DEV Community: Alesia Traichuk

Top 10 eCommerce Mobile App Features to Incorporate into Your Application

Alesia Traichuk — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 07:22:34 +0000

A golden age of eCommerce mobile applications has arrived, and the number of mobile applications is growing like a weed. This is especially because of the business value they bring to businesses. Mobile apps help companies build strong relationships with their customers, allowing users to hunt for products on tap and keep all information in one place.

But there's a challenge: there are thousands of mobile apps and customers feel confused about what product to use and which one suits their needs best. That’s why you need to build a great eCommerce mobile application and sprinkle it with cool features to stand out from competitors. In this article, we'll talk about the key features of eCommerce platforms that can help make your app outstanding, and we'll discuss what's happening in the global eCommerce market.

Global eCommerce Market Overview and the Rise of mCommerce

Online shopping has been trendy over the last few years. Today, more and more people prefer to shop online because of the convenience and ease. The pandemic also motivated more consumers to shop online, including categories of products that they usually would buy in person. Next year, the global eCommerce market revenue is expected to total about 5.4 trillion US dollars, compared to 4.89 trillion in 2021. Insider Intelligence from eMarketer predicts US consumers will spend more than $933 billion on eCommerce this year — 15% of total retail sales — and that eCommerce sales will reach nearly 24% of total retail sales by 2025. Sounds impressiveб doesn't it?

The mCommerce world is scaling up at an unprecedented level too. Because 87% of shoppers do online product research before buying, marketers expect mCommerce to become the primary source for online shopping soon. Here are some shocking statistics about the mCommerce market:

71% of in-store shoppers who use smartphones for online research say their device has become more important to their in-store experience.
67% of consumers have downloaded a retailer app.
67% of customers who window-shop online do it just for fun, with 77% of those making impulse purchases in the end.

Mobile shopping is taking over the online shopping industry and is becoming the most popular eCommerce trend. So now is a good time for businesses to reinvent their eCommerce mobile apps as more and more customers are shopping from their smartphones.

Key Players
The eCommerce market is fragmented and likely characterized by extreme competition in the next few years. Many companies are implementing new strategies and eCommerce mobile app features to improve their presence in the competitive environment. Today, some of the prominent players in the global eCommerce market include:

Amazon.com, Inc.
JD.com, Inc.
Apple, Inc.
Alibaba Group Holding Limited
Flipkart Private Limited
Walmart, Inc.
eBay, Inc.
Best Buy
The Home Depot

Currently, Amazon tops the list. As of January 2021, its market value stands at a whopping $1.634 trillion. This marks an impressive 73.6 percent growth from the previous year, attributed to the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdowns across the world. The second-biggest eCommerce company is China's Alibaba, with a market value of $648.32 billion. Ma's company has more than doubled its net revenue in the two years spanning 2018 to 2020, from approximately $36 billion to $74 billion. As the two biggest online retailers, Amazon and Alibaba have a combined market value of over $2.2 trillion. This makes up more than 40 percent of the total market value of the top 10 eCommerce companies globally.

As you can see, the competition in the eCommerce ring is fierce, so to engage more customers, eCommerce players should focus their resources on mobile app development. In particular, eCommerce mobile apps must have sufficient functionality so that customers feel satisfied and supported.

Let's proceed to our best eCommerce mobile app features that you can implement now to stand out from your competitors.

Top 10 eCommerce Mobile App Features

If you want to launch an eCommerce application or have already done it but want to spice it up, let's look at the eCommerce mobile app features list to make your app more attractive.

Easy onboarding

The first impression can ruin the reputation of your business — but a user-friendly interface and smooth navigation keep users connected. As a rule, users do not like complicated sign-ups, and many applications require much information for registration. The whole process should be simple, like the most popular eCommerce app builders. Make sure you streamline the registration and the login and logout processes by allowing users to log in via their Google accounts or Facebook or by using an email address as a login. The easier access is, the more likely users will continue interacting with your mobile application. The eCommerce mobile app should also save user information for further interaction and redirect users to the main page with product and service information.

Secure payment methods

This feature is standard in modern eCommerce mobile applications. Your eCommerce application should have a stable and secure payment process to drive revenue. By providing your customers with secure payment methods, you facilitate finalizing a purchase. However, implementing this feature is not an easy task.

New research on the digital payment industry in 2021 shows that electronic payments continue to accelerate. Top P2P providers saw double-digit growth in monthly app downloads in April and May 2020. By September 2020, 76% of consumers reported increased use of mobile wallets payment methods, with 43% of that group doing so "significantly." Given that, it's a good idea to provide your customers with multiple options of payment methods to use their preferences. If you want to increase your conversion rates and sales, think about adding some of the following payment methods:

Apple Pay
Paypal
Google Pay
Stripe
Masterpass
Amazon Pay
American Express

Of course, you don't need to implement all of these methods, but providing multiple options is a good idea. Remember to include options like credit card payment or online transfer so that your customers can proceed to the order securely and quickly.

App customization

Every eCommerce mobile application should boast a superb user experience to promote its business. This means that it's crucial to provide customization in your eCommerce mobile application. Customization increases the chances of getting more and more users to your product: the more preferences and needs your app can cover, the more likely you are to stand out among your competitors. Users are always looking for an app that they can manage according to their requirements, and when a person downloads an application, they usually look for flexible navigation. So by providing mobile application customization options, you enhance the user experience and establish strong relationships with your customers.

Smart filtering and sorting

Generally, eCommerce applications have thousands of goods listed across different categories. Suppose you offer a wide range of products. In that case, you will need to implement user-friendly filtering and sorting features to reduce the number of steps for a customer to find a specific item. Thanks to advanced sorting options, users will quickly find the products they are looking for without scrolling through the whole page (or pages!). This quick access can help build a kind of brand loyalty in users and provide a positive user experience. Additionally, new visitors can land at desired products quickly, without stress and wasted time. To improve your buying experience and make it even more pleasant, you can add a barcode search that allows users to access the product by scanning the code directly.

Product gallery

Product images with a product gallery are essential for a product page. A product page should include at least several images of your item. It's best to capture it from different angles and, if possible, make a 360-degree image. Your customers will appreciate it! The goal of the product gallery is to convince the customer to buy the product if they are still hesitating. By adding high-quality pictures, customers will be able to see the item in different contexts and make their choice. It's also a good idea to make the pictures zoomable. The users can play with them a bit and look at every detail.

Make sure that the content on product pages is engaging and informative. Try to include the size, color, ingredients, material, usage information, etc. Also, include a call to action on your product page. There can be a few different ones, but make sure your customers engage with them. Examples of such CTAs include "Contact Us," "Add to cart," "Add a coupon," "Add to wishlist," and "Buy now."

Product suggestions

Product recommendations are essential sections on a product page. According to CMSC Media, 35% of what customers buy on Amazon and 75% of what they watch on Netflix results from product recommendations. Product recommendation is a great way to sell new products, do upsells and downsells, cross-sell, etc. In many cases, product recommendations can prevent you from losing a customer: even if they don't like a product, they are immediately provided with a similar alternative they may be interested in. Ideally, the customer doesn't leave your website but spends more time on it, running through the product suggestions. A personalized set of recommended products can be a good alternative as well.

Shopping cart

One of the best eCommerce app features is a shopping cart. By adding a shopping cart to your eCommerce store, you will positively impact your customers and allow them to purchase flawlessly. A shopping cart also helps users realize that it's one of the last steps in their shopping journey and that they must make their final decision. Ensure that the shopping cart is simple and no distractions when the user opens and closes the shopping cart. Your goal is to focus their attention on the selected items. To optimize your shopping cart for sales, it's essential to add some of the following features:

Color and size picker
Add to cart/remove to the cart feature
Consistent shopping cart across multiple sessions

Sometimes, customers can leave their shopping cart unattended and log out. The best practice is to save the products in the shopping cart and welcome customers when they get back. This also allows you to add a CTA to make your instructions understandable.

Shipping options

Allow your users to choose from different shipping options and add a shipping address within a few minutes. This feature informs the user about available shipping options and shows how much each of them costs or what is the delivery time for each option. Note that if you are going to build an MVP of your application, you can start with the simple option of ordering goods from one of your traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Once your product gets successful results, you can implement this feature further and add new shipping options for every iteration.

Push notifications

Another excellent eCommerce mobile application feature is push notifications. They are often confused with simple messages, but push notifications are usually shorter. There are different types of push notifications. Let's look at five of the most popular:

Geolocation push notifications

As a rule, these are triggered when a customer reaches a specific location. To receive geolocation notifications, users should enable location on their mobile phones. Geolocation notifications are usually used to offer location-based services. For example, a food ordering app can remind users to make their first order by suggesting the nearest restaurant they can eat at and offering a 10% discount. Another example is the campaign launched by Sephora. Users received push notifications when they came within a certain radius of the Sephora shop. This push offered them a free service, which motivated them to visit a store and increased their chance of buying something.

Informative push notifications

This type of notification keeps customers informed about the latest news, coupons, discounts in your application, new mobile application updates, etc. This is the primary type of push notification used by many global companies.

Promotional push notifications

Promotional push notifications are one of the most important for you as an eCommerce retailer. With the help of promotional pushes, you can provide your customers with personalized content and products. Here's a list of practical ways where you can use promotional push notifications:

Send discount coupons
Inform users about a current offer on your eCommerce mobile app
Notify users about offers at your physical store
Inform your customers about personalized and exclusive offers

Re-engagement push notifications

You can use this type of notification to remind your customers about your application. Inform them about your newest collections of products and other hot news. Everything depends on what goal you're trying to achieve: even if your customers don't read the news or are not interested in new products now, your eCommerce application still provides useful information.

Survey push notifications

This is the simplest way to reach your customers. Offer a survey to your customers and encourage them to participate by giving a small bonus (for example, a 5% discount after answering all the questions). Even if they don't want to buy something, you'll get feedback and information about their preferences. However, don't be too spammy! You don't want to create a negative impact on your customers and lose them after all. Five to ten questions every month will be enough.

Recommendations and reviews

The mobile shopping experience is not limited to browsing and searching through numerous pages. When users can't see the item or brand they would like to buy, it's time to add one more feature. Users should be able to review and score the features of your application. They should be allowed to provide negative feedback about your products and services because it will help your business grow and change. Recommendations are also important: 70% of customers say they would use recommendations while purchasing. That's why it's a good idea to allow users to rate items and add comments to share their feedback about products.

Wrapping it Up

With the advent of smartphones, the eCommerce landscape has changed significantly. Today, mobile applications for eCommerce businesses are becoming more a necessity than a nice perk. To make sure you're moving in the right direction, it's good to have a detailed plan. Shoppers' requirements and preferences are constantly changing, so you need to have your finger on the pulse and implement new eCommerce mobile app features and functions accordingly to ensure that your customers' shopping experience is smooth and pleasant. Take advantage of our eCommerce mobile app features list and amaze your customers!

A Practical App Building Software Overview

Alesia Traichuk — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 09:10:32 +0000

Choosing no-code or low-code app-building software from tons of similar solutions can be difficult. Given that the vast majority of the reviews for top app-building software are shallow and self-promotional, it's even harder to make a purchasing decision. That's why we decided to provide an in-depth analysis of the best app-building software so you can choose a perfect fit for your business needs. To demonstrate, we chose a movie application for your convenience and understanding. It has all of the features that a typical application possesses:

Authorization and profile editing
Integrations with third-party services
A page with a list of items that can be filtered
User-created content
Notifications
Item details page

Back End

The mobile back end is an essential element of all mobile app-building software. The primary role of the back end is to store data, send push notifications, and allow for authorization and custom automation. Remember that it's much easier to integrate with internal back ends than external — so it's a big bonus if a platform has its own back end.

Pricing

As a rule, no-code app building software is a more cost-effective way to build your application than hiring a team of developers. However, it’s best to remember that the total cost will be broken down into development and production costs, and the production phase is often much longer than the development phase.

No-code Project Lifecycle

You might get lucky and find an app-building platform software with a free plan for the development stage. But in most cases, you need to buy a subscription to publish an application. The development stage is usually much shorter than the production stage, so be careful when choosing your platform. Look at total costs, including production, and don't forget about the cost of back-end services.

The App Building Software

We tried 13 top app building software options and successfully created an MVP version on five of them:

Appery.io
Thunkable
AppGyver
Adalo
Microsoft PowerApps

Appery.io

This app builder has a great variety of back-end services, lots of plug-ins, useful project templates, and examples to follow. Appery.io has three fully-fledged editors based on different technologies: Ionic 5, Ionic 4, and JQM. We chose to use Ionic 5 because it's the most recent edition. At first, you may get lost in the number of elements on the screen, but you will soon adjust to it and understand that it's pretty functional. The Appery.io editor itself is pretty standard and contains all the necessary components. There's also an option to add custom components which later appear in the "Custom Components" palette.

Preview and export

The first preview in the Appery.io app building software was quite long (30 seconds). But after each change, it updates the previews quickly, and you don't need to wait. Another great feature is that you can click on "Remove frame" and use the Google Chrome developer functionality to see how your application will look on different devices. The other app-building software options don't have this option.

The export options on Appery.io are multitudinous. Besides Android and iOS, you can export code that can be used for further development, which is excellent, especially if low code becomes insufficient for you at some point. With Appery.io, you can export to Android without any setup process, so you don't need to generate any certificates. There is also an auto-update feature that allows you to update content on your application, so your users can see your changes immediately.

Database back end

Because the Appery.io app building platform software has its own back end, we created a database with movies on the platform; all operations were done on UI. One of the most useful features is that you can export and import from JSON and CSV formats, which could be helpful.

Integration with database

All you need to do to integrate with this database is import the database service, which is relatively easy. You need to choose the database, method (query), and collection from the list. To invoke this service and get the movies list, you need to add a "Datasource" on the "Data" tab page and the action on the screen creation event will invoke this data source.

Custom logic

The Appery.io app building software allows you to add logic using the no-code approach. There are two concepts — actions and events. In our case, we invoked a query service on the page load, or alternatively we could set the variable and navigate to another page on click. Of course, you will enjoy the full capabilities of the no-code platform if you use custom code here.

Data mapping

The Appery.io app building software uses visual mapping. The only difficulty is understanding iteration through elements. Some no-code platforms provide unique list components, but in Appery.io, you can iterate whatever you want. Although it's less clear from the start, it will be easier to understand how it works with visual mapping.

Thunkable

Thunkable is an easy app-building software with a basic back end. We would say it's more like "visual coding," not "no code," since you use essentially the same coding structures as "if… else…." Thinkable offers a free plan, but your applications will be available for the public to rebrand, copy, or sell.

Thunkable boasts two editors — "new" and "old." The former has high functionality, but almost all tutorials are created for the "old" editor. It can be challenging to align elements: you need to use your row and column components to make everything look pretty and set up the size correctly.
Thunkable app building software offers a lot of default components, but there are no plug-ins and no marketplace with additional components. So if you don't find the component, you probably won't be able to make what you want. We faced two problems:

The "Video" component doesn't support YouTube. The good news is that you can add it with the "Web Viewer" component.
There are no "check box," "radio button," or "select box" components, which is why we weren't able to make the UI we wanted.

Preview and export

The Thunkable app building platform software offers three options to see a preview: two in the browser and one in their mobile application. However, it isn't clear what the difference is between the two browser-based previews.
With Thunkable, you can export to Android and iOS binaries and publish to the App and Play Stores. With the free version, you can export only twice a month.

Database back end

Thunkable supports a basic database back end; you can easily import the data from Airtable or Google Sheets. However, it doesn't support any filtering.

Integration with database

Thunkable mobile app building software doesn't have native integration with Xano. It has a "Web API" component which you can use with a URL and Query Parameters for future mapping for filtering.

Custom logic

Thunkable custom logic is "visual code," not "no code," as we mentioned before. With the help of "Initialize… variable… with value," "when… do…," and "if… then… else…" blocks, you need to build your custom logic. Since there is a low-code option, you can create complex applications; however, as this is not actual code, not everything can be implemented quickly.

Data mapping

You need to implement data mapping in the "Blocks" custom logic in the custom logic section. The key idea is that each UI component has a "Set… 's… to" block that allows you to properly map any variable field or variable to UI components.

AppGyver

AppGyver is a free mobile app building software without back ends. Although it's a no-code platform, it still allows some custom code. The editor is very similar to other platforms, where you can drag and drop components and set them up on the panel. An integrated video tutorial also shows all the main functionalities, so you don't need to search for them on YouTube.
If you need more functionality not included in the default component, you can find more in their significant components marketplace. But if you can't find the component there, you are in trouble. We managed to find it via the "WebView" component.

Preview and export

The app-building platform software has two options to see your preview: their mobile application and in the browser.
The browser looks slightly different from how it will be on the phone. Also, our custom YouTube component didn't work. The preview updates easily on the browser and mobile application.
With AppGyver, you can export projects to iOS, Android binaries, and web applications. But you can't download the code to change it manually, and you need to manage all certificates and set them up by yourself.

Database back end

As AppGyver app building software does not provide its back end, we chose Xano for storing data. We will use it in every app builder that doesn't have its own back end. Bear in mind that you will have to pay for these services.

Integration with database

Although AppGyver doesn't have native integration with the Xano back end, you can watch a comprehensive video tutorial that explains everything in detail. To integrate with Xano, create a new REST API "Data resource" and set it up manually. Next, add a new "Data variable" associated with this resource with "Collection of data records" type. The service will be invoked automatically with the page load. The only challenge here is that it invokes this service once every couple of seconds by default. As you pay per request or have a request limit, this is a serious expense.

Custom logic

The AppGyver mobile app building software has a visual editor for no-code custom logic: you will only need to drag and drop actions, set up them, and link them between each other. In the MVP stage, we created everything without writing code or adding actions from the marketplace.

Data mapping

In this app building software, you choose the component and bind each property with the value you want using the properties panel (e.g., calculated formula, variables, static text, an iterator,
or component properties).
Add one of the predefined list components in order to iterate through the list. If you don't like the design, you can change it in the components editor, but there are some limitations. Once you choose a variable to iterate through, the mapping becomes clear.

Adalo

Adalo is a mobile app-building software with a basic back end. Like Appery.io, it has lots of helpful project templates, examples, and a marketplace with components. The app builder has a free plan to learn the product and create a prototype; only a paid plan allows for third-party integrations. Also, you also won't be able to export your binary or publish your app unless you have a paid plan.

This app building platform software is a bit different from others — the screens' overview and the fact that you don't need to move between them are very convenient features. Another exciting feature is that Adalo relies more on ready-to-use components. You can create a list of elements with a great design, although there can be issues if you don't like the default component.

Preview and export

From our experience, our movie screen looked different on the editor and the preview. Adalo provides a link to see the preview on a device, but if you want to export it and see the actual application, you will have to buy a paid subscription.

Database back end

This mobile app building software has a basic database back end. The work with the database is straightforward. But we faced one problem with filtering: we implemented name filtering through a "Contains" operation, but we failed to make year and genre filters. So we had to use the Xano back end again.

Integration with database

It was pretty easy to integrate Adalo app-building software with Xano. All you need to do is fill the URL, make a test request and parse the result, and map the fields to components. The only difference is that it doesn't allow you to manually set up any response schema, which can be a problem.

Custom logic

Adalo developers did their best to reduce the amount of custom logic. You can add it as action to events on specific components. However, not every component has actions, and we also found a bug here: there is manual data, and when you add the manual data, it just disappears a few moments later. We can't say that Adalo's custom logic is awful, but sometimes it doesn't give you what you want.

Data mapping

Adalo mobile app building software offers a straightforward way of mapping. Because it knows about all the components and available data on the screen, you choose what you want when it's time to map it to the label.
Iteration through the list is also simple. You can easily make a list and iterate through any component, even iterate buttons.

Microsoft Power Apps

Microsoft Power Apps is an app-building software with all the back-end power of Microsoft Azure. Its great advantage is that it can rapidly generate a mobile application for inventory management. The significant disadvantage here, though, is that you will have to use a lot of code.
Microsoft Power Apps is targeted at enterprises, so it's pretty hard to sign up as an individual. Because of this fact, you can't publish your app to the App or Play Stores.

The mobile app building software looks like a Microsoft app, and it's pretty easy to navigate. But the positioning elements are similar to the Adalo platform, so you can't set absolute coordinates and size. By default, they prevent apps from rotating to horizontal mode; we had to enable that ourselves, but it still didn't look exactly how we wanted. Moving between screens is masked in "tree view," which can be inconvenient if you have many screens. But Power Apps provides a very cool feature: if you click on the "alt" button and on the button that leads to another screen, you will move to this screen automatically. So they have an almost accurate preview in the editor.

Preview and export

In the Microsoft Power Apps app building platform software, the preview can be seen in the browser and you can publish it to the PowerApps application on a device. One interesting thing is that the editor shows you what the preview showed you last time. So if you filter movies, you will only see the movies you saw in the preview. But a significant disadvantage of this app builder is that you can't export your application to App Store or Google Play.

Database back end

Microsoft has a variety of back-end services. Power Apps app building software has many connectors to these services and other third-party back ends. Most of the tutorials demonstrate how to connect to Google Sheets, but this connector is limited to 500 rows, which is too low if you wanted to make a real competitor to a movie application. So we decided to use Xano here as well.

Integration with database

Third-party integration using REST API is not as easy as it is in other platforms. You need to exit your app builder, create a Custom Connector, define all REST settings, and save it. Then create a code that invokes it in the editor. You also need to add this type of code to the "OnVisible" event of the page to invoke the service on the page load. We could not make a no-code version of the application on this step because PowerApps app-building software doesn't have this kind of capability.

Custom logic

Most Microsoft Power Apps tutorials start with a simple template that shows a list of items and allows you to edit the details. The problem was that we had to change a lot in this template and write many lines of code. The only custom logic Power Apps app-building software allows you to adjust from UI is to navigate to another page. That being said, all the code is just predefined functions, so it is still much easier than creating an application from scratch.

Data mapping

Data mapping is also not very straightforward. To send the movie details screen so that you could display it, you will need to set a variable while you're changing the screen. To do this, you need to create a code for it yourself and add JSON as a third parameter in the "Navigate" action. Then put the corresponding value into each visual component on the movie details screen without any auto-complete.

Wrapping It Up

In this article, we tried to describe our experience of making an MVP using the top app-building software. We managed to do this only with Appery.io and Microsoft Power Apps. Every app-building platform software has its unique features, so let us share with you a few things to keep in mind before choosing mobile app-building software:

Think about both production costs and development costs.
Note that your app will not look and behave exactly how you want at the beginning with some of the platforms. If it doesn't suit you, try to find more powerful no-code platforms.
If you have a lot of data that changes over time, it's better to find a platform with an integrated back end.
If you are limited in time, it's probably better to find a template for your app and make minor changes.
Take all of these points into consideration, and it will be much easier for you to choose the best app-building software for your specific business needs.

In Search of the Best Drag-and-Drop App Builder: 10 Contenders, One Winner

Alesia Traichuk — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 08:10:45 +0000

If you’ve ever thought about creating a mobile app from scratch, you know that it takes some searching to find the right tools. Drag-and-drop app development is often a good fit, so let’s talk about how to find the best drag-and-drop app builder to get you started. But before we get into specific platforms, let’s ask and answer some basic questions:

1) What is drag-and-drop app development?
2) What are the advantages of drag-and-drop app builders?

Drag-and-drop app development is one of the easiest and smartest ways to create your own app from scratch. This method doesn’t require programming skills and includes pre-built services and templates to simplify the creation process. Drag-and-drop mobile app builders usually offer opportunities for further customization and state-of-the-art features. Although their popularity is skyrocketing, there are a few advantages and disadvantages that are worth considering.

Drag-and-drop app builders:

*Are an affordable app development solution. App development costs can be a barrier for many businesses, but the majority of drag-and-drop builders have several pricing options. This will give you the flexibility to choose a suitable price.

*Are quicker than a development team. Drag-and-drop app builders allow you to save time by keeping development in-house rather than relying on external development resources. This means that you are fully in charge of the execution of your idea, and there’s no need to work with a team that doesn’t share your point of view.

*Make it easy to create a mobile application. Customization can be difficult, but drag-and-drop app builders make it easy. With the help of pre-built templates available with a platform, you can customize and implement them without being a tech expert.

*Provide multiple features for different business niches. App development platforms are usually packed with a bunch of cool features and templates that meet almost every business need. Whether you’re a retailer or a small makeup studio, a drag-and-drop app builder will make it easy to achieve your goals.

*Have an easy-to-understand interface. You don’t need to worry about spending loads of time learning the basics. They’re built for people with minimal technical experience, which makes them easy to use and highly intuitive.

There are some disadvantages to drag-and-drop mobile app builders, but not very many. The most common complaint is that there is a limited number of features, which can prevent you from making your complex idea happen. You may also find it difficult to build an application that requires a lot of user interaction.

Now that you have an idea of what drag-and-drop app builders are like, let’s move on to a list of the best drag-and-drop app builders.

The 10 Best Drag-and-Drop App Builders

Appery.io

This is a cloud-based drag-and-drop app builder for creating hybrid mobile and responsive web applications. Since it’s cloud-based, you don’t need to download it or install anything, so you can start building your applications quickly. The drag-and-drop functionality and the power of Javascript can easily turn your idea into an application. The app builder is a web, PWA, and mobile app development platform which enables applications built with Appery.io to run smoothly and look cool on all popular devices and operating systems. Additionally, app data can be stored by instantly adding a cloud database and back end to your app whenever needed.

Other advantages of this UI builder include:

Ease of usage. Even complete beginners can grasp the basics and start using this app builder. Full-fledged developers can also work with the frameworks they enjoy.
Integrated back-end services such as server-side scripting, cloud database, push notifications, and authentication.
Easy integration of your own back end. This drag-and-drop app builder provides the tools to create RESTful APIs from various enterprise systems including Oracle, SQL Server, and more.
Collaboration made simple. You can share your project with developers, business users, and customers in real time.

The pricing plans are reasonable and are justified by great functionality and quality of the product: beginners - $25/month, pro - $70/month, team - $135/month, and ultimate - $500/month.

Appy Pie

This app-building platform is one of the leading drag-and-drop app builders in the world. It’s swiftly gaining popularity and now has over 3 million users across the globe. So what makes this drag-and-drop app development software so special? The secret lies in its step-by-step process for creating successful business apps and the kit of features it offers. Let’s take a quick look at them:

-API
-Access controls/permissions
-Alerts/notifications
-Application management
-Change management
-Collaboration tools
-Custom development
-Debugging
-Drag & drop
-Graphical user interface
-Mobile development
-Reporting/analytics
-Software development
-Web app development

Another bonus of Appy Pie is that they develop a wide range of tutorials for customers that explain the process of creating an application and guide users through each step. Additionally, the platform offers a three-step process for creating an application. All you need to do is enter your app name, add necessary features for Android/iOS, and publish the app on Google Play and iTunes. Voila, your app is ready!

The pricing plans are quite reasonable: basic - $15/app/month, gold - $36/app/month, platinum - $60/app/month.

Mobincube

It’s not easy to find a drag-and-drop mobile app builder which offers both value and an affordable price, but Mobincube is one of these rare pocket-friendly platforms. You can start building as many apps with ads as you want without being limited by space and at no cost. Other pricing plans include: small - $2.99/month, medium - $9.99/month, large - $19.99/month, XL - $49.99/month, and XXL - $99.99/month.

Although the editor doesn’t look as modern as some, it does boast of a unique set of features:

-Advanced customization
-Online store integration
-Monetization with in-app ads
-Navigation bars
-Database Integration
-Third-party solution integration
-Audio and video
-Remote content updates
-Push notifications
-Google Maps
-Google Analytics

Competitive prices and a wide variety of templates are serious bonuses that make this app builder stand out from other apps. While there is still room for improvement, this drag-and-drop app builder is definitely in the top ten.

Swiftic

This drag-and-drop app builder positions itself as a platform that caters to both big and small businesses. The main categories this platform suits best are retail and commerce, health and beauty, and professional services. Their platform and its layout are crystal clear with a combination of seven different templates that can be combined with six different styles of navigation. What makes it unique is that all the colors on the app and the icons can be adapted with your own artwork. Swiftic also provides a large number of features:

-In-app coupons
-Mobile store
-Push notifications
-Scratch cards
-Loyalty cards
-Deliveries
-Catalogues
-Menus
-Social integration
-Customer engagement (surveys, contests, and more)
-Branches (outlets)
-Scheduling

Their pricing plans are quite different from the previous drag-and-drop UI builders. They have one tier that has either a monthly ($57), yearly ($48), or biannual subscription ($29). Probably the most appealing thing is their six-month success guarantee, which means that if you were unable to achieve “any meaningful business result” with your app, Swiftic will give you six months of service for free.

AppInstitute

AppInstitute is another drag-and-drop mobile app builder for busy small business owners. The UI builder offers templates for more than 20 business types, so it’s a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of! The process of creating an application is clear even for beginners and involves only four steps. First, you pick a template with all the features you need. Then brand your application, edit content (all without writing a single line of code), and easily make it live.

The range of AppInstitute’s features is promising. They include:
-Full brand control
-Calendar and booking system
-Rich media
-Drag-and-drop app builder
-Online payments
-Push notifications and messaging
-Social media integration
-GEO listings

This platform will be especially appreciated by eCommerce businesses, as it allows them to make payments from within the app, without navigating out of it for any reason. The apps built with this platform are available for a monthly subscription of $42 per month (PWA), $66 per month (PWA + iOS and Android), $84 per month (PWA, iOS and Android + iPad), and $340 per month.

AppMachine

This one’s name speaks for itself. AppMachine drag-and-drop app builder is impressive both in its design and functionality. The interface looks like a lego block, which makes the whole process of planning and constructing an application appealing and unintimidating. Although not every component is intuitive from the beginning, anyone can get the hang of it and eventually succeed. With AppMachine, you can use over 35 pre-coded apps to build your own. It also provides templates for schools, travel and tourism, music, sports, and restaurant apps.

The list of AppMachine’s features is impressive too. They offer:
-Web application builder
-Support for iOS, Android, and Windows mobile devices
-User-friendly interface
-Pre-built templates
-Easy publishing
-Free signup
-Multilingual interface
-Live app preview
-Connect to web services
-Auto submission to AppStore and PlayStore

In terms of cost, Appmachine offers two different plans, with Plus at $49 a month and Pro at $69 a month. By the way, they don’t charge any fees for monetizing your app. You just pay for your subscription and pocket all the revenue from app monetization.

BuildFire

BuildFire mobile app builder is definitely easy and user-friendly. It offers an easy-to-use dashboard and admin control panel that smoothes the whole process of releasing updates. A vast number of customization options allow users to make changes to the app on the go and test them in a real environment. The drag-and-drop app builder allows users to create fully custom mobile apps, business workflow, employee communications, eCommerce, fitness, and many other apps. The features kit is extensive as well. It includes:

-Drag & drop
-Reporting/analytics
-Access controls/permissions
-Compatibility testing
-Deployment management
-Mobile development
-Source control
-Design templates
-Feature library
-Visual interface

Their pricing plan is quite democratic. They offer a free plan and a premium plan that is available for $49 a month.

MobileRoadi

MobileRoadi is considered one of the most robust drag-and-drop app builders available on the market today. The platform offers a collection of nine categories for pre-built app templates. Among them are music, entertainment, events, sport, government and education, hospitality and travel, business, media, and religious organizations. The process of creating an application takes five steps and includes building, designing, managing, engaging, and analyzing. The interface of this app builder is professionally designed and planned, however it takes some time to adapt.

The range of features include:
-Push notifications
-Mailing list
-Chat wall
-API
-Social unlock
-Top users
-Polls
-Pop-up promos
-Geofencing
-Location and directions

Due to the wide array of features, their pricing plans start from a CORE plan at $149 a month and go up to their PRO plan at $799 a month.

Shoutem

A new version of the Shoutem app builder offers a lot of template designs with a vast number of options to customize them so that each app looks unique. This platform is especially suitable for communities because of its social wall where users can share photos and add comments. The process of building Android and iOS apps takes just four steps. First, you pick up a template, then brand your app, import necessary content, and publish it to stores. The number of features here is lower in comparison with other builders, but it should have everything you need to create an application. Among them are:

-Push notifications
-Location-based services
-A Shopify feature or product catalogue
-RSS feed options
-Ability to add your own HTML code
-Social media integration
-Loyalty features
-API available
-Custom analytics
-Testing for Android only
-Reseller program

Shoutem makes their code available to developers to involve more and more people in building additional extensions and developing more features. Shoutem pricing starts at $49.00 per month. They do not have a free version, but do offer a free trial. The cheapest of their plans that allow you to publish your app on the Apple App Store begins at $79.00.

iBuildApp

iBuildApp drag-and-drop application builder has a super easy drop editor, a built-in content management system, and over a thousand app templates to choose from. This platform is specifically designed for people with absolutely no programming skills. Although their website doesn’t inspire confidence, the builder does boast some great features:

-White label solution
-Reseller payment plans
-Environment setup
-Payment system
-Custom pricing
-Customer support
-Website localization and customization
-Custom templates for reseller website

They also offer a bunch of advanced features, including push and GPS notifications, mobile ads, social media sharing, mobile analytics, and eCommerce opportunities. In terms of cost, there’s a basic plan ($9.99/ month), a business plan ($39 per month), and an enterprise or agency plan ($99 a month).

Wrapping It Up

Choosing the best drag-and-drop app builder might seem a bit scary, and it does require a bit of effort. But once you determine your priorities and clearly define your business needs, it doesn’t need to be a complicated task. If you are a complete beginner who wants to try creating an application, Shoutem and iBuiltApp drag-and-drop UI builders might be a good option for you. However, if you’re a seasoned developer looking for new challenges or somebody interested in new functionality and a wide range of features, go with Appery.io or MobileRoadi.