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Mobile apps are an essential retention tool for Shopify brands. They convert better than mobile websites, drive more repeat purchases, and turn a small segment of your customers into highly engaged, loyal fans.
The challenge is choosing the right platform to build your app. Tapcart, Appbrew, and MobiLoud are three popular ways to do it.
This article will help you understand which platform best fits your brand's needs, budget, and technical requirements. We'll break down the key differences between them, across six critical areas, and help you make an informed decision.
Tapcart is a no-code platform that transforms your Shopify store into native iOS and Android apps using a drag-and-drop editor. Operating since 2017, It’s one of the most well-known app builders for Shopify, is easy to get started with, and works well for stores with simple needs and a relatively small number of SKUs.
However, customization can be limited and you’re largely locked into Tapcart’s templates and tech ecosystem.
Appbrew also focuses on Shopify brands. Founded in 2022, It positions itself as more flexible than Tapcart, with additional support for developers who want to build in custom experiences.
However, it’s still a DIY platform, and requires time investment from your team to build and maintain your apps.
MobiLoud stands apart by offering a fully-managed service, not just an app builder. Rather than forcing you to rebuild your site inside a new platform, MobiLoud converts your existing Shopify site into a native mobile app.
The app preserves all design, functionality, and integrations from your website. A team of experts handles everything, from configuration to launch and beyond.
MobiLoud has been in business since 2013, helping successful online businesses take the next step by launching their own mobile apps, without the overhead, limitations and duplicate work of other web to app platforms.
We'll compare Tapcart, Appbrew and MobiLoud across six key areas that matter most to Shopify merchants:
Ready to see how Tapcart, Appbrew and MobiLoud compare? And which one is the best fit for your Shopify mobile app?
Keep reading to find out.
Tapcart offers a slick native experience out of the box, for brands using Shopify's core features. Apps are typically responsive, load quickly, and look like what you’d expect from a shopping app.
However, design is ultimately constrained by Tapcart’s predefined UI blocks. To go beyond that (e.g., create bespoke product layouts or interactive experiences), you’ll need to upgrade to a higher-tier plan with access to "Custom Blocks". You’ll likely also need developer support.
Still, it’s a robust user experience for brands that don’t need full design parity with their website.
Appbrew takes this a step further by combining a drag-and-drop interface with support for advanced customization via CSS/HTML.
This offers more granular control over the app's UI, which is great for brands with a strong visual identity.
The platform’s performance is solid, with native navigation and fast load times, and it replicates the logic of Shopify stores without relying on webviews.
That said, it's still a DIY platform. Device-specific quirks or edge cases will require your team’s time to resolve.
MobiLoud uses a hybrid-native approach. Your app is a native shell, with native navigation, but your actual site rendered inside.
This unique approach ensures perfect UX continuity between your mobile web and mobile app.
All site features – from AJAX product filters to dynamic carts and custom PDPs – work out of the box. And as long as your website is fast, your app will be too.
MobiLoud adds native enhancements like a bottom tab bar, splash screen and small touches to make your app look and feel native.
It’s ideal for brands that already have a polished mobile site and want an app that reflects it 1:1, without reinventing the wheel.
Tapcart offers a curated list of integrations with key Shopify apps like Klaviyo, Yotpo, Recharge, and Gorgias. For many brands, this covers the basics.
However, advanced or custom integrations often require their Enterprise plan. Access to Klaviyo segments for push, or deeper analytics integrations, are gated behind higher pricing tiers.
You can embed custom HTML/JS via "Custom Blocks" (also a premium feature), but you’ll need developers to implement and maintain them.
If your store uses niche tools, custom logic, or a heavy Shopify stack, Tapcart might not be flexible enough out of the box.
Appbrew is more flexible here. It supports over 100 native integrations and accommodates custom storefronts, subscription tools, and CRO widgets.
It’s designed to replicate your Shopify stack inside the app. Whether that means syncing loyalty programs or embedding headless builds.
You also get support for Klaviyo, Facebook, and Google SDKs, so marketing teams can track in-app behavior and run retargeting campaigns.
Most integrations are plug-and-play. But advanced setups or bugs may still require technical help. You’ll get support, but expect to stay hands-on.
MobiLoud stands out by removing the need for app-specific integrations. Since your app is your site, everything already works.
Any third-party tool, script, or widget that runs on your mobile website runs in your app. There’s no need to rebuild anything.
You can use all your custom code, Shopify apps, quizzes, sort orders, or scripts without modification.
This gives you total tech stack freedom with no extra work or compatibility issues.
Tapcart includes a strong set of engagement tools, centered around push notifications. All plans include unlimited push, which you can use for campaigns or one-off announcements.
Higher tiers unlock automation, like abandoned cart reminders and welcome sequences. But deeper features like behavior-based segmentation or advanced targeting often require an upgrade.
Push campaigns are run through Tapcart’s system, so there’s less flexibility if you want to use Klaviyo or another platform for coordination.
Ultimately, Tapcart gives you the tools. But you’re responsible for strategy and execution.
Appbrew also includes unlimited push and supports marketing integrations like Klaviyo for more targeted messaging.
You can trigger flows based on in-app behavior, and track results in your marketing dashboards.
This gives you more visibility and control. If you already run email or SMS with Klaviyo, push can slot right in.
That said, campaign execution is still DIY. You’ll need to set up your automations, plan your cadences, and optimize based on performance.
MobiLoud offers all the push notification features you need; unlimited push notifications, native abandoned cart push, and a companion Shopify app for automated push notifications based on customer triggers.
You also get support with setup, segmentation, and strategy. It’s not just a tool you need to figure out yourself. We also offer an optional done-for-you push notification service.
Push campaigns can run through OneSignal or Klaviyo, with built-in tracking and automation. MobiLoud users have seen open rates as high as 90% and CTRs of 10-16%. Some brands recover $10K-$200K per month from abandoned cart flows alone.
Tapcart lets you style your app using a library of content blocks. You can change colors, fonts, and layout within their drag-and-drop editor.
You’re still working within predefined templates, though. Customizing beyond that (like replicating your unique product grid or homepage flow) requires “Custom Blocks” and a higher-tier plan.
With that, your team will need to write and maintain the custom code. This limits flexibility, especially if your web experience is heavily branded or complex.
Appbrew gives more design freedom out of the box. You can build layouts with flexible blocks and fine-tune the appearance using CSS or HTML.
That means you can better match your brand’s style, and even approximate complex layouts from your site.
Still, it’s a visual builder at its core. While more flexible than Tapcart, fully replicating your website's experience will be difficult without extensive development.
MobiLoud doesn’t ask you to recreate anything. Your app uses your existing mobile site as the front end – so it’s already 100% on brand.
Custom sort orders, animations, unique PDPs, or embedded experiences? They all carry over as-is.
You also get native elements layered on top (like a tab bar, splash screen, and nav UI) to make the experience feel native.
Whatever you can build on the web, you can build in your app. You can also create app-exclusive pages and experiences (collections, products, promotions that only show in the app).
This is the only option that gives you full design control without adding major complexity or cost.
Tapcart starts at a relatively accessible monthly price, but some key features are gated behind their Ultimate or Enterprise tiers.
As your needs grow, your costs grow too – and not just in platform fees. Your team also needs to spend hours setting up your apps, managing updates, and keeping everything in sync with your website.
Since the app is managed separately from your site, any changes require duplicate effort. Over time, that adds a lot to your team’s workload.
Appbrew positions itself as a more premium platform. You get deeper customization and broader integrations, but the starting cost is higher (starting at $999 per month).
There’s also an expectation that your team will be more hands-on. Like Tapcart, the app is managed separately from your website.
If you have the internal resources, it can be a powerful platform. But for smaller teams, the ongoing management burden (plus the subscription cost) may be too much.
MobiLoud offers a flat, transparent pricing model. There’s no revenue share, and plans start at $299, plus a one-time setup fee.
The setup fee makes the initial cost a little higher than other tools, but the long-term cost of ownership is much less.
Since the app mirrors your website, there’s no duplication of content or design work. This dramatically reduces maintenance overhead. Some of our users report 10+ hours per week saved compared to other platforms. This can easily be $1k+ in hidden costs that MobiLoud saves.
Tapcart includes support with app store submission, and some guidance around app updates, especially for Apple’s evolving requirements.
If you're on an enterprise plan, you’ll also get a dedicated success manager.
Appbrew provides strong onboarding and tech support, particularly for brands with development teams. They’re known for being responsive and willing to help troubleshoot custom setups.
That said, the value stops at the platform level. There’s no ongoing growth strategy, campaign execution, or marketing support unless you handle it yourself.
MobiLoud is a full-service solution. It’s not just a tool – it’s a partner.
We take care of building and publishing your apps for you. We handle app store submission and ongoing technical updates.
But more than that, we partner with you to help your app grow. We help you set up key push notification flows to drive engagement. We also work with you to grow your app and get it to being a strong revenue driver for your business.
"We're building this thing together. We're thinking, what do we need, sending it to you guys, and then we envision it together. So the MobiLoud team also helped us build things, instead of just solving things."
- Zawar Kamal, NumberC
All the brands who work with us specifically mention service as the differentiating factor.
Click here to check out more case studies of successful brands who work with MobiLoud.
Let’s sum up the key takeaways from our evaluation, and help you choose the best way to create a mobile app for your Shopify brand.
Tapcart is best suited for Shopify brands that want to launch a basic app quickly and don’t need deep customization.
You’ll get a native app that works well out of the box. But design flexibility, advanced integrations, and automated push features require upgrading – and developer help.
If your web experience is simple and you have the time and resources to manage two separate platforms, Tapcart can work.
Appbrew offers more customization and integration power, making it more appealing for brands with in-house dev resources and a more complex tech stack.
You get deeper control over layout and UI, along with broader support for third-party tools.
However, you’ll still be managing most of the process yourself. Design, updates, and marketing all require hands-on time. It’s a DIY platform for more technical teams.
MobiLoud is the right choice for brands that already have a strong mobile web experience and want to turn it into an app without duplicating effort.
It’s fully managed, deeply flexible, and designed to mirror your site. All your features, branding, and tools work out of the box.
You also get hands-on support with strategy, setup, and growth. All this makes it ideal for teams that want to move fast without adding complexity.
Still have questions? Get a free consultation now on the best way to create your brand's mobile app.
Turning your Shopify site into a mobile app is one of the best ways to future-proof your brand.
But not all app solutions are created equal. Choosing the wrong one can result in a lot of unnecessary work.
Tapcart and Appbrew both offer useful tools. But they require varying degrees of effort, technical resources, and compromise.
If you’re looking for a faster, simpler path to a high-performing mobile app (with no rebuilds, no tech debt, and no ongoing headaches) MobiLoud is the most complete solution.
Want to see what your app could look like?
Get a free preview of your app. No commitment, no code, and no setup required. You'll get a real feel for how your mobile experience could look on your customers’ phones, and how quickly you can go live with your own branded mobile apps.
