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Mobile Development · head to head

Capacitor vs React Native

Capacitor logo

Capacitor

Mobile Development

MIT-licensed native runtime bridging web apps to iOS, Android and native APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
React Native logo

React Native

Mobile Development

Build native mobile apps with React and JavaScript

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Capacitor uI still renders in a system WebView, so complex animation and heavy graphics work require more manual tuning than a natively-rendered framework provides by default.; React Native the JavaScript bridge has historically been a bottleneck for animation-heavy and list-heavy screens, though the New Architecture addresses much of it
  • They diverge on capability: Capacitor covers Native project generation, React Native covers Renders to native components.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Capacitor and React Native actually diverge.

Attributes where Capacitor and React Native differ
AttributeCapacitorReact Native
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Mobile Development).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Capacitor

  • Native project generation
  • Plugin bridge
  • Custom native plugins
  • Live Reload
  • Framework agnostic
  • Capacitor Assets and Configure CLIs

Only in React Native

  • Renders to native components
  • React programming model
  • Native modules
  • Fast Refresh
  • Wide platform reach
  • Large package ecosystem

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Capacitor

  • A team wrapping an existing responsive web app to publish it to the App Store and Play Storenot React Native
  • A product using React or Vue that wants native device APIs without adopting a full mobile frameworknot React Native
  • A developer who wants to drop into native Swift or Kotlin code for the parts a plugin does not covernot React Native
  • A company migrating off Apache Cordova, since Capacitor was designed as a modern, actively maintained successornot React Native

React Native

  • Teams with React experience on the web extending into mobilenot Capacitor
  • Apps that should feel like the platform rather than look identical across bothnot Capacitor
  • Adding a mobile client to a product whose engineers already write JavaScriptnot Capacitor
  • Reusing business logic between web and mobile codebasesnot Capacitor

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Capacitor

  • UI still renders in a system WebView, so complex animation and heavy graphics work require more manual tuning than a natively-rendered framework provides by default.
  • Every native capability not covered by an official or community plugin means writing and maintaining native Swift and Kotlin code, which erodes the single-codebase promise for device-heavy apps.
  • It is maintained by the same team as Ionic, and while it does not require the Ionic UI library, its release cadence and roadmap priorities are set by a company now owned by OutSystems.
  • Cordova plugins are not automatically compatible and often need adaptation, so migrating a legacy Cordova app is a real porting project, not a drop-in swap.
  • App store review teams scrutinise WebView-wrapped apps more closely for "just a website" rejections, so thin wrapper apps carry more approval risk than natively-compiled alternatives.

React Native

  • The JavaScript bridge has historically been a bottleneck for animation-heavy and list-heavy screens, though the New Architecture addresses much of it
  • Upgrading between versions has a reputation for being painful, particularly with many native dependencies
  • Anything the framework does not wrap requires native code in Swift or Kotlin, so a purely JavaScript team can still get stuck
  • Because it renders to real platform components, small behavioural differences between iOS and Android surface in your code rather than being hidden

Pricing, plan by plan

Capacitor

Free
  • CapacitorFree
    • MIT licensed, unlimited apps
    • Core plugin set included
    • Community support via GitHub and Discord

React Native

Free
  • React NativeFree
    • Full framework
    • iOS and Android targets
    • Native module system

Which should you pick?

Choose Capacitor if

  • You need native project generation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want plugin bridge.
Capacitor review

Choose React Native if

  • You need renders to native components.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web.
  • You also want react programming model.
React Native review

Questions people ask

Is Capacitor or React Native better?
Neither clearly leads. Capacitor starts at Free and React Native at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Capacitor or React Native?
Capacitor starts at Free and React Native at Free.
Does Capacitor or React Native run on more platforms?
Capacitor runs on Web, iOS, Android. React Native runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web.
Can I use Capacitor for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Capacitor best used for?
Capacitor is most often used for a team wrapping an existing responsive web app to publish it to the app store and play store, a product using react or vue that wants native device apis without adopting a full mobile framework, a developer who wants to drop into native swift or kotlin code for the parts a plugin does not cover, a company migrating off apache cordova, since capacitor was designed as a modern, actively maintained successor. Of those, a team wrapping an existing responsive web app to publish it to the app store and play store and a product using react or vue that wants native device apis without adopting a full mobile framework are not what React Native is typically brought in for.
What can Capacitor do that React Native cannot?
Capacitor covers Native project generation, Plugin bridge, Custom native plugins, Live Reload. React Native covers Renders to native components, React programming model, Native modules, Fast Refresh.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Capacitor: Do I need Ionic components to use Capacitor?

No. Capacitor is the native runtime and plugin bridge; the Ionic UI component library is a separate, optional layer.

React Native: Is React Native free?

Yes. React Native is open source from Meta with no licence fee, and it is free for commercial use.

Capacitor: Is Capacitor free for commercial apps?

Yes, it is MIT licensed with no fee for commercial use, and there is no paid tier of Capacitor itself.

React Native: Does React Native produce a real native app?

Yes. JavaScript primitives render to the platform’s own UI components using the same native APIs a Swift or Kotlin app would call, rather than to a web view.

Capacitor: Is it a replacement for Cordova?

Functionally yes for most teams, though existing Cordova plugins need adaptation rather than working unmodified.

React Native: Which well-known apps use React Native?

Meta cites Facebook, Microsoft Office, Teams and Outlook, Amazon Shopping, Discord, Coinbase and Tesla among thousands of apps built with it.

React Native: Should I use Expo or plain React Native?

Expo handles builds, updates and native configuration for you and is the recommended starting point. Plain React Native gives full control of the native projects, which matters when you need native code the managed workflow does not cover.

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