Comparing React Native devtools: from inspecting a bug to repeating the test

A failed checkout can involve a request, a stale query, a storage value and the current route. With the relevant Buoy tools configured, a tester can inspect those sources from the floating menu. Developers can use the connected Desktop panels for supported tools.

We make Buoy. This comparison explains where we would choose it and where we would keep another tool alongside it. A source debugger, a network proxy and a crash-reporting service solve different problems; a higher check count alone is not a buying recommendation.

The same matrix appears on our homepage. Use the categories to focus on your work, or browse every row. The comparison covers React Native; it does not imply feature parity with Buoy’s Flutter tools.

Events Timeline collects supported events from configured tools. Follow a request, storage write or state action in time order, then export the filtered capture for a bug report.

Time Machine saves registered storage, Redux, Zustand, Jotai and Query sources together. Preview the changes, skip individual items, and restore the current Expo Router URL when available. That gives a repeated checkout test a saved client-side starting point. Backend state, component-local state and in-flight requests are outside the snapshot.

Development-only response overrides help exercise an error response. Impersonate puts your app’s authorized test-account switching flow behind a control; your app still supplies authentication.

Bench records performance runs and compares benchmark variants. Native FPS and CPU metrics require the documented native peers. Render capture requires a development build and the render integration.

JS Top ranks observed timer, animation and Promise callbacks by time and call count. Work outside its wrapped paths stays unattributed. Use it to investigate a recurring interval, then repeat your measurement in Bench.

Images adds load failures, available cache information, oversized-source checks and decoded-memory estimates. Assets inspects registered files and scale variants, with Metro-based duplicate and bundle checks in development. These help explain image problems that a request list alone may not reveal.

Camera supplies webcam, image, video and generated test inputs to supported iOS Simulator camera paths on a Mac. The app does not need the Buoy SDK for this host tool. Camera-library compatibility still matters; screen-region capture and non-QR generation require Pro.

TV Remote records and replays remote macros through configured host injection tools. Focus Inspector shows observed transitions and suspected focus problems on supported New Architecture TV apps. Replay a navigation sequence and check where focus actually goes; delivery of a key event does not prove the screen is correct.

QA can use the installed in-app controls. Developers can inspect supported tools from Desktop. Pro MCP access lets a connected agent read runtime data and call supported actions, including state restores and benchmark batches. Ask Buoy adds an in-app assistant using your configured model endpoint; it is a Pro feature in beta.

Buoy requires an account and integration for the tools you use. Free includes development inspection and Desktop at Free limits. Pro adds MCP and supported React Native release tools. Release access needs authorization and explicit sync setup; Flutter remains debug-only. See the current plan limits.

• React Native DevTools provides source breakpoints, component inspection and profiling. Keep it for stepping through JavaScript. Network support depends on the React Native version.
• Reactotron has a plugin ecosystem for desktop inspection, including storage, Redux, networking and a community Query plugin. Its MCP server also provides agent access.
• Rozenite adds DevTools panels and agent tools for network, storage, Redux, Query and navigation. It also supports custom plugins and standalone panels.
• Radon suits an editor-centered workflow: simulator previews, source breakpoints, navigation, render outlines and screen replays. Its releases document MCP support.
• Proxyman is useful for intercepted HTTP traffic and response changes, including traffic outside Buoy’s global fetch and XMLHttpRequest hooks.
• Sentry handles production errors and tracing. Buoy’s Sentry inspector examines observed client envelopes and drops; it does not replace server ingestion or crash reporting. Sentry also offers Spotlight for local telemetry and cloud MCP access.

We reviewed the linked maintainer sources on September 15, 2026. Rows describe specific workflows, including plugins where documented. A gray dot means we did not establish support in those sources, not that an alternative cannot do it. An amber dot marks related or narrower coverage. Checks are not a claim of identical depth, default setup or inclusion in every plan.

Start with one flow your team repeats. Configure its Buoy integrations, save its client state if supported, and compare the experience with the tools you already use.