GoodBarber and MobiLoud are both solutions for creating mobile apps - but they are very different.
In this post we’re going to look at why that is, and help you to decide which is best for you. Then we'll also take a look at pricing, customer reviews, and highlight some of the key similarities and differences.
Ultimately we’ll see that:
GoodBarber is good for you if:
- You want to build a simple mobile app yourself using a drag and drop builder
- You're happy to use their existing app templates
MobiLoud is right for you if:
- You want a high-performance, professional mobile app
- You want to build apps from your existing site and get end-to-end help and support including lifetime maintenance and updates
- Your site is built on any platform - from WordPress to Shopify to custom-coded sites on any framework
Here's a snapshot of this article's contents (use the links to skip ahead):
- GoodBarber Review
- How GoodBarber works
- Key Benefits of using GoodBarber
- Pricing
- GoodBarber Customer reviews
- MobiLoud
- How MobiLoud works
- Key Benefits of using MobiLoud
- Customer Reviews
- Pricing
- Recap - GoodBarber vs MobiLoud
If you'd prefer a video summary of the article, you can check it out below:
Let's get to it!
What is GoodBarber?
GoodBarber is a popular Do-It-Yourself app building solution to create mobile apps and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).
Used by non-developers and agencies, GoodBarber is a no code app builder to help you put together a mobile app relatively quickly thanks to various templates and pre-made widgets.
How GoodBarber Works
You build your mobile app with GoodBarber's pre-designed themes that you can choose, then customize to your liking.
You can integrate your app with a range of features like push notifications, analytics, and ads. Publishing content to your app is simple with GoodBarber's own Content Management System that lets you publish content directly to your app.
When everything’s built and you can either pay a $50 fee for GoodBarber to publish your app for you, or handle it yourself. They don't have customer support accessible by phone, but you can reach the company through an email form.
You can create a range of apps with GoodBarber, such as:
- Fitness apps
- Tourist guides
- Restaurant apps
- Sports club
- Blog and News
GoodBarber offers a solid app-builder tool - there’s a wide range of features and customization options, and they’ve published over 30,000 apps successfully up to this point.
However, if you’re are a complete beginner with no experience building apps, it might be quite unintuitive. Zero-code doesn’t mean zero-work when it comes to app builders, and people who aren’t familiar with how an app's UX should work may struggle to create a great experience.
If you are experienced with building apps, GoodBarber will be too "hacky". You'll be overly restricted by their templates and prebuilt functionalities, and will end up with something a bit too "cookie cutter".
GoodBarber is good for creating fairly simple small business apps or testing out an idea you have as an MVP. It is not the best option for creating very custom and unique apps for a large market. MobiLoud is a better option if you have an existing website, since you'll get a better result by converting the site or web app into mobile apps directly.
If you do decide that GoodBarber is right for you - once you sign up to a subscription you’ll be expected to do all the work to get your app designed, built, and published. With some determination and patience though you can succeed.
Key Benefits of GoodBarber
While GoodBarber may be too restrictive for some, or for others, leave too much work to do in creating a professional-looking app, it does have its benefits.
Overall, it's a fairly easily platform to use. The GoodBarber CMS is a good way to publish content to your app, and they offer much of the functionality you'd need in a mobile app.
Here's a rundown on the benefits:
1) 50 Themes to Choose From
You can choose from more than 50 themes, which can be customized from the settings panel to fit your brand and desired style. All popular navigation modes are available for you to choose from, like: swipe, slate, grid, tab bar and several more.
The themes may be limiting to some, though if you're after a simple app, they should suffice.
2) The GoodBarber CMS
GoodBarber offers a CMS (content management system), that you can use to publish content on your app.
You can add a wide range of content to different pages on your app, such as:
- Articles
- Forms
- Custom pages
- Photos and videos
It's basically like WordPress, only purpose-built for your app.
You can use the GoodBarber CMS to create your articles in the text editor, organize your content into drafts, and publish content to your app. Like other popular CMS', you can improve the reader experience by categorizing, sorting and highlighting content as you see fit.
GoodBarber also integrates with most web content management systems, including WordPress, Dailymotion, Youtube and more - so you can link your app to your other web properties to get your most recently updated content.
3) Access to Popular App Features
Although GoodBarber is a simple app builder, there are a range of features available:
These features include:
- Push Notifications to communicate with your users and increase engagement
- Advertising - turn your traffic into revenue by integrating with third party ad networks
- Loyalty programs & coupons - to drive sales and grow your brand
- Analytics - understand your users better by using GoodBarber’s own analytics tools or connect to external solutions like Google Analytics and Flurry
They also have a range of extensions to provide additional functionality and integrations with other tools. Be aware that some of these extensions come at an additional monthly cost.
You can check out the full list of features from GoodBarber here
GoodBarber User Reviews
Overall, GoodBarber customers are happy with the platform as noted in the Capterra reviews below.
Justine M, the director of an Education management company writes that GoodBarber “walked me through both the design and the publishing, which I still don't even fully understand”.
It wasn’t always easy for her - she continues that “It was still somewhat tricky to figure out how to design the app and get through the process. You have to be patient and determined especially if you aren't tech savvy.”
Thea E, an IT manager, called the platform “so easy to use once you get used to it, it's pretty and the free trial is helpful”. She was able to make a PWA and commented that the software is “very cost effective considering how pretty it looks”. She did have some reservations however: “They don't have very good documentation, so you have to work harder to learn it yourself. It's not so hard though.”
Ceyhun B, and entrepreneur in the media space gives a rare negative review, centering on GoodBarber’s service, which we’ve seen operates through an email form.
He states that while the platform is generally good, he “would not recommend this app builder platform to anyone because customer support is dead”.
He explains that “one deadly bug cost my business a huge amount of time and customer discontent because it took one month to be solved. We would like to quit now but cannot because lots of our customers have paid yearly for our app service. Very very disappointed!”.
As you can see, they have many happy customers. However, due to the customer support not being available over the phone, it can take time to resolve any issues, so it may not be the best option if your app is a critical part of your business..
We encourage you to read through all the full reviews on Capterra.
GoodBarber Pricing
GoodBarber works on a subscription basis, with separate pricing for content apps (e.g. news sites, learning sites), ecommerce apps, and agencies (if you want to use GoodBarber to build apps for clients.
Their pricing starts at $25 per month for content apps, $35 for ecommerce, and $200 per month for agencies.
We break down the different tiers below:
Content Apps
Here are the tiers for content apps (basically any kind of app that doesn't include ecommerce features) in GoodBarber - along with a few basic features included in each:
Use of extensions to provide additional functionality for your app is also limited by tier:
So, while content apps start at $25 per month, the lowest tier only really lets you build simple PWAs (which have to be accessed via the browser). To build mobile apps, their pricing starts at $50 per month, though you'll probably want the $96 plan to get enough advanced integrations.
Ecommerce Apps
GoodBarber ecommerce apps come in the following tiers:
Along with the following restrictions for extensions:
Again, the lowest tier only gives you access to PWAs. You'll have extra charges for some advanced features (which you'll definitely want for a shopping app), unless you subscribe to the "Pro" tier.
All up, this pricing is reasonable for an app builder. Comparing it to other no-code app builders, it sits around the middle. There are some more expensive, but cheaper options available as well.
What is MobiLoud?
At MobiLoud, we provide a wide range of businesses with the tools to launch and succeed on the App Stores.
Over the last 7 years, we’ve added several different products for different needs.
- Canvas – our platform based on webview technology that converts any website or web app into iOS and Android apps, while adding all the elements to ensure a great user experience and real business results
- News – for WordPress based digital publishers to build fully native news apps as good as The New York Times in just weeks at a fraction of the usual cost
- Commerce – for WooCommerce online stores to build powerful native eCommerce apps that sync 100% with their site
Over 1000 apps have been built with MobiLoud – they’ve had millions of downloads and are packed with all the tools and integrations that business owners need to be successful on mobile.
Essentially, we convert your existing site and content into a powerful native app, so your readers, users and customers can get the fast intuitive experience they want when using a mobile device.
You’ve already done the legwork creating popular content and building a successful site, so we believe there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.
We let you take your already winning formula and apply it through native channels – pleasing your fans and driving more traffic, engagement and revenue for your brand.
We take your existing site and content and convert it into a powerful native app, so your readers can enjoy your work on their iOS and Android devices.
How MobiLoud Works
Unlike an app builder, we provide a completely Done-For-You service designed for high-traffic digital publishers.
The process begins with a chat between you and one of our app experts - going over your vision, requirements and addressing any questions you have.
Once everything is clear, we get to work on building your app, and will provide you with test versions within 5-10 days. Once you approve of your app, we’ll publish it on the Google Play and iOS App Store for you too.
We'll provide ongoing maintenance and app updates to make sure your app is always running smoothly on the latest devices.
Your app will be integrated with your WordPress site and whenever new content is published on your site, it will be automatically updated in your app, and you can send out engaging push notifications to notify readers about new content.
All your existing plugins will work seamlessly in your new app and you can manage everything through your existing WordPress admin panel.
Our personalized, round the clock support will be there to quickly deal with any tweaks, updates or maintenance you need going forward.
Past clients love our apps and how we’ve helped them to:
- Boost traffic, pageviews, and engagement, growing their brand
- Grow ad revenue as readers don't adblock in the app
- Get a custom app at a fraction of the cost and time of a traditional app development agency
Key Benefits of MobiLoud
MobiLoud is a more user-friendly alternative to both native app development and no-code app builders like GoodBarber. It gives you everything you need to build powerful mobile apps, at a fraction of the cost and effort.
Let's dive deeper:
1) Get a custom app for the fraction of the time and cost
If you're in the market for a custom mobile app with a traditional app development agency or considering building it in-house, you've already found out that it's going to cost at least $50,000-$100,000 and take 4-6 months to build.
With MobiLoud you get a completely custom app for your content site at a fraction of the time and cost.
2) Fully integrated with WordPress
If you're already using WordPress to power your website, then MobiLoud is for you.
Our solution was built with WordPress in mind, and all of your existing plugins for managing advertising, subscriptions, related posts, and comments, will all work within your mobile app.
Content in your app will be organized in line with your existing categories, and whenever you make updates on your site to content, the in-app content will update too.
3) Completely Done-For-You
One of the main differences between MobiLoud and GoodBarber is that with GoodBarber, you need to create your app yourself.
With MobiLoud, our team of experienced developers handle all of the work involved in building, testing, and launching your mobile app.
It's easy to underestimate the time and effort it takes to create a mobile app with a no-code builder. Even though you don't need to write any code, putting your app together (particularly one that looks good), is still a big project.
MobiLoud takes away all that work, letting you launch a powerful app, faster.
We'll make sure you can send engaging push notifications to your readers thanks to our integration with OneSignal (a leading push notification service), and any other key features you need are setup for you to succeed.
4) Syncs with your site
One more huge advantage of MobiLoud is that your apps are 100% synced with your website.
The process converts your entire site - content, plugins, themes, any custom-built features - to your mobile apps. When you publish new content, or make changes to your site, those changes reflect on your apps too.
While you can use GoodBarber's WordPress integration to sync content between your website and apps, it doesn't do anything more than that. Any more complex changes you make, you'll always have to remember to make the changes on both your mobile and desktop platforms, which can be painstaking.
MobiLoud User Reviews
We looked at customer reviews of MobiLoud on Capterra to provide a fair review of our service.
Writing on Capterra, Stephan recalls:
“MobiLoud was all about getting content out of WordPress and into a native app specifically branded for us - this was by far the most important thing for us”.
We keep our clients happy by providing this exact solution. John, co-founder of a digital media company and longtime MobiLoud user, agrees:
“It just works. We can use our existing WordPress install and have our material presented in a beautiful way on both iOS and Android... We worked for a year trying to create our own app - and then decided to go with MobiLoud and haven't looked back. We've been happy customers for over three years and our readers love our iOS and Android apps”
Others love how easy it is to manage their new app. Josh, a digital publisher, says:
“It's simple to navigate the backend, great at sending alerts and notifications. [I] needed a bit of help on some advanced customizations - however the team was extremely easy to work with... EXCELLENT customer service. They made sure I was totally satisfied which I appreciate”
A high performance app can also help you grow your revenue. Walter, a web designer in the publishing industry explained:
"It has also grown our advertising revenue as we can use the app with Adsense and that has become our top performing advertising platform via the app".
As far as our support - it’s personalized, fast and never leaves your side. If you check out our reviews on Capterra you’ll notice that’s a common thread.
Stephan, a Vice President of Client Services was happy with our service standards - calling them “amazing” and adding that our team “work tirelessly to ensure you are happy with your apps. We can't recommend MobiLoud enough”.
MobiLoud Pricing
MobiLoud operates a tiered pricing structure.
Different price plans include key features for high-traffic apps, such as:
- Monetization through subscriptions and in-app ads
- Integration with third party SDKs for advertising and analytics
- CDN and caching
- Support for higher or even limitless traffic
- Priority support for launch, promotion and monetization
There’s no risk with our 60 day money back guarantee. Price includes all development, configuration, publishing and maintenance.
There's also a 50% discount available on the first year for Early-Stage Startups, coming out to $100 per month for 12 months.
This pricing is a little higher than GoodBarber's, but reflects the much higher level of service and support you get when you sign up to MobiLoud. You'll find that the difference in price might come out to less than the value of the extra time you spend fiddling with your apps to try and get something that reflects well on your brand.
For more detailed information on MobiLoud pricing click here.
Recap - MobiLoud vs GoodBarber
Although GoodBarber and MobiLoud can both be used to create great mobile apps for your business, they are very different solutions.
- GoodBarber is a platform for building the app yourself - MobiLoud is a full service that handles everything for you from start to finish.
- GoodBarber has you build the UI yourself - MobiLoud uses your existing website to build a custom app, so you can keep all your existing plugins and features.
- MobiLoud offers personalized support by phone and email, whereas GoodBarber's operates on an email ticket system.
- GoodBarber has you manage your app through their own CMS. MobiLoud let’s you manage everything through your existing WordPress admin panel.
Both are suitable for a wide range of business types, including news sites and ecommerce apps. But the choice comes down to your personal approach to building an app.
GoodBarber is best for bringing an app idea to life from scratch. If you have an idea for an app and want to create it yourself through a relatively simple visual builder, GoodBarber is a great choice.
MobiLoud is the right choice if you’re a WordPress-based digital publisher and want to convert your blog or news site into a powerful native app, giving your readers a better experience and grow your brand.
However, it's also perfect for ecommerce stores. MobiLoud Canvas converts any site, from any platform, to mobile apps. That includes sites built on online shopping platforms like WooCommerce and Shopify - just see how worldwide brand John Varvatos used Canvas to build a successful shopping app.
If you want to start reaping the benefits of mobile apps, without paying tens of thousands on mobile app developers. get in touch today for a demo and let’s build something great.
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