A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit and circuitry that implements a control unit. The refrigerant circuit includes a first heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger exchanges heat between outdoor air and a refrigerant. The refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit. The control unit controls a defrosting operation to melt frost adhering to the first heat exchanger and a capacity reduction operation to reduce capacity. The control unit further controls the capacity reduction operation when an index related to frosting satisfies the second condition, and performs the defrosting operation when the index related to the frosting satisfies the first condition during the capacity reduction operation.