Capgo is an over-the-air live-update platform for Capacitor apps that ships JavaScript, HTML, and CSS changes to installed iOS and Android apps without a new store release. Teams publish web-layer updates through named channels with staged rollouts, one-command rollback, and optional end-to-end encryption, using a CLI and public REST API that fit existing CI/CD pipelines. It serves Capacitor developers, small product teams, and organizations that need self-hostable update infrastructure. The vendor reports 5,639 apps, 1,500 organizations, and 1.1 billion updates served as of August 2025; these figures are unaudited vendor claims.[1][2]
Quick verdict
Capacitor teams that ship web-layer changes frequently will benefit most from Capgo. Its channel system with staged rollouts, instant rollback, delta updates, and optional end-to-end encryption solves the slow store-review loop for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript fixes. The material constraint is scope: only the web layer can be updated over the air, so teams whose releases are mostly native changes should choose a full release-train tool instead. If you ship a Capacitor app with regular web-layer updates and want managed hosting or self-hosting on your own Supabase infrastructure, choose Capgo.[1][2][3]
Key features
OTA updates without store review Ships JavaScript, HTML, and CSS changes to installed apps directly, so web-layer fixes and content changes reach users without waiting for App Store or Play Store approval.[1][2]
Channel system Organizes releases into named channels such as development, staging, and production, with per-device channel overrides and version targeting so testers and production users receive different bundles.[1][2]
Staged rollouts and instant rollback Releases a bundle to a percentage of devices first, rolls back with one command, disables a bad version, and can auto-revert when a crash-reporting API signals failures.[1][2]
End-to-end encryption option Encrypts update bundles with the team's private key so the update server only ever stores ciphertext it cannot read.[1][2]
Delta updates Downloads only the files that changed between bundle versions, keeping update payloads small and installs fast on slow connections.[1][2]
CI/CD integration Provides a CLI, a public REST API, a JavaScript API, a GitHub Action, and webhooks, so bundle upload and promotion run inside existing build pipelines.[1]
Platform coverage Supports Capacitor 6, 7, and 8 on iOS 14 and Android 8 and above, and automatically uploads device statistics, events, and logs for each update.[1]
Self-hostable stack Publishes the CLI, backend, and console as self-hostable open-source code that runs on your own Supabase infrastructure, with the updater plugin able to point at a self-hosted server URL.[1][2]
Who will love it
Capacitor teams shipping frequent web-layer updates: channels, staged rollouts, and delta updates turn daily web fixes into minutes-long deploys instead of multi-day store reviews.[1][2]
Apps needing controlled rollouts without store review: percentage-based releases, per-device overrides, and one-command rollback give release managers a safety net for risky changes.[1]
Organizations requiring self-hosted update infrastructure: the self-hostable backend and console plus end-to-end encryption keep update delivery inside your own Supabase project and out of a third-party data store.[1][2]
Who should avoid it
OTA covers only the web layer, so new plugins, permissions, or native code still go through full store review regardless of plan.[1][2]
The updater targets Capacitor apps only, so Cordova, Flutter, React Native, and fully native apps need a different update mechanism.[1][2]
Apple requires approval for paid features delivered over the air, and single sign-on is Enterprise-only while day-to-day support runs through community Discord.[1][2]
Compatibility and migration
Works with any JavaScript framework inside a Capacitor 6, 7, or 8 app on iOS 14 and Android 8 and above, with the CLI and REST API fitting standard CI pipelines.[1]
Teams migrating off Appflow before its end-of-2026 closure can move web-layer live updates to Capgo channels, while Expo-managed apps map to EAS Update instead.[1]
Questions worth asking
What is the best Capgo alternative for non-technical users?
Appflow's GUI-based live-update workflow is the simplest conditional fit for non-technical teams, but Ionic is closing Appflow at the end of 2026, so new adopters should evaluate EAS Update or Capgo Cloud's managed console with developer help during setup.[1]
Is Capgo really no-code?
No. The console is graphical, but adopting Capgo requires integrating the updater plugin into a Capacitor app, configuring channels, and wiring the CLI or REST API into a build pipeline, which is developer work throughout.[1]
How much does Capgo cost per month?
Solo costs $12 per month billed annually ($144 per year) or $15 month-to-month for one app, 5,000 devices, and 20,000 updates; Team is $33 or $39 for five apps; Pay-As-You-Go is $0.06 per device per month above 1,000 free devices; Dedicated is $500 per month; Enterprise is quoted. Pricing was checked on October 9, 2026 and overage rates apply beyond included quotas.[1]
Sources and editorial review
Source research. Reviewed on October 9, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.
We have not run or tested this product.
- Capgo pricing page
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Current plan tiers, per-device pricing, overage rates, trial terms, and plan limits as published by the vendor.
- About Capgo
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Founder history with dates, funding, vendor-reported scale figures, team shape, support channel, and self-hosting position.
- Cap-go capacitor-updater README
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Updater plugin feature list, installation method, platform requirements, and statistics API limits.
- Best live update tools for Capacitor apps in 2026
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Competitor comparison framing, Appflow end-of-2026 closure, channel/rollout definitions, and vendor-published performance figures treated as unverified.