Every Shopify store should have their own app. But hiring developers to build native apps for your store is expensive, and unnecessary.
MobiLoud and Reactiv are two popular solutions for Shopify stores to build mobile apps.
Both require no coding to launch great-looking apps, with push notifications, and all the native features you need.
But MobiLoud is more flexible, requires less work, and makes it easier to recreate your high-converting web experience into a mobile app that’s even better.
Keep reading to learn more about why you should build your app with MobiLoud.
Want to talk over your decision with one of our eCommerce app experts? Book a free app strategy call now.
MobiLoud vs Reactiv: The Bottom Line
While MobiLoud and Reactiv both help Shopify store owners launch their own app, they take two divergent paths to get there.
Reacitv:
- Requires you to rebuild your site as an app with a drag-and-drop builder.
- Is managed separately from your website, adding work to maintain.
- Won’t be able to fully recreate all the features of your website (without a lot of custom development and a large cost).
MobiLoud:
- Directly converts your website to an app, with no rebuilding.
- Lets you manage website and app from one codebase.
- Has no limits on integrations - everything from your website will work the same way in your apps.
MobiLoud is ultimately a better choice for Shopify store owners who want less hassle and fewer limits when launching their mobile app.
Reactiv is a Good Fit If You Want a Drag-and-Drop App Builder
There are so many Shopify app builders on the market today, most of which take a similar approach to Reactiv.
These tools let you drag-and-drop your way to a good-looking UI, and link it to your website using the Shopify API (and pre-built integrations for popular Shopify apps).
As app-builders go, Reactiv is a solid choice. It uses AI to speed up the app building process, and provides a sophisticated building experience at a reasonable price point.
But it has the same limitations as any block-based, API-app builder – and there are better options out there for Shopify stores to build their own app.
MobiLoud is Less Effort, With Greater Upside and Less Risk
MobiLoud is a different kind of Shopify app builder.
Instead of tasking you to rebuild your website as an app, MobiLoud converts your Shopify store into an app, retaining everything that makes your website great.
It’s less effort. With an app builder like Reactiv (even with AI helping you), you need to compile your UI, which involves a lot of tinkering and fiddling to get right.
It also requires you to manage a separate platform once you launch, which adds a decent amount of operational overhead.
The upside is higher with MobiLoud, as you’re not constrained by the limits of the platform.
You can do anything in your app you can do on the web – from small CRO optimizations to integrating key apps and custom features.
As you’re converting what already works on your website, it’s less risk, and you can be confident that you’re building an app your customers will love.
“We wanted a solution that could enable push notifications, and MobiLoud does that. We couldn’t find another company that could offer the same features at the same price point, same time to market, and make it as easy as MobiLoud could.”
- Svend Hansen, Product Owner at Bestseller
Why Top Brands Choose MobiLoud
MobiLoud helps a number of major brands to build and maintain amazing apps, including Tobi, Sleefs, and John Varvatos.
These brands chose MobiLoud for a variety of reasons, including a more straightforward path to launch, more freedom and flexibility, and the peace of mind of having a team of experts to support them.
“Nothing out there provided us with the ease and accessibility that MobiLoud did to our team. You can’t beat the price they provided to get an app together.”
- Nick Barbarise, Director of Information Technology at John Varvatos
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Let’s look closer at the top reasons for high-revenue brands to build apps with MobiLoud.
Convert your site to an app with no rebuilding
App builders are easier than building natively. But they’re still a lot of work.
You need to tinker with the UI, working within the limits of the platform’s blocks and templates.
All this just to recreate what already exists on your website.
Today, most mobile websites are good enough to be mobile apps already.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
Just make some small additions (like MobiLoud does), to turn your mobile-optimized website into an app that looks and feels like a custom, million-dollar app.
Full freedom of design
There’s always a limit to what you can build with an app builder.
Some even limit you to a certain number of design elements on lower plans.
Reactiv allows unlimited design components – but there’s still only so much you can do with these components to make your app stand out.
With MobiLoud, the only limits are what you can do on the web.
If you can build it in your website, you can build it in your app.
“There is a design factor. With our original app we were a little bit limited. We worked with what we had, but being able to replicate our design is part of the reason why we're with you guys.”
- Jaime Schuster, CEO at Sleefs
Integrate everything from your store
Everything on your website will carry over to your mobile apps, without a problem.
With an app builder, you’ll run into parts of your store that can’t be recreated in the app.
If you use a less popular theme, lesser-known Shopify apps, or you rely on specific third-party integrations or custom-built features, they likely work in your app.
With MobiLoud, everything works in your app – from custom features to complex integrations.
While Reactiv does allow complete customization of your app with Reactiv Plus (which includes the Reactiv UI Kit, eCommerce SDK and Integrations SDK), you’ll pay for it.
The Plus plan costs $4,999 per month, which doesn’t include the cost to pay developers to build these custom components into your app.
Free of the constraints of the Shopify API
API-based Shopify app builders like Reactiv all come with constraints.
The Shopify API offers a convenient way to integrate your website and app, up until there’s something you want to do that it doesn’t support.
Then you end up making sacrifices in your app that limit upside.
High-revenue brands know the value of seemingly minor optimizations that make a significant difference to conversion rate, and add a lot of revenue at scale.
MobiLoud doesn’t rely on the Shopify API, instead showing a live view of your website within the app, meaning the years of refinements and improvements you’ve made to your website will carry over to your mobile apps.
Get the convenience of a fully-managed service
App builders like Reactiv offer support, but not the full service MobiLoud does.
You’ll need to configure, build and manage the app yourself. And if you have an issue, you can file a ticket and get support in two business days.
MobiLoud is more than an app builder – we’re a service.
We do all the work for you, from building your apps, testing, and even submitting your apps to the app stores.
We handle technical maintenance and updates for you. We’re essentially your app development team, for the cost of an app builder.
This is key for Shopify brands who want to focus on what they do best – eCommerce – and leave the technical work to a team of experts.
“It wasn't just that they helped us from design, to development, to going live with the app. It was also the aftercare of knowing that we had a team of people available to us that we could turn to for the ongoing management of the app, be it a small problem or a small change.”
- Jordan Wise, Founder & CEO at GAFFER
Convert Your Website into a Mobile App with MobiLoud: The Best Reactiv Alternative
Reactiv is a great alternative to custom development. It’ll save you hundreds of thousands of dollars and more than six months of development time, as well as a lot of overhead.
But MobiLoud is better.
MobiLoud is more flexible, less work, and comes at a similar cost.
For Shopify stores who know their web experience works well, and want to extend that experience to mobile apps, MobiLoud is the single best way to make it happen.
No blocks. No APIs. Just everything from your website in the apps, with a team of experts supporting you the whole way.
Ready to launch an app for your Shopify store, with less overhead and more flexibility?
Let’s talk. Book a free consultation today and learn how easy MobiLoud makes the entire process.
