In this article, we'll give you an overview of the Appery platform, including its pricing, key features, and pros and cons.
Following that, we'll share with you the best Appery alternatives for building eCommerce apps without writing code or hiring developers - including our own site to app platform, MobiLoud.
What is Appery?
Appery is a fairly bare-bones platform for building mobile apps without code. It is based on a series of templates which pull data from various APIs to populate the apps.
Now let's take a look at Appery's pricing.
Appery Pricing
Appery.io has 4 pricing plans:
- Beginners: $25/mo
- Pro: $99/mo ($70/mo paid annually)
- Team: $200/mo ($135/mo paid annually)
- Enterprise: custom
Appery Pros & Cons
Appery is a good way to quickly launch an MVP app or build a side-project on a budget. Their Shopify theme can create an eCommerce app with basic functionality without code or significant investment.
For successful eCommerce stores though Appery will be very limiting. It will force your brand into a strict template, and will populate it with whatever data is available via API. This is inflexible, and will never be able to recreate the features and functionality from your web store - let alone let you reuse your existing plugins and tech stack.
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 Appery alternatives, starting with our own site-to-app platform, MobiLoud.
Appery Alternative #1: MobiLoud
MobiLoud powers thousands of top apps, including a number of high-revenue eCommerce apps. It 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 online 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 Appery.
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 Appery 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 three standard pricing tiers:
- Startup - For fast launching and validation: $299/month, plus a one-time $850 setup fee
- Growth - Perfect for more established businesses: $549/month, plus a one-time $1,500 full-service setup fee
- Corporate - For larger companies who need custom solutions & VIP treatment: $949/month + One-time fees
The recurring cost is 15% cheaper on annual plans. Read more about our pricing here.
The difference between MobiLoud and Appery is clear.
MobiLoud doesn't restrict you like Appery, but gives you free reign to reuse your entire tech stack from the web, allowing you to finally build iOS and Android eCommerce apps that pay for themselves.
You get a much higher level of service with MobiLoud, which you can never expect at the price point quoted by Appery. That's going to leave you on your own, trying to navigate a new world while still maintaining your website and regular business operations on the side.
MobiLoud not only lets you launch a higher-quality app, that reuses everything that drives revenue for your website, but we also take away all the work involved in running your app, letting your focus remain on what you're already comfortable with.
Want to skip the rest and get your questions answered by one of our team of experts?
Book a demo now!
Now we've blown our own trumpet, here are a few other Appery alternatives that you're likely to see around the web.
Appery Alternative #2: Mowico
Mowico is another well known block-based app builder targeting eCommerce brands. It integrates with Shopify and WooCommerce, and it's going to be compatible with PrestaShop, BigCommerce, and Wix soon.
Mowico has a selection of pre-built integrations like Smile, Langify, and Judge.me, and also offers useful features such as push notifications and AR shopping. However, it's important to acknowledge its limitations.
While Mowico can help you build a basic eCommerce app featuring your products and logo, it can't fully replicate the advanced features, design, and plugins of your web store. The term "integration" with Shopify means it can access some relevant data from your store, but you'll always have to rely on their pre-built themes and blocks. Compared to MobiLoud, which allows you to reuse everything from your existing site - this is can be highly limiting for more complex businesses.
Mowico Pricing
Mowico has three plans for each eCommerce platform. For Shopify, they have:
- Startup - basic features - $79/mo
- Growth - everything from Startup 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.
Appery Alternative #3: Mobikul
Originating in India, Mobikul delivers a no-frills app builder for eCommerce stores, compatible with platforms such as WooCommerce, Magento, and Shopify. The apps rely on pre-existing themes and templates, and offer straightforward. Unlike MobiLoud, they don't turn your Shopify store into native apps as such, but form an app "shell" to draw data from your site via API. It doesn't allow for the reuse of themes or plugins, and essentially lets you create rudimentary shopping apps for iOS and Android.
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.
Appery Alternative #4: Tapcart
Tapcart is a user-friendly platform that lets businesses create mobile apps for Shopify without coding. Small and medium-sized eCommerce businesses find it useful. However, some users may find the templates and blocks limiting compared to a solution like MobiLoud.
Tapcart Pricing
Tapcart has three plans:
- Core - 15 blocks, basic features, and basic integrations - $200/mo
- Ultimate - unlimited blocks, advanced features, and integrations - $400/mo
- Enterprise - unlimited custom blocks, dedicated customer success manager, and premium integrations - $1K/mo
The more costly the plan is, the better app features and benefits you get.
Appery Alternative #5: Plobal Apps
Plobal is another solid app builder for Shopify. It's user-friendly and has many integrations but comes with some limitations shared by all similar platforms. Again - the big issue is that you can't reuse your online store's features. You can only use Plobal's pre-built integrations, and if they don't have what you need, it's tough.
Plobal Apps Pricing
Plobal Apps has three plans:
- Growth - basic features with 4 standard integrations - $199/mo
- Essential - enhanced features with 7 standard integrations - $499/mo
- Enterprise - premium features and unlimited advanced integrations - starts at $1199/mo
The more costly the plan is, the more customizability and benefits you get.
Summary: Appery, MobiLoud, and the Problem with App Builders
We've looked at a few Appery alternatives, and given you some key information about each.
As we've seen, many of these tools share the same flaws. While 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, this same reliance puts you and your brand in a straightjacket.
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.
On top of this, with Appery, you have a certain limit for API calls. Cross that limit, and you may find the information in your app doesn't update, potentially causing big problems.
While the app builder approach is OK for simple stores with 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.
MobiLoud is the Best Way to Launch eCommerce Apps
Of course, we may be biased, but we believe MobiLoud is not only the best Appery 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 Appery 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.
Get Started Now
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 Appery, there's no risk. We don't do long-term contracts. 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.
