The 5 Best Mobile App Builders for Grocery & Meal Kit Brands

Grocery and meal kit brands are all about convenience. And to truly meet customer expectations and drive repeat purchases, having a branded mobile app will make a major difference.

Apps offer faster navigation, simpler reordering, and powerful tools like push notifications that bring customers back again and again. App users buy more often, spend more per order, and stick with brands longer than those using mobile web.

If you’re in the grocery or meal kit space and looking to boost retention and revenue, building an app might be your next big move. But which platform should you use?

In this article, we’ll break down the five best app builders for grocery and meal kit brands, based on what really matters: subscription support, delivery flexibility, loyalty tools, and ease of use.

Let’s start by looking at the features your app must have to truly serve your customers.

What Are the Must-Have Features for Grocery/Meal Kit Apps?

Not all apps are created equal. And not all are ideal for brands selling groceries and meal kits.

These businesses rely on repeat orders, flexible delivery options, and smooth customer experiences. To deliver that, your mobile app needs a specific set of features.

Here are the major must-haves:

• Easy Reordering & Subscriptions: Customers should be able to re-order past items or manage their weekly meal kits with just a tap. Integration with tools like Recharge is essential for subscription flow.
• Delivery Scheduling & Pickup Options: Support for time-slot selection, curbside pickup, and local delivery zones is critical. Shoppers expect to choose when and how they receive their orders.
• Loyalty Programs & Rewards: Built-in loyalty tools or integration with popular rewards platforms help drive repeat purchases and build long-term engagement.
• Advanced Search & Filters: With hundreds of SKUs, smart search, filters, and category sorting help customers find what they need fast – especially for specific diets or product types.
• Fast, Seamless Checkout: One-page checkouts, saved payment info, and support for Apple Pay, Google Pay, and even cash on delivery make buying quick and frictionless.
• Push Notifications: Timely alerts for reorders, sales, or delivery updates help keep your brand top of mind. Segmented or automated push flows drive even more engagement.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Whether you’re on Shopify, WooCommerce, or something custom, your app builder should sync directly with your backend and work across both iOS and Android.
• Order Tracking & Support: Customers expect to see real-time order updates and easily reach support within the app – especially for perishable or time-sensitive items.

With those essentials covered, you’re ready to explore the top app platforms that fit the bill for your brand.

What Are the Best App Builders for Grocery & Meal Kit Stores?

The best mobile app builders for grocery & meal kit brands include:

• MobiLoud
• Tapcart
• Vajro
• GoodBarber
• Shopney

Each has their own strengths and drawbacks. Let’s dive deeper now.

1. MobiLoud (Platform-agnostic, Full Website Parity & Full-Service Partner)

MobiLoud is built for grocery and meal kit brands that already have a strong website, and want that same experience in a mobile app, without doubling their workload.

Instead of making you rebuild your store in templates or drag-and-drop blocks, MobiLoud turns your existing website into iOS and Android apps. 

Everything stays synced automatically. You update your site, and the app updates too. And all the features from your website carry over to the app.

That means your existing subscription flow, upsell tools, PDPs, categories and more work in your mobile app, out of the box.

Why MobiLoud is the best mobile app builder for grocery and meal kit stores:

• Works with any ecommerce setup: Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, headless, or custom platforms.
• Reuses your exact site design, subscriptions, loyalty tools, checkout flows, and plugins. No feature loss or inconsistency across platforms.
• Syncs with your website’s reordering and subscription management systems.
• Unlimited push notifications via OneSignal/Klaviyo.
• White-glove service: MobiLoud’s team builds, tests, submits, and maintains your app. You don’t need in-house developers, plus minimal time required from your team.

Proven results: Country Life Natural Foods launched with under 10 staff hours and now sees 15x revenue per app user, 20% higher average order value and 2.4x higher conversion rate in the app, all with one shared codebase.

Best for: Brands that already iterate and optimize their site regularly and want to maintain one source of truth across web and app, without rebuilding or managing two platforms.

MobiLoud is the most straightforward and cost effective option on this list, because you don’t need to change anything. Your website powers the app. So if your website already works great, your app will too – with no rebuilding.

It’s also the most powerful, because you’re not reliant on pre-built blocks, templates and integrations. Anything you can do on your website, you can do in the app too. There are virtually no limits.

It works with Shopify and non-Shopify stores, and comes with an expert team providing service on the level of a partner; not just a tool.

If you want to see how your site will look like as an app, and how MobiLoud can help you bring it to life, get a free preview of your app now.

2. Tapcart (For Shopify Stores Wanting a Standalone App Experience)

Tapcart is a popular choice for Shopify-powered grocery and meal kit brands. It transforms your store into a sleek, high-converting mobile app using a drag-and-drop interface. 

With its purpose-built Shopify integration, you can manage everything from your existing Shopify admin. However, you will need to compile the app separately from your website. This adds some time and complexity during setup, and more post-launch.

Why it’s strong for grocery/meal kit stores:

• Integrates with Recharge for subscriptions, Klaviyo for email flows, and a number of other popular Shopify apps.
• Supports unlimited push notifications to drive reorders, promotions, and restock alerts.
• Includes smart reordering features like “Buy Again” buttons and custom product bundles.
• Syncs with your store’s product catalog, inventory, prices, and content.

Best for: Shopify brands looking for a visually polished app experience, in a platform that’s largely separate from your website.

When to skip: If you’re not on Shopify or need highly customized UI or backend logic that Tapcart’s templates can’t handle.

Platforms like Tapcart take more complexity to maintain. While the core product and order data syncs between website and app, not all your content does. You’ll find a lot of store changes (e.g. branding, promotions) requiring double the work to update on both platforms.

It’s also difficult to fully integrate all your website’s features, especially if you have custom features or tweaks that their platform doesn’t support.

3. Vajro (Fast, Low-Code Launch Plus Live-Selling Extras)

Vajro is another Shopify-focused app builder that balances speed with flexibility. It’s ideal for grocery and meal kit brands looking for fast deployment, recurring orders, and even live video selling capabilities.

Why it’s strong for grocery/meal kit stores:

• Built-in features like smart carts, “Buy Again” buttons, and real-time inventory sync streamline frequent grocery ordering.
• Supports rich-media push notifications and one-click reordering.
• Live video commerce is baked in; great for demoing recipes or showcasing limited-time bundles.
• Offers one-click design themes to get your app live quickly without needing developers.

Best for: Shopify stores that want a fast, customizable launch, with extra engagement tools like live selling and dynamic reordering.

When to skip: While quick to deploy, Vajro is still Shopify-first and may require dev help for complex checkout flows or advanced backend integrations.

Has the same flaws as all block-based app builders (as mentioned above). A good fit for simple stores, but stores with more customization may feel too constrained.

4. GoodBarber (No-Code App Builder for Standalone or Mobile-First Apps)

GoodBarber stands out in this list as the only tool that allows you to build a standalone mobile app from scratch.

You can build an app that’s available for iOS, Android, and web visitors (as a PWA), without converting an existing website.

This makes it a good fit for physical stores, restaurants, or small app-first businesses.

Why it’s strong for grocery/meal kit stores:

• Natively supports delivery slot selection, curbside pickup, local delivery zones, and in-app order management.
• Includes features like “Buy Again” buttons, quick-buy shortcuts, and cart-saving for recurring orders.
• Starts at around $40/month, making it one of the most budget-friendly paths to a fully native grocery shopping app.
• Offers a Progressive Web App (PWA) in addition to native iOS and Android apps.

Best for: App-first brands or smaller operations that want a simple, affordable way to offer a native app.

When to skip: Difficult to integrate with websites, so not a good fit if you’re already selling on the web.

5. Shopney (Fast, Entry-Level Pricing)

Shopney is a Shopify-exclusive app builder that focuses on speed and simplicity. While it’s not as feature-rich for grocery and meal kit brands as others on this list, it’s a solid choice for stores that need a straightforward mobile app without a big investment.

Why it’s worth a look:

• Launches in hours using pre-built themes and a simple drag-and-drop interface.
• Supports push notifications and real-time sync with your Shopify store.
• Offers basic reordering features and visual merchandising options.

Best for: Small Shopify merchants looking for a low-cost, fast-to-launch mobile app and who don’t need complex features like subscriptions, delivery slot management, or loyalty integrations.

When to skip: If you need more grocery-specific functionality or are on a non-Shopify platform. Shopney’s scope is narrower than others in this comparison.

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Next Steps: How to Launch Your Grocery/Meal Kit App

Choosing the right app builder is only the first step. 

Getting your app live and driving results requires a clear plan and strong execution.

Here’s what to do next:

1. Audit your current site

Launching an app is great, but most people will still find you via the web.

Make sure your mobile site is optimized, especially for reordering, subscriptions, and quick checkout. This will make it easier to build a great mobile app (especially if you use MobiLoud to do it – since you’re using your website to power the app).

2. Define your app goals

Are you aiming to reduce cart abandonment, increase reorders, or improve retention? What customer segment(s) are you specifically targeting with the app?

Clarifying this helps guide your strategy, and helps you understand which app builder will be the best fit for you.

3. Pick the right builder for your tech stack and growth plans

Shopify-exclusive tools like Tapcart and Shopney offer convenience, allowing you to install directly from your Shopify admin.

If you’re on WooCommerce, BigCommerce, any other CMS, or have a custom site, these platforms won’t work for you. MobiLoud is the best choice for these brands, as well as Shopify brands looking for flexibility and freedom from restrictive templates.

4. Build & plan your launch

Once you know which mobile app builder is right for you, go ahead and put your app together.

But a great app alone isn’t enough. Your customers need to know about it. Use banners and QR codes on your site, email announcements, and incentives like app-only discounts to drive downloads.

5. Drive app engagement with push

Your app is live. You’ve started getting users. Now you need to keep them engaged.

Push notifications are a great engagement-driving tool. Start with basic flows: cart abandonment, reorder reminders, and weekly promotions. 

If you don’t have the bandwidth, MobiLoud offers done-for-you push setup and campaign management.

At the very least, set up simple sequences like a welcome message, an abandoned cart flow, and automated delivery notifications. (MobiLoud again helps set up all of this).

Final Thoughts

Mobile apps can be one of your highest-ROI channels if done right.

Apps provide a more convenient experience for your best customers. The increased convenience directly translates to more sessions, longer sessions, and more repeat purchases.

Our research shows that apps generate 3.5-7x more revenue per user than the mobile web. 

With the right partner, it doesn’t take much time, bandwidth or cost to launch, either. With MobiLoud, you’re simply converting what already exists, and turning it into a beautiful native experience for your best customers.

All this with the support of a full-service, expert team.

If you want to see what’s possible, go ahead and get a free preview of your app now.