Compare creator apps
AppBuild.diy compared with 7 providers and the option to vibe code your own app: prices, fees, contracts and whether you get your own branded app.
Best for: creator apps 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 app starter, live radio example, podcast player example, push notification example.
See creator apps apps
Providers in this comparison
PatreonCreator membership marketplace
KajabiCourses, memberships, community platform
Mighty NetworksCommunity + courses platform
CircleCommunity + courses platform
SkoolCommunity + courses platform
Passion.ioBranded app builder for creators/coaches
DiscipleBranded community app platform
- 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 |
| Patreon | Creator membership marketplace | Free to start; 10% platform fee on earnings for creators who published a page after 4 Aug 2025 (older pages keep legacy rates) | Shared (members use the Patreon app) | 10% platform fee, plus payment processing (2.9% + $0.30 on card payments over $3, US), currency conversion and payout fees, plus taxes | No subscription; pay only when earning |
| Kajabi | Courses, memberships, community platform | Basic $179/mo billed monthly or $143/mo billed annually; Growth $249/mo ($199 annual); Pro $499/mo ($399 annual) | Yes: Kajabi Customer App listed as "Included ($199/mo value)" on all plans | Kajabi Payments: 2.9% + $0.30 (Basic), 2.8% + $0.30 (Growth), 2.7% + $0.30 (Pro). Third-party processors: 2% / 1% / 0.5% Kajabi fee. Varies by country | 14-day trial |
| Mighty Networks | Community + courses platform | Launch $79/mo or $950/yr; Scale $179/mo; Growth $354/mo | Add-on: own branded apps only on Mighty Pro, "Not published (demo/quote)" | Transaction fee 2% (Launch), 1% (Scale), 0.5% (Growth and Mighty Pro) | 14-day trial at Growth level, no card required |
| Circle | Community + courses platform | Professional $89/mo (annual billing); Business $199/mo; Scale $419/mo; Circle Plus custom | Add-on: custom branded apps only on Circle Plus, "Not published (demo/quote)" | Transaction fee 2% (Professional), 1% (Business), 1% (Scale), 0.5% (Circle Plus) | 14-day trial, no card required; 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Skool | Community + courses platform | Hobby $9/mo; Pro $99/mo; "2 months free" on yearly billing | No (not mentioned on pricing page) | Transaction fee 10% (Hobby), 2.9% (Pro) | Trial not stated on pricing page |
| Passion.io | Branded app builder for creators/coaches | Launch $119/mo billed yearly; Scale $279/mo billed yearly; Expand $599/mo billed yearly; Passion Plus custom. Monthly-billing prices not shown | Yes: "Your own branding" from Scale; App Store listing on Expand; full white-label on Passion Plus | PassionPayment fee 3.9% (Launch) down to 1.9% (Passion Plus); Scale/Expand rates not stated. Apple, Google and Stripe processing fees also apply | Trial not stated on pricing page |
| Disciple | Branded community app platform | Branded App $599/mo billed yearly; Branded App Pro $999/mo billed yearly; Organisation from $3,400/mo billed yearly | Yes: "Your own branded app, listed under your brand" on all plans | Not stated | Trial mentioned in FAQs; yearly billing shown |
How AppBuild differs
- vs Patreon: Patreon takes a 10% platform fee on earnings for new creators and members use the shared Patreon app; AppBuild charges zero commission on subscriptions and gives the creator their own app listing.
- vs Kajabi: Kajabi starts at $179/mo billed monthly plus a per-transaction fee; AppBuild has a free plan (up to 10 users) and Pro at $49/mo with zero commission (Stripe's own fees only).
- vs Mighty Networks: Mighty Networks' branded apps are only on the quote-based Mighty Pro tier and every plan has a 0.5% to 2% transaction fee; AppBuild includes its own App Store and Google Play listing on standard plans with zero commission.
- vs Circle: Circle's branded apps are only on custom-priced Circle Plus, with 0.5% to 2% transaction fees; AppBuild's branded app is on published plans from $0.
- vs Skool: Skool has no branded app on its pricing page and charges 10% (Hobby) or 2.9% (Pro) per transaction; AppBuild gives a branded app with zero commission.
- vs Passion.io: Passion.io starts at $119/mo billed yearly with a 1.9% to 3.9% PassionPayment fee; AppBuild Pro is $49/mo or $299/yr with zero commission.
- vs Disciple: Disciple's branded app starts at $599/mo billed yearly; AppBuild's branded app starts free, Unlimited is $99/mo or $499/yr.
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.
- Pulls in your existing YouTube, Twitch, podcast or radio stream rather than replacing it.
- No revenue share taken by AppBuild.
Where others may suit you better
- Not a video hosting or course platform.
- Smaller community and discussion features than dedicated creator platforms.
Key features by provider
| Provider | Market | Key features | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patreon | UK + US (global) | Memberships, one-time payments, community tools | patreon.com, support.patreon.com, support.patreon.com |
| Kajabi | UK + US (global) | Courses, memberships, community, branded mobile app | kajabi.com |
| Mighty Networks | UK + US (global) | Community, courses, AI Cohost, automations, APIs | mightynetworks.com |
| Circle | UK + US (global) | Unlimited members, courses, live events, workflows, AI credits | circle.so |
| Skool | UK + US (global) | Unlimited members, courses, videos, live calls, custom URL, affiliates | skool.com |
| Passion.io | UK + US (global) | Branded app, courses, AI messages, Apple/Google Pay (Expand) | passion.io |
| Disciple | UK + US | Branded iOS/Android/web app, groups, courses, video minutes | disciple.community |
| 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: Mighty Pro and Circle Plus branded-app pricing not published (demo/quote). Patreon fee support page returned 403; 2.9% + $0.30 processing rate taken from a search snippet of Patreon's own support page. Passion.io monthly-billing prices and Scale/Expand fee rates not shown. Disciple page header also shows "£449/mo"; currency of the plan table could not be confirmed (USD assumed by the fetch). Skool trial not stated. Patreon iOS in-app purchase fees not verified.
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.
More comparisons
Start freeLast 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.