Looking for a ConstApps alternative?
In this article, we'll give you a brief overview of ConstApps, how it works, and its pros and cons. Following that, we'll compare it to five alternatives, which offer something different for eCommerce store owners who want to build their own mobile apps.
What is ConstApps?
ConstApps is a budget mobile app builder specifically designed for WooCommerce-based eCommerce businesses.
Based in Armenia, ConstApps have developed themes for Restaurant, Jewelry Store, Watches, and other eCommerce verticals - along with a series of plugins that extend the apps' functionality.
You'll start with one of these themes, customize it, integrate the app with the backend of your WooCommerce site and set up additional features such as push notifications and loyalty tools.
When you're done, you can publish your app and start promoting it to new and existing customers.
Now let's take a look at ConstApps's pricing.
ConstApps Pricing
ConstApps has four pricing tiers.
- WooCommerce: $39.99/month
- Basic: $69.99/month
- Standard: $99.99/month
- Enterprise: custom
The WooCommerce plan includes both Android & iOS platforms, with advanced app analytics but with a limited number of active devices and push notifications per month.
The Basic plan has similar features as the WooCommerce plan,except it's exclusively for Android. The Standard plan is for both Android & iOS with advanced features, analytics, and boost in the active devices, and monthly push notifications.
If you need a custom app with advanced integrations, premium functionalities, and support, the Enterprise plan is for you.
Pros & Cons of ConstApps
ConstApps is affordable for beginner eCommerce stores, and have a decent selection of themes and plugins. They also have developed ConstApps.js, a Javascript framework that allows technically skilled users to develop their own custom plugins.
It is a limited platform, though. For a start it only makes sense if you have a WooCommerce store - if you use Shopify, Magento, PrestaShop or any other CMS ConstApps isn't for you.
It also won't be able to integrate any of your other WordPress plugins apart from WooCommerce - so you won't be able to properly replicate your site within the apps. If you want to reuse what you have already built for the web, and get truly original and powerful eCommerce apps you need another option.
The ideal use cases for ConstApps are stores with a limited budget to spend on their mobile experience, or those who want to create a quick MVP to see what's possible, without spending a lot of money.
If you're serious about your app experience, you'll want something better to power your app.
Best ConstApps Alternatives
Now we've had an overview of ConstApps, its pricing, and its pros and cons, let's look at some alternatives, starting with our own solution - MobiLoud.
#1: MobiLoud
MobiLoud is our solution to allow businesses to convert their website into mobile apps.
Unlike app builders, such as ConstApps and most of its alternatives, MobiLoud actually converts your website into an app.
There's no rebuilding, no blocks, themes or templates - everything in your app fully reflects your mobile website.
That means you can reuse any themes, plugins, integrations or custom features on your website. With a tool like ConstApps, you won't be able to do this.
MobiLoud is perfect for WooCommerce stores, but also works for websites on any other CMS or tech stack, including all popular eCommerce platforms.
MobiLoud is also a service, not just a DIY app builder. We do all the heavy lifting for you, including the build and configuration of your apps, testing, publishing them to the app stores, and updates and maintenance after launch.
This will save you countless hours of work, not just in the launch period but over the lifecycle of your app.
Over 2,000 businesses have worked with MobiLoud to build and manage their apps, making it a proven choice for successful businesses.
MobiLoud Pricing
MobiLoud has two standard pricing tiers:
- Startup - For fast launching and validation: $350/month, plus a one-time $1,500 setup fee
- Growth - Perfect for more established businesses: $650/month, plus a one-time $2,500 setup fee
We also have custom, corporate plan for more demanding projects. Read more about our pricing here.
Why MobiLoud is a Better ConstApps Alternative
Compared to ConstApps, MobiLoud gives you far more power and flexibility. You'll be able to integrate not only vanilla WooCommerce and a handful of pre-approved tools - but anything from WooCommerce's large library of extensions and themes.
You can also go beyond WooCommerce alone and reuse anything else from WordPress's vast ecosystem within the apps.
MobiLoud is more expensive - a lot more expensive. But you get far more for what you spend.
The service element saves your team a ton of time, effort and energy, and you'll have more revenue potential from the app you build, which will reflect better on your brand.
Want to skip the rest and learn more about MobiLoud? Book a free, personalized demo now and talk with one of our project managers about how MobiLoud can help your business.
Now let's check out a few other ConstApps alternatives that you'll see around the web.
#2: AppMySite
AppMySite are well-known for their WordPress and WooCommerce focused app builder platform, and are planning to move further into eCommerce soon with a Shopify integration.
AppMySite certainly know their way around WordPress, allow you to get up and running with simple apps quickly. On the flipside, AppMySite is a basic and barebones solution positioned toward the low end of the market.
If you have a WooCommerce store you can build simple apps with it, but it will never be able to fully recreate your web experience within the apps. You won't be able to reuse your themes and other plugins, and will be restricted to AppMySite's prebuilt blocks and widgets.
AppMySite could be a good choice for side projects and experiments, but to build powerful eCommerce apps that let you recreate your site in the apps you need MobiLoud.
AppMySite Pricing
AppMySite has three plans:
- Starter - basic features and is Android only - $29/month
- Pro - everything in Starter, for both Android and iOS, plus advanced features - $49/month
- Premium - everything in Pro plus premium features - $99/month
The more costly the plan is, the more benefits you get.
#3: Omnishop
Omnishop is an app builder you can use to create apps for your WooCommerce store. It offers a decent solution for building eCommerce apps, but like many similar platforms won't be able to fully recreate your web store, nor allow you to reuse your existing tech stack, themes, and plugins.
While Omnishop provides a suite of integrations, it's not the most comprehensive. Worth considering for WooCommerce site owners, but there are likely better options for you.
Omnishop Pricing
OmniShop has three plans:
- Basic - basic features - €295/month + €1K setup fee
- Advanced - everything in Basic plus advanced features and integrations - €495/month + €1500 setup fee
- Pro - everything in Advanced plus additional integrations and customizations - custom
#4: Mobikul
Mobikul, based in India, offers a simple app-builder for eCommerce brands, supporting platforms like WooCommerce, Magento, Shopify, among others.
The apps use predefined themes and have a simple functionality. Instead of fully converting your Shopify store into native apps like MobiLoud, it builds an app framework that retrieves site data using API. You can't repurpose your existing themes or plugins and it's primarily geared towards crafting simplistic shopping apps for iOS and Android.
Mobikul Pricing
Mobikul has two Shopify plans:
- Basic - with unlimited push notifications, RTL support, and basic features - $25/month
- Pro - with everything in the Basic plan and additional premium features - $35/month
They also offer lifetime licenses for their other eCommerce platform app builders, which can be acquired through a one-time payment.
#5: Appmaker.xyz
Appmaker.xyz is a solid eCommerce app builder for Shopify and WooCommerce brands, with plenty of plugins and third-party integrations. It might be on the pricy side and its reliance on blocks, templates, and widgets may limit your options.
Despite some customization, it can't exactly duplicate your web store, a limitation of platforms using prebuilt front ends and standardized APIs.
Appmaker.xyz Pricing
Appmaker.xyz has two plans:
- Pro - custom integrations, app launch assistance, and enterprise support - $1K/month
- Plus - everything in Pro plan and additional premium blocks, dedicated customer success manager, and priority support - $2K/month +1% success fee
Why App Builders Are Not an Ideal Solution
App builders like ConstApps (as well as some of the alternatives listed above) are enticing for what they allow non-developers to achieve.
You can tinker around with their drag-and-drop builder to build and launch your own mobile app, even if you don't know the first thing about coding, which sounds great.
But realistically, you're seriously limiting yourself with this approach.
For most businesses (particularly eCommerce stores), all you want in an app is something that stays consistent with your mobile web experience, with a few small touches added to give a native mobile feel.
That's what David from Rainbow Shops was looking for:
“The app needs to be at least as functional as the website. It doesn’t need to be better than the website, but the user experience can’t be worse.”
App builders don't let you do this - you're confined to their limiting themes, templates and integrations. A lot of the features from your website won't work in your app.
As a result, it will feel worse to use the app than using your website - exactly the opposite of what you want for your customers.
A mobile app can elevate your brand, but only if you give your customers a user experience that matches their expectations. You can never really do that with a standard app builder.
Why MobiLoud is a Better Way to Launch an App
MobiLoud is just a better way to go about converting your site into an app.
It actually lets you recreate your website in the app. Your app is your website - it's fully synced with your site, retains all the UI and functionality from your site, and automatically updates whenever your change something on your site.
The limits of your app are essentially the same limits of your website. Anything you can do on the web, you can do on your site as well.
It's also quicker to market, since you don't need to rebuild anything. As long as your site is already mobile-friendly, 90% of the work is done already.
Our team will do this for you, building your mobile app and adding mobile-specific features such as native navigation and push notifications.
We also take a huge amount of work off your plate, as we handle the app store publishing process (even guaranteeing approval, or your money back), as well as updates and maintenance.
Maintaining your app post-launch is a full-time job, and any downtime for your app will result in lost revenue. With MobiLoud, all that is done for you. You just need to worry about managing your website, as you already do.
Get Started Now
Our platform powers thousands of top apps, including Rainbow Shops, SYN•DI•CATE, Bestseller and John Varvatos.
You can do the same for your business. You can go live in less than a month, for a minor investment compared to what it usually costs to launch an app.
It starts with a free discovery call. From there, we can start working together to help you ship the perfect app to grow your business.
Don't wait around while consumers get more mobile-centric, and the mobile commerce wave passes you by. Get in touch now and launch your own branded shopping app with MobiLoud.
