The Bottom Line: AppMachine provides an easy-to-build experience and enables users to make simple apps. However, the platform has some large constraints and limitations as well.
Pros:
- If you’re strapped for time, AppMachine will connect you to third-party companies who can create your app for you.
- The app-building interface is super easy to learn and use.
- No database is required to start building your app.
Cons:
- Compared to other no-code app builders, AppMachine is priced on the higher end.
- The lowest tier version only allows for 200MB of storage space, constraining functionality and flexibility.
- AppMachine’s small ecosystem makes it difficult to connect with other users and master the app-building interface’s intricacies.
- Compared to other app builders, AppMachine comes with very few integrations, constricting your app’s overall flexibility and potential.
- The template selection is sparse.
- While you can publish your app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, you get a limited number of downloads.
Pricing: AppMachine has a 30-day free trial (no credit card information required). Its cheapest version is $19/month (billed monthly) and only lets you publish web apps. If you want to make a native mobile app, you’ll have to go with AppMachine’s $79/month (billed monthly) version.
Overall AppMachine Review: What is AppMachine?
AppMachine lets you create both web apps that users can access through their browsers and native mobile apps downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It has a simple and seamless drag-and-drop interface letting you create apps quickly and easily.
After you sign up, you’re given the option to pick a template from AppMachine’s template library, start from scratch, or create your app from a Google Sheet. The template library only has these 6 different template types:
- Business
- Event
- School
- Tourist Information
- Business Event
- Religious Community
Compared to other app builders, AppMachine’s template library is one of the most limited. If you’re having trouble figuring out how to design your app, AppMachine does showcase a handful of apps people have built.
Using the app-building interface is very straightforward. The drop-down dashboard on the left side of your screen is where you’ll find all the tools for crafting your app. Opening the “Content” tab gives you a visual of your app’s appearance, illustrated as Lego-like blocks.
AppMachine’s blocks are color-coordinated and arranged in an easy-to-understand logical fashion. The two on the very top are the blue Home block and the green Theme block. Yellow blocks, representing separate app screens, are connected vertically below the Home and Theme blocks.
The Home and Theme blocks are where aesthetic design happens. Determine your app’s layout, main menu navigation style, and design with the Home block. Use the Theme block to pick the style of each screen and adjust colors, fonts, and shapes.
Cobble together the meat of your app by pressing the red “add Block” button. Doing this will take you to a menu of two Block Types: Basic blocks and advanced blocks.
There are 30 Basic blocks. These yellow rectangles stack vertically under the Home and Theme blocks. They let you create features like product listings, push notifications, a WhatsApp screen, and more.
The 8 Advanced blocks execute more complex tasks, like connecting to an external API, online booking, or user logins.
AppMachine displays how your app will look live on a screen in the middle of the building interface. But you’ll have to save each change to your app manually by clicking the save button on the top right.
AppMachine’s Highlights
- AppMachine’s simple and intuitive building interface makes it easy to create an app in a limited amount of time.
- If you’re looking to build an app for your class or community, look no further than AppMachine. Its integrations with social media and WhatsApp, combined with a generous number of push notifications, make communication a breeze.
- While you can connect your Google Sheets database, bringing one isn’t required. AppMachine lets you build your database as you build your app.
AppMachine’s Hang Ups
- The AppMachine ecosystem is undeveloped: There’s a sparse community, only a handful of tutorials, no available third-party APIs or plugins, and no forum for questions and answers.
- Each plan only allows for a tiny number of app actions and users, stunting the growth potential of your app’s market.
- The app-building interface has a slow load time, especially when you’re saving changes and uploading photos. This will slow you down over time, especially since you’ll need to manually save every change you make.
- There’s no free-form design or advanced editing features. For example, you won’t be able to pinpoint exactly where you want to place a textbox or image on a screen. This restricts design freedom.
- AppMachine’s lack of APIs and third-party integrations (like Zapier, Airtable, Salesforce, etc.) limits the kind of app you can make. For instance, creating sophisticated internal business tools for project management or client relationship management might be difficult or impossible.
Is AppMachine Right For You?
AppMachine is great for building certain apps but has a limited audience. Select AppMachine if:
- You want an easy-to-use building interface that you can learn fast.
- You have a simple app idea that doesn’t require integrations or third-party plugins.
- You want to build a native mobile app that you can publish in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
However, you should take a look at other app builders if:
- You want to build a powerful app with several integrations.
- You want to make your app available to 1,000s of users.
- You’d like to have the support of a thriving ecosystem.
What Kinds of Apps Can I Build With AppMachine?
AppMachine is great for building any type of simple app. If you need an app for your church, class, or community, AppMachine has all the tools you need. Communicate seamlessly with a nifty WhatsApp integration, notify everyone about schedule changes with push notifications, and create events with the scheduler.
Small businesses such as cafes and bakeries can create customer-facing apps with AppMachine. Give new users the ability to log in from their browsers and provide loyal customers with rewards coupons (another one of AppMachine’s features.) These same features also work for creating an app for your online store.
AppMachine Pricing: Is it worth it?
Signing up for AppMachine’s 30-day free trial is stress-free: You don’t need to provide any credit card info. While AppMachine’s Instant version, clocking in at $19/month (billed monthly), might seem like a good deal, it only gives you 200MB of storage and 50 active app users.
The Instant Version also only allows 1,000 app actions, and you can only make a web app. This means no access to the app stores. Overall, it’s very constrained.
AppMachine’s mid-tier version, the Pro Version, costs $79/month (billed monthly). You’ll be able to publish your app to the app stores and run it as a web app. But if you want your own branding, you’ll have to pay an extra $10/month.
Simple math brings the cost of a branded native mobile app to $89/month.
AppMachine's Agency Version is $199/month (billed monthly). This version lets you build up to 5 apps with no more than 5,000 monthly users. For support, AppMachine will assign you a dedicated expert.
For those who lack the time to build an app, AppMachine provides the contact information for several resellers who will build your app for you.
While they don’t provide a price, you’ll most likely have to pay between $10,000 and $20,000 to have a reseller create your app.
AppMachine Alternatives: What Other Tools Should You Try?
While AppMachine is simple to learn, it’s not for everyone. Try these alternatives:
- Adalo, if you want a powerful app builder that lets you publish your native mobile app in the app stores — all for a lower price than AppMachine.
- GoodBarber, if you want to build an e-commerce app that you can pack full of third-party APIs and integrations.
- Softr, if you want a huge template library to create a web app for external anonymous users or your own internal business tool.
Verdict
You’ve made it to the end! Now, I’ll uncover my true feelings on AppMachine. Should you get it now, shortlist it, or avoid it?
Get it now if you’re not on a budget and you want to build an app for your shop or community, and be finished building it tomorrow before 5 pm.
Shortlist it if you’ve got an app idea, but you’re unsure about the number and complexity of APIs and integrations you’ll need.
If you want a competitively priced app builder that doesn’t sacrifice power for flexibility, get Adalo. You’ll be able to build your own web apps and native mobile apps that you can publish to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Adalo comes with enough features and functionality for you to build an app that looks and feels exactly the way you want it.
