Comparison

Capacitor vs Expo

On the evidence we track, Expo leads this comparison with a composite score of 71/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Machine formatsMarkdownJSONGraphQLMarkdown is open. JSON and GraphQL need a free key.
Capacitor60
★Expo71
Score
vioscaleAI score
Capacitor60 / 100medium · 65%
Expo71 / 100medium · 68%
Pricing
Free tier
Capacitor✓
Expo✓
Model
Capacitoropen_source
Price level
Capacitorfree
Expomid
Starting price
Capacitor–
Expo$19
Transparent
Capacitor–
Expo✓
Integrations
Count
Capacitor21
Expo12
Reliability
Sla pct
Capacitor–
Expo99.9
Status page
Capacitor✓
Expo✓
Adoption
Dependent repos
Capacitor24,134
Github stars
Capacitor16,852
Expo52,730
Package downloads weekly
Capacitor5,395,282
Activity
Commits last 30d
Capacitor5
Expo100
Release
History
Capacitor20 items
License
Spdx
CapacitorMIT
ExpoMIT
Language
Primary
Market
Availability
Content
Faq
Capacitor6 items

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for mobile app frameworks. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Core
Target platforms
CapacitoriOS, Android, Progressive Web App
ExpoiOS, Android, web
Approach
CapacitorWebView hybrid
ExpoCross-platform native render
Primary language
CapacitorJavaScript, HTML, CSS
ExpoJavaScript/TypeScript
Rendering
Renders true native UI
Capacitor✗
Expo✓
DX
Hot reload
Capacitor✓
Expo-
TypeScript-first
Capacitor-
Expo-
Delivery
Over-the-air code push
Capacitor-
Expo✓
Portability
Single codebase, multiple platforms
Capacitor✓
Expo✓
Desktop support
Capacitor-
Expo-
Builds for web
Capacitor✓
Expo✓
Capability
Native API access
CapacitorFull native
ExpoFull native
Ecosystem
Bundled UI component library
Capacitor✗
Expo✓

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Capacitor

Capacitor is a cross-platform native runtime that enables developers to build applications for iOS, Android, and web using a single JavaScript codebase. It provides web-standard APIs while allowing access to native device features through a plugin system.

Independently observed

Expo

Leader

A comprehensive development platform enabling developers to build native applications for iOS, Android, and web using React. Provides integrated tools for building, testing, submitting to app stores, delivering over-the-air updates, and monitoring production applications.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Capacitor

Open source
as of verify ↗

Expo

Leader
from $19/moSubscriptionFree tier

Free for solo development; Starter at $19/month; Production at $199/month; Enterprise custom pricing with usage-based overage fees

  • FreeFree
    • 15 Android builds
    • 15 iOS builds
    • Low-priority queue
    • 60 min CI/CD Workflows
    • Submit to app stores
    • +2 more
  • Starter$19/month + usage
    • $45 build credit
    • High-priority queue
    • Access to large workers
    • 3,000 MAU updates
    • 500K events/month
  • Production$199/month
    • $225 build credit
    • 15 concurrencies
    • 50,000 MAU updates
    • 10 environment variables
    • Priority support
    • +1 more
  • EnterpriseContact sales
    • $1,000 build credit
    • 20 concurrencies
    • 1M+ MAU updates
    • CI/CD Workflows insights
    • Service Level Agreements
    • +1 more
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
Capacitor✓
Expo✓
iOS
Capacitor✓
Expo✓
Android
Capacitor✓
Expo✓
CLI
Capacitor✓
Expo✗
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
Capacitor✗
Expo✓
Self-hosted
Capacitor✓
Expo✗

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

Capacitor

24 total
  • Action Sheet
  • App Launcher
  • App Browser
  • Camera
  • Clipboard
  • Device
  • Dialog
  • Filesystem
  • Geolocation
  • Google Maps
  • Haptics
  • Keyboard
  • Local Notifications
  • Motion
  • Network
  • Push Notifications
  • Screen Reader
  • Share
  • Splash Screen
  • Status Bar
  • Storage
  • Text Zoom
  • Toast
  • Cordova plugins
Independently observed

Expo

Leader
21 total
  • Slack
  • maestro
  • Fastlane
  • Xcode
  • Android Studio
  • ADB
  • Metro
  • Webpack
  • Repack
  • Fingerprint
  • PostHog
  • Sentry
  • Stripe
  • Cloudflare
  • GitHub
  • Google Analytics
  • RudderStack
  • Amplitude
  • HubSpot
  • YouTube
  • React Navigation
Independently observed
Still deciding?

Capacitor or Expo: which one depends on you

A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.

Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.