•MnCo2O4 nanowire array is prepared by a fast and facile hydrothermal method.•MnCo2O4 nanowire array exhibits noticeable pseudocapacitive properties.•The as-prepared nanowire array is also a promising material for Li-ion batteries. One-dimension MnCo2O4 nanowire arrays are synthesized on nickel foam by a facile hydrothermal method. The MnCo2O4 nanowires are highly crystalline with an average diameter of 70nm and exhibit excellent properties for electrochemical energy storage. Impressively, the MnCo2O4 nanowire array exhibits noticeable pseudocapacitive performance with a high capacitance of 349.8 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and 328.9 F g−1 at 20 A g−1 as well as excellent cycling stability. As an anode material for Li-ion batteries, the MnCo2O4 nanowire array delivers an initial specific discharge capacity of 1288.6 mAh g−1 at 100mAg−1, with reversible capacity retention of 92.7% after 50 cycles. The outstanding electrochemical performances are mainly attributed to its nanowire array architecture which provides large reaction surface area, fast ion and electron transfer and good structure stability.