Can a live update change native code?

No. Live updates carry web-layer changes: HTML, CSS, JavaScript and web assets. Native code, a new Capacitor plugin or a new permission ships as a store build, and Native Update can then prompt users to install it.

What happens if a new bundle crashes on launch?

If the bundle never calls notifyAppReady(), the native layer reverts it after two cold starts and the app opens on the last good bundle. The dashboard counts it as a failed start.

How do I roll back a release?

Roll it back in the dashboard or with the CLI. Devices return to the previous good bundle on their next check, and the release stays in your list for later.

The plugin includes iOS code, but it has not had on-device sign-off yet. Android is the platform releases are tested on today.

What counts as a monthly active user?

A unique device that checks for an update at least once in a rolling 30-day window. A device that stops checking in drops off the count after 30 days.

What happens when I go over my plan’s limit?

Uploads and promotions pause, and the dashboard and an email tell you. Devices keep the release they have. Seven days after a plan expires, update delivery stops until billing is fixed.

Do I need a Native Update account?

Yes. The plugin talks to the Native Update service with your app’s API key. The Free plan includes every feature, up to 30 apps and 5,000 monthly active users.

Ionic Appflow or Native Update

Ionic's hosted build and live update service, no longer sold to new customers.

Last checked Nov 7, 2026Check Ionic Appflow yourself (opens in a new tab)

Who each one suits

Better served by Ionic Appflow

Choose Ionic Appflow if you are already a customer and want to keep its live updates and cloud builds running until access ends on December 31, 2027.

Better served by Native Update

Choose Native Update if you need a service you can sign up for today, with a free plan and signed bundles.

What it costs

Ionic Appflow

Plan	Price	Terms	Where it says so
All plans	No price listed	Quote only; new customer sales discontinued 2025-02-11, existing customers keep access through 2027-12-31	Source (opens in a new tab)

Native Update

Plan	Price	Terms
Free	$0	30 apps, 5,000 monthly active users
Pro	$9.99 a month	Unlimited apps, 50,000 monthly active users
Team	$8.99 per seat a month	Unlimited apps, 100,000 monthly active users per member, 3 seats minimum

Feature by feature

Their column comes from their pages. Ours comes from the plugin and the service as they ship today.

Feature	Ionic Appflow	Native Update
Over-the-air web bundle updates	YesSource (opens in a new tab)	Yes
Signed bundles, verified on the device	Not stated on the pages we checked	Yes
Automatic rollback when a bundle fails to start	Not stated on the pages we checked	Yes
Roll back from the dashboard or CLI	YesSource (opens in a new tab)	Yes
Rollout to a percentage of devices	Not stated on the pages we checked	Yes
Channels (development, staging, production)	PartlySource (opens in a new tab)	Yes
Delta updates	Not stated on the pages we checked	Yes
Your own server or self-hosting	Not stated on the pages we checked	Yes
In-app store update flow	Not stated on the pages we checked	Yes
In-app review prompt	Not stated on the pages we checked	Yes
Background update checks	Not stated on the pages we checked	Yes
CLI plus HTTP management API	PartlySource (opens in a new tab)	Yes
Capacitor apps	YesSource (opens in a new tab)	Yes
React Native apps	YesSource (opens in a new tab)	No
Flutter apps	Not stated on the pages we checked	No
Native Android and iOS apps	Not stated on the pages we checked	No
Free plan	Not stated on the pages we checked	Yes

Where Native Update stops

Today Native Update supports Capacitor only. React Native, Flutter and native packages are not available yet.

Live updates carry web-layer changes; native changes still ship through the store.

Moving from Ionic Appflow

Both sit inside a Capacitor app, so the move is a package swap, a signing key and one release. The docs walk through it.

Read the guide See the plans

These facts come from Ionic Appflow’s own pages, and they can change without telling us. Their site is the one to trust. Found something out of date? Tell us.