# Apache Cordova vs React Native

**Leader by Vioscale score:** React Native

| Attribute | Apache Cordova | React Native |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 37.2 (53% (medium)) | 80.4 (70% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 0 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | - | 111,015 |
| adoption.github_stars | 709 | 126,415 |
| adoption.package_downloads_weekly | - | 12,774,951 |
| 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. | React Native enables developers to write native applications for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and web using JavaScript and the React programming model. Applications use native platform UI components and APIs, delivering native performance without requiring separate codebases per platform. |
| features.capabilities | `{"targets":"iOS, Android, web, desktop (Electron)","approach":"webview_hybrid","language":"HTML/CSS/JavaScript","web_target":true,"native_widgets":false,"desktop_support":true,"single_codebase":true,"native_api_access":"plugin_bridged"}` | `{"targets":"iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web","approach":"native_render","language":"JavaScript","hot_reload":true,"web_target":true,"native_widgets":true,"desktop_support":true,"official_ui_kit":true,"single_codebase":true,"typescript_first":false,"native_api_access":"full"}` |
| integrations.count | 14 | - |
| 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"}]` | - |
| language.primary | - | C++ |
| license.spdx | - | MIT |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"ios":true,"mac":true,"web":true,"linux":true,"android":true,"windows":true}` | `{"ios":true,"mac":true,"web":true,"android":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://cordova.apache.org","retrievedAt":"2026-08-13T16:54:48.330Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://reactnative.dev","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T16:36:21.048Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| release.cadence_days | - | 6 |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.87.1","date":"2026-08-26T16:37:29Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.87.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.86.3","date":"2026-08-24T17:12:44Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.86.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.87.0","date":"2026-08-11T17:11:13Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.87.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.87.0-rc.4","date":"2026-08-05T13:24:07Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v0.87.0-rc.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.87.0-rc.3","date":"2026-07-27T18:47:17Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v0.87.0-rc.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.86.2","date":"2026-07-27T17:34:55Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.86.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.87.0-rc.2","date":"2026-07-21T18:13:16Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v0.87.0-rc.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.87.0-rc.1","date":"2026-07-21T18:13:05Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v0.87.0-rc.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.87.0-rc.0","date":"2026-07-08T14:21:07Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v0.87.0-rc.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.83.10","date":"2026-06-26T14:42:46Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.83.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.86.0","date":"2026-06-11T15:27:00Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.86.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.86.0-rc.3","date":"2026-06-03T07:47:03Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v0.86.0-rc.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.86.0-rc.2","date":"2026-05-25T14:42:44Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v0.86.0-rc.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.86.0-rc.1","date":"2026-05-18T18:52:30Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v0.86.0-rc.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.86.0-rc.0","date":"2026-05-07T09:45:03Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v0.86.0-rc.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.85.3","date":"2026-05-05T15:30:48Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.85.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.83.9","date":"2026-04-27T14:54:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.83.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.83.8","date":"2026-04-24T13:23:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.83.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.83.7","date":"2026-04-24T09:31:54Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.83.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/react-native/releases/tag/v0.85.2","date":"2026-04-20T17:22:20Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.85.2"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | 4.1 | 4.4 |
| security.vulnerabilities | - | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=%40react-native-community%2Feslint-config&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Mobile App Frameworks)

| Capability | Apache Cordova | React Native |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Target platforms | iOS, Android, web, desktop (Electron) | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web |
| Approach | WebView hybrid | Cross-platform native render |
| Primary language | HTML/CSS/JavaScript | JavaScript |
| **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 | Full native |
| **Ecosystem** |  |  |
| Bundled UI component library | - | ✓ |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T17:24:38.968Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*