Top 10 Platforms to Create your eCommerce Mobile App Without Coding

According to Criteo, mobile represents 65% of all e-commerce transactions in the world. And 70% of the time, apps are preferred to mobile websites. For eMerchants, thinking mobile-first has become a priority. However, technical knowledge or a large budget is usually necessary to create a Shopping App.

Tools such as no-code platforms allow independent entrepreneurs to create a Shopping App for a much lower cost than an Agency. 

Here are the top 10 platforms:

• GoodBarber
• IBuildApp 
• Appypie
• BuildFire
• AppMachine 
• Plobalapps 
• Swiftic
• Mobincube
• Shoutem
• Appyourself

1. GoodBarber

GoodBarber, created in 2011, is amongst the leading app builders in the World with more than 30,000 active apps on its platform. GoodBarber delivers a tool that allows for the best design out there and offers a powerful and robust CMS. Since 2019, Shopping Apps are available on GoodBarber.

However, unlike its competition that offers Commerce add-ons or third-party integrations, GoodBarber chose to produce a product entirely dedicated to eCommerce. Clients can start from scratch and create their eCommerce app without typing a single line of code.

On top of the Design, GoodBarber set itself apart thanks to features dedicated to commerce (one-click checkout, auto-login, discounts, coupons, permanent cart, push notifications, promo banners, product import-export, shipping advanced settings …). Detailed product pages, management of variants and discounts, integration of similar products.

You can add up to 9 images on every product page. You can also create collections and subcollections to organize your shop. The payment gateways are Paypal, Stripe (credit cards) and Apple Pay. All the features focus on increasing sales. GoodBarber apps can be published on the Web (Progressive Web Apps), Android and iOS. Thanks to statistics and order tracking, eMerchants can keep a close eye on the evolution of their sales. 

Accessible from $35/month (PWA), GoodBarber’s tool is a game-changer in the world of eCommerce platforms dedicated to mobile. GoodBarber also offers the option for Agencies to become Resellers and create an unlimited number of Shopping Apps starting from $500/month. 

2. IBuildApp

IBuildApp is an app builder created in 2011 and specialized in Small Business. The interface is quite basic and easy to use, as it’s mainly Drag-and-Drop. An entrepreneur can easily create and publish an app to promote its business. There are over a hundred of pre-configured templates to choose from depending on your needs and sector. Even though IBuildApp targets entrepreneurs, the platform offers media features such as audio player, chat, forum or photo gallery. 

iBuildApp offers eCommerce as a separate block in its feature list. You can then add an eCommerce section to the builder and start selling on mobile. Product pages are simple and offer few options (only 1 image, no similar products or variants). iBuildApp doesn’t offer options such as cart abandonment management, promo banners. Paypal is the only payment gateway available and is quite restricted. Pricing starts at $24/month with limited downloads. Reseller pricing starts at $395/month. 

3. Appypie

Appypie is part of the leading app builders in the world. They offer a vast range of features. Pretty much, every type of app can be created with AppyPie: Restaurants, churches, eCommerce, local shops… Integrations with third-party tools are possible via API. Of course, apps build with AppyPie can be published on the App Store and the Play Store. A web version of the app is also available in HTML5.

eCommerce options are integrated into a specific section. It is possible to import products in bulk and set up shipping conditions. The product page is functional, advanced pricing options are available as well as variant management. Products can be sorted in different categories. It is also possible to send targeted push, share products on social media, create coupons and integrate a loyalty card. Regarding payment gateways, Stripe (credit cards) and Paypal are available.

The pricing including the eCommerce option starts at $36. However, be careful, AppyPie apps offer only a limited amount of downloads. If your app is successful you’ll have to upgrade. Reseller plans start a $200/month. 

4. BuildFire

BuildFire is an app builder allowing you to create any type of apps without any coding and to publish them on iOS and Android. More than 10,000 apps are now active on the platform. In addition to the App Building product, BuildFire offers custom development for a fee. With the app builder, BuildFire allows to create eCommerce, events, content or religion apps. Their Design is of very good quality.

Regarding eCommerce, this section is an integration of Shopify. It is therefore mandatory to have a Shopify site to do eCommerce with BuildFire. The platform offers push notification and integration with Paypal and Stripe. The obligation to use a Shopify plugin makes the configuration of the shop quite complex. If your app has a large audience you will need to take into consideration that Push notifications and downloads are limited. Pricing starts at $89/month plus the additional cost of the Shopify subscription (starting at $29/month).

5. AppMachine

AppMachine was created in 2011. Their platform works around blocks (resembling Lego blocks), each of them representing a feature of the app. It’s very easy to use. Content and Design are directly managed within each block. Product import/export is available as well as integration to other services thanks to APIs.It is possible to publish on Android and iOS, send push notifications, promote the app via a QR code and access detailed statistics. 

The eCommerce block is simple but not very detailed. Customization of the product page is limited (only 1 image, no similar product). There are no sales statistics and the only integrated payment gateway is Paypal. Pricing starts at $39/month. AppMachine offers Marketing Agencies the possibility to become Reseller starting from $99/month. 

6. Plobalapps

Plobalapps is an app integrated to Shopify. Meaning, it is necessary to have a Shopify account to use this tool.  Plobalapps decided to lean on the world leader of eCommerce platforms to propose to its clients to launch native apps from their Shopify site. The interface is quite easy to use thanks to the Drag-and-Drop. You can access sales statistics and send push notifications. Amongst some of their interesting features, promo banners allow you to display specific offers. Or the possibility to add search filters. Very useful if you offer a vast range of products. 

The integrated payment gateways are the same as those in Shopify, which opens up a very wide range of payment options. Most parts of the world can be targeted. More than 170 currencies are available. 

The main problem with Plobalapps is that it has to be managed from the Shopify back office which makes it a bit confusing. Mobile has its specificities and being integrated with Shopify can make you forget those specificities. Pricing starts from $99/month plus the additional cost of the Shopify subscription (starting at $29/month).

7. Swiftic

Created in 2014, Swiftic is an app builder dedicated to retailers and eMerchants who want to publish an app on the Stores (App Store and Google Play). The features revolve around sales, business promotion, and client loyalty. The options for promoting an app are numerous (Pushs, social media..). The general design is configurable to adapt the app to the colors of your business.

For eCommerce, an external store integration is possible (Etsy, eBay, Shopify…). It is a simple and economical solution for entrepreneurs who already own a shop on a different platform. Otherwise, it is possible to manage a shop directly from Swiftic but the options are quite basic. Only a title, description, price, tax rate, and shipping fee. The design is not up to recent standards and only Paypal is available as a payment gateway. Pricing starts at $29/month.

8. Mobincube

Mobincube is a platform based on the freemium model. Indeed, it is possible to start using Mobincube for free, the app being financed by advertising. You then pay a subscription that evolves according to the options you choose. Features include of course design settings, push notifications and Google Maps.

The eCommerce section of Mobincube offers only basic product pages (title, price, description, reference...). The only integrated payment gateway is PayPal. Mobincube allows you to start selling on iOS and Android in a cheap way but with very limited options. It is recommended to use "ad-free" versions because adding ads on a Shopping app can look unprofessional and worse, compete with the products sold on the app itself. Prices for ad-free versions start at $11.99/month.

9. Shoutem

Shoutem offers about 30 features and 40 templates to create and customize your mobile app. More than 5,000 apps are active on this platform. You can create an app for a business, a content app or an event app. Shoutem apps can be published on Android and iOS. 

For eCommerce, Shoutem offers its clients the option to create their shop directly from the platform or an integration with a Shopify shop. You can create promo banners and discounts. The back office preview mode allows you to visualize your shop directly. You can also create products and product categories. Within the product page, you can add a selling price and discounted price, an image, and a description. There is no integrated payment gateway but you can add a payment link on each product page. Which is rather complicated to manage for long term use. Pricing starts at $49/month.

10. Appyourself

Appyourself is a german app builder specialized in apps for professionals. All the most common features are integrated: templates, CMS, user management, push notifications. Appyourself can also do custom development at the request of its clients. Apps can be published on the Web or on the Stores (Android & iOS).

In the eCommerce section, you can create products and product categories. The product page is simple with a name, description, price, and taxes. You can also add similar products. Paypal is the only integrated payment gateway. The design quality is good which gives Appyourself apps a professional look and feel. Customization is made easy thanks to the preview feature. Pricing starts a $24/month.

Most of these platforms offer free trial periods. Don’t hesitate to take full advantage of these before deciding which platform you will use. Of course, take into consideration features and pricing. But not only, as launching an app requires a lot of time and effort. Don’t forget to check their support and resources. Think from a growth perspective, so you won’t be limited when your app becomes successful. Finally, marketing options are important too as promoting your app to your audience is crucial to maximizing sales and profit.