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Comparison guide

Capacitor vs Expo

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Expo

21.6 KB gzipped

Most Popular

Expo

12.0M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

Expo

100/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

Capacitor

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

Expo

Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality

  1. capacitor

    An implementation of facebook's flux architecture, great Scott!

    1.8K weekly downloads · 46.0 KB gzip · Health 49/100

    0
  2. expo

    The Expo SDK

    12.0M weekly downloads · 21.6 KB gzip · Health 85/100

    0

Choosing between Capacitor and Expo? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

Expo leads with 12.0M weekly downloads — roughly 6496.9x more. Capacitor has 1.8K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Expo has the smallest gzipped bundle at 21.6 KB. Capacitor comes in at 46.0 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Expo has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Capacitor has an overall health score of 49/100 (moderate), with strong security scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Capacitor if you value strong security track record. Choose Expo if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Capacitor and Expo are solid choices for JavaScript development. Expo has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is capacitor better than expo?
It depends on your needs. Capacitor has a health score of 49/100 while Expo scores 85/100. Expo has more recorded weekly downloads (12.0M). Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, capacitor or expo?
Expo has the smaller gzipped bundle at 21.6 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use capacitor vs expo?
Expo has more recorded weekly downloads (12.0M). Download counts reflect package installations, not unique developers.
Which is better maintained, capacitor or expo?
Expo has a maintenance score of 100/100. Capacitor scores 20/100 and Expo scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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