Ionic AppFlow vs Capgo
Ionic AppFlow bundles live updates inside their broader CI/CD suite. Capgo focuses on native OTA, encrypted bundles, and enterprise automation while staying close partners with Ionic.
We love what Ionic built — the first multi-platform framework, Ionic, and Capacitor. After Ionic joined the OutSystems family the leadership refreshed, the collaboration reset, and we're back to shipping together. The new Ionic/AppFlow team is packed with amazing people, and we’re all-in on the long-term future of Ionic and Capacitor.
Maturity
Native OTA since 2021
Four+ years operating production updates for mission-critical apps, continuously innovating.
Scale
20M+ user workloads
Scale-ups like Kick.com serve 20M+ users on Capgo without custom infra.
Performance
Global performance leadership
Latency and uptime tracked continuously at status.capgo.app/history.
Open source
100% backend included
Capgo keeps the entire stack open and encrypted; AppFlow relies on closed infrastructure and unsigned JavaScript pipes.
| Capability | Capgo | Ionic AppFlow |
|---|---|---|
| Years operating | Founded 2021 — specialised OTA network | Launched 2019 — broad app services platform |
| Live update pioneer | We spent months reverse-engineering their undocumented tech before launching Capgo. | Ionic AppFlow invented Capacitor live updates — the original trailblazer. |
| Update layer | Native OTA engine with encrypted delta bundles, automated rollback, and granular configuration. | Native Live Updates plugin bundled inside AppFlow with limited configuration and JS fallbacks for advanced flows. |
| Native coverage | Automatic native splash-screen hide/show so updates feel instant at every app open. | Requires custom JS to manage splash behaviour and assets. |
| CLI safeguards | CLI blocks incompatible bundles before deploy | `ionic deploy` relies on manual validation |
| CI/CD philosophy | We help teams own CI/CD with GitHub Actions playbooks instead of paying platform markups. | Managed CI/CD only — no ownership, limited customisation, and rising costs at scale. |
| Weekly npm downloads | ≈50k installs / week ( npm trends ) | ≈17k installs / week ( npm trends ) |
| Rollout automation | Device rules, staged rollout percentages, audit-ready logs | Manual channel management, no device-level targeting |
| Update audit trail | Device-level logs with anonymous IDs retained 3 months | No per-device audit log exposed |
| Security | Encrypted bundles, device-level audit logs, SOC 2 reporting — public audits via Snyk, SonarCloud, and CodeRabbit (all A-grade). | Obfuscated native code; no public audit trail or transparency into security posture. |
| Transparency | Public latency charts, uptime history, and SOC 2 reports you can verify yourself. ( status.capgo.app/history , capgo.app/trust ) | No public latency metrics or compliance evidence for the Live Updates pipeline. |
| Business model | Plugins stay free; live update credits fund ongoing native improvements. | Subscription tiers bundling CI/CD, builds, and plugins; live updates are a minor add-on. |
| Pricing clarity | Plans start at $14/mo with usage-based credits and proactive emails, so distribution never stops. | Enterprise bundles sold via sales; live updates cost $499/mo+ and the product is winding down. |
| Support | Direct access to Capgo engineers for migrations | Priority support limited to enterprise contracts |
| Scale proof | Kick.com relies on Capgo to update 20M+ users with native OTA safety. | No published case studies above 1M devices. |
| Roadmap certainty | Self-funded, profitable, and committed long-term to native OTA. | Live Updates sunsets in 2027 and AppFlow no longer accepts new customers. |
| Maintenance cadence | Active releases every few days with transparent issue tracking. | Live Updates package saw no release in 8+ months; no public issue tracker. |
Show us proof you migrated from any competing live update provider and we'll credit 3 free months of Capgo to your account.
Available for teams moving from AppFlow, Capawesome, CodePush, or any other OTA service — just share your migration details after signup.
How migration differs in practice
Capgo replaces AppFlow's JavaScript snippets with native automation, shrinking the surface area you must maintain.
- Configure native OTA once in capacitor.config.ts—no recurring JS glue code.
- CI/CD uses the Capgo CLI to upload bundles and block incompatible builds automatically.
- Native splash screens and assets deploy with every bundle; no manual copying scripts.
- Migration specialists walk you through rollouts if you need a human in the loop.
Looking for the detailed checklist? Open the AppFlow → Capgo migration guide
Prefer concierge support? Book our AppFlow → Capgo migration call. cal.com/team/capgo/appflow-migration
Teams moving from AppFlow to Capgo
Why teams switch from AppFlow
Capgo focuses on native reliability and customer-owned automation while AppFlow spreads resources across many products.
- Native encrypted delta updates keep shipping even if the web layer crashes.
- Battle-tested on bursty, compliance-heavy workloads, including Kick.com's 20M+ users.
- SOC 2, daily latency telemetry, and encrypted bundles give regulators real proof.
- Entire backend and SDKs stay open source, with customers owning their CI/CD.
- We coach teams to run GitHub Actions pipelines so you own your releases.
Capgo's plugins performed so well that Ionic blocked us from their community channels, GitHub, and listings for years because we outshone their commercial offers.
In 2024, after AppFlow announced live updates would sunset in 2025 and unplug entirely in 2027, the ban lifted—we're friends again and even collaborate on migrations, with AppFlow sending customers our way.
Frequently asked questions
Have questions about leaving AppFlow for Capgo? Here are the answers our migrating teams ask most often.
- Why is AppFlow shutting down live updates?
- Ionic is discontinuing commercial products, including AppFlow, to focus on the open-source framework. Existing customers can stay until 31 December 2027, but no new features are being built — Capgo fills that gap with a dedicated live update platform.
- How long does migration take?
- Most teams finish in under a day. Concepts like channels and deployments map easily, and our team provides documentation and hands-on support to swap the plugin, update workflows, and ship your first bundle.
- Will we save money?
- Yes. AppFlow live updates start at $499/mo, whereas Capgo starts at $14/mo with usage-based pricing that scales down to ~$0.001 per MAU. You also gain features like automatic rollbacks, encryption, and proactive burst credits.
- When should we migrate?
- Because AppFlow is in maintenance mode, migrating sooner lets you benefit from ongoing Capgo innovation. We help you plan the switch so your release cycle continues without interruption.
Comparisons based on public Ionic AppFlow docs and Capgo production telemetry from the last 90 days.
- Ionic AppFlow product page: ionic.io/appflow/live-updates