The Best CodePush Alternative for React Native — Full Comparison & Migration Guide

If you're looking for a CodePush alternative, you're not alone. With CodePush effectively in maintenance mode, React Native teams are searching for a modern, secure, actively maintained OTA (Over-the-Air) updates solution.

This comprehensive guide breaks down why CodePush is no longer ideal, what modern OTA systems must provide, detailed performance comparisons, and a complete migration path to React Native Stallion—the best CodePush alternative available today.

What You'll Learn

• Why CodePush is now deprecated and legacy
• Essential features modern OTA platforms must support
• Detailed CodePush vs. Stallion comparison
• Real-world performance benchmarks
• Step-by-step migration guide
• Common pitfalls to avoid

Why CodePush Is Now Deprecated / Legacy

CodePush was once the most popular OTA solution for React Native. However, today it suffers from several critical limitations that make it unsuitable for modern production applications.

1. Minimal Maintenance & Slow Updates

Microsoft has virtually frozen CodePush development, causing:

Outdated APIs that don't support modern React Native patterns
Slow compatibility updates with new React Native versions
Security gaps that remain unpatched
Lack of modern features like patch updates

2. Full-Bundle Updates Only

CodePush always ships the entire JS bundle, even for tiny code changes, resulting in:

Large bundle sizes (often 2-5 MB for minor fixes)
Longer download times, especially on slower connections
Slow update installations and more app restarts
Higher bandwidth costs for both users and developers

3. Weak Testing Workflows

Developers cannot effectively:

Test OTA builds internally before production
Run staged rollouts to a percentage of users
Roll back gracefully when issues are detected
Validate updates in staging environments

4. No Enterprise Features

Teams cannot:

Self-host or run on-premise for compliance needs
Control CDN distribution and caching
Access advanced logging and monitoring
Add custom bundle signing options

5. No Patch Updates

The biggest gap: CodePush has no delta or diff support. You must ship a whole bundle every time, regardless of how small your changes are. Modern OTA systems provide file-level patch updates that are 90-95% smaller.

What Modern OTA Update Platforms Must Provide

To replace CodePush effectively, a modern OTA platform must support these essential features:

✓Patch updates (deltas, file-level diffing)

✓Bundle signing & integrity checks

✓Staged rollouts + internal testing channels

✓Crash-aware automatic rollback

✓CDN acceleration

✓Full control over install strategies

✓On-premise hosting options

✓Advanced JavaScript API

✓Developer-friendly tooling & CLI

✓Comprehensive analytics & monitoring

CodePush vs. React Native Stallion — Detailed Comparison

Feature	CodePush	React Native Stallion
Actively Maintained	❌ No	✅ Yes
Patch Updates	❌ No	✅ Yes (90-95% smaller)
File-Level Diffing	❌ No	✅ Yes
Bundle Signing	⚠️ Basic	✅ Advanced (SHA256, RSA)
Staged Rollouts	⚠️ Limited	✅ Full control
Internal Testing Channels	❌ No	✅ Yes
Rollback System	⚠️ Minimal	✅ Crash-based rollback
Install Strategies	⚠️ Fixed	✅ Full API control
On-Prem Hosting	❌ No	✅ Yes
Hosted Service	❌ Shut down	✅ Available
Update Size Reduction	Full bundle only	Up to 95% smaller

Performance Benchmarks — CodePush vs. React Native Stallion

Real-world performance comparison showing the dramatic difference patch updates make:

Change Type	CodePush Update Size	Stallion Patch Size	Size Reduction
Small JS Edit	2.5 MB	50 KB	98% smaller
Constant Change	2.5 MB	12 KB	99.5% smaller
Screen UI Tweak	2.5 MB	150 KB	94% smaller
Large Feature Update	2.5 MB	800 KB	68% smaller

Result: React Native Stallion delivers updates 3×–20× faster than CodePush, with dramatically reduced bandwidth usage and improved user experience.

How to Migrate from CodePush to React Native Stallion

Switching from CodePush to Stallion is straightforward—the installation and integration steps are nearly identical. Here's the complete migration process:

Step 1 — Remove CodePush and Install Stallion SDK

Remove CodePush SDK and all related settings, API keys, and native configurations from your project.

npm install react-native-stallion

or with Yarn: yarn add react-native-stallion

Step 2 — Native Changes (iOS & Android)

Android: Override getJSBundleFile in MainApplication.java or MainApplication.kt:

@Override
protected String getJSBundleFile() {
    return Stallion.getJSBundleFile(getApplicationContext());
}

iOS: Edit bundleURL method in AppDelegate.mm or AppDelegate.swift:

- (NSURL *)bundleURL {
    #if DEBUG
        return [[RCTBundleURLProvider sharedSettings] jsBundleURLForBundleRoot:@"index"];
    #else
        return [StallionModule getBundleURL];
    #endif
}

Run npx pod-install for iOS after making changes.

Step 3 — Add Project ID and App Token

Get your Project ID from the Stallion Dashboard and generate an App Token from project settings.

iOS: Add to info.plist
Android: Add to strings.xml

Step 4 — React Native Changes

Wrap your app with withStallion():

import { withStallion } from "react-native-stallion";

const MyApp = () => {
    // Your App.js Code
}

export default withStallion(MyApp);

Step 5 — Upload Your Bundle

Install Stallion CLI and upload your bundle:

npm install --save-dev stallion-cli

npx stallion publish-bundle \
  --upload-path=<orgname>/<project-name>/<bucket-name> \
  --platform=<android/ios> \
  --release-note="Migrated from CodePush"

Step 6 — Promote Your Bundle

In the Stallion Console, select your bucket, choose the bundle, click "Promote," fill in Target App Version and Release Note, then promote. Initially set to 0% rollout—adjust to 100% in "Manage Release" to test.

Step 7 — Verify the Release

Generate a release build (not debug) to ensure Metro bundler doesn't override the Stallion bundle. Launch the app to download the released bundle, then restart to apply changes.

Tip: For detailed migration instructions with code examples, check out our complete CodePush migration guide.

Common Problems React Native Teams Face with CodePush

❌Large update sizes

❌Slow rollout process

❌No patching → wasted bandwidth

❌Hard to debug issues

❌Limited analytics

❌Slow or missing updates

❌Insufficient security

❌Complex rollback logic

Most teams eventually seek an alternative because maintenance costs increase over time, and CodePush's limitations become more apparent as applications scale.

Migration Pitfalls to Avoid

Don't mix CodePush + new OTA in the same release—complete the migration first
Ensure versioning is aligned between your native app and OTA updates
Test OTA build before rollout using internal testing channels
Don't skip bundle signing—it's critical for security
Keep minimum React Native version compatible with Stallion SDK

Frequently Asked Questions — CodePush Alternatives

Why is CodePush no longer ideal?

CodePush has minimal updates, missing modern features like patch updates, no hosted service, and limited JavaScript API control. It's effectively in maintenance mode.

Can I self-host with modern OTA systems?

Yes—React Native Stallion supports custom infrastructure for on-premise hosting. Contact our team for more details on deployment options and requirements.

Is migration risky?

No—most teams migrate in less than 30 minutes. The API patterns are familiar, and React Native Stallion provides comprehensive migration documentation and support.

Do OTA updates violate App Store rules?

No—OTA updates are safe if you don't change native code. Both Apple and Google allow JavaScript and asset updates over-the-air.

What makes React Native Stallion better than CodePush?

React Native Stallion offers patch updates (up to 95% size reduction), hosted service, advanced JavaScript API, flexible install strategies, internal testing channels, comprehensive analytics, active development, and both hosted and on-premise options—all features CodePush lacks or no longer provides.

Ready to Migrate from CodePush?

Get started with React Native Stallion today and experience faster updates, smaller patch sizes, better security, and active maintenance.

Get Started Free →View Migration Guide →

Read the Complete Guide

For a more detailed analysis, code examples, and advanced migration strategies, check out our comprehensive blog post:

Best CodePush Alternative in 2025 — React Native OTA Updates with Stallion

Conclusion

If you're looking for the best CodePush alternative for React Native, a modern OTA platform like React Native Stallion gives you:

Faster updates with patch-based differential updates
Smaller patch sizes (up to 95% reduction)
Better security with advanced bundle signing
Active maintenance and regular feature updates
Proper testing workflows and staged rollouts
On-premise hosting for enterprise needs
Advanced JavaScript API for full control

CodePush was great years ago, but the React Native ecosystem has evolved. Modern teams need modern OTA updates with patch support, advanced controls, and active development. React Native Stallion fills the gap left by CodePush's decline, providing everything modern React Native teams need for production-grade over-the-air updates.