Goodbarber and Appy Pie are two of the most popular Do-It-Yourself (DIY) app builders out there. You can use these app builders to create a mobile app in a relatively short amount of time and for a range of purposes.
With both GoodBarber and Appy Pie you start by choosing from a selection of pre-built templates and base your app off of those. Both have templates to fit a range of businesses and you'll likely be able to find one that suits your needs. You can customize the apps by adding extra features and widgets to provide a high quality user experience.
If you're struggling to choose between GoodBarber and Appy Pie, this comparison is for you. We'll review their key features, pricing, and what makes each of them unique. Let's get into it.
What is GoodBarber?
GoodBarber is a popular Do-It-Yourself app building solution to create mobile apps and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).
You can put together a mobile app with the help of various templates that make the tool accessible for anyone.
How GoodBarber Works
You can create a range of apps with GoodBarber's app templates, such as:
- Fitness apps
- Tourist guide apps
- Restaurant apps
- Blog and News
After you create your app based on GoodBarber's templates you can add extra features such as push notifications and advertising to engage your users, and generate revenue with your app.
If you plan to publish content to your app GoodBarber even have their own CMS that allows you to publish content directly to your app.
Like most other app builders, GoodBarber don't have a free option to help you with the App Store Submission process, however for a fee of $50 they will handle that for you.
Let’s take a look at some of GoodBarber's key features.
GoodBarber's Key Features
Some of the best features of GoodBarber include:
Over 50 App Templates
You can choose from more than 50 themes for your app, which can be customized extensively from the settings panel to fit your desired style.
While Appy Pie do also have a wide selection of themes and customization options, GoodBarber's templates are arguably more polished.
Access to Native Device Features
GoodBarber's app builder is feature rich. Unlike many app builders, with GoodBarber you can tap into the native device features to give your app a professional feel. If you have an app idea that will require accessing the native device features then GoodBarber is an excellent choice of app builder.
You'll be able to use native devices features such as:
- Beacons
- Geofences
- Widgets
- 3D Touch for Apple
Many other app builders don't provide that same level of access to native device features, making GoodBarber a powerful option.
Progressive Web App Builder
If you would rather provide an improve mobile web experience than a native mobile app, GoodBarber also lets you build Progressive Web Apps, or PWAs.
PWAs have grown in popularity as they are much more affordable when you compare them to mobile apps, and they can harness some of the same device functionality as traditional mobile apps.
This tool makes GoodBarber a solid all-round option for providing your audience with the mobile user experience they expect.
GoodBarber seem to provide a solid set of tools to build an app. There are a wide range of features, and their customers have published over 30,000 apps successfully up to this point.
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 definitely succeed. GoodBarber also offers a 30-day free trial on its app builder, so you can try it out without any major risk.
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
Mobile Apps
Progressive Web App Pricing
What is Appy Pie?
Like GoodBarber, Appy Pie is a platform for anyone that wants to create a mobile app without needing to code, and without the resources to build develop one in-house. Appy Pie's drag-and-drop app builder that allows you to create apps for multiple use cases such as:
- Wedding app
- Health care apps
- Educational apps
- Real estate apps
There are plenty of other options too.
If you have an app idea and are ready to create it with a drag-and-drop builder Appy Pie is worth trying. Of course, there are key similarities to GoodBarber's system as you rely on pre-existing templates rather than having full creative control like you would have with traditional app development.
Appy Pie's Key Features
Easy-to-Use App Builder
Like GoodBarber, one of Appy Pie's unique selling propositions is the easy-to-use app builder that's quick to get started with.
In just a few clicks you can start creating your app using their drag and drop interface. When you’re happy with the app it’s time to publish it.
You can add a range of features during the build process such as push notifications, ad network functionality, payment gateways for eCommerce, and add analytics to the app.
On their Platinum pricing plan Appy Pie will help you with the App Store Submission process, but otherwise you'll need to handle it yourself.
Overall, Appy Pie offers a solid range of features if you want to build an app yourself and is a solid rival for GoodBarber.
Create Digital Magazines
Appy Pie you can create edition-based digital magazines, which is a unique proposition for many DIY app builders. While there are several specific edition based solutions such as Twixl Publisher, Mag+, and MagLoft, Appy Pie offers similar functionality at a lower price point.
For digital publishers who are just starting out, this digital magazine builder could be worth trying. You can choose from several layouts, customize the style, and upload content in the form of articles or magazine editions.
However, established publishers are likely to feel limited. If you want to publish editions to a large audience, a proven solution for edition based publishing like MagLoft, or a custom mobile app with MobiLoud could be a better fit.
Appy Pie Pricing
Appy Pie has four pricing plans.The free plan allows you to build your app for non-commercial use. Once the app is made you will receive an HTML5 based hybrid app that works with Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone and Blackberry. This can be used to see what your app will look like and can then be upgraded to a paid plan.
The most popular Platinum plan costs $50/mo and includes the functionality to send push notifications, 12GB of bandwidth per month, and Appy Pie will help you out with the App Store submission process.
Appy Pie Customer Reviews
- Joel, a self-employed IT specialist praises Appy Pie for being “very user-friendly”.
- For some customers, Appy Pie's process sacrifices performance and presentation of their app. Don, a Marketing Assistant, points out that there’s “no way to make it your own or make it unique unless their custom team builds your app which could run thousands of dollars”.
- Others are happy with the features, like one reviewer who said: “Like a completely professional app and they provide lots of capabilities and amazing features like IAP, Appointment, CRM connectivity and more.”
- Khurram, a Digital Marketing Specialist, says their customer support is “Good….. most of the time they provide solutions with in twenty-four hours and the team has good technical knowledge”.
- Others are less enthusiastic however. Angie, a self-employed coach and trainer comments that “Technical/customer service is polite and does their best but once in a while, there is a definite language barrier.”
- Others felt strongly about this point, Like Selena the owner of an E-Learning business who was disappointed that “They didn't help me when they answered the phone... I and my computer engineer had a very difficult time understanding what they were saying”.
Overall, most reviewers are happy with Appy Pie and what it offers. The downsides are what you would expect from a Do-It-Yourself software platform.
Please head over to Capterra to view the original reviews in full and many more.
Alternatives to Appy Pie
There are several other good options if your looking to make your own app through a DIY platform, including GoodBarber and Mobincube.
If you are have an established, successful online business (e.g. digital publishers, eCommerce sites, online communities or learning platforms) and want to convert your existing site into a custom mobile app, MobiLoud could be a better fit for you.
Why MobiLoud Over GoodBarber & AppyPie?
We've discussed GoodBarber and AppyPie in detail in this post. But if you want a more powerful and flexible alternative, with a higher level of service on offer, MobiLoud is the best alternative.
MobiLoud, instead of taking the drag-and-drop app builder approach, simply converts your mobile website into an app.
This approach has a number of advantages. It lets you take everything that already works on your website and replicate it on your apps, without rebuilding anything, and without sacrificing plugins or features that may not be compatible with GoodBarber or AppyPie.
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Since the app basically is your website, all your plugins, custom features, themes and integrations are going to work on all platforms.
Your app updates whenever you update your site, leaving little additional work for you to do after launching your app.
The best part is the service element. The MobiLoud team does everything for you - from building, testing and publishing your apps, to submitting them to the app stores, to keeping your apps up to date and bug-free after launch.
MobiLoud is a full-service app partner, far more than just an app builder, like AppyPie and GoodBarber, but for far less than what it would cost to hire a development team or an agency.
Curious? Get on a free discovery call to learn more.
Wrapping Up
Both GoodBarber and Appy Pie are established and powerful app builders. If you want to build your app using a pre-built template and don't need the features that a completely custom mobile app could offer, then these app builders are the ideal solution for you.
If you'd rather have a custom mobile app built, published to the App Stores, and maintained for you, then a service like MobiLoud will be a better fit.
Want to get an idea of what's right for you? Get in touch with us for a free consultation now. After seeing how easily you can convert your site into an app, instead of rebuilding it from scratch with an app builder, you might find that MobiLoud is actually the way forward for your app project.
