Capacitor

Capacitor is a modern framework that allows developers to build mobile apps using web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) while packaging them as native iOS and Android applications. Created by the team behind Ionic, Capacitor provides a bridge between web code and native device capabilities, enabling web apps to access features like cameras, file systems, push notifications, and biometric authentication. Unlike pure web apps, Capacitor apps are distributed through app stores and installed like any native application.

Developers build their app using familiar web frameworks like React, Vue, Angular, or vanilla JavaScript, then use Capacitor to wrap the web app in a native container. Capacitor provides a unified API for accessing device features that works across iOS and Android, while also allowing developers to write platform-specific native code when needed. The framework emphasizes modern web standards and backward compatibility, making it easier to add native capabilities to existing web applications.

For businesses, Capacitor offers a pragmatic approach to cross-platform development with lower costs than building separate native apps. Teams skilled in web development can create mobile apps without learning Swift or Kotlin, using their existing expertise and tooling. The single codebase reduces maintenance burden and enables faster feature delivery across platforms. Capacitor apps perform well for most use cases and can access nearly all device features that native apps use. The framework’s flexibility allows starting with web technologies while adding native code for performance-critical features, providing a gradual path from web to native if needed.