Ionic vs Ratchet
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A UI toolkit for building iOS, Android, and web apps from one JavaScript and web codebase.
Open source · MIT
A small set of HTML, CSS and JavaScript components for building mobile-style web apps.
The short answer
Choose Ionic if you need…
- Web developers who want to build mobile apps using existing web skills
- Teams that already use Angular, React, or Vue and want a shared UI toolkit
- Projects that need one codebase for iOS, Android, and Progressive Web Apps
- Developers who want a well-documented, MIT-licensed framework
Choose Ratchet if you need…
- Developers prototyping a mobile-style web interface with plain HTML, CSS and JS
- Designers who want to see mobile UI components in a browser
- Teams maintaining an existing Ratchet 1.x or 2.x project
Side-by-side
| Ionic | Ratchet | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 52.7k | 14.7k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Download the app |
| Main language | TypeScript | CSS |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 20 months ago |
What each one is
Ionic
Ionic is an open source toolkit of user interface components for building apps that run on iPhone, Android, and the web from a single codebase. It is built on Web Components and works with popular frameworks such as Angular, React, and Vue. Developers use it to make cross-platform apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript instead of writing separate native apps.
Ratchet
Ratchet is a front-end toolkit of ready-made HTML, CSS and JavaScript components meant for building mobile app interfaces. It ships as compiled CSS and JS files, with optional Android and iOS themes. Developers use it to prototype how a web app would look and feel on a phone.
Best for
Ionic
- Web developers who want to build mobile apps using existing web skills
- Teams that already use Angular, React, or Vue and want a shared UI toolkit
- Projects that need one codebase for iOS, Android, and Progressive Web Apps
- Developers who want a well-documented, MIT-licensed framework
Ratchet
- Developers prototyping a mobile-style web interface with plain HTML, CSS and JS
- Designers who want to see mobile UI components in a browser
- Teams maintaining an existing Ratchet 1.x or 2.x project
Strengths
Ionic
- Single codebase for iOS, Android, and web, based on standard web technologies
- Works with Angular, React, and Vue, according to the README
- Open source under the MIT license with active documentation and community channels
Ratchet
- Simple to start: download the bundled CSS and JS and link them in a page
- Includes both compiled and minified files plus optional Android and iOS themes
- MIT licensed, so it can be used in commercial and personal projects
Not ideal for
Ionic
- Projects that need full access to the newest platform-specific native APIs without a bridge, since the README does not detail this and it relies on web-based packaging
- Developers who want a framework without any dependency on a specific frontend framework, since the README highlights integrations with Angular, React, and Vue
- Developers maintaining Ionic 1, 2, or 3 apps, since those versions were moved to separate repositories and this repo covers current versions
Ratchet
- Projects that need a framework-based setup such as React or Vue, since the README describes only plain HTML, CSS and JS files
- Anyone wanting a native iOS or Android app, since it builds web pages rather than native apps
- Projects needing active updates, because the README's latest push and release status should be checked before relying on it
Trade-offs
Ionic
- The README is truncated and does not describe the full feature set or performance details, so claims beyond the summary are unverified
- Mobile apps rely on web technologies, so behavior and performance depend on the chosen platform layer and setup
- Migration is needed between major versions, as shown by the existence of several migration guides
Ratchet
- The README mentions the docs use Jekyll and a Ruby-based setup, which adds steps for local documentation
- Pages opened directly from the file system do not work; a local web server is required
- Touch behavior is tuned for phones, so desktop testing needs extra steps such as touch emulation
Getting started
Ratchet
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/twbs/ratchet.gitFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Ionic and Ratchet?
Ionic: A UI toolkit for building iOS, Android, and web apps from one JavaScript and web codebase. Ratchet: A small set of HTML, CSS and JavaScript components for building mobile-style web apps. Ionic suits web developers who want to build mobile apps using existing web skills, while Ratchet suits developers prototyping a mobile-style web interface with plain html, css and js.
Are Ionic and Ratchet free?
Ionic: Free and open source. Ratchet: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Ionic or Ratchet?
Ratchet is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Ionic is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Ionic or Ratchet more popular?
Ionic has more GitHub stars (52.7k) than Ratchet (14.7k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Ionic and Ratchet?
Other options people compare them with include React Native, Framework7, Ionicons, GetX, Bootstrap.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.