  2. 2
    Expo Push Service pricing and limits

    Expo · Accessed Official

  3. 3
    Send notifications with Expo Push Service

    Expo · Accessed Official

  4. 4
    OneSignal documentation

    OneSignal · Accessed Official

  5. 5
    OneSignal pricing

    OneSignal · Accessed Official

  6. 6
    Firebase Cloud Messaging documentation

    Google · Accessed Official

  7. 7
    Firebase Cloud Messaging quotas

    Google · Accessed Official

  8. 8
    Firebase pricing

    Google · Accessed Official