diff --git a/bin/templates/scripts/cordova/lib/versions.js b/bin/templates/scripts/cordova/lib/versions.js
index d9ba5e31b..828042f5e 100755
--- a/bin/templates/scripts/cordova/lib/versions.js
+++ b/bin/templates/scripts/cordova/lib/versions.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 var child_process = require('child_process');
 var Q = require('q');
+var semver = require('semver');
 
 exports.get_apple_ios_version = function () {
     var d = Q.defer();
@@ -159,36 +160,20 @@ exports.get_tool_version = function (toolName) {
 };
 
 /**
- * Compares two semver-notated version strings. Returns number
- * that indicates equality of provided version strings.
+ * Compares two version strings that can be coerced to semver.
+ *
  * @param  {String} version1 Version to compare
  * @param  {String} version2 Another version to compare
  * @return {Number}          Negative number if first version is lower than the second,
  *                                    positive otherwise and 0 if versions are equal.
  */
-exports.compareVersions = function (version1, version2) {
-    function parseVer (version) {
-        return version.split('.').map(function (value) {
-            // try to convert version segment to Number
-            var parsed = Number(value);
-            // Number constructor is strict enough and will return NaN
-            // if conversion fails. In this case we won't be able to compare versions properly
-            if (isNaN(parsed)) {
-                throw 'Version should contain only numbers and dots';
-            }
-            return parsed;
-        });
-    }
-    var parsedVer1 = parseVer(version1);
-    var parsedVer2 = parseVer(version2);
+exports.compareVersions = (...args) => {
+    const coerceToSemverIfInvalid = v => {
+        const semverVersion = semver.parse(v) || semver.coerce(v);
+        if (!semverVersion) throw new TypeError(`Invalid Version: ${v}`);
+        return semverVersion;
+    };
 
-    // Compare corresponding segments of each version
-    for (var i = 0; i < Math.max(parsedVer1.length, parsedVer2.length); i++) {
-        // if segment is not specified, assume that it is 0
-        // E.g. 3.1 is equal to 3.1.0
-        var ret = (parsedVer1[i] || 0) - (parsedVer2[i] || 0);
-        // if segments are not equal, we're finished
-        if (ret !== 0) return ret;
-    }
-    return 0;
+    const semverVersions = args.map(coerceToSemverIfInvalid);
+    return semver.compare(...semverVersions);
 };
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 596cc0c94..265c2099a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
     "nopt": "^4.0.1",
     "plist": "^3.0.1",
     "q": "^1.5.1",
+    "semver": "^6.3.0",
     "shelljs": "^0.5.3",
     "unorm": "^1.4.1",
     "xcode": "^2.0.0",
diff --git a/tests/spec/unit/lib/check_reqs.spec.js b/tests/spec/unit/lib/check_reqs.spec.js
index d6e971e77..b1dd507f7 100644
--- a/tests/spec/unit/lib/check_reqs.spec.js
+++ b/tests/spec/unit/lib/check_reqs.spec.js
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ describe('check_reqs', function () {
                 compareVersions: originalVersion.compareVersions
             });
 
-            checkTool('node', 'v1.0.0').catch((error) => {
-                expect(error).toEqual('Version should contain only numbers and dots');
+            checkTool('node', 'a.b.c').catch(err => {
+                expect(err).toEqual(new TypeError('Invalid Version: a.b.c'));
                 done();
             });
         });
diff --git a/tests/spec/unit/versions.spec.js b/tests/spec/unit/versions.spec.js
index c3dfc7db4..52b30d4ff 100644
--- a/tests/spec/unit/versions.spec.js
+++ b/tests/spec/unit/versions.spec.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
  under the License.
  */
 
+var semver = require('semver');
 var rewire = require('rewire');
 var versions = rewire('../../../bin/templates/scripts/cordova/lib/versions');
 
@@ -52,3 +53,37 @@ if (process.platform === 'darwin') {
         });
     });
 }
+
+describe('versions', () => {
+    describe('compareVersions method', () => {
+        it('calls semver.compare, given valid semver', () => {
+            const testVersions = ['1.0.0', '1.1.0'];
+            spyOn(semver, 'compare');
+
+            versions.compareVersions(...testVersions);
+            expect(semver.compare).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+                ...testVersions.map(version =>
+                    jasmine.objectContaining({ version })
+                )
+            );
+        });
+
+        it('handles pre-release identifiers', () => {
+            expect(
+                versions.compareVersions('1.0.0-rc.0', '1.0.0')
+            ).toBe(-1);
+        });
+
+        it('handles non-semver versions', () => {
+            expect(
+                versions.compareVersions('10.1', '10')
+            ).toBe(1);
+        });
+
+        it('does not handle pre-release identifiers on non-semver versions', () => {
+            expect(
+                versions.compareVersions('10.1-beta.1', '10.1')
+            ).toBe(0);
+        });
+    });
+});