Compare soft play apps
AppBuild.diy compared with 4 providers and the option to vibe code your own app: prices, fees, contracts and whether you get your own branded app.
Best for: soft play 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: event app home example, upcoming events example, event details example, digital ticket example.
See soft play apps
Providers in this comparison
ROLLERVenue management software for play centres, FECs, trampoline parks
GatemasterAttraction ticketing/POS suite
Booked itBooking, EPOS and access control for soft play and leisure
BaluuBooking system (has a soft play page)
- 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 |
| ROLLER | Venue management software for play centres, FECs, trampoline parks | Not published (demo/quote) on own page. Third-party: Lite $300/mo billed annually or $360/mo billed monthly (third-party: Capterra/G2 via search; Capterra page itself now shows "Custom Quote") | No store app stated; "Mobile and conversion optimised eCommerce app" for online checkout (web) | Usage fees "billed in arrears on the 5th of each month for transactions processed", separate from merchant processing; amount not stated | 14-day free trial; contract length not stated |
| Gatemaster | Attraction ticketing/POS suite | Own site returned 403. Third-party: from $89 per user per month (third-party: Capterra) | Not verified (third-party news: guest app via Attractions.io partnership) | Not stated | Third-party: no free trial (Capterra) |
| Booked it | Booking, EPOS and access control for soft play and leisure | Not published (demo/quote); "pricing for Booked it is tailored to how your venue operates" | Not stated | Page mentions a "percentage fee" model; rate not disclosed | Demo; trial not stated |
| Baluu | Booking system (has a soft play page) | Standard £0/mo; Pro £49/mo; Growth £99/mo | No (not mentioned) | Standard 3% commission (50p min); Pro 2% (40p min); Growth 2% (30p min); first 90 days at 0% | No card, no setup fees |
How AppBuild differs
- vs ROLLER: ROLLER does not publish prices and bills usage fees on transactions; AppBuild publishes pricing from free and takes zero commission.
- vs Gatemaster: Gatemaster is a ticketing/POS suite priced per user (third-party figure); AppBuild is a customer-facing branded app with push notifications and loyalty, priced by app users.
- vs Booked it: Booked it uses a percentage fee and quote-based pricing; AppBuild is flat-priced with zero commission.
- vs Baluu: Baluu charges 2% to 3% commission per booking; AppBuild charges no commission and adds a branded store app.
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.
- No per-ticket or per-booking fee from AppBuild.
- Works alongside Eventbrite, Hostfully and Hospitable.
Where others may suit you better
- Not a hotel property-management system or channel manager.
- Lighter church admin and giving tools than dedicated church software.
Key features by provider
| Provider | Market | Key features | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROLLER | UK + US + AU (USD, AUD, GBP, EUR, CAD) | Online checkout, POS, party packages, memberships, cashless, waivers, mobile F&B ordering (Premium), guest feedback | roller.software, capterra.com (includes third-party figures) |
| Gatemaster | UK + 16 countries | Ticketing and admission, group bookings, memberships, capacity, access control, mobile ordering | capterra.com, blooloop.com |
| Booked it | UK | Online booking, EPOS and access control hardware (buy or rent), loyalty add-on | booked.it |
| Baluu | UK | Booking widgets, class scheduling, gift cards, automated emails, newsletters, AI chatbot | baluu.co.uk |
| 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: ROLLER and Booked it pricing not published; Gatemaster site blocked (403), figures third-party only; no customer store app confirmed for any soft play competitor.
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.