I explored a bunch of tools, and honestly, for Python-based automation of React Native apps, Appium is your safest bet.
Most other tools like Detox or Maestro lean hard into JS or Kotlin, which makes Python integration tricky.
Appium’s advantage is its flexibility, you can hook into BrowserStack or Sauce Labs easily for real device testing too.
If stability is key and you want to scale later, Appium gives you that path, especially when combined with tools like Allure for reporting.