Capacitor
A cross-platform native runtime for web apps
- Also known as
- capacitor
What is Capacitor?
Capacitor is an open source native runtime for building Web Native apps. It enables creating cross-platform iOS, Android, and Progressive Web Apps using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, with direct access to native device APIs through a plugin system.
Capacitor pricing
We don't have Capacitor's full plan breakdown yet (its pricing page resisted automated reading). Here's what we could confirm. Always check live pricing for exact numbers.
Open source and free
What Capacitor does
The capabilities that matter for mobile app frameworks, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.
- Target platforms
- iOS, Android, Progressive Web Apps
- Approach
- WebView hybrid
- Primary language
- JavaScript
- Renders true native UI
- ✗
- Hot reload
- -
- TypeScript-first
- -
- Over-the-air code push
- -
- Single codebase, multiple platforms
- ✓
- Desktop support
- -
- Builds for web
- ✓
- Native API access
- Plugin / bridged
- Bundled UI component library
- -
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- CLI
- iOS
- Web
- Android
Capacitor alternatives
Other mobile app frameworks we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- React NativeLearn once, write anywherelow · 41%
- FlutterBuild apps for any screenlow · 26%
- ElectronBuild cross-platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSSlow · 31%
- ExpoBuild native apps with Reactlow · 44%
- Compose MultiplatformBuild beautiful shared UIs for Android, iOS, desktop, and web that feel natural on every platformlow · 16%
- .NET MAUIBuild native, cross-platform desktop and mobile apps all in one frameworklow · 22%
The Vioscale score: one lens on the evidence
Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for Capacitor, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package Downloads | 85 | 26.00 | 2215.4 | ✓ |
| Capabilities | 46 | 16.00 | 733.1 | ✓ |
| Price Level | 100 | 6.00 | 600.0 | ✓ |
| Github Activity | 28 | 18.00 | 511.8 | ✓ |
| Github Stars | 79 | 5.00 | 397.1 | ✓ |
| Pricing Transparency | 25 | 8.00 | 200.0 | ✓ |
| Reliability | 0 | 8.00 | 0.0 | - |
| Integrations | 0 | 8.00 | 0.0 | - |
| Release Cadence | 0 | 10.00 | 0.0 | - |
| Security Posture | 0 | 13.00 | 0.0 | - |
| Stackoverflow Activity | 0 | 12.00 | 0.0 | - |
Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.
All data & sourcesshow ↓
Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.
Activity
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Commits last 30d | 7 | mediumsource · 2026-08-01 · 65% |
Adoption
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | {"targets":"iOS, Android, Progressive Web Apps","approach":"webview_hybrid","language":"JavaScript","web_target":true,"native_widgets":false,"single_codebase":true,"native_api_access":"plugin_bridged"} | mediumsource · 2026-08-01 · 60% |
Language
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | TypeScript | highsource · 2026-08-01 · 90% |
License
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spdx | MIT | highsource · 2026-08-01 · 99% |