Bitrise / Codemagic
- The app is everything you ship.
Mobile CI that sees the same merge as web and API
Bitrise and Codemagic can do iOS. That is their job. If the same change also has to touch Laravel and the website, you do not need a second mobile CI — you need a project.
- Flutter, Expo, native iOS/Android, plus the rest of the repo
- macOS for signing. The web build next to it, not extra in GitHub Actions.
Only the IPA, or the product
App plus the rest
- One merge, three artefacts, one history.
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App StoreApple releases with prepared metadata and assets.
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Google PlayPlay Store listings populated automatically.
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Mobile CI/CD is a solved problem while the app is the product. The moment the same version also needs a backend and a site, you pay for the seams between tools — not for the builds.
A specialised mobile CI service next to the Application Platform
This reflects the typical scope of each option. Details change over time, so check the current information from each provider when it matters.
| Criterion |
Application Platform
|
Specialised mobile CI service
|
|---|---|---|
| Flutter and Expo builds | Fully covered: Prepared pipelines for Flutter and Expo projects | Fully covered: Core product, mature and widely proven |
| Native iOS and Android builds | Fully covered: Native project types are part of the templates | Fully covered: Core product, with many ready-made building blocks |
| macOS machines for iOS | Fully covered: Pipeline macOS machines for iOS builds. Interactive macOS workspaces come next | Fully covered: macOS runners are part of the offering |
| Managing signing material | Fully covered: Android keystore, Apple credentials and Azure Artifact Signing held in the platform | Fully covered: Signing management is a focus of these services |
| Store metadata and screenshots | Fully covered: An editor for texts, screenshots and changelogs per language inside the project | Partly covered: Upload through Fastlane, metadata usually maintained in the store portal |
| Deploying a web frontend | Fully covered: Next.js, Astro and Hugo run from the same project base | Not offered: Not what the service is for |
| Running backend services | Fully covered: NestJS, Laravel and FastAPI as long-lived services with a database | Not offered: Not part of the product |
| Setting up and running servers | Fully covered: Your own server over SSH or a managed one, with Docker, proxy, SSL, firewall and backups | Not offered: Not part of the product |
| Development environments | Fully covered: Ubuntu workspaces with VS Code, JetBrains, RDP and VNC. iOS builds on the pipeline’s macOS machines | Not offered: Not part of the product |
| Mobile-specific extras | Partly covered: Fundamentals covered, but no mobile-only feature depth | Fully covered: Extensive building blocks, device test runs and mobile integrations |
Green means fully covered, amber partly, grey not offered. Specialised mobile CI services are mature in their field – the difference lies in how much of the chain each option covers.
As of 9 September 2026. This comparison describes typical workflows and can differ from project to project. Logos are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify the product.
When specialists still win
- App-only shops Bitrise and Codemagic are often the more mature box for mobile-only teams. Switching pays off when something else ships beside the app.
Pricing model
Specialised mobile CI often bills build minutes. Numbers live with those vendors. Here mobile is part of the same project.
Pipeline for Customer App
test
build
publish
release
Setting up mobile CI/CD on the platform
Four steps from project to store release.
-
Create a project from a mobile template
Pick Flutter, Expo or a native iOS or Android project. Repository, structure and pipeline are created with it.
-
Store your credentials
Apple credentials, Play access, the Android keystore and, if needed, Azure Artifact Signing are kept in the platform.
-
Maintain the store listing
Titles, descriptions, screenshots and per-language changelogs live in the metadata editor rather than the portals.
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Add the remaining parts
Create backend and web interface in the same project. They share the server connection, environments and credentials.
Frequently asked questions
Are Bitrise and Codemagic worse at mobile builds?
No. Both specialise in mobile builds and ship a large catalogue of ready-made steps. If your app is the entire product, there is little reason to switch. The comparison gets interesting once other parts sit alongside the app and also need shipping.
Which mobile technologies are supported?
Flutter, Expo and native iOS and Android projects are prepared templates, each also as a whitelabel variant. For iOS builds, macOS machines in the cloud are provided. Publishing runs through Fastlane to the App Store, Play Store and Microsoft Store.
How are certificates and keystores kept?
Signing material is managed inside the platform: Android keystore, Apple credentials and Azure Artifact Signing. Roles and project membership govern who may use it. The benefit is resilience: a keystore living on one laptop is a well-known risk.
Can I reuse existing Fastlane steps?
Partly. The platform runs on GitLab CI and the configuration is readable in the repository, so you can add stages and change conditions. Steps written in another service's configuration language have to be ported. Fastlane steps usually carry over.
Does this make store review faster?
No, review times at Apple, Google and Microsoft stay exactly as they are. What gets automated is everything before that: build, signing, versioning, metadata, screenshots and the upload. That shortens the path from finished feature to submission.
Try it on one app project
Register for free, create a mobile project and see how far the pipeline gets without any groundwork.