Compare pub & bar 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: pubs & bars 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: mr chans menu, choose your dish, mr chans basket, order history.
See pubs & bars apps
Providers in this comparison
sundayQR pay-at-table + order & pay
Untappd for BusinessBeer menu + marketing
Square LoyaltyPOS add-on loyalty
ToastRestaurant POS with ordering/loyalty add-ons
Stamp MeGeneric digital stamp card
LoyalzooGeneric loyalty + memberships
- 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 |
| sunday | QR pay-at-table + order & pay | Standard £149/mo; Premium £199/mo; Loyalty add-on +£49/mo; Click & Collect +£29/mo | Not stated (QR / web flow) | Not stated on pricing page | Not stated; "Live in 7 days" |
| Untappd for Business | Beer menu + marketing | Essentials $899/yr or $89.99/mo; Premium $1,199/yr or $119.99/mo (third-party: beermenus.com) | Shared (consumers use the Untappd app) | Not stated | 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: loyalty included in Square Plus $49/mo per location (not in Square Free) | No (Apple Wallet pass, SMS) | Card processing, US Plus in-person 2.5% + 15c, online 2.9% + 30c | 30-day free trial; US: no locked-in contracts |
| Toast | Restaurant POS with ordering/loyalty add-ons | Starter Kit $0/mo with higher processing; Point of Sale $69/mo (third-party: upmenu.com, katalystos.com). Toast Loyalty add-on $25/mo; Online Ordering $75/mo (third-party: upmenu.com) | Add-on (price not verified) | Card processing approx 2.49% to 3.69% + $0.15 depending on plan (third-party: loman.ai, nerdwallet.com) | Hardware often on 36-month financing (third-party: upmenu.com) |
| Stamp Me | Generic digital stamp card | Lite $49/mo (£39/mo), billed monthly; Pro $79/mo (£49); Elite $199/mo (£129). $15/£15 one-time setup per extra stamp card beyond 2 | Shared (cards live in the Stamp Me app) | None stated (loyalty only, no ordering) | 30-day free trial, no card; cancel any time |
| Loyalzoo | Generic loyalty + memberships | Grow £57 +VAT/mo; Smart £127 +VAT/mo; Multi custom | Yes, as PWA ("Your own branded mobile app (PWA)"); no App Store listing stated | Not stated | 7-day free trial |
How AppBuild differs
- vs sunday: sunday is QR pay-at-table from £149/mo with loyalty a further £49/mo; AppBuild includes loyalty, push and ordering in an installable branded app from free.
- vs Untappd for Business: Untappd lists the venue's menu inside the shared Untappd app ($899/yr+, third-party figure); AppBuild gives the venue its own app with loyalty, push, events and ticketing.
- vs Square Loyalty: Square charges per location per month for loyalty and rewards are delivered by text/Wallet pass; AppBuild bundles loyalty into a branded app with push notifications and order-ahead, no per-location fee.
- vs Toast: Toast is a POS with paid add-ons for loyalty and online ordering; AppBuild is a branded customer app with loyalty and ordering included and no POS hardware needed (orders print to an existing WiFi printer).
- vs Stamp Me: Stamp Me cards live inside the shared Stamp Me app and it offers loyalty only; AppBuild gives the business its own app (PWA + App Store + Google Play) with loyalty plus order-ahead and booking, free up to 10 users.
- vs Loyalzoo: Loyalzoo's branded app is a PWA from £57 +VAT/mo; AppBuild includes a PWA plus native App Store and Google Play listings, with a free tier and Pro at $49/mo.
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.
- 0% AppBuild commission on paid plans, versus 13–33% per order on delivery marketplaces.
- Ordering, loyalty and push notifications in one app, with no till hardware needed.
Where others may suit you better
- Not a till (POS) system or kitchen hardware supplier.
- No courier network or marketplace to bring in new customers.
- The free ordering plan takes 5% of each paid order.
Key features by provider
| Provider | Market | Key features | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sunday | UK (also EU, US) | Pay at table, order & pay, tips, review management, loyalty (Premium/add-on) | sundayapp.com |
| Untappd for Business | US, UK (global) | Digital beer menus, Untappd listing, check-ins; Premium adds API and Wine-Searcher database | beermenus.com (includes third-party figures) |
| Square Loyalty | UK, US | Points/visit rewards, text notifications, Apple Wallet pass, CRM, promotions | squareup.com, squareup.com |
| Toast | US (also UK, IE) | POS, online ordering, loyalty, mobile order & pay, KDS | upmenu.com (includes third-party figures) |
| Stamp Me | UK, US (GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD prices) | Digital stamp cards, unlimited push, 3 SMS on Lite, member data (Pro+), insights | stampme.com, stampme.com |
| Loyalzoo | UK (GBP) | Points/stamp loyalty, SMS/email/push, subscriptions with recurring payments, tiered loyalty (Smart) | loyalzoo.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: sunday transaction fees and contract terms not on pricing page; Untappd pricing third-party only.
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. |
| Free – Ordering | $0/month + 5% per paid order | For restaurant ordering apps using Stripe Connect. Unlimited app users while eligible. The 5% is on the food and drink subtotal only. |
| 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
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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.