Side-by-side NPM package comparison
Version 0.5.6
An implementation of facebook's flux architecture, great Scott!
Version 5.4.16
A tool for creating and developing Ionic Framework mobile apps.
Choosing between Capacitor and Ionic? 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.
Ionic leads with 8.7K weekly downloads — roughly 4.9x more. Capacitor has 1.8K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.
Capacitor has the smallest gzipped bundle at 18.2 KB. Ionic comes in at 263.6 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.
Ionic has an overall health score of 57/100 (moderate), with strong security 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.
Choose Capacitor if you value strong security track record. Choose Ionic if you value strong security track record.
Both Capacitor and Ionic are solid choices for JavaScript development. Ionic has the edge in overall health score (57/100), 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.