There’s an argument that says that pretty soon mobile apps will run the world.
The PewResearch Internet Project said recently:
“The World Wide Web is less important and useful than in the past and apps are the dominant factor in people’s lives.”
This may not be news to you but have you built a mobile app for your store yet?
Many Shopify stores have embraced the tech already by creating an app to help market and sell to their loyal base of followers and scale their mobile ecommerce revenues.The good news is that you don’t need a fancy app developer and sky-high development costs.How so? You guessed it – by using an app that converts your Shopify store into a mobile app. With zero coding skills required.Plenty of great options are out there and we think the following six are the best mobile app builder apps for Shopify right now.Check them out…
The Vajro Mobile App Builder claims that you can get your app set up in “less than 60 minutes”. From a web-based Shopify store to a mobile Shopify store in an hour – that’s quick!If that wasn’t true, the app would be unlikely to have a 5-star rating from hundreds of merchants who have bothered to leave a review (that means thousands are using it).This app is unique in its class in that it offers a 60-day free trial – that’s almost unheard of for any app and allows you to thoroughly test it out before committing.
Price: $99/month for Startup Plan. $199/month for Growth Plan. $399/month for Power Premium Plan.Free Trial? Yes – 60-day free trialAverage Shopify Rating (out of 5 stars): 5.0 (672 reviews)Main pros:
Customizable mobile app to perfectly reflect your brand
Offers highly personalized campaigns to improve engagement, loyalty and retention
Simple setup within one hour
4 pre-built themes with customization for colors, layouts, and more
View changes in real-time
Automatically syncs all your products with your Shopify store
Sales and conversion-oriented – smooth checkout process and multiple currencies supported
Push notifications with images, gifs, and more – for reviews, offers, etc.
Detailed reporting to check sales, best sellers, new installs, successful campaigns, etc.
60-day free trial offered
If you can’t get set up inside an hour, you can use the app free for 90 days
24x7x365 support with 1-1 calls and dedicated implementation specialists
Any cons?
Some complaints about being asked for reviews almost immediately after installation
Occasional product syncing issues – but fixed quickly by support
Plobal Mobile Apps Builder is another of the best-reviewed apps of its kind on Shopify and is trusted by some large brands including Steve Madden, Forever 21, Greats, and Bailey’s Blossoms.It helps not only with building your app – but with marketing your store, boosting conversions, and optimizing performance.If you want to go it alone, you can use the drag and drop builder. They also offer access to an in-house team of app builders if you need a custom design.
Price: From $199/month for Essential plan (plus 2% success fee). $799/month for Enterprise (plus 1% success fee). Custom plan $1299/month (plus 0.5% success fee).Free Trial? Yes – 7 daysAverage Shopify Rating (out of 5 stars): 4.9 (380 reviews)Main pros:
Simple drag and drop app builderwith flexible design layouts
Over 100 ecommerce features that help you sell more
Smooth buying experience with one-page checkout
Push notifications for welcomes, new products, abandoned cart campaigns, etc.
Syncs products, collections and inventory in real-time
Integrates with many other popular Shopify apps
Helps you boost app installs at every stage of the buying process
Track and improve key performance metrics with data-driven insights
Custom-build apps with the in-house design team
24 x 7 custom support
Enterprise and Custom plans have dedicated success managers and support teams
Any cons?
Most complaints are two or three years old– suggesting they have fixed most bugs and weaknesses
More expensive than other options reviewed here – success fee charged for each sale
Like Plobal, the Tapcart mobile builder app for Shopify is aimed more at established and growing stores that need a customized app solution – as opposed to smaller startups. The entry pricing, which includes design up to 15 blocks, is above what many smaller stores may be prepared to pay.However, Tapcart is an established name and recognized performer for thousands of stores – and hundreds of reviews support its claims of being the “premier” mobile app builder for Shopify store owners.
Price: $250/month for Tapcart Core Plan (up to 15 blocks and 3 integrations). $550/month for Ultimate (unlimited blocks and 6 integrations). $1200 for Enterprise (custom design with unlimited blocks and integrations).Free Trial? Yes – 7-day free trialAverage Shopify Rating (out of 5 stars): 4.8 (339 reviews)Main pros:
Simple drag and drop design format
Seamlessly syncs with your Shopify store
Sends unlimited push notifications for new collections, products, content, etc.
Helps increase retention, brand loyalty, and customer lifetime value
Personalized shopping experience, loyalty rewards, and app exclusives
Instant one-click checkout and fast page loading mean highconversion rates
Can pre-populate address and credit card information
Abandoned cart functionality to convert “lost” sales
Seamlessly integrates with many other popular Shopify apps
Shopney Mobile App is another one with impeccable reviews from users. It has maintained a 5-star level over almost four hundred reviews from Shopify merchants. This is impressive and over several years there has barely been a bad remark about this app.If you can get over the fact that they cannot spell “business” or “install” (see image below!) this might be one you give a try via the generous 30-day free trial and the reasonable price entry point.They even provide a money-back guarantee until you publish your app on the App Store and Play Store.
JCurve claims that you can “build your Shopify mobile app like Lego”: an indication of how easy it is to use. No coding or developing skills – it is simplicity itself even though it is designed by top-tier Silicon Valley software engineers.The app is currently used by over 4,000 Shopify stores and, as well as being one of the best-reviewed mobile builder apps by Shopify merchants, it is also one of the lowest priced.JCurve offers a starter plan that is affordable for most up-and-coming stores and the generous 30-day free trial makes it even more attractive.
Price: Starter Plan $49.99/month (up to 15 blocks). Growth Plan $89/month. Power Plan $139/month.Free Trial? Yes – 30 daysAverage Shopify Rating (out of 5 stars): 4.9 (130 reviews)Main pros:
Set up your store’s mobile app in one day without coding skills
Launch your mobile store within a week
Lego-style mobile app builder– simply choose from several stylish themes
Allows various types of push notifications with product images for a marketing boost
Abandoned cart auto-reminders and countdown timers
Personalized product recommendations to aid conversions and sales
Low entry-level price point (suitable for startups)
Integrates easily with many other popular Shopify apps e.g., for social proof, reviews, rewards programs, etc.
Multi-language support
Receive valuable insight via performance reports
Generous 30-day free trial
Money-back guarantee until you publish your app on the App Store and Play Store
Any cons?
Abandoned cart reminders, AI product recommendations and some key integrations only available with Power Plan
Buildfire is not on the Shopify app store but it qualifies for this mobile app builder review because it is designed for Shopify merchants.The app claims to be able to generate 55 percent more revenue based on a mobile app – which store owner wouldn’t want that?Buildfire offers three pricing options that place it somewhere in the middle of the apps already reviewed here – though its high-end Enterprise version is priced quite a bit lower than the Enterprise plans of some of the other apps.
Price: $159/month for the Growth Plan. $299/month for the Business Plan. $424/month for the Enterprise Plan.Free Trial? Yes – 14 daysAverage Shopify Rating (out of 5 stars): N/AMain pros:
Simple and intuitive app builder – no coding required
Provides a complete turnkey solution for building and maintaining the app
Build your app in real-time using an intuitive, click-and-edit app emulator
Add multiple plugins for additional functionality for the app (choose from over 150 plugins)
Customized look and feel (loading screens, icons, fonts, colors, etc.)
Create your own custom product catalogs and deep-link to products inside any portion of the app
User registration through Facebook, Twitter and Apple
Deliver targeted push notifications at every step of the user journey
Analytics and performance reporting are available
Single-click publishing to the App Store and Play
Further customization possibilities with the Buildfire SDK
Any cons?
Higher entry-price point than some other apps reviewed here
Boost engagement, loyalty and sales with a shopify mobile app builder
Mobile apps = customers with high lifetime value (LTV), increased loyalty and high retention rates.They help you convert web traffic into highly engaged app subscribers. Once customers are used to buying from your mobile app, they may never go back to your website.Pick the right app that can help you scale and look after your following and you can reap the benefits for years into the future.Try out a few from the Shopify app builder apps reviewed above and see which one suits you best.
Hi, I’m Giles Thomas.
Founder of AcquireConvert, the place where ecommerce entrepreneurs & marketers go to learn growth. I’m also the founder of Shopify agency Whole Design Studios.
