Capacitor vs React Native — when each wins

Capacitor (formerly PhoneGap/Cordova evolution) and React Native attack mobile from different angles.

Capacitor: take an existing React/Vue/Angular web app, wrap it in a WebView, expose native APIs through plugins. The UI is HTML/CSS rendered by WebView.

React Native: write JS, run on native UI components (UIView/UIKit on iOS, Android views on Android). Looks and feels native.

When Capacitor wins:

• You have a working web app and need a mobile version fast
• App is mostly content (catalogue, blog, dashboard with charts)
• Team is web-only, no mobile experience

When React Native wins:

• Need true native feel (animations, scroll, gestures)
• Heavy interaction with native APIs (camera, sensors, BLE)
• Performance-sensitive (lists, real-time data)

For a content-heavy app: Capacitor first, only switch to RN if performance breaks.