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Comparison guide

Capacitor vs Ionic

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Capacitor

46.0 KB gzipped

Most Popular

Ionic

20.3K weekly downloads

Best Maintained

Capacitor

20/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

Capacitor

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

Ionic

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. ionic

    A tool for creating and developing Ionic Framework mobile apps.

    20.3K weekly downloads · 607.6 KB gzip · Health 53/100

    0

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.

Downloads & Popularity

Ionic leads with 20.3K weekly downloads — roughly 11.0x 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

Capacitor has the smallest gzipped bundle at 46.0 KB. Ionic comes in at 607.6 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Ionic has an overall health score of 53/100 (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.

When to Choose Each

Choose Capacitor if you value strong security track record. Choose Ionic if you value strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Capacitor and Ionic are solid choices for JavaScript development. Ionic has the edge in overall health score (53/100), 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 ionic?
It depends on your needs. Capacitor has a health score of 49/100 while Ionic scores 53/100. Ionic has more recorded weekly downloads (20.3K). 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 ionic?
Capacitor has the smaller gzipped bundle at 46.0 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 ionic?
Ionic has more recorded weekly downloads (20.3K). Download counts reflect package installations, not unique developers.
Which is better maintained, capacitor or ionic?
Capacitor has a maintenance score of 20/100. Capacitor scores 20/100 and Ionic scores 20/100 on maintenance.

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