Looking for a GoNative alternative? We're going to explain why you should join over 2,000 successful businesses in choosing MobiLoud to develop your app.
MobiLoud is a more flexible solution for converting websites into mobile apps. And while GoNative (now rebranded to Median) does the same thing, it's more difficult for most online businesses to work with, and doesn't offer near the service element that MobiLoud does.
Read on to learn the key differences between MobiLoud and GoNative/Median, and why MobiLoud is the best choice for your project.
Similarities Between MobiLoud and GoNative (Median)
At a basic level, MobiLoud and GoNative/Median do the same thing. Both are used for converting websites into mobile apps, and both do it by wrapping your website in native app code, displaying app content via something called a webview.
This concept doesn't restrict you to pre-built templates, like a lot of no-code app builders. With a quality wrapper app platform, you have the ability to layer native mobile elements (such as native navigation, tab menus and splash screens) on top of your mobile web UI, to build a user experience that's more or less equal to a custom native app.
Both are more effective options to launch an app than coding it yourself, assuming you already have a mobile-friendly website and just want replicate that experience in an app.
And while GoNative has a self-service option, where you do all the work to set up your app manually through their dashboard, they also have a full-service option that, like MobiLoud, does all the work for you and allows you to go live with your app in just a couple of weeks.
Key Differences
If you're looking for a way to convert your website to an app, there's a good chance that MobiLoud and GoNative are the two options you're considering. To help you make an informed choice, we're going to dive deep into the key differences, and what kind of users each platform is best suited for.
GoNative (Median) is More Technical
In general, GoNative is more targeted at developers. While you do not need to be a professional coder to build an app with the platform, technical knowledge is advantageous.
The key benefit of GoNative is to let developers or businesses with an in-house development team go to market with an app quicker, then maintaining the app and making tweaks themselves.
MobiLoud allows you to make some specific customizations via code, but on the whole, it's much more friendly for the non-technical person or company.
You don't need any coding knowledge at all with MobiLoud. Our team does all of that for you, allowing you to keep your team focused on skills core to your business.
The Service Element is Central with MobiLoud
MobiLoud does more than just wrapping your website in app code and handing it off. We're a service, offering hands-on service to help you build, launch and maintain your app.
Our service is not limited to the app side of things, either. We even provide custom design alterations for your mobile website, to maximize UX and CRO in the app.
GoNative centers largely around the self-serve element. It gives you a platform where you can build and configure a mobile app by yourself.
They have full-service plans as well, however it's still not the same as what you get with MobiLoud.
Full service with GoNative comes in either their "Assisted App Development" or Concierge App Development" options.
With the first, they provide assistance via email in configuring your app, plugins (we'll go into that next), push notifications, app store submission and anything else.
You still have to do it yourself, they just lead you in the right direction.
"Concierge" is actual full service, where they do everything for you. However, it's costly, and the service basically ends once your app gets published, and they don't come close to what we do in terms of custom design work.
With MobiLoud, every plan gets full service, and we dedicate real effort to partnering with you to create the perfect app, even going as far as helping you tweak your mobile website to improve user experience on both app and web.
Standard MobiLoud Features Are Added Extras with GoNative
The key to a high-quality webview app is to add native mobile features to your app wrapper, making the app feel native, and not like a cheap imitation of an app.
Both MobiLoud and GoNative do this, but how they do it is a little different.
GoNative provides native plugins to provide this functionality. Plugins offer things like OneSignal push notifications, social login, Google FireBase Analytics, app review prompts and more, such as use of mobile device features like location services and the camera.
These plugins come at an extra cost, on top of the base amount you spend for access to the platform.
The cost ranges from $200 (for OneSignal push notifications), to as much as $5,500 for adding a document scanner via the camera, or enabling background location services.
With MobiLoud, native mobile features come with our core offering - no hidden extras.
Though we don't integrate with device features, such as biometric authentication or tapping into the camera, a number of must-have features come standard.
Our Startup plan comes with push notifications and Google Firebase Analytics at no extra charge (an additional $950 with GoNative), while the Growth plan comes with these two features plus social logins, universal links and app review prompts for free (all this would cost an extra $5,150 on the initial cost with GoNative).
MobiLoud Offers Long-Term Service and Support
GoNative is primarily about helping you launch the initial version of your app. They're not a long-term partner.
You can get everything as a one-time fee, with no recurring subscription. However, that means you run the risk that your app stops working or becomes buggy with future updates to your site, or to the iOS/Android platforms.
They provide a subscription option, starting at $229 per year, which gives you continued access to the GoNative app builder, where you can rebuild, update or refresh your app at anytime. However, you're left to your own devices to figure out and execute these updates.
MobiLoud is a long-term partner. We recognize that building an app is not a "one and done" task.
If you want your app to reflect well on your brand and provide a great user experience years into the future, it needs constant care and maintenance.
We provide that for you. As long as you stay subscribed to MobiLoud, you get our team on hand to make tweaks to your app and ensure it stays fast and responsive through OS updates and changes to your site.
This comes at a fraction of the cost of what it would take to keep a developer on staff. The estimated cost of a cross-platform mobile developer is $88k per year, or $7.3k per month.
With MobiLoud you get all of this for low four figures upfront, and a three figure monthly cost. We're essentially your app dev team, responding to any change requests you have and making sure your app stays at the cutting edge.
"The team at MobiLoud held my hand to ensure our app was done properly from beginning to end. They were there to help with everything from setting up push notifications, analytics and submitting our apps to the Apple and Google app stores."
-Nick Barbarise, John Varvatos
👋 Want to learn more about MobiLoud and how it can help you? Schedule a no-cost consultation call today.
MobiLoud vs GoNative (Median) Pricing
Pricing is always a consideration, particularly when you need to work out how likely it is you'll see a positive ROI from your app. So let's compare the short and long-term costs of MobiLoud and GoNative/Median.
MobiLoud
- Startup: $298/month paid annually (or $350 paid monthly), plus $1,500 one-time setup fee.
- Growth: $553/month paid annually (or $650 paid monthly), plus $2,500 one-time setup fee.
- No extra fees, unless you need custom development solutions. App Store Submission & maintenance app updates included in all plans.
Learn more about our pricing here.
Median (GoNative)
- Self-Serve Free: Free (limited features, no native plugins available)
- Self-Serve Professional: starting at $790 (one-time fee)
- App Updates (Self-Serve): starting at $200 per year
- Full-Service Assisted: starting at $2,590 (one-time fee)
- Full-Service Concierge: starting at $6,590 (one-time fee)
- App Updates (Full Service): starting at $490 per year
- Native Plugins: from $200 to $5,500 each.
A full-featured app with GoNative can easily end up costing $10-20k upfront and $1,000 yearly, on top of the labor cost for you or your team to keep your apps up to date.
MobiLoud is more affordable upfront, helping you get to a positive ROI quicker.
After you recoup your initial investment, as long as your app contributes at least $1k per month in revenue, you're already operating at a net positive with a MobiLoud subscription.
"We couldn’t find another company that could offer the same features at the same price point, same time to market, and make it as easy as MobiLoud could."
-Svend Hansen, Bestseller
Why MobiLoud is a Better GoNative Alternative
We've seen where MobiLoud and GoNative/Median diverge. Now let's look at the four key reasons why MobiLoud is the best GoNative alternative.
Full Service is Standard with MobiLoud
Every MobiLoud customer gets full service. We configure your app for you, we do the coding to bring it to life, we test it and we submit it to the app stores (we also guarantee approval in the app stores).
We also provide custom UI and UX design, coming standard for every MobiLoud user. No other app builder does what we do to ensure your website to app conversion produces such a seamless result.
GoNative might tempt you into thinking you can save a bit of money and handle this yourself. But at the cost MobiLoud provides, and with how much time and effort we save for you, it's a no-brainer to go with the white glove option.
Support Throughout Your App’s Lifecycle
You'll fail if you don't think long-term about your app.
With no maintenance, it won't take long for your app to become slow, buggy and inconsistent with your website's UX.
The result will be a ton of bad reviews, and an app that no one actually uses; or you'll end up spending tens of thousands (minimum) per year on mobile developers for running changes to your app.
MobiLoud is here for the long haul. We're not just interested in helping you launch an app, we want to partner with you to ensure it remains a positive asset for your business for years to come.
“If we had unlimited time and money, we would probably go for a custom native app, but that is half a million to a million a year to maintain.”
-David Cost, Rainbow Shops
MobiLoud is More Flexible and Adaptable
MobiLoud is a smoother experience when you need to make changes to your app.
As with any wrapper solution, updating your website updates the content in your app as well. But MobiLoud makes it much easier to make changes in the app itself - either through the dashboard yourself or with the help of our team of experts.
With GoNative you need to release a completely new version of the app any time you want to change anything in the configuration.
Go to Market With Less Stress and Expense
With personalized assistance from our team and a clear, manageable pricing model, it's unbelievably easy to go to market with your app.
There's no need to worry about which native plugins you need, and the mounting cost that comes with building a fully fleshed-out app with GoNative.
“The expense isn’t that big, and operationally, there’s not that much we have to do for the app. It’s a no-brainer, especially when you add push notifications on top.”
-David Cost, Rainbow Shops
When to Choose GoNative (Median)
We strive to be objective, and we can recognize that there are situations when you might want to choose GoNative over MobiLoud.
GoNative/Median can be a good fit if you're a developer or you have an in-house development team, and you want more hands-on control over your app.
GoNative can offer a way to go to market with an app quicker, before your team takes over to make tweaks and updates as you see fit.
It's also a better option if you need device features such as biometric authentication, camera and GPS - and you can justify the hit to your ROI from adding these features.
Yet for most businesses, particularly those with no background in mobile development, MobiLoud is the safer and more effective option.
Start Your Mobile App Journey Today
If you have a successful website and want to convert it to mobile apps for iOS and Android, MobiLoud is the best way to do it.
You'll save tens or hundreds of thousands compared to coding it from scratch, and you'll get more personalized, hands-on support than any other app builder on the market.
Comparing MobiLoud and GoNative, MobiLoud charges less upfront, yet provides far more, from full service in coding your app to custom development and design to ensure your app fits users' expectations.
MobiLoud is perfect for:
- eCommerce Brands
- Physical Product/Service-Based Marketplaces
- Digital Publishers/News Sites
- Online Courses/Learning Platforms
- Online Communities
- SaaS Businesses
- Startups
- Enterprises
Just about any business with an online presence can add to their bottom line and get a positive ROI by launching an app with MobiLoud.
Start by scheduling a free consultation call with one of our team of experts. We'll give you a full demo of the platform, hear what you want to get out of the project, and help you understand if MobiLoud is the right option for you.
You could be live and in the app stores in as little as two weeks. Get in touch today and let us help you grow your business.
