Compare retail 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: retail & shopping 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 retail & shopping apps

AppBuild app example showing branded shop home — AppBuild retail & shopping app comparison — Branded shop home

AppBuild app example showing product browsing example — AppBuild retail & shopping app comparison — Product browsing example

AppBuild app example showing product detail example — AppBuild retail & shopping app comparison — Product detail example

Providers in this comparison

Tapcart
Shopify branded app builder
Superfans (formerly Vajro)
Shopify branded app builder
Shopney
Shopify branded app builder
MobiLoud
Done-for-you website-to-app service
Smile.io
Ecommerce loyalty app
Yotpo Loyalty & Referrals
Ecommerce loyalty app
Square Loyalty
POS add-on loyalty
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
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+
Superfans (formerly Vajro)	Shopify branded app builder	Unlimited plan $1,000/mo, adjusts by annual revenue tier (<$1M, $1M-$20M, $20M+)	Yes ("Fully branded mobile app")	Not stated	30-day free trial; no long-term commitment
Shopney	Shopify branded app builder	Silver $149/mo ($119/mo yearly); Gold $299/mo ($239); Platinum $599/mo ($499); Enterprise from $1,299/mo ($999 yearly)	Yes	"No sales limits. No commissions."	30-day free trial; no long-term commitment
MobiLoud	Done-for-you website-to-app service	Startup $399/mo, Growth $799/mo, Corporate $1,499/mo plus one-time setup fees (third-party: G2/Software Advice; mobiloud.com/pricing returned 403)	Yes (white label, own store accounts)	Not stated	Annual billing 15% discount (third-party)
Smile.io	Ecommerce loyalty app	Free (200 orders/mo); Essential $15/mo (500 orders); Standard $79/mo (1,000); Growth $199/mo (2,500); Plus $999/mo billed annually (7,500); Enterprise custom	No (on-site loyalty widget/page)	None stated; plans capped by monthly orders	Free plan; Plus/Enterprise billed annually
Yotpo Loyalty & Referrals	Ecommerce loyalty app	Free plan; paid from $199/mo, scaling with monthly order volume; Premium/Enterprise by quote	No	Not stated	Free plan; no trial 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

How AppBuild differs

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.
vs Superfans (Vajro): Superfans is one $1,000/mo plan for Shopify stores; AppBuild starts free and its Shopify integration is $99/mo.
vs Shopney: Shopney is a Shopify app builder from $149/mo; AppBuild's Shopify integration is $99/mo and the core app also covers loyalty stamps, booking and order-ahead for in-store trade.
vs MobiLoud: MobiLoud is a managed service from $399/mo plus setup (third-party); AppBuild is self-serve, free to start, $49-$99/mo after.
vs Smile.io: Smile.io is a web loyalty widget for online stores priced by monthly orders; AppBuild is a branded mobile app with stamps/points and push, with no per-order limits.
vs Yotpo: Yotpo paid loyalty starts at $199/mo scaling with order volume; AppBuild Pro is $49/mo or $299/yr with no order-volume pricing.
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.

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
Tapcart	US-led, Shopify merchants	Unlimited push, custom screens, integrations, analytics/A/B testing (Scale)	tapcart.com
Superfans (formerly Vajro)	Global (USD), Shopify merchants	Unlimited push, landing pages, app-exclusive drops/discounts, 70+ integrations, dedicated design manager	superfans.io
Shopney	Global (USD), Shopify merchants	Push (segmented AI push on Platinum), abandoned cart (Gold+), loyalty integrations (Platinum), multi-store (Enterprise)	shopney.co
MobiLoud	Global (USD)	Native iOS/Android app from existing site, unlimited push, managed updates	g2.com
Smile.io	Global (USD), Shopify/online stores	Points, referrals, VIP tiers (Growth), free-product and discount rewards, on-site nudges	smile.io
Yotpo Loyalty & Referrals	Global (USD), ecommerce	Loyalty points, referrals, bundle with Reviews & UGC	yotpo.com
Square Loyalty	UK, US	Points/visits loyalty tied to Square POS, priced on monthly loyalty visits per location	squareup.com, squareup.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: MobiLoud pricing third-party (site 403). Tapcart page shows a "$200/mo billed annually" label on all three tiers that looks like a page error; monthly prices used. Square US pricing third-party.

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 free

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.