Compare bike shop apps
AppBuild.diy compared with 6 providers and the option to vibe code your own app: prices, fees, contracts and whether you get your own branded app.
Best for: bike shops businesses that want their own branded app on the App Store, Google Play and the web, starting free with 0% AppBuild commission on paid plans.
Your business. Your own app.
A look inside AppBuild: branded shop home, product browsing example, product detail example, loyalty rewards example.
See bike shops apps
Providers in this comparison
Workshop by BikebookBike workshop management + booking directory
Lightspeed RetailRetail POS with loyalty + ecommerce
Square LoyaltyPOS add-on loyalty
Stamp MeGeneric digital stamp card app
Loopy LoyaltyWallet stamp card tool
TapcartShopify branded app builder
- Vibe coding
Build from scratch with Lovable, Claude, Base44 or similar tools
Price and features at a glance
| Provider | Type | Starting price (as published) | Your own branded app | Order / booking fees | Contract / trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 AppBuild.diy | Branded app builder for local businesses | Free (up to 10 users); $49/month or $299/year; $99/month or $499/year | Yes — App Store, Google Play and web | 0% AppBuild commission on paid plans; Stripe card fees apply | No contract; free plan |
| Vibe coding | Build from scratch with Lovable, Claude, Base44 or similar tools | Variable: AI subscriptions / credits, plus hosting, database and any paid services as usage grows. Free allowances may apply; not a fixed all-in price. | Bespoke branding and features; store packaging and submission require additional setup | Depends on your chosen payment provider and services; processing fees still apply | Depends on the tools and services you choose; free tiers may have limits |
| Workshop by Bikebook | Bike workshop management + booking directory | Premium $89.99/mo (Shopify App Store listing, USD, 30-day cycle) | Shared (Bikebook service directory listing) | Not stated | 14-day free trial |
| Lightspeed Retail | Retail POS with loyalty + ecommerce | US: Basic $89/mo, Core $149/mo, Plus $289/mo (1 register; annual billing saves up to 18%). UK: Basic £75/mo, Core £149/mo, Plus £189/mo (1 register) | No | Lightspeed Payments card-present rate shown as 1.5% (US page); extra locations/registers by quote | Free trial (length not stated); contract terms not stated |
| Square Loyalty | POS add-on loyalty | UK: £25/mo per location (0-500 loyalty visits), £45 (501-1,500), £65 (1,501+). US: $45 / $75 / $105 per location per month by visit tier (third-party: Square US page did not show price; figures from search of Square/merchantmaverick) | No branded app stated | Not stated on loyalty page (Square card processing applies) | 30-day free trial; no long-term contract |
| Stamp Me | Generic digital stamp card app | Lite $49/mo (£39/mo UK), Pro $79/mo (£49), Elite $199/mo (£129), billed monthly, excl. tax; extra stamp card beyond 2: $15 one-time | Shared (customers find the business inside the Stamp Me app) | Not stated (no ordering/booking) | 30-day free trial, no card; cancel any time |
| Loopy Loyalty | Wallet stamp card tool | Starter $25/mo or $250/yr (1 card design, 1 location); Growth $69/mo or $690/yr; Ultimate $95/mo or $950/yr | No (Apple Wallet / Google Wallet cards) | Not stated (no ordering/booking) | 15-day trial, no card; monthly or annual, cancel any time |
| Tapcart | Shopify branded app builder | Growth $500/mo, Scale $1,250/mo, Enterprise+ $2,850/mo (monthly billing); page also shows "$200/mo billed annually" label on all three tiers; Tapcart AI add-on $250/mo | Yes | Not stated | Billed through Shopify; trial not published; custom contract on Enterprise+ |
How AppBuild differs
- vs Workshop by Bikebook: Bikebook manages the workshop and lists the shop in its directory at $89.99/mo; AppBuild gives the shop its own app with appointment booking, loyalty and push to bring riders back.
- vs Lightspeed Retail: Lightspeed is a POS from $89/mo (US) / £75/mo (UK) per register with loyalty but no customer app; AppBuild is the customer-facing branded app and push channel, not a POS.
- vs Square Loyalty: Square Loyalty is priced per location per month by loyalty visits (UK from £25); AppBuild has no per-location or per-visit pricing and adds a branded app with push.
- vs Stamp Me: Stamp Me is a stamp card in a shared Stamp Me app from $49/mo; AppBuild gives the business its own app (PWA + App Store + Google Play) with stamps, push, order-ahead and booking, free up to 10 users then $49/mo.
- vs Loopy Loyalty: Loopy is a Wallet stamp card from $25/mo with no app or ordering; AppBuild adds a branded app with ordering, booking and push alongside stamps.
- vs Tapcart: Tapcart is Shopify-only from $500/mo (monthly billing); AppBuild's Shopify integration is $99/mo with a 30-day trial, and AppBuild also works for shops without Shopify.
Where AppBuild is strong
- Your own branded app on the App Store, Google Play and the web, starting free with every feature for up to 10 users.
- Loyalty, push notifications and click & collect in the shop's own app, not a shared stamp-card app.
- Works alongside Shopify instead of replacing it.
Where others may suit you better
- Not a till or full ecommerce stock system.
- Vape shops: Apple does not allow apps that promote vaping, so the web app is the reliable option.
Key features by provider
| Provider | Market | Key features | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop by Bikebook | UK, US, EU | Repair job cards, online booking/scheduling, parts and inventory, integrations with Shopify POS, Lightspeed, Square, Stripe, Xero | apps.shopify.com |
| Lightspeed Retail | US, UK | POS, inventory, built-in ecommerce, in-store and online loyalty, reporting, API | lightspeedhq.com, lightspeedhq.com |
| Square Loyalty | UK, US | Points/visits loyalty tied to Square POS, priced on monthly loyalty visits per location | squareup.com, squareup.com |
| Stamp Me | US, UK, AU, CA, EU | Multiple stamp cards (1 location), unlimited push, SMS (3/mo on Lite), scratch & win, birthday club, lapsed-customer tools | stampme.com, stampme.com |
| Loopy Loyalty | Global (USD) | Apple/Google Wallet stamp cards, push messages, unlimited customers, sub-users, API on Ultimate | loopyloyalty.com |
| Tapcart | US-led, Shopify merchants | Unlimited push, custom screens, integrations, analytics/A/B testing (Scale) | tapcart.com |
| Vibe coding | Depends on your chosen tools | Full design freedom. Ordering, bookings, loyalty, permissions and integrations must be built, tested and maintained. Native push, certificates and store submissions need additional technical work or a service such as AppBuild. | lovable.dev, claude.com, base44.com |
Gaps in published data: Bikebook's own site pricing not fetched (used its Shopify App Store listing). Square US pricing third-party. BikeExchange (marketplace) dropped: only third-party commission data (avg 8.2% in 2020/21) and US/UK presence unclear. Bikedesk dropped (Denmark only, DKK pricing). BikeBookings dropped (domain no longer resolves).
Build from scratch with AI, or start with AppBuild?
Lovable, Claude, Base44 and similar tools are a genuine alternative in any industry. A bespoke build gives you more control over the design and business logic. AppBuild offers a shorter route to launch for supported business needs, with ready-made capabilities you can add without building each one yourself.
| Consideration | AppBuild.diy | Vibe coding |
|---|---|---|
| Time to market | Start with ready-made pages and features; configure your content and services. Store review still takes time. | A prototype can be quick; production testing, payments, permissions and store preparation add work. |
| Costs | Published plan price, plus applicable payment processing, store-account and third-party service costs. | Variable: AI subscriptions / credits, plus hosting, database and any paid services as usage grows. Free allowances may apply; not a fixed all-in price. |
| Flexibility & ease of use | Add supported capabilities such as loyalty, bookings and ordering through the builder; less freedom than a fully custom product. | Bespoke layouts and logic; each new capability needs implementation, testing and ongoing maintenance. |
| Push & app stores | AppBuild provides push and app infrastructure, subject to setup requirements and store approval. | Native push certificates, signing and store submissions are technical work, not automatically solved by generating a website. |
| Ongoing responsibility | Shared business-app framework and managed infrastructure; you manage your business content and settings. | You are responsible for security, data access, updates and the services behind your app. |
These approaches can work together: build your bespoke experience with AI, then use AppBuild to wrap your app and add supported native capabilities such as push notifications. Wrapping does not automatically add AppBuild’s business features to your custom app.
Tool pricing and allowances vary: Lovable pricing · Claude pricing · Base44 pricing. Check the services your project actually needs.
AppBuild pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Up to 10 app users. Your own app on iPhone, Android and the web. |
| Business | $49/month or $299/year | Up to 1,000 app users. 0% AppBuild commission on orders. |
| Business Pro | $99/month or $499/year | Unlimited app users. 0% AppBuild commission on orders. |
Card processing fees are charged by Stripe on top of any plan and are not set by AppBuild. Full details on the pricing page.
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Last checked 7 October 2026. Competitor prices come from their own public pages, linked below each table. Where a price isn't published we say so. Spotted something out of date? Tell us via support.