Are you a digital publisher wondering what the difference is between MobiLoud and Twixl Publisher?
In this article we’re going to give you a run down of the key features of each, how they compare to each other, and help you decide which suits you best.
Both help you to take the hassle and expense out of traditional app development - so you get a native new app to market quickly and efficiently. But they’re two very different solutions for two very different types of user.
Read on and we’ll cover:
- What these solutions offer for digital publishers
- What customers say
- Pricing
- Why Twixl Publisher is a great solution for InDesign based workflows
- Why MobiLoud is the ideal solution for publishers with an existing high-traffic WordPress site
Let's start the review.
What is Twixl Publisher?
Twixl Publisher is effectively a Mac OS X application paired with an Adobe InDesign plug-in.
Twixl Publisher's Key Features
1) Create content with InDesign or HTML tools
Their core offer is based on a deep integration with Adobe InDesign, the gold standard software used to create digital magazine editions.
Twixl have a plug-in for InDesign that lets you use the software to create custom, interactive content for mobile apps and add video, audio, photo slides and more.
PDF content is also supported, and you can also choose to create with an HTML tool of your choice, making content responsive out of the gate..
2) Easily customize your app's user interface
Design the interface, navigation and visual presentation of your app. Choose whether you’ll publish as separate editions, separate articles or a stream of content.
You'll also choose which articles will be emphasized and how you’ll provide an easy overview and access system for readers.
You also have the option to set up automation in your current workflow by:
- Integrating your current CMS or editorial system to push content to Twixl’s distribution system
- Pulling content from an RSS feed that can be synced with the app
3) Easily Preview and Build Your App
Once you’ve got some content lined up and made key decisions about the app interface, you’re ready to build the apps.
Twixl has an app reviewer that lets you preview the app on your devices and share with friends or colleagues. When you’re happy with the preview you can use Twixl’s software to build the apps and finally publish them to the app stores to get your content live on the iOS and Android platforms.
Through Twixl you can build both single-issue and multi-issue apps.
Twixl Publisher has a distribution platform that stores your content and can connect to existing workflows and automation tools like WoodWing Enterprise and Enfocus Switch.
Through this platform you can manage the distribution of your content to your apps, subscriptions and purchases, reader entitlements, analytics and communication through push notifications.
Twixl Publisher Pricing
When adding the options to segment different readers, and automating content flows from different sources, Twixl Publisher's pricing can run from $5000 - $7000 per year.
At this price point Twixl might stretch the budget of some publishers, and is more expensive than MobiLoud. If you need edition based publishing and use InDesign though it’s more affordable than its main competitor, Adobe DPS.
Overall, Twixl Publisher has done a great job of integrating with InDesign and creating a solution for publishers to distribute their content through mobile apps.
Now we’ve taken a look at Twixl and seen how it’s great for publishing digital editions and publications created with InDesign, let’s take a look at our service, MobiLoud, and see why it’s a ideal if you’re a WordPress based publisher.
What is MobiLoud?
MobiLoud is the ideal way to turn your existing news or content site and convert it to a powerful custom mobile app for iOS and Android.
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We offer a complete Done-For-You service rather than being a DIY tool or platform. You’ll have a painless path from concept to published app without having to touch a single line of code or spend much of your own time.
Everything is done for you from start to finish, and we provide ongoing support, maintenance, and updates. This frees you from worrying about any technicalities of the build process so you can focus your attention on the bigger picture - what you want your app to do and achieve.
Key Benefits of MobiLoud for Digital Publishers
1) Automatically Updates With Your Content
Edition based apps like those you can create with Twixl Publisher can look great. But, you won't be releasing those every day.
Your readers want to read your latest content as soon as it's published, when it's most relevant. Your MobiLoud app will update in real time with your website content. You'll never need to sync or update the app manually.
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What's more, is that you can set up push notifications to send out automatically when new content goes live.
2) Done-For-You Service
While some digital publishers prefer to keep their app development in-house, if you don't have the development team, and don't want to spend $50,000-$100,000 with a traditional app development agency, you might be feeling stuck.
With MobiLoud you get an experience similar to having your own team. We handle everything for you, from app development and configuration, to publishing it to the app store, to ongoing maintenance and updates.
We'll also prepare your App Store Screenshots to make sure your brand and app is shown off in the best light possible, encouraging your readers to download your app when they see your app in the iOS and Google Play App Stores.
3) Integrations for advertising, push notifications, and in-app purchases
Are you already monetizing your pageviews with advertising? If so, having an app has a huge advantage.
Your readers can't use adblock within the app. Many of our customers have found the app to be their top performing channel for advertising revenue because of this.
Our apps fully integrate with Admob, Mopub, Facebook Audience Network, and more. If you're offering premium subscriptions, we'll configure your app to synced to that. Readers will be able to go from your app to your website seamlessly, and their saved content, comments, and profile will be available without issue.
To promote content and connect with your audience you can send rich push notifications automatically - for example when a new piece is published - or manually whenever you see fit.
Past clients are thrilled at how they’ve increased traffic, boosted engagement and driven up ad revenue with their app - all taken care of without the significant hassle and expense it would’ve been otherwise.
MobiLoud Customer Reviews
Building high performance apps that perfectly sync with existing WordPress operations is a key goal for our customers.
- Writing on Capterra, Stephan W remembers that: “MobiLoud was all about getting content out of WordPress and into a native app specifically branded for us - this was by far the most important thing for us”.
- We keep customers happy by providing this exact solution. John M, co-founder of a digital media company and longtime MobiLoud customer, agrees:“It just works. We can use our existing WordPress install and have our material presented in a beautiful way on both iOS and Android... We worked for a year trying to create our own app - and then decided to go with MobiLoud and haven't looked back. We've been happy customers for over three years and our readers love our iOS and Android apps”.
- Others are pleasantly surprised at how simply and effectively they can manage their new app. Josh G, a digital publisher, loves the:“Simple to navigate the backend, great at sending alerts and notifications”.
- He also recalls that he “needed a bit of help on some advanced customizations - however the team was extremely easy to work with……. EXCELLENT customer service. They made sure I was totally satisfied which I appreciate”.
To read the original full reviews and many more, head to Capterra, or check out more on our testimonials page.
MobiLoud Pricing
MobiLoud has a tiered pricing structure.
Different price plans include different features for higher traffic news apps such as:
- Monetization through subscriptions and in-app ads
- Integration with third party SDKs for advertising and analytics
- CDN and caching
- Support for higher or even limitless traffic
- Priority support for launch, promotion and monetization
There’s no risk with our 60 day money back guarantee. Price includes all development, configuration, publishing and maintenance.
For more detailed information about MobiLoud pricing click here.
Recap - MobiLoud vs Twixl Publisher
So MobiLoud and Twixl Publisher provide a rich range of features to users at comparable price points, although MobiLoud is slightly cheaper.
So, which should you go with? It depends on how you do things now.
As we’ve seen in this article:
Twixl Publisher is a great solution if you are an Adobe Pro and use InDesign to create polished content. Twixl have positioned themselves in the InDesign ecosystem, and provide solid value to publishers looking for a bridge between their existing design process and the app stores.
Their solution is great for design heavy operations, and the fact that designers and developers can collaborate by integrating InDesign content with tailored HTML features might make complete sense for your operation.
Twixl also makes sense for edition-based publishing, as many of their users display different editions and publications in a “kiosk” style UI.
MobiLoud is for you if you create and distribute content on WordPress, and want to push that same content automatically through a dynamic native app.
You already do all the hard work publishing the content on your site. So let us take that and add a powerful new channel for your business - multiplying your results without duplicating any of your effort.
For you it’s minimum hassle and a minimal distraction from your other important tasks. You’ll end up with a high performance news app with features on a par with top publishers like the New York Times or the Huffington Post.
You don’t need to change anything in your existing workflow and can manage the whole thing from your WordPress admin panel, with fresh content automatically pushed to your users home screens along with everything you’ve published in the past.
We provide a full native solution for dynamic WordPress based digital publishers - a quality news app that can take your business to the next level. We’ve helped hundreds of past clients get there and we can do the same for you.
As always, it's up to you to decide which one is right for you, but if you’re a WordPress based publisher and want to see what MobiLoud can do for your brand - schedule a demo call with one of our app experts today.
