Looking to build a mobile app from your WordPress, WooCommerce or Shopify site? MobiLoud and Appmaker.xyz are two of the most popular tools out there to help you do it.
Both tools let you convert your site to apps at a fraction of the time and money it takes to code native apps from scratch. Both offer you the powerful benefits for user experience, loyalty and brand presence that you get with native mobile apps.
Along with their similarities, there are a few key areas in which MobiLoud and Appmaker.xyz vary. Read on and we’ll break down these differences, and let you know which tool is likely to be best suited for you.
What is Appmaker.xyz?
Appmaker.xyz is a no-code app builder, designed for existing site owners who want to convert their site to native mobile apps for Android and iOS.
Appmaker is made for sites on WooCommerce, Shopify, WordPress, BigCommerce and Magento, as well as providing a custom app builder.
You design your app’s interface in the Appmaker platform, using a drag-and-drop builder, and connect it to the backend of your website using a plugin. This allows you to sync your content, data, orders, products etc between both website and app.
Key Features
Here’s a breakdown on the main features you get with the Appmaker.xyz.
No-Code App Builder
Their visual, drag-and-drop app builder lets you build a custom app interface, without having to write code. The interface builder is intuitive and easy to use, although not offering the level of flexibility you have with manual development, or a well-made WordPress theme.
App-Specific Features
Appmaker gives you access to all the standard features you expect from a mobile app. You can publish your apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, send push notifications to your users, and set up things like in-app discounts, abandoned cart notifications, app analytics and simple, mobile-optimized checkouts.
3rd Party Integrations and Plugins
Appmaker offers a range of integrations to third-party tools that you may use on your website - such as specific payment gateways, analytics tools and marketing plugins - to help you recreate the user experience from your website.
Website Sync
Appmaker syncs with your website, allowing you to manage only one backend. You don’t need to set up new content, products, collections, etc when you build your mobile apps - instead, you manage this from your WooCommerce/Shopify dashboard, and Appmaker pulls the necessary data into your apps via an API.
Appmaker.xyz Pricing
Appmaker’s pricing varies depending on the platform.
Their WooCommerce app builder is free for up to $10k revenue. After this, prices range from $49 per month, to $499 per month, with the best value plan being their “Pro” level, at $199 per month.
You may also pay more on top of those prices for additional add-ons and advanced features.
Their Shopify app builder begins at $299 per month. The mid-level plan is $699 per month, and they have one tier above at $1199 per month.
Their WordPress app builder is $49 per month (for a limited feature set, and only Android apps) or $199 per month.
What is MobiLoud?
MobiLoud is another app builder, which again allows you to convert your site to mobile apps with zero coding required.
MobiLoud has two distinct platforms. News is a tool made specifically for WordPress-based publishers, who want to build news apps, similar to the kind you see from the New York Times or CNN.
MobiLoud News lets you publish all your app content through the WordPress backend, and gives you publisher-specific features such as comments, recommended content, and native sharing.
The other platform, Canvas, is made to convert any site - regardless of platform - into native mobile apps. It works for WordPress, WooCommerce, Shopify, BigCommerce, along with all other site builders and manually coded apps from any language or framework.
Canvas converts your site, and all its features, to native iOS and Android apps. It essentially provides your mobile-optimized website, in the package of a mobile app with app-specific features (UI, navigation, splash screens etc) layered on top.
Key Features
Here are some of the features that MobiLoud Canvas and News offers:
Converting All Your Existing Features
MobiLoud takes a different approach when it comes to building your mobile apps.
Instead of a drag-and-drop builder, MobiLoud simply provides what is essentially a live window to your website. That lets you carry over 100% of your site’s existing features to your mobile apps - including your theme, plugins, and any custom-built features. There’s no need to rebuild anything for your mobile apps.
Mobile UI
On top of your existing mobile-optimized UI, you can add mobile-specific elements to make your app look and feel like a true native mobile app.
This includes mobile-specific navigation, menus, splash screens, loading indicators and more. The difference is subtle, but extremely satisfying and much easier to use compared to how your site appears on mobile browsers.
Push Notifications and Other App-Specific Features
MobiLoud gives you access to all the features you’d want in a mobile app. This includes customizable push notifications, app store listings, app analytics, support for tablets, and use of smartphone features like location services.
Hands-On Service
MobiLoud isn’t just a tool - it’s a service. Our team builds your apps for you, after you configure a few things about how you want your apps to work. We also provide hands-on technical support, maintenance and updates, ensuring you never get lost in the world of apps, or stuck with a broken app due to new OS updates.
The MobiLoud team also handles the app store publishing process for you, taking one more stressful task off your plate.
MobiLoud Pricing
MobiLoud’s pricing is straightforward and transparent.
Plans begin at $200 per month with the Startup plan, which offers the bulk of what you need in terms of feature set.
One level up, at $300 per month, the Growth plan provides a little more power for larger brands. Then, starting at $500 per month, the Corporate plan is there for any businesses with more extensive needs.
All plans are discounted when paid annually. There’s also an Early Stage discount available for new startups, providing 50% off the Startup plan for the first year.
On top of the subscription is a $500 App Submission fee (which covers app store publishing), and an optional extra Full-Service package if you’d prefer we do all the setup and graphic design work for you.
MobiLoud vs Appmaker.xyz: Key Differences
We’ve outlined the key features you get with both MobiLoud and Appmaker.xyz above. Now let’s compare the two, and look at the most ways in which these mobile app builders differ from one another.
Drag and Drop App Builder vs Webviews
The big difference is in the way you build your app front-end.
Appmaker uses a drag-and-drop builder, like most no-code app builders (as well as site builders like Squarespace and Elementor). This is an intuitive way to build and customize a user interface, without needing to know how to code.
MobiLoud does it differently, by using something called webviews. Think of webviews like a dedicated browser that your app uses as a live window to your website.
Doing it this way means much more flexibility and less effort to build your app.
A drag-and-drop builder sounds great - complete freedom to design your interface the way you want it, right? But in reality, it’s not complete freedom. You’ll end up having to fit into a template - there’s only so far you can go to customize it.
And it’s also going to take a lot of work to design something that looks great (even without having to code). Why not use what already works for you on your website?
That’s what you get with a webview approach like MobiLoud’s. It’s much quicker to put together, it’s consistent across your web and mobile platforms, and you still have full freedom to customize your interface.
Integrations vs Converting Your Existing Features
Another point of difference is how these two app builders handle the actual features of your app, such as checkouts, popups, third-party tools, etc.
Appmaker provides integrations for any third-party tools or advanced features. If you want to add a specific payment gateway, or an interactive widget, you find it from their list of integrations and set it up this way.
Same goes if you want to use a third-party tool - like a marketing plugin, for example - on your app. You’ll need an integration for that tool for it to be able to work with your app.
If your app is pretty simple, this might not be a problem. But if there are any less common plugins or tools, or custom-built features you use on your site and want to use in your app, you might be out of luck.
With MobiLoud, everything that works on your site translates over to your mobile apps. You don’t need to sacrifice any functionality whatsoever.
DIY Setup vs Full Service
No-code app builders like Appmaker let anyone build an app, that’s true. But while you don’t have to write any code, it still takes a lot of work, if you don’t want your interface to look cheap and generic.
Unfortunately, you’re on your own here. With MobiLoud, however, you’ve got full, hands-on service each step of the way.
In the setup process, you just need to configure a few things the way you want them. The actual app build is handled by our team.
Then, going forward, our team is still there to help with updates, maintenance, and any changes you want to make after you launch the initial version.
This level of service is the most common thing we’ve heard from successful MobiLoud customers in regards to why they love this tool.
Ecommerce-centric vs Multi-Purpose
Appmaker is primarily focused on building ecommerce apps. You can build WordPress apps with it, but you can tell this is not the prescribed use case. The scope is clearly on WooCommerce and Shopify apps.
MobiLoud is perfect for building ecommerce apps as well - but it’s also a great fit for any other type of app.
Whether you’re running a news site, an online course, community site, web app, or anything else, MobiLoud works for you. It doesn’t matter which CMS or development framework you use, MobiLoud makes it easy to convert your site into mobile apps.
Pricing
The pricing comparison can go either way, depending on your needs.
For WooCommerce stores, Appmaker may provide a cheaper option, if you only need a very basic feature set. Appmaker offers plans as low as $49 per month for WooCommerce, albeit pretty limited, and with limited support.
More likely you’re going to want their “Pro” plan, which is $199 per month. This is still not bad for value, and in line with MobiLoud’s pricing. However, this plan doesn’t allow for custom plugins and integrations, which you’ll need if there are any special features you really want to carry over to your app.
If you’re running a Shopify store, then MobiLoud is definitely the better value option. Appmaker starts at $299 per month for Shopify, but their most popular plan is a pricey $699 per month. It’s even more expensive - $1199 per month - if you want access to premium extensions and themes.
MobiLoud’s pricing is a lot easier to follow than Appmaker’s. It’s the same, regardless of platform, and affordable for the power, flexibility and ease of use it offers.
Free Trial vs Money Back Guarantee
Finally, Appmaker offers a 14 day free trial, letting you try it out risk-free. In comparison, MobiLoud doesn’t have a free trial. Instead, MobiLoud offers a 60-day money back guarantee.
We’d argue this is a better deal than the free trial. Why? With a project as big as this, 14 days is not a lot of time to really get an idea of what you’re going to get. You can play around with the app builder, but it’s not enough time to really get a feel of your app’s UX, and to get feedback from real users.
60 days gives you a lot more wiggle room. And if it turns out that, after this time, you feel that you’re not happy with the app, you can get a full refund. No risk, no harm, no foul.
Bottom Line: Why You Should Choose MobiLoud as an Appmaker.xyz Alternative
Let’s summarize the pros and cons of MobiLoud and Appmaker.xyz, and why you would want to choose one or the other to convert your site to an app.
Use Appmaker.xyz if:
- You want a drag-and-drop UI builder
- You’re fine with a somewhat limited template
- You don’t need to carry over any specific plugins or custom-built features to your mobile apps
- Your site runs on WooCommerce or Shopify
- You have the time and headspace to build your UI and configure your app yourself
Use MobiLoud if:
- You want to completely recreate your site’s UX with your mobile apps
- You want to carry over your existing plugins, functionality or theme to your apps
- Full service and hands-on support is important to you
- Your site runs on any platform - ecommerce or otherwise
- You like the security of a 60-day money back guarantee
You’ll find that the flexibility and simplicity of MobiLoud makes it the best choice for almost all use cases. It’s easier to launch your app and easier to maintain it, not least of all because of the hands-on support you get as a MobiLoud user.
It’s also the best way to fully recreate what already works on your website, by seamlessly converting it to mobile apps. Ideally, you’d rather not have to rebuild your UI block by block, especially when you consider the difficulty of integrating your existing plugins and features.
Get in touch with us now to arrange a free demo, and see just what MobiLoud can do for you. It’s the simplest, most efficient, yet most powerful way to convert your website into native mobile apps.
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