Real native app, not a browser tab with a bottom bar.
Most “mobile app” tools for Shopify are webviews — a browser pointed at your web store, wrapped in a shell. Here's how Appolar compares to the three most common alternatives.
Feature comparison
Based on publicly available documentation and plan pages. If anything has changed, let us know.
| Feature | Appolar You're here | Tapcart | GoodBarber | Vajro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genuine native app (not a webview) | PartialHybrid approach; some screens are webview | Primarily a Progressive Web App or webview shell | PartialMix of native and webview screens | |
| You own the App Store listing | ||||
| Per-install fees or revenue share | Flat monthly, no revenue share ever | VariesRevenue share on some plans | VariesRevenue share on some plans | |
| Live visual builder | ||||
| Migration from another platform | VariesNo automated import; rebuild from presets, listing transfers stay yours | VariesDepends on plan and origin platform | Varies | Varies |
| App stays live if you cancel | VariesLifetime apps run forever; Pro and Ultra require an active subscription | |||
| Shopify-native billing | Charged through your Shopify admin, no separate invoice | Separate billing outside Shopify | Separate billing outside Shopify | Separate billing outside Shopify |
| Push notifications | ||||
| Native Apple Pay / Google Pay | Via Shopify Checkout handoff | VariesAvailable on higher-tier plans | Checkout handled via webview | VariesVia checkout webview |
Competitor data sourced from publicly available pricing and feature documentation. Some plans may differ. We try to be fair — if you spot an error, write to us at support@appolar.com.
What “native” actually means
There are two fundamentally different ways to build a mobile app from a Shopify store. They look similar from the outside. They feel different on the device.
Webview wrapper
Your existing website, opened inside a full-screen browser component with a native tab bar pasted on top. The “app” is just a thin shell. Scrolling, gestures, transitions, and performance are bound by the browser engine, not the device. It loads slowly, feels like the web, and usually is.
Some tools dress this up with a hybrid model: a few native screens for product lists and cart, with webview for everything else. Better, but still not native.
Genuine native (what Appolar ships)
A genuine native app renders actual native UI components: UIKit on iOS, Android Views on Android. Product cards, carousels, drawers, and the cart are all real native views. Gestures, transitions, and scrolling use the platform's own physics. No browser involved.
The only place a browser appears in your Appolar app is the Shopify checkout step — and that's intentional. Shopify's hosted checkout handles PCI compliance and payment processing. Using their checkout for payments is correct; it's what Shopify's own mobile SDKs do.
Three honest differentiators
Not “we're better at everything.” Just three things that are genuinely different and worth knowing before you choose.
Genuinely native code
Every product grid, cart, and tab is a real native component, not a browser. Gestures, scrolling, and transitions use the platform's own physics. Your customers notice.
Shopify-native billing
Your Appolar subscription is charged through Shopify. It shows up on your Shopify invoice, not a separate credit card charge you have to reconcile. No new billing relationship.
No revenue share
Flat monthly subscription. Appolar never takes a percentage of your app's orders. Sell more, pay the same. Simple.
Install free, no billing until you build.
The builder is free to use. You're only billed when you decide to compile and submit your app. No credit card required to explore.