Best App-Making Software — Como Vs. Appy Pie Vs. Good Barber

Making apps is an ideal way to make money off people who use smartphones and tablets, to not only search for information but also to make purchases, book tickets and do almost everything else imaginable.

To build a personal or small-business app through a developer will most likely cost an arm and leg. A great alternative solution is to make one yourself, with an app builder, which are not just readily available, but also easy to use.

But which is the best app maker out there? In this article, I will compare the best app-making software to build personal or business apps for Android and iOS, without the need for any serious coding skills.

The objective here is to enable you to choose an app maker that best suits your development requirements.

Table of Contents:

Criteria For Choosing App-Making Software

First off, let’s make a list of the most important things to look for when picking the best app maker. I’ve selected the criteria on this list based on personal experience making apps.

1. Ease of Use

When looking for app-making software, you need one that is cheap and easy to use. An app builder which offers all the necessary tools or features on its dashboard is bound to result in an incredibly easy creation process.

Software that requires a lot of research to perform basic tasks, such as uploading a logo or linking to Google Analytics, is of no use to the average person.

You need an app creator that can be used with ease and without knowing, or having to learn too much code.

2. Templates and functionality

Most templates available on app creators possess a variety of built-in functions.

It is, however, important to not hurry when picking one that’s right for you, as you’ll first need to go through all the available templates.

The idea is to select a good-looking template that fulfills many basic and advanced functions, without having to spend time embedding those features.

Even if only certain essential features are currently required, keep the long term game in mind, and check out the advanced functions that are available while making your selection.

It’s also critical to look at customer reviews of the tool you’re considering, verifying not only its features but exploring them during a free trial never hurts, either.

3. Cross-Platform Availability

Whether you are planning to build an app for:

Android

iOS 

Windows

It makes sense to go for an app creator that will help build all types of apps. You don’t want to end up creating an app for Android, only to realize a few months later that your target audience has a lot of iOS users.

In this case, porting the already made app will cost money and time.

A lot of headaches can be avoided, by cross-developing right from the start.

4. CMS Integration

Having a Content Managing System integrated from the get-go means you’ll always be able to upload information quickly and easily in some platforms.

Pick a CRM you’re comfortable with, early on, and make sure your app maker can use it.

5. CRM Support

A development tool’s work may not be over once the app goes live.

In fact, the real challenge begins afterward, as more users start using your app and to keep them around, you need to keep improving the user experience.

Customer Relationship Management software comes in handy here, they allow real-time collection of data related to how the customers use the app. This data can help plan strategies and further improve the app user’s experience.  Having your app maker support a CRM is vital.

6. Social Media Features

In the age of Facebook and Twitter, all development software should offer social media integration, to reach out to a broad audience.

Go for app creators that keep users updated with push notifications and increases their engagement with the app, via loyalty programs or contests. Such user-engagement features go a long way in increasing the number of downloads for an app and retaining existing customers.

After all, you do not want to have an app that gets deleted at the first instance of a “memory full” warning.

Comparison of The Best App Makers

Having developed several apps of my own, using several different design programs, and based on personal experience, I’ve selected three that will meet most people’s requirements.

They are:

Como

Appy Pie 

Good Barber

Each has its drawbacks and advantages and I have entered these into the table below.

Pros and Cons:

Pricing Plans:

Now that we have an overview, let’s take a closer look at these three app makers.

1. Como

Como is one of the most famous DIY app creators, as making an app with this tool is very easy. Once you’ve started the program up, just select the type of app you would like to create, and Como then provides a basic template corresponding to the selected app type.

Once the template is ready, you can customize it by adding new pages with additional content (photos, maps, and so on), editing the theme of every page, uploading a theme, or even selecting any of the available themes.

You can even prepare the app without owning a website.

Additionally, it is possible to try out certain Como features with its free membership plan.

The service provides five app downloads and lets up to 50 people use it per month. Through the trial, users are allowed to try out the various features of Como and get used to its interface.

Many of Como’s features, such as:

Geo-targeted push notifications

Loyalty cards

Exclusive coupons

E-commerce options

Focus on increasing sales, loyalty, and user engagement. The Como app maker even provides advanced analytics to learn which features of your app are working best.

To get all the features, you can opt for Como’s paid packages which start at $57 per month or, if you pay annually, $48 per month. You can even hire the Como team for one-time app development at a fixed price.

Como Strengths & Weaknesses:

2. Appy Pie

Appy Pie is on this list because of its ability to create mobile apps for a variety of platforms, such as:

Android

iOS

Windows

Blackberry

Amazon Fire

It also offers templates for a broad range of industries.

Like Como, Appy Pie is easy to use, and all options are available on your dashboard. It also encourages users to start their own app development business and even provides support via Amazon Drive hosting.

Also, if you decide not to make an app, Appy Pie’s team can build one for you for a one-time fee.

Appy Pie’s pricing scheme is comprehensive and a little cheaper than Como’s, though it should be noted that they offer fewer app building options.

Appy Pie Strengths & Weaknesses:

3. Good Barber

Good Barber’s biggest selling point is the more than 70 themes it provides for app building.

If making the most visually appealing app possible is important, this may be the app maker for you. Out of the three apps, it is the most designer-friendly, though it lacks in other areas.

Compared to the Como tool, Good Barber’s pricing is a lot more affordable, though it offers lesser functionality.

Good Barber Strengths & Weaknesses:

The Verdict

Finding the best app maker out there isn’t too hard. Having used each of the app making tools discussed above; I know they all have a particular feature which makes them stand out from the crowd.

For instance:

Appy Pie is the most flexible option

Good Barber is the most visually appealing contender

Como is overall the best app maker thanks to its comprehensive tools

Besides offering great ease-of-use, CMS integration, advanced features and customization with a source code editor, Como also focuses immensely on consumer engagement and ways to boost sales.

Which it does by providing support for email marketing, Facebook advertisements, loyalty cards, and so on. Como provides a feature-rich mobile app and equips you with tools to track app usage and increase engagement, in various innovative ways.

I hope that the above information concerning the best app builders proves useful.

Have you used Como, Appy Pie, Good Barber or another app making software before?  If so, please feel free to share your experiences or feedback in the comments section below.