Looking for BuddyBoss App alternatives? You may want a platform with more flexibility, accessibility, and customized assistance. One that lets you easily turn your website into a feature-rich mobile app.
I’ve been in your shoes, and I’m excited to share my experience. After using both platforms extensively, I can confidently say that MobiLoud is the ideal solution for you.
I’ll compare both systems and illustrate why MobiLoud is better than BuddyBoss App in this detailed comparison. Follow along to see why MobiLoud is the best option for turning your website into a strong mobile app.
Why MobiLoud is a great BuddyBoss App alternative ?
Quick Insights ✨
| Feature | MobiLoud | BuddyBoss App |
|---|---|---|
| Development Approach | Hybrid apps (combines native navigation with web content) | Native apps (built with React Native) |
| Site Functionality Integration | Direct integration, all plugins and features work as on the web | Native integration for specific plugins, web fallbacks for others |
| Availability | Immediate start, no waiting lists | Operates a waiting list, potential wait time |
| Service | Personalized 24/7 support, onboarding meeting, direct email communication | 24/7 support through a ticketing system |
| App Store Publishing | Full assistance with submission, guarantee of app store approval | Assistance with submission, no explicit guarantee of approval |
| Pricing | Starts at $298/m (annually) or $350/month, plus a one-time setup fee starting at $1,500 | Starts at $179/m (annually) or $219/month, additional fees for full service and custom modifications |
| Risk | 60-day money-back guarantee, full refund if not satisfied | 21-day full refund policy |
| Customization | High level of customization, control over app UI, and use of dedicated theme | Limited customization unless skilled in React Native |
| Theme Integration | Can reuse existing website theme in apps | Current site theme is irrelevant, uses native BuddyBoss App design |
MobiLoud seems to offer a more flexible and personalized approach, especially for those who want to maintain their existing website’s look and functionality in their app.
BuddyBoss App, on the other hand, might be more suitable for users looking for a native app experience and who are comfortable with the limitations regarding theme and plugin integration.
🚀 MobiLoud vs BuddyBoss App – the key differences
BuddyBoss creates apps that are native, and Canvas creates hybrid apps. Let’s look at the difference in more depth.
Native vs Hybrid
You can go ahead and read about BuddyBoss as I did their review with full transparency.
BuddyBoss app is made by taking content from WordPress and putting it into a mobile app. They use React Native so they can make apps for iPhones and Androids. BuddyBoss uses native templates that are used to create all of their apps.
Canvas is different than Buddyboss because it is made with HTML and does not take content from your site. It has hybrid apps that combine native navigation elements with web content and screens coming directly from your site.
An example of what a community site can look like once converted to an app with Canvas.
Canvas is a tool that makes full-featured apps. It has all the things that you would see on an app like a menu bar, push notification interface and settings. And it all happens in the background and looks like a native app with animations and more. Many companies use this model, for example Quora or Basecamp.
Is a hybrid app enough?
Some people think that wrapper apps (apps for phones and tablets that use web pages) are not as good as native apps. This is true in the past when Facebook, who had many people using their app, decided to go back to having a website instead of an app. But technology has grown since then. If you have a Canvas app for your website, it will be just as fast or faster than the web page would have been in the past. And if you use caching and good hosting, your site will be pretty fast too-it loads within 2-3 seconds.
When it comes to building apps from websites, there is nothing exceptional about native. Both BuddyBoss’s approach of building a native app and our approach of using hybrid technology result in functional apps.
Hybrid Advantages
Hybrid apps are just as good as native apps for most purposes. They may even have some advantages. For one, you can do more with the skills that you already know and your team. You can build more functionality into your app if you know how to build for the web. When you combine the flexibility of the web with great user experience of native apps, hybrid lets you get more done with less!
Canvas lets you make a web application for your mobile app. This way, you can have a single codebase that looks the same on your website and in your app. Over time, this will save you money and time from having to build different versions of the same thing.
Perhaps that’s why, according to UX Matters:
“We know that Facebook, Evernote, Instagram, LinkedIn, Uber, Slack, Twitter, Gmail, the Amazon Appstore, and many others are or have been WebView apps”
A lot of people use Amazon’s app. They rely on reviews to create their apps. Basecamp also relied on reviews and wrote about this in an article. It is up to you if you should do this for your business, too.
Integrating site functionality
Both BuddyBoss App and MobiLoud Canvas create apps for your site. They both do it in a different way. Let’s have a look at how they work.
Plugin Integration
The app BuddyBoss is an app that uses LearnDash and other plugins. If your site uses plugins that are not supported, then there is a workaround. This would be to use “web fallbacks.” The web views would show web content in an in-app browser – with the header and footer removed to better integrate with the app’s user experience.
If you have WooCommerce on your site, it could work well. You can use web fallbacks if you need them for when people are using an app. If you want to make sure that something is displayed in a certain way, make sure to do it in the plugin. Web fallbacks are good for shops.
How is Canvas different?
Canvas’s value proposition here is clear, which is to keep everything from your site working the same as it does on the web. No extra steps are needed. So any plugins that are on your site will work with Canvas straight out of the box. That means there is no need for workarounds, and everything will just work as default.
And if you want to add a new plugin to your site then you do not need to worry about anything since it will just work straight away with Canvas too. That way, if you have a lot of plugins for functionality on your website or you are planning on building one soon, then Canvas might be better suited for it than other options because of this convenience factor.
Theme integration
With BuddyBoss, your current site theme does not matter. It doesn’t affect the apps. This means that if there is anything you like from your theme, whether it is the standard theme or something you have done with custom code, you will lose that in the app unless it is covered by Buddy Boss’s native design.
But with Canvas this isn’t true. You can use your existing theme in the app and keep any functionality derived from it.
There are different ways that you can make your app. You can use the same theme for your website and your app, or they could be slightly different, or they could be completely different themes. It is up to you. However, some people might need to hire React Native developers in order to do custom work on the app outside of what the web fallback option provides.
No waiting lists, two-week turnaround
BuddyBoss App has a waiting list. This means that they will get to your project when they can. However, Canvas does not have a waiting list. You just get an app demo, and you can configure the apps yourself, or we do it for you in two weeks.
How about Service?
BuddyBoss provides 24/7 support for customers through a support system. They get good reviews from most people.
But they are not personalized and one-on-one like we are. MobiLoud knows the customer’s project and suggests the best solution. MobiLoud always have an onboarding meeting where they provide all the information needed to build and publish your app. And they will be supported by email from their product manager and team members who you know by name, too!
DIY vs Full Service
With both platforms, you have the choice of doing it yourself or hiring a company to do it for you. Even though our platform does not require any development skills, many people choose to have us build their app for them.
DIY
You can set the configuration of the apps yourself. With Canvas, this is done through MobiLoud simple dashboard. You can specify everything from color to login options and tabs. With BuddyBoss App, you can do this too and they will provide documentation and support for it if you need help with it. The platforms are similar in these respects so it does not matter which one you use.
Full Service
Both Canvas and BuddyBoss App offer full service.
With the BuddyBoss App, this includes:
- Setting up the app for you
- Making your design match your brand
- Preparing icons, splash screens, and App Store screenshots
With Canvas, the full service includes: –
- A meeting with the MobiLoud product manager to configure the apps on their platform. This might include some small customizations for you to adapt your website so it provides an app-like experience.
- For example, MobiLoud can also recommend which features of your site should be available in an app through a mobile browser as well as what design themes to use for different screens throughout the app.
- They can also help make sure that once submitted to Apple.
Pricing
The BuddyBoss App pricing starts at $179/month. Mobiloud Canvas pricing starts at $80/month (early stage program).
The BuddyBoss App’s lowest tier is more than 125% higher than Mobilioud’s. MobiLoud also have higher tiers that are good for different levels of business maturity. To modify the BuddyBoss app React Native source code, you need to purchase an add-on and then pay a monthly fee starting at $349/month.
With Canvas, you don’t need to do this because you can change the app experience by editing your WordPress theme. You can also create a separate theme for the app, or inject CSS code when needed. You also have many options if you have developers on your team.
Full service pricing
Canvas is cheaper than BuddyBoss App. With Canvas, you will pay a one-time fee of $1,350 while with BuddyBoss App, you will pay $1,999 at the start. With Canvas there is an additional $500 submission fee that is not needed for BuddyBoss App. So overall, if you want to build apps at a lower cost than with BuddyBoss App’s monthly plans or their annual plans which don’t have this fee included. MobiLoud is the better option.
Riskfree Guarantee
MobiLoud offers a 60-day money-back guarantee if you cancel for whatever reason. MobiLoud also guarantees that your app will be approved or you get your money back. Buddyboss App offers a 21-day full refund policy and MobiLoud Canvas has a lower risk since they have a 3x full refund policy.
Why MobiLoud Canvas is a great BuddyBoss App Alternative
BuddyBoss App is a good product, but Canvas has some advantages.
- No waiting lists, launch in 2 weeks
- Integrate all plugin functionality from BuddyBoss, LearnDash, and anything else you use
- Reuse your theme and keep all its functionality and features
- A more personal service, hands-on level of service
- More potential for customization at a lower cost
- Lower risk
BuddyBoss is a better choice if you want a native app.
But Canvas has an edge if you want to keep your existing theme. It also gives customization options out of the box, and lets people move faster instead of waiting around for things to happen. Canvas also offers personalized, hands-on service and it costs less money.
If you want to have a website, it is better if you use Canvas. You can put new customizations on the app through WordPress. You can also add new functionality to the apps through a plugin by adding it to your site and it will work right away. The fact that Canvas apps are similar to your website lets you do more with what you have and who is available. This combined with our Code Editor and being able to use a dedicated theme for the apps makes this a good option for people who want different options.
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MobliLoud is definitely a better app than BuddyBoss. MobliLoud has a lot more features and is more user-friendly. BuddyBoss is also great for tracking your progress, but it can be a bit overwhelming at