iOS apps · 10 tools compared
10 best iOS app builders (2026): make an iPhone app, with or without a Mac
Draftbit, FlutterFlow, Adalo, Thunkable, Bubble, Rork, Replit, Expo, Codemagic and Xcode compared on the cheapest way to publish to the App Store, whether you need a Mac, and Apple's $99 a year fee.
Making an iPhone app used to mean buying a Mac and learning Swift. Today no-code builders, AI app makers and cloud build services can get an app onto the App Store from any computer.
Two costs don’t go away. Apple charges $99 a year for the Developer Program, which you need for TestFlight and the App Store. And Apple’s own tool, Xcode, only runs on a Mac (an Apple M1 or newer, for the current version), so without one you need a builder or service that builds for you.
So we compared ten tools on what matters for an iPhone app: the cheapest plan that can publish to the App Store, whether you need a Mac, what the free plan allows, and the catches. Every price comes from each tool’s own pricing page, in US dollars, checked on October 18, 2026.
At a glance
| # | Tool | Paid from | Free | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DraftbitOur pick | $12/month billed yearly (Standard); $15 monthly | Free plan: 3 projects, web publishing only (no app store publishing or code export) | Building an iPhone app and keeping its code |
| 2 | FlutterFlow | $29.25/month billed yearly (Basic); $39 monthly | Free plan: 2 projects, web publishing; no code download or store deployment | Custom apps you can take into code later |
| 3 | Adalo | $36/month billed yearly (Starter); $45 monthly | Free plan: unlimited test apps; cannot publish to the stores | A first native app, drag and drop |
| 4 | Thunkable | $37/month billed yearly (Builder); $59 monthly | Free plan: 3 public projects; no live published apps | Beginners building simple native apps |
| 5 | Bubble | $42/month billed yearly (Mobile Starter); $49 monthly | Free plan: build and test on your device; TestFlight and the App Store need a paid plan | Web and mobile apps on one backend |
| 6 | Rork | $20/month (Rork Pro, 100 credits a month) | Free plan is design-only; building working apps needs Rork Pro | Making an iPhone app from a chat prompt |
| 7 | Replit | $18/month billed yearly (Core); $20 monthly | Starter plan: daily Agent credits, one published app (goes down after 30 days) | iPhone apps with a backend, built by an AI agent |
| 8 | Expo (EAS) | Free plan (15 iOS builds a month); EAS Starter $19/month plus usage | EAS Free: 15 iOS and 15 Android builds a month, store submission included | React Native developers without a Mac |
| 9 | Codemagic | Free: 500 Mac build minutes a month; then $0.095 a minute | Individual plan: 500 free macOS build minutes a month, 1 user | Building iOS apps without owning a Mac |
| 10 | Xcode | Free (needs a Mac with Apple M1 or later) | Free on the Mac App Store; a free Apple Account can test on your own devices | Developers writing native iPhone code |
Prices are the cheapest paid plan in US dollars as each tool shows it, checked Oct 18, 2026.
1 DraftbitOur pick
- Paid from
- $12/month billed yearly (Standard); $15 monthly
- Free
- Free plan: 3 projects, web publishing only (no app store publishing or code export)
- Best for
- Building an iPhone app and keeping its code
Draftbit builds native mobile apps with an AI agent and a visual editor, and you can edit and export the full code. Standard, $12 a month on yearly billing, includes 1-click publishing to the App Store, Google Play and the web.
Testing builds, simulators and help with App Store submission are on the Pro plan ($24 a month billed yearly).
What's good
- Standard includes 1-click publishing for iOS, Android and web
- Full code editing and export from the Standard plan
- Works with your own Claude or ChatGPT subscription or API key
Watch out for
- Simulators, testing builds and App Store submission help are Pro-only ($24/month billed yearly)
- AI agent work uses credits unless you connect your own AI subscription or key
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on draftbit.com
2 FlutterFlow
- Paid from
- $29.25/month billed yearly (Basic); $39 monthly
- Free
- Free plan: 2 projects, web publishing; no code download or store deployment
- Best for
- Custom apps you can take into code later
FlutterFlow is a visual builder on Google's Flutter, and its Basic plan adds one-click App Store deployment from inside the builder, plus a download of your project's source code.
It's the most flexible of the visual builders here, and the code export means a developer can take over later. The free plan can't deploy to the stores.
What's good
- Basic adds one-click App Store deployment and code download
- Docs cover App Store deployment from inside the builder
- One-click code export, with no vendor lock-in
Watch out for
- The free plan has no code download or store deployment
- Store deployment starts on Basic ($39 monthly, $29.25 billed yearly)
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on flutterflow.io, docs.flutterflow.io
3 Adalo
- Paid from
- $36/month billed yearly (Starter); $45 monthly
- Free
- Free plan: unlimited test apps; cannot publish to the stores
- Best for
- A first native app, drag and drop
Adalo publishes one app as a native iOS app, a native Android app and a web app, with a built-in database, and Starter includes App Store publishing.
Starter allows one published app; push notifications start on Professional ($52 a month billed yearly).
What's good
- Starter includes publishing to the App Store and Google Play
- One version publishes as native iOS, native Android and web
- No usage-based charges on any plan
Watch out for
- Starter allows 1 published app
- Push notifications and geolocation start on Professional ($52/month billed yearly)
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on adalo.com
4 Thunkable
- Paid from
- $37/month billed yearly (Builder); $59 monthly
- Free
- Free plan: 3 public projects; no live published apps
- Best for
- Beginners building simple native apps
Thunkable builds native iOS and Android apps with drag-and-drop design and logic blocks, with live testing on your own iPhone. Builder is its cheapest plan with a live published app.
If the subscription ends, published apps stop working for users, so plan to keep paying while the app is live.
What's good
- One app for iOS and Android, published to both stores
- Live testing on your own phone while you build
- Share builds outside the stores while your plan is active
Watch out for
- Builder allows 1 live published app
- If the subscription expires, published apps become unavailable to users
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on thunkable.com, docs.thunkable.com
5 Bubble
- Paid from
- $42/month billed yearly (Mobile Starter); $49 monthly
- Free
- Free plan: build and test on your device; TestFlight and the App Store need a paid plan
- Best for
- Web and mobile apps on one backend
Bubble builds native iOS and Android apps (on React Native) alongside web apps, and a Web & Mobile plan ($59 a month billed yearly) shares one database and backend across all of them.
Mobile Starter allows 5 build submissions a month, and usage is metered in workload units.
What's good
- Native apps publish to the App Store and Google Play
- Free plan includes the mobile editor and on-device testing
- Web & Mobile plans share one backend
Watch out for
- Mobile Starter allows 5 build submissions a month
- Usage is metered in workload units (175K a month on Starter)
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on bubble.io
6 Rork
- Paid from
- $20/month (Rork Pro, 100 credits a month)
- Free
- Free plan is design-only; building working apps needs Rork Pro
- Best for
- Making an iPhone app from a chat prompt
Rork turns a chat prompt into a native iPhone app in SwiftUI (and Android and web apps too), with App Store publishing built in. Rork Max ($200 a month) compiles and submits from Rork's own cloud Macs.
Its pages disagree on some details, including the starting price in its FAQ, so check the plan before you buy. Credits can't be topped up.
What's good
- Built-in App Store publishing
- Code export to GitHub on paid plans
- Built-in in-app purchases through RevenueCat
Watch out for
- Rork's pages disagree on some plan details
- No way to buy extra credits: upgrade or wait for the monthly reset
7 Replit
- Paid from
- $18/month billed yearly (Core); $20 monthly
- Free
- Starter plan: daily Agent credits, one published app (goes down after 30 days)
- Best for
- iPhone apps with a backend, built by an AI agent
Replit's AI Agent builds Expo (React Native) apps with a server, database and storage, previews them in a real iOS simulator in your browser, and guides you through TestFlight and App Store submission without a Mac.
It's iPhone-first: Replit says publishing to Google Play isn't supported yet.
What's good
- Streams a real iOS Simulator into the preview
- Guided TestFlight and App Store submission, no local iOS tools needed
- Full-stack by default: server, database, storage and AI integrations
Watch out for
- Publishing to Google Play is not yet supported
- Simulator preview does not work in Firefox
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on replit.com, docs.replit.com
8 Expo (EAS)
- Paid from
- Free plan (15 iOS builds a month); EAS Starter $19/month plus usage
- Free
- EAS Free: 15 iOS and 15 Android builds a month, store submission included
- Best for
- React Native developers without a Mac
Expo is the free, open-source React Native framework, and its EAS service builds your iOS app in the cloud, so you don't need a Mac, then submits it to the App Store. Submission is included even on the free plan.
Free builds wait in a low-priority queue (90+ minutes at peak times). Starter is $19 a month with $45 of build credit; extra iOS builds cost $2 to $4 each.
What's good
- Expo SDK and CLI are free and open source
- EAS Build makes iOS builds in the cloud, so no Mac is needed
- EAS Submit to the App Store is on every plan, including Free
Watch out for
- Free builds use a low-priority queue, with 90+ minute waits at peak times
- Beyond the included credit, iOS builds cost $2 to $4 each
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on expo.dev, docs.expo.dev
9 Codemagic
- Paid from
- Free: 500 Mac build minutes a month; then $0.095 a minute
- Free
- Individual plan: 500 free macOS build minutes a month, 1 user
- Best for
- Building iOS apps without owning a Mac
Codemagic builds, tests and publishes Flutter, React Native and native apps on its own cloud Macs, then uploads them to TestFlight and the App Store for you, with code signing handled.
The free plan gives 500 Mac build minutes a month for one person. After that, builds bill by the minute.
What's good
- Builds run on Codemagic's cloud Macs, so you don't need your own
- Publishes automatically to App Store Connect and Google Play
- Built-in iOS code-signing management
Watch out for
- The free plan is single-user with 1 build at a time
- After the free 500 minutes, Mac builds cost $0.095 a minute (M2)
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on codemagic.io, docs.codemagic.io
10 Xcode
- Paid from
- Free (needs a Mac with Apple M1 or later)
- Free
- Free on the Mac App Store; a free Apple Account can test on your own devices
- Best for
- Developers writing native iPhone code
Xcode is Apple's own free tool for building iPhone, iPad and Mac apps, with simulators, SwiftUI previews and AI coding assistants that can use models from Anthropic, Google or OpenAI.
It runs only on a Mac: the current version needs an Apple M1 or later on macOS 26.6. Publishing still needs Apple's $99 a year developer membership.
What's good
- Simulators for Apple devices and SwiftUI previews
- Coding assistants with the model of your choice, including Anthropic, Google and OpenAI
- 25 Xcode Cloud build hours a month with an Apple Developer membership
Watch out for
- Mac-only: Xcode 27.1 needs macOS 26.6 or later on an Apple M1 or newer
- TestFlight and App Store distribution need the paid Apple Developer Program
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on developer.apple.com, developer.apple.com
Our pick
Draftbit
For most people, Draftbit is the best value: Standard ($12 a month billed yearly) includes 1-click publishing to the App Store as well as Google Play and the web, with full code export.
If you'd rather describe the app than design it, Rork builds native iPhone apps from a chat for $20 a month. If you or a developer write React Native code, Expo builds iOS apps in the cloud and submits them to the App Store on its free plan. Whichever you choose, the App Store also needs Apple's $99 a year developer membership.
Questions
How much does it cost to publish an app on the App Store?
Apple's Developer Program costs US$99 a year, and you need it for TestFlight and the App Store. Apple waives it only for nonprofits, schools and government bodies. Add the builder's plan if you use one.
Do I need a Mac to make an iPhone app?
Not necessarily. Draftbit, FlutterFlow, Adalo, Thunkable, Bubble, Rork and Replit publish to the App Store from inside their own builders, and Expo and Codemagic build iOS apps on their own cloud Macs. Xcode itself only runs on a Mac; you can also rent one, for example from MacinCloud, from US$25 a month.
Can I test an iPhone app for free?
Yes, on your own devices. With a free Apple Account, Xcode can install your app on up to 3 devices, but it stops working after 7 days and TestFlight and the App Store are not included. Expo and Codemagic free plans also make iOS builds, which still need the paid Apple membership to submit.
How we compare: we read each tool's own pricing and documentation and note the date. We haven't run these tools hands-on for this article, so we don't score them. See our editorial policy.
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