Capacitor vs React Native: Performance & DX Comparison
Capacitor allows reusing 100% of Web React/CSS components without rewriting the UI with specialized React Native tags. For another cross-platform approach, check our Capacitor vs Flutter comparison.
Capacitor wins on code reuse (100% identical to Web) and development speed. React Native is reserved for UIs with heavy 3D calculations/animations natively. If migrating away from React Native, follow our [React Native to Capacitor migration](/en/migrations/react-native-to-capacitor) guide.
iPhone 16 Pro Simulator: Liquid Glass Navigation & Native Components
Interact directly with the smartphone simulator to experience liquid glass tabs and Ionic 9 components.
iOS 26 Liquid Glass Navigation
Unlike simple WebViews that force top hamburger menus, Ionic 9 delivers a floating liquid glass bottom tab bar with dynamic tactile morphing and stack isolation per tab.
Native backdrop blur, haptics and automatic dark mode.
Hardware GPU rendering without page reloads.
Detailed Technical Criteria Table
| Technical Criteria | Capacitor + React Web | React Native |
|---|---|---|
| Web Code Reuse | 100% Reusable (HTML/CSS) | 20-40% (Separate UI components) |
| Web & PWA Compatibility | Excellent (Same code) | Requires React Native for Web |
| Native API Access | Via Capacitor Plugins & Swift/Kotlin | Via Native Modules |
Related Guides & Architecture Topics
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Complete guide to transforming your React, Vue, or Next.js app into a native mobile app.
Capacitor vs Flutter: 2026 Comparison
Deep dive comparison between the Web-native Capacitor framework and Google's Dart engine.
Export Lovable & Bolt code to iOS
Step-by-step tutorial to wrap AI prototypes into native Store-ready containers.