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Cordova vs Capgo

Apache Cordova alternative: Capacitor and Capgo

Apache Cordova pioneered packaging web apps for the app stores, and it is still maintained. Capacitor is its modern successor for the same web code, and Capgo adds the live updates and cloud builds that Cordova teams used to get from CodePush and App Center.

Verdict Choose Cordova if you have a stable app and a team that knows its CLI and config.xml workflow. Choose Capacitor with Capgo if you want native projects you own, modern plugins, and live updates with channels and rollback now that App Center CodePush is retired. Capacitor still runs most Cordova plugins, so the move is incremental.

  • 1B+ updates per month
  • 4.7K+ apps
  • Founded in 2021

9,400+ teams. 90M+ devices. 3,143+ GitHub stars. Trusted in production by:

  • Kick 20M+ installs
  • Suez 3.2M installs
  • Nana 2.5M installs
  • Snowqueen 1.8M installs
  • Pizza Hut 1M+ installs
  • Shelf 950K installs
  • Janitor 750K installs
  • RemNote 500K+ installs
  • Vella 400K+ installs
  • Revel 250K+ installs
  • IREC 150K+ installs
  • OurLiving 80K+ installs
Top picks

The 6 best Apache Cordova alternatives in 2026

Ranked for teams that want to ship mobile apps fast, fix production bugs without waiting on store review, and keep full control of their code.

  1. Capgo Our pick

    Capacitor plus Capgo: one web codebase for iOS, Android, and web, live updates that skip store review, and cloud native builds in 2–3 minutes. Open source, from $12/month.

    Capgo vs Apache Cordova →

  2. Ionic Appflow

    Live updates and cloud builds for Capacitor and Cordova apps from the Ionic team. Check its current roadmap before committing.

    Learn more →

  3. Capawesome Cloud

    Live updates and builds for Capacitor apps, with fewer rollout and analytics features than Capgo.

    Learn more →

  4. Self-hosted CodePush server

    Microsoft open-sourced a standalone CodePush server after App Center retired. No license fee, but you run and secure it yourself.

    Learn more →

  5. VoltBuilder

    Cloud builds for Cordova and Capacitor projects without a Mac. No live updates.

    Learn more →

  6. React Native

    A rewrite with native UI components. Worth it only if you want to leave the web stack.

    Learn more →
Side by side

Capgo vs Apache Cordova at a glance

Capgo vs Apache Cordova, as of September 2026. Each Apache Cordova fact links to a numbered source listed below the table.
Area Capgo Apache Cordova
Pricing Capacitor is free and MIT-licensed. Capgo live updates and cloud builds start at $12/month billed yearly or $14 monthly, with a 14-day free trial and no credit card. Free and open source from the Apache Software Foundation. No paid tier. [1]
OTA live updates Ships JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and asset changes without waiting for store review, with delta downloads and end-to-end encryption. 1B+ updates per month. No built-in live updates. Many Cordova apps used App Center CodePush, which was retired on March 31, 2025; Microsoft now only offers a self-hosted CodePush server. [4]
Native builds Capgo Builder builds and signs iOS and Android binaries in the cloud, typically in 2–3 minutes, and can upload them to the stores. Build time is included in plans. The cordova CLI generates platform projects that you build locally with Xcode and Android Studio, or in your own CI. No hosted build service from the project. [2]
Framework support Capacitor apps built with any web framework, and Capacitor runs most Cordova plugins. Capgo live updates also work for Cordova and Electron apps. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in a WebView, with any web framework. Targets Android, iOS, and Electron. Native access comes from Cordova plugins. [2]
Open source and self-hosting Updater plugin and Capgo plugins are free under MPL-2.0. Backend source is on GitHub under AGPL-3.0. Run your own update server, or use licensed self-hosting on Enterprise. Apache License 2.0, governed by the Apache Software Foundation. [1]
Rollback and channels Dynamic channels, device and channel overrides, progressive rollouts, automatic rollback when a bundle fails to start, and one-click revert to a previous bundle. Not available in Cordova itself. Rollback depends on the live update service you add, or on shipping a new store release. [2] [4]
Support Discord and email with the engineers who build Capgo. Priority plugin fixes on any plan, and Premium Support for production deadlines. Community support through the Apache project. Releases continue, including cordova-android 15.1.0 in July 2026 and cordova-ios 8.1.1 in July 2026. [3]
Company status Independent and bootstrapped, founded in 2021. 9,400+ teams, 4.7K+ apps, and 90M+ devices. SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 on the Enterprise plan. Apache Software Foundation, maintained by volunteer committers. [1]

Sources

Competitor details are as of September 2026 and were checked against the vendor pages below. Plans and prices change, so confirm on the vendor site before you decide.

  1. Apache Cordova
  2. Cordova docs: Overview
  3. Apache Cordova blog
  4. Visual Studio App Center retirement
  5. Capacitor docs: Migrating from Cordova
Honest take

Where Apache Cordova is the better choice

No tool fits every team. These are the cases where we would point you to the other option.

Your app is stable and rarely changes

Cordova is still maintained with regular platform releases, so a mature app with a working pipeline does not have to move. [3]

You rely on the config.xml and CLI workflow

Cordova regenerates platform projects from config.xml and the CLI. Teams that never touch Xcode or Android Studio directly may prefer that model. [2]

You want a project with Apache governance

Cordova is an Apache Software Foundation project under the Apache License 2.0, with no single company behind it. [1]

Migration path

Move from Cordova to Capacitor and Capgo

Capacitor can run alongside Cordova and supports most Cordova plugins, so you can migrate one plugin at a time. Your web code stays as it is.

  1. Add Capacitor to the project

    Run bun add @capacitor/core @capacitor/cli @capacitor/ios @capacitor/android and bunx cap init with the app id from config.xml, build your web app, then bunx cap add ios and bunx cap add android.

  2. Move plugins over

    Keep working Cordova plugins, replace the rest with Capacitor plugins, and run bunx cap sync. Preferences from config.xml move into capacitor.config.ts.

  3. Add live updates

    Run bunx @capgo/cli@latest init, then ship each web build with bunx @capgo/cli@latest bundle upload.

Read the quickstart Browse Capgo plugins
Customer proof

What Capgo customers say

Named reviews from teams that ship Capacitor apps with Capgo.

5.0/5 rated by developer teams 9,400+ teams Read reviews

Since I started using Capgo everything is faster, and I can give my users the time they deserve without neglecting my daily life.

Luis Dominguez El que paga, Anirol

Being able to add Device ID's to certain groups and push the changes to only certain groups is a life saver.

no-tone @ Webincode Developer, Webincode

Being able to push production OTA updates instantly without waiting for full App Store review cycles has been a massive operational advantage.

Kapil Founder, NuTriQ
FAQ

Common questions

Is Apache Cordova dead?
No. Cordova is still maintained by the Apache project, with cordova-android 15.1.0 and cordova-ios 8.1.1 released in July 2026. Most new web-to-native projects now start on Capacitor instead.
What replaced CodePush for Cordova apps?
App Center, including CodePush, was retired on March 31, 2025. Options are a self-hosted CodePush server, or a managed service such as Capgo, which supports live updates for Cordova and Capacitor apps.
Can I keep my Cordova plugins in Capacitor?
Yes, most of them. Capacitor works alongside Cordova plugins, and incompatible ones are skipped automatically during sync, so you can replace them one at a time.
Is Capacitor free like Cordova?
Yes. Capacitor is free and MIT-licensed. Capgo is the paid part, for live updates and cloud native builds, starting at $12/month billed yearly.
When should I choose Capgo over plain Cordova?
Choose Capacitor with Capgo when you ship often and need fixes to reach users without waiting for store review, with channels, progressive rollouts, and automatic rollback.

Try Capgo on your own app

Start a 14-day free trial with no credit card. After the trial, plans start at $12/month billed yearly or $14 billed monthly.

  • 9,400+ teams
  • 90M+ devices
  • Native builds in 2–3 min