Leaving Ionic Appflow?

Ionic Appflow sunsets on December 31, 2027 — that is Ionic’s public timeline. Ionic has pointed customers elsewhere. There are two honest paths, not one clone:

• Live Updates parity (channels, OTA, drop-in Appflow cloud) → Capawesome. CapWrapp is not that product.
• Ship binaries from GitHub (pick a commit → TestFlight / Play Internal, without living in Xcode) → CapWrapp.

If you used Appflow mainly to compile and upload store builds — or you are done with Appflow pricing and never needed Live Updates — this page is the CapWrapp checklist.

Who this page is for

For: Capacitor, Lovable, Vite, and similar GitHub repos that used Appflow for native builds and store deploy. Solo makers who want commit → TestFlight without opening Xcode.

Not for: teams whose main need is Appflow Live Updates channels. That stays out of CapWrapp.

The CapWrapp path

1. Connect GitHub. CapWrapp wraps a repo, not an Appflow project URL. Sync Lovable / vibe apps to GitHub first. See Capacitor without Xcode and Lovable → TestFlight.
2. Capacitor PR if missing. If the repo is still a website, CapWrapp opens a pull request that adds the Capacitor shell. You merge it.
3. Pick a commit. You confirm the SHA in CapWrapp. Nothing uploads until you do.
4. GitHub Actions. macOS / Linux runners archive iOS and Android.
5. TestFlight / Play Internal. That is a test binary, not a skip of App Review. Details: Send a TestFlight / Play build.

Migration checklist

• Export any Apple / Play credentials and signing material you still need. CapWrapp uses your App Store Connect API key and Play service account — it does not import Appflow’s vault.
• Ship a static web build (usually Vite dist). SSR is a footgun: a Node server will not run inside the Capacitor shell.
• Capacitor in the repo (capacitor.config, ios/ and/or android/) on the default branch — or let CapWrapp open that PR.
• Paste Apple and Play keys in CapWrapp Settings.
• Upload one test commit to TestFlight and/or Play Internal.
• Uninstall the CapWrapp GitHub App whenever you want out. That revokes repo access — no leftover install after you remove it. See How GitHub access works.

Guideline 4.2 still applies

Wrapping still isn’t a free pass. Apple’s Guideline 4.2 (Minimum Functionality) can reject an app that is just a website in a webview. CapWrapp will still build and upload. It will not invent native features or argue 4.2 for you.

Run the 4.2 self-audit. For deeper review patterns, see AcceptMyApp’s guideline notes.

Also see

• Lovable to App Store — GitHub → Capacitor → TestFlight checklist
• App Store submission checklist — the forms and review after the TestFlight build
• Google Play submission checklist — Data safety, the 12-tester closed test, and production
• Do I need a Mac? — not on your desk
• Capacitor landing · Lovable landing · Ship a test build
• Open CapWrapp

FAQ

Is CapWrapp an Appflow alternative? For GitHub → Capacitor → TestFlight shipping, yes. For Live Updates drop-in, use Capawesome.

What about Live Updates? Out of CapWrapp scope today — we ship store test binaries from commits. CapWrapp is not an OTA / Live Updates Appflow replacement.

Do I need a Mac? Not on your desk. CapWrapp starts GitHub Actions, including macOS runners, to archive and upload iOS. You still need a paid Apple Developer account.

CapWrapp vs Capawesome? Capawesome replaces Appflow’s cloud Live Updates and builds. CapWrapp is the desk for vibe / GitHub repos to get a Capacitor shell and TestFlight without living in Xcode.

CapWrapp vs Capgo? Capgo is OTA after a binary already exists. CapWrapp is how you get that binary uploaded from GitHub.

Is Appflow really ending? Yes. Ionic’s public timeline sunsets Appflow on December 31, 2027. CapWrapp does not invent extra dates beyond that.