In this article, we'll give you a brief overview of eStore2App, how it works, and the pros and cons. We'll compare it to 5 different eStore2App alternatives including our own platform, MobiLoud, which we believe is the ideal choice for serious businesses to convert web stores to professional eCommerce apps.
What is eStore2App?
eStore2App is a drag-and-drop app builder for PrestaShop, Shopify, OpenCart, and Magento. It's a simple platform based on templates and pre-built modules, and allows users to build basic apps for their stores.
Let's take a look at eStore2App's pricing.
eStore2App Pricing
eStore2App has different pricing plans for different eCommerce platforms.
For their Shopify app builder, they have 3 tiers of pricing.
- Basic Plan: $25/mo
- Standard Plan: $30/mo
- Power Plan: $45/mo
Their Basic plan is limited to Android apps only with unlimited push notifications, custom promotional banners, and advanced search with suggestions on top of basic app features.
If you want to have both Android and iOS apps, you can choose the Standard plan which also includes similar features as the basic plan.
For more advanced features, you can choose the Power plan as it has app discount codes, login-based price display, social login, and multi-language support. eStore2App also offers app publishing however, there is no flexibility in their plans and they also have limited integrations.
eStore2App Pros & Cons
eStore2App can provide the bare bones for a simple eCommerce app for Shopify, Magento, PrestaShop, or OpenCart stores. For serious eCommerce businesses though, it will be limiting. With such a simple platform, you will not be able to properly recreate your web store in the apps - at best you will have a simple branded interface that pulls (some) data from your main store via API. You won't be able to reuse your existing tech stack, design and plugins to any meaningful degree.
Now we've had an overview of the tool, its pricing, and its pros and cons, let's take a look at the top eStore2App alternatives, starting with our own site-to-app platform, MobiLoud.
eStore2App Alternative #1: MobiLoud
MobiLoud powers thousands of top apps, and allows you to convert your site into native eCommerce apps in just days, for a fraction of the cost of custom development.
Our eCommerce app platform integrates with any CMS - whether it's Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, or any other, including custom eCommerce platforms - and lets you reuse every plugin, feature and functionality from your main web store.
MobiLoud is the best way to convert your web store into native eCommerce apps for iOS and Android, as well as the best alternative to eStore2App.
There are several key reasons why:
- No templates, no blocks, no APIs - we don't restrict you to our pre-built front-ends, we allow you to convert your web store completely, and to reuse all your existing plugins, themes, and tech stack.
- Keep what works - you already built your ideal site for the web, tweaking it endlessly for conversions and sales. With MobiLoud you can translate that directly into m-commerce native apps, without needing to reinvent the wheel. You already did the hard part, we handle the rest!
- Easy Management - many app builder platforms like eStore2App give you an extra CMS to manage, adding work for you and your team. Since MobiLoud apps sync with your web store in real time, this work is eliminated, you just need to keep managing and updating your store as usual, and if you want to change something specifically for the apps, use our easy no-code UI.
- Done for you - there's no need for you to fiddle, drag-and-drop, or waste time trying to set the apps up. You just need to tell us any special requirements, add some key information, and our team handle all technical aspects of the app build including submissions to Google Play and the AppStore.
MobiLoud Pricing
We have 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 over eStore2App?
The difference between MobiLoud and eStore2App is clear.
MobiLoud goes much beyond the restrictive templates of eStore2App, allowing you to completely recreate your existing online store in the apps.
You'll be able to give your users a consistent shopping experience across website and app, and won't shortchange app users with a basic, bare-bones app that doesn't live up to your website.
On top of all that, it's much simpler to manage, with a personal level of service provided by the MobiLoud team that you'll never get with the price point offered by eStore2App.
Want to skip the rest and get your questions answered by one of our team? Book a demo now!
Now we've looked at the top eStore2App alternative, here are a few other alternatives that you're likely to see around the web.
eStore2App Alternative #2: Mowico
Mowico is another simple and straightforward app builder aimed at smaller eCommerce brands. It works well with Shopify and WooCommerce and will soon be compatible with PrestaShop, BigCommerce, and Wix.
Mowico offers integrations with Smile, Langify, and Judge.me, as well as handy features like push notifications and AR shopping. However, it's important to note its limitations. While Mowico can create a basic eCommerce app displaying your products and logo, it cannot fully replicate the advanced features, design, and plugins of your web store.
When they mention "integration" with various platforms, this just means they can pull some data from there via API - not that they can recreate the entire functionality and UX from the web. For that you need MobiLoud.
Mowico Pricing
Mowico has three plans for each eCommerce platform. For Shopify, they have:
- Startup - basic features - $79/mo
- Growth - everything from Startup plus enhanced features - $399/mo
- Enterprise - premium features, custom feature integrations, and tailor made development - custom
The pricing may vary for each eCommerce platform but keep in mind that, the more costly the plan is, the greater benefits you get.
eStore2App Alternative #3: Mobikul
Mobikul is a basic app-builder for eCommerce businesses that works with platforms like WooCommerce, Magento, and Shopify. Its apps utilize pre-existing themes and offer simple functions. Rather than converting your Shopify store into native apps (like MobiLoud), it allows users to build a basic native front end that pulls site data via API. You can't reuse your existing themes or plugins, nor the design of your web store, and the focus is on creating straightforward iOS and Android shopping apps.
Mobikul Pricing
Mobikul has two Shopify plans:
- Basic - unlimited push notifications, RTL support, and basic features - $25/mo
- Pro - everything in the Basic plan and additional premium features - $35/mo
They also offer lifetime licenses for their other eCommerce platform app builders, which can be acquired through a one-time payment.
eStore2App Alternative #4: Plobal Apps
Plobal Apps is another option for building Shopify apps. It's got a drag-and-drop design process, a simple interface, and lots of integrations. It suffers from the same flaws as other template and block based app builders though. The major downside is that you can't reuse your web store's special features. You'll have to rely on what Plobal already has integrated, and if they don't have what you need, you're stuck.
Plobal Apps Pricing
Plobal Apps has three plans:
- Growth - basic features with 4 standard integrations - $199/mo
- Essential - enhanced features with 7 standard integrations - $499/mo
- Enterprise - with premium features and unlimited advanced integrations - starts at $1199/mo
The more costly the plan is, the more customizability and benefits you get.
eStore2App Alternative #5: instappy
instappy is a platform for creating custom apps for Android and iOS, offering drag-and-drop functionality and plenty of customization options. It also has several pre-built eCommerce themes. But, it doesn't work well for serious eCommerce brands who want to reuse their existing site and tech stack. For starters it doesn't connect with your site or product categories, and you need to manually add products. Secondly - can't link to Shopify or other eCommerce CMSs, creating extra work and resulting in lower quality apps due to their limited templates. There's no way to reuse any of your existing web store's functionality or plugins.
Instappy Pricing
Instappy has three plans:
- Gold - basic features - $49/mo
- Platinum - everything from Gold plus enhanced features - $130/mo
- Reseller - premium features, dedicated account manager, and training support - starts at $500/mo
The more costly the plan is, the more benefits you get.
Summary: Can App Builders Be a Decent Option?
We've looked at a few eStore2App alternatives, and given you some key information about each.
As we've seen, many of these tools share the same major issues.
Though their blocks, themes, templates, and pre-built widgets do allow you to build and launch (some kind of) eCommerce app fast, affordably and easily compared to custom development, the reliance on these features puts you (and your brand) into a straightjacket.
You will only ever approximate your web store, and your potential will forever be at the mercy of whatever pre-built features they have as well as whatever data they can fetch via API (which can change). The apps will be a branded shell with some of your data pulled in and not much more.
While this is OK for simple stores, with basic features and small product ranges, it will almost always be a deal breaker for serious eCommerce brands. You probably have a finely-tuned tech stack, along with all the plugins, third-party integrations, and custom features you need to drive sales and revenue optimally. To discard all this hard work for cookie-cutter apps with your logo on will never make strategic sense.
Why MobiLoud is Different
That's why, although we're biased of course, we believe MobiLoud is not only the best eStore2App alternative but a superior alternative to every eCommerce mobile app builder on the market.
The first key reason: we allow you to reuse everything from your site in the apps.
If it already works well on the mobile web, it'll be even better as iOS and Android apps. It makes no sense to ditch that winning formula and those painstakingly chosen tools just to compromise with restrictive templates. That's too much of downgrade from what you've already built, and with MobiLoud - unnecessary. Keep what already works.
The second core reason: it's so simple to manage MobiLoud apps.
Platforms like eStore2App will often add hours per week to your workflow with effectively a new CMS to manage. In contrast - MobiLoud apps sync in real time with your site. There's no need to manually add new product lines, update pricing, or worry about keeping the apps up to date. The apps will reflect changes and updates to your site instantly.
This goes for any core changes you make to your site too. You can switch out plugins, pull off a major rebrand, or build whatever custom functionality you choose. It doesn't matter what it is - it'll work straight out of the box in the apps, which can grow with your brand into the future.
On top of this, our team handle any ongoing updates and maintenance needed as part of our service, along with all fiddly aspects of the app build and bringing them live to Google Play and the AppStore. We work with you to ensure your apps are a success, and we're only ever an email or phone call away.
Let's Build Your eCommerce Apps Today
MobiLoud allows you to combine the best of the web with the best of native apps. It's a winning formula, check out the success these eCommerce brands have had:
Over 2,000 other businesses have used MobiLoud to build winning apps - and you can too.
Unlike with eStore2App, there's no risk. We don't do long-term contracts and we'll refund you if you're unhappy with the apps. If you're like most of our eCommerce customers - the apps will pay for themselves almost immediately.
It all starts with a call with one of our app experts, where we go over your exact requirements for the apps and answer your questions.
