# Apache Cordova vs Electron

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Electron

| Attribute | Apache Cordova | Electron |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 38.2 (43% (low)) | 66.3 (60% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 0 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | - | 93,246 |
| adoption.github_stars | 712 | 123,412 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Apache Cordova wraps HTML/JavaScript applications into native containers, allowing developers to target multiple platforms with a single codebase while accessing native device APIs through plugins. It is indexed under Mobile App Frameworks.","source":"https://cordova.apache.org","question":"What is Apache Cordova?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Apache Cordova is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://cordova.apache.org","question":"Is Apache Cordova free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Apache Cordova supports the web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://cordova.apache.org","question":"What platforms does Apache Cordova support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Apache Cordova can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://cordova.apache.org","question":"Can Apache Cordova be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 13 integrations for Apache Cordova, including Battery Status, Camera, Device, Dialogs, File, Geolocation, Inappbrowser and Media, plus 5 more. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://cordova.apache.org","question":"What does Apache Cordova integrate with?","confidence":0.6}]` | `[{"answer":"Electron is a framework for building desktop applications by embedding Chromium and Node.js into its binary, allowing developers to maintain a single JavaScript codebase and create cross-platform apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is indexed under Mobile App Frameworks.","source":"https://www.electronjs.org","question":"What is Electron?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Electron is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MIT licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.electronjs.org","question":"Is Electron free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Electron supports Windows, macOS and Linux. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.electronjs.org","question":"What platforms does Electron support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 3 integrations for Electron, including Mac App Store, Microsoft Store and Snap Store. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.electronjs.org","question":"What does Electron integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Electron is published under the MIT licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/electron/electron","question":"Is Electron open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | - |
| description.long | Apache Cordova wraps HTML/JavaScript applications into native containers, allowing developers to target multiple platforms with a single codebase while accessing native device APIs through plugins. | Electron is a framework for building desktop applications by embedding Chromium and Node.js into its binary, allowing developers to maintain a single JavaScript codebase and create cross-platform apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux. |
| features.capabilities | `{"targets":"iOS, Android, web, desktop (Electron)","approach":"webview_hybrid","language":"HTML/CSS/JavaScript","web_target":true,"ota_updates":true,"native_widgets":false,"desktop_support":true,"single_codebase":true,"native_api_access":"plugin_bridged"}` | `{"targets":"macOS, Windows, and Linux","approach":"desktop_webview","language":"JavaScript, HTML, and CSS","web_target":false,"ota_updates":true,"native_widgets":false,"bundled_runtime":true,"desktop_support":true,"single_codebase":true,"native_api_access":"plugin_bridged","auto_update_builtin":true,"code_signing_support":true,"native_look_and_feel":false,"mobile_target_support":false,"app_store_distribution":true}` |
| integrations.count | 14 | 3 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Battery Status"},{"name":"Camera"},{"name":"Device"},{"name":"Dialogs"},{"name":"File"},{"name":"Geolocation"},{"name":"Inappbrowser"},{"name":"Media"},{"name":"Media Capture"},{"name":"Network Information"},{"name":"Screen Orientation"},{"name":"Splashscreen"},{"name":"Statusbar"},{"name":"Vibration"}]` | `[{"name":"Mac App Store"},{"name":"Microsoft Store"},{"name":"Snap Store"}]` |
| language.primary | - | C++ |
| license.spdx | - | MIT |
| platform.support | `{"ios":true,"android":true}` | `{"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://cordova.apache.org","retrievedAt":"2026-10-13T11:20:23.047Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://www.electronjs.org","retrievedAt":"2026-08-13T16:49:04.595Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | - | yes |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v43.7.9","date":"2026-10-07T03:14:06Z","type":"stable","version":"v43.7.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v45.0.0-alpha.16","date":"2026-10-07T03:13:54Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v45.0.0-alpha.16"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v43.7.8","date":"2026-10-06T18:05:48Z","type":"stable","version":"v43.7.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v42.11.11","date":"2026-10-06T17:41:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v42.11.11"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v45.0.0-alpha.15","date":"2026-10-06T01:39:20Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v45.0.0-alpha.15"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v44.6.0","date":"2026-10-06T22:31:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v44.6.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v45.0.0-alpha.14","date":"2026-10-01T22:06:03Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v45.0.0-alpha.14"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v43.7.7","date":"2026-09-30T10:48:10Z","type":"stable","version":"v43.7.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v42.11.10","date":"2026-09-30T11:00:51Z","type":"stable","version":"v42.11.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v44.5.1","date":"2026-09-30T02:12:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v44.5.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v44.5.0","date":"2026-09-29T19:09:26Z","type":"stable","version":"v44.5.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v43.7.6","date":"2026-09-29T19:00:08Z","type":"stable","version":"v43.7.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v42.11.9","date":"2026-09-29T19:05:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v42.11.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v45.0.0-alpha.13","date":"2026-09-28T22:05:51Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v45.0.0-alpha.13"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v45.0.0-alpha.12","date":"2026-09-24T21:48:05Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v45.0.0-alpha.12"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v45.0.0-alpha.11","date":"2026-09-23T05:15:40Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v45.0.0-alpha.11"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v44.4.5","date":"2026-09-23T06:45:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v44.4.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v43.7.5","date":"2026-09-23T06:15:00Z","type":"stable","version":"v43.7.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v42.11.8","date":"2026-09-23T06:37:29Z","type":"stable","version":"v42.11.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v44.4.4","date":"2026-09-22T18:38:22Z","type":"stable","version":"v44.4.4"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | 4.1 | 6.8 |
| security.trust_center | https://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/latest/guide/appdev/security/ | https://electronjs.org/docs/latest/tutorial/security |
| security.vulnerabilities | - | `{"count":64,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=electron&per_page=100","last_12m":36,"max_severity":"CRITICAL"}` |

## Capabilities (Mobile App Frameworks)

| Capability | Apache Cordova | Electron |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Target platforms | iOS, Android, web, desktop (Electron) | macOS, Windows, and Linux |
| Approach | WebView hybrid | Desktop WebView |
| Primary language | HTML/CSS/JavaScript | JavaScript, HTML, and CSS |
| **Rendering** |  |  |
| Renders true native UI | ✗ | ✗ |
| **DX** |  |  |
| Hot reload | - | - |
| TypeScript-first | - | - |
| **Delivery** |  |  |
| Over-the-air code push | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Portability** |  |  |
| Single codebase, multiple platforms | ✓ | ✓ |
| Desktop support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Builds for web | ✓ | ✗ |
| **Capability** |  |  |
| Native API access | Plugin / bridged | Plugin / bridged |
| **Ecosystem** |  |  |
| Bundled UI component library | - | - |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T20:10:40.859Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*