In this article, we'll give you a brief overview of Knowband, how it works, and the pros and cons. We'll compare it to 5 different Knowband 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 Knowband?
Knowband is an app-builder specifically targeted to eCommerce stores. It is based on a series of plugins and modules developed for popular eCommerce CMSes like Prestashop, Magento, WooCommerce and others. The app builder is one of a series of plugins developed by Knowband.
Now let's take a look at Knowband's pricing.
Knowband Pricing
KnowBand does not offer subscriptions for their mobile app builder. Instead, they charge a one-time payment for a lifetime validity single app license. Their mobile app builder cost varies per eCommerce platform.
For example, their WooCommerce mobile app builder costs $210 for a single app and platform license (+$30 for both Android and iOS platforms).
Knowband Pros & Cons
Knowband, in theory, offers a simple and no-code route to eCommerce apps for small businesses. However, many reviewers complain of bugs, poor performance, and inadequate service. The platform itself is also limited, and due to its nature (based on templates created with Flutter) it will never come close to recreating your web store and all its functionality.
Now we've had an overview of the tool, its pricing, and its pros and cons. It's time to move on and start looking at some Knowband alternatives, starting with our own site-to-app platform, MobiLoud.
Knowband 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 - and let 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 Knowband.
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 Knowband gives 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: $170/month
- Growth - Perfect for more established businesses. $382/month
We also have custom, corporate plan for more demanding projects. Read more about our pricing here.
The difference between MobiLoud and Knowband is clear.
MobiLoud takes you far beyond the templates and boilerplate front-ends of a platform like Knowband. You can recreate your web store fully, and know that a top team is always on hand to squash bugs and handle any updates and necessary maintenance .
Want to skip the rest and get your questions answered by one of our team?
Book a demo!
Now we've blown our own trumpet, here are a few other Knowband alternatives that you're likely to see around the web.
Knowband Alternative #2: appmaker.xyz
Appmaker.xyz is a well-established platform for developing eCommerce apps, with a focus on Shopify and WooCommerce brands, and a rich assortment of plugins and integrations. However, its higher-than-average cost and dependency on blocks, templates, and widgets might impose some constraints. While it does allow for a degree of customization, it's unable to perfectly mirror your web store's features, a common limitation of platforms utilizing prebuilt front ends and standardized APIs.
appmaker.xyz Pricing
Appmaker.xyz has two plans:
- Pro - custom integrations, app launch assistance, and enterprise support - $1K/mo
- Plus - everything in the Pro plan and additional premium blocks, dedicated customer success manager, and priority support - $2K/mo +1% success fee
The more costly the plan is, the better app features and benefits you get.
Knowband Alternative #3: Mobikul
Mobikul is an easy-to-use app builder tool for eCommerce firms, compatible with various platforms such as WooCommerce, Magento, and Shopify. The apps, built using pre-designed themes, have simple functionality. Instead of turning your Shopify store into native apps like MobiLoud, it creates an app framework that extracts data from your site using API. However, it doesn't support reusing of existing themes or plugins, and is primarily designed for crafting simple 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.
Knowband Alternative #4: Mowico
Mowico is an easy-to-use app builder for eCommerce brands. It works with Shopify and WooCommerce, and soon with PrestaShop, BigCommerce, and Wix. While it offers useful features like push notifications and AR shopping, it has limitations. These limitations are common to all block and template based builders, which restrict you to their pre-built components and force your eCommerce brand to fit their mold. Mowico can create a basic eCommerce app with your products and logo, and even pull data from your web store via API, but it will never fully replicate your web store's advanced features and design. You will not be able to reuse your plugins, tools, or tech stack - 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 Gold 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.
Knowband Alternative #5: eStore2App
eStore2App offers a drag-and-drop app builder for platforms like PrestaShop, Shopify, OpenCart, and Magento. This basic platform uses templates and pre-built modules to create simple store apps, providing the essentials for a basic eCommerce app for these platforms. However, it may be too basic for serious eCommerce businesses, as you can't fully recreate your web store in the app. It essentially provides a simple branded interface that draws some data from your main store via API. Reusing your existing tech stack, design, and plugins isn't possible.
eStore2App Pricing
eStore2App has different pricing plans for different eCommerce platforms.
For their Shopify app builder, they have three price plans:
- Basic - Android-only app, basic features - $25/mo
- Standard - Android & iOS, advanced features - $30/mo
- Power - Android & iOS, advanced and premium features - $45/mo
The more costly the plan is, the better benefits you get.
Let's Build Your eCommerce Apps
We've looked at a few Knowband alternatives, and given you some key information about each.
As we've seen, many of these tools share the same fatal flaws. On the one hand - their reliance on blocks, themes, templates, and pre-built widgets does allow you to build and launch (some kind of) eCommerce app fast, affordably and easily compared to custom development. On the other, this same reliance puts you and your brand in a straightjacket.
It means that you will only ever approximate your web store, and you'll be forever 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 is basic and small product ranges and features, this 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 rarely make strategic sense.
That's why, although we're biased of course, we believe MobiLoud is not only the best Knowband 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 Knowband 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.
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 1000 other businesses have used MobiLoud to build winning apps - and you can too.
Unlike with Knowband, 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.
