In the present paper, the different modes of electrodeposition such as PD (potentiodynamic), PS (potentiostatic) and GS (galvanostatic) have been successfully employed for the deposition of cobalt oxide and subsequently the effect of these modes on supercapacitive performance has been studied. The films were characterized for structural and morphological properties using XRD (X-ray diffraction), FTIR (fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), FT-Raman spectroscopy and SEM (scanning electron microscopy). The electrochemical performance of the films was tested using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge and EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) techniques. The cobalt oxide film deposited by potentiostatic mode showed maximum values of specific capacitance, specific energy and specific power as 248 F g(-1), 2.3 Wh kg(-1) and 3.5 kW kg(-1). (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.