Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PhoneGap VS Draftbit

Compare PhoneGap VS Draftbit and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

PhoneGap logo PhoneGap

Easily create apps using the web technologies you know and love: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Draftbit logo Draftbit

The ultramodern app builder for iOS, Android, and Web. Coding optional, source code included.
  • PhoneGap Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-14
  • Draftbit Draftbit Builder
    Draftbit Builder //
    2024-07-01

Want to build cross-platform apps for the web, iOS, and Android with or without coding? Draftbit is a premium visual app builder that's easy enough for no-coders, and powerful enough for developers.

Connect to virtually any REST API, build your UI with dozens of available components (or build your own), use custom code and npm packages, preview your app live as you build and see changes in realtime in the browser and your own iOS and Android devices, and more!

Draftbit apps are built on open source tooling like React Native and Expo - the same technology that powers some of the biggest apps available - and you always own your source code.

Draftbit

$ Details
freemium $19.0 / Monthly
Platforms
Browser Web iOS Android REST API Cross Platform React Native

PhoneGap features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Development
    PhoneGap allows developers to create applications for multiple platforms, such as iOS and Android, using a single codebase. This reduces development time and effort.
  • Leverages Web Technologies
    PhoneGap uses standard web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, making it accessible for web developers to transition into mobile app development without learning new languages.
  • Access to Native APIs
    PhoneGap provides access to native device features such as the camera, accelerometer, and file system through a unified JavaScript API, enabling rich, native-like user experiences.
  • Large Plugin Library
    PhoneGap has a wide range of plugins available, giving developers the flexibility to add various functionalities to their apps without having to write complex native code.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source framework, PhoneGap is free to use and has a large community of developers contributing to its improvement and providing support.

Possible disadvantages of PhoneGap

  • Performance Issues
    Since PhoneGap apps rely on WebView components to render the user interface, they may not perform as well as fully-native apps, especially for graphics-intensive applications.
  • Limited Advanced Native Features
    While PhoneGap provides access to basic native functionalities, it may not support all the advanced features and optimizations available in native development.
  • Dependency on Plugins
    PhoneGap's reliance on plugins for additional functionalities can lead to compatibility issues, especially if the plugins are not actively maintained or updated.
  • UI Consistency
    Achieving a consistent look and feel across different platforms can be challenging, as PhoneGap utilizes web technologies that may render differently on iOS and Android.
  • Learning Curve for Performance Optimization
    While web developers might find it easy to start with PhoneGap, optimizing the app for performance, particularly on mobile devices, can require a significant amount of additional learning and tweaking.

Draftbit features and specs

  • Visual Builder
    Add, rearrange, align, and configure - in your browser
  • Fonts & Styles
    Reuse saved stylesheets, blocks, and Google fonts
  • Navigation
    Connect your screens and transitions together, visually
  • Data & Integrations
    Connect almost any backend with REST or GraphQL APIs
  • Live Preview
    Right as you build, on Android, iOS, and web
  • Publishing
    Easy deploy to the Web, Apple and Google stores
  • Code Export
    Clean, reusable React Native code and libraries
  • Live Collaboration
    Designers, developers, and viewers - working together
  • On-Call Support
    In-app, via email, or in- person to ensure success

Analysis of PhoneGap

Overall verdict

  • As of the latest developments, PhoneGap has been deprecated and is no longer being actively maintained. Adobe, the company behind PhoneGap, has encouraged developers to switch to Apache Cordova, which is the open-source foundation of PhoneGap. Therefore, it is not recommended for new projects.

Why this product is good

  • PhoneGap was once popular for allowing developers to create mobile apps using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, making it easy for web developers to transition into mobile app development. It provided cross-platform compatibility and leveraged web technologies to build applications for Android, iOS, and other platforms without needing to learn platform-specific languages.

Recommended for

    Developers who are currently using PhoneGap should consider migrating to Apache Cordova or exploring other modern alternatives for cross-platform development such as React Native, Flutter, or Xamarin.

Analysis of Draftbit

Overall verdict

  • Draftbit is a solid choice for both non-technical users and developers seeking to accelerate their mobile app development process while maintaining control over the codebase.

Why this product is good

  • Draftbit is a good platform for those looking to build mobile applications without deep coding knowledge. It offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface that enables rapid prototyping and design integration. Additionally, Draftbit allows developers to export clean, customizable React Native code, which can be further refined outside of the platform. Its integration with various APIs and services, as well as its support for custom code, makes it a versatile tool for app development.

Recommended for

  • Non-technical entrepreneurs
  • Startups needing a fast MVP
  • Developers looking for a rapid prototyping tool
  • Designers interested in translating designs into functional apps
  • Educational purposes for learning app development basics

PhoneGap videos

What is PhoneGap and Cordova?

More videos:

  • Review - Is phonegap any good ?
  • Review - Introduction to PhoneGap - An Open Source Framework

Draftbit videos

New Draftbit UI Quick Tour - May 2024

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PhoneGap and Draftbit)
Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0
No Code
0 0%
100% 100
JavaScript Framework
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
71 71%
29% 29

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare PhoneGap and Draftbit

PhoneGap Reviews

Top 10 Flutter Alternatives for Cross-Platform App Development
Developed by Apache Cordova, PhoneGap is used extensively for developing cross-platform mobile with the use of several web technologies. It lets developers write code by using HTML, CSS & JavaScript and package it as a native app. Being a simple framework, it includes the largest collection of plugins that extend its wide functionality.
Exploring 15 Powerful Flutter Alternatives
Adobe PhoneGap is a distribution of the open-source Apache Cordova project for building cross-platform mobile apps. PhoneGap makes integrating Adobe services for analytics, marketing automation, and monetization easy. For apps focused on advertising revenue or lead generation, PhoneGap can accelerate leveraging Adobe’s audience segmentation, funnel tracking, and attribution...
Best Mobile App Development Tools for Kids
A technology used for cross-platform mobile app development is referred to as PhoneGap. All the problems which we have seen above can be solved by PhoneGap easily. PhoneGap is an open-source mobile application framework. It allows developers to develop applications using standard web APIs. PhoneGap was developed by Nitobe Software, which is known as Adobe.
Source: codinghero.ai
10 Best Android Studio Alternatives For App Development
PhoneGap is another kind of tool among alternatives. Using this tool, you can develop cross-platform applications. The PhoneGap is an open-source development tool. And this is used for building iPhone, Android, Blackberry and other mobile apps with JavaScript. If you are using PhoneGap then you can reduce the development cost, time and effort.
Source: techdator.net
Top JavaScript Frameworks For Mobile App Development
As one of the popular mobile app development framework, Adobe and Apache have Adobe PhoneGap. Its open-source and flexible nature has been the crux of its rising popularity. It utilizes the built-in JavaScript API to establish a connection with the native features of mobile devices and the OS. It has a large and robust backend for easy development of native mobile applications.
Source: medium.com

Draftbit Reviews

We have no reviews of Draftbit yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Draftbit seems to be a lot more popular than PhoneGap. While we know about 17 links to Draftbit, we've tracked only 1 mention of PhoneGap. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

PhoneGap mentions (1)

Draftbit mentions (17)

  • What do you wish you could learn from a React Native Pro? Now's your chance.
    I started a YC-backed company called Draftbit that made it easy to build react-native apps right in the browser. I'm now working on a open-source React Native app called Backpack. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Discussion Around Bubble Pricing Changes
    • Draftbit (https://draftbit.com/) - Draftbit is a no-code platform that enables you to create beautiful mobile apps without writing any code. The platform comes with a library of components and supports multiple languages. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (July 2022)
    Draftbit | Senior Software Engineer | Full-Time | Remote, Anywhere (US Central Time overlap of >=4 hours) | https://draftbit.com We're building a new way for teams and enterprises to visually design, build, and iterate on mobile apps. We're a no-code platform but that also generates source code as an output, which enables collaborative product development between both engineers and non-engineers; our early users... - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Best Nocode Mobile App Developer?
    I'd also recommend Draftbit which enables you to publish as a PWA. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Best production-quality mobile app builder? Thunkable, Adalo, other?
    By the way, this solution is solid for performance and possibilities => https://draftbit.com/ but harder to use than Adalo. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PhoneGap and Draftbit, you can also consider the following products

Apache Cordova - Platform for building native mobile applications using HTML, CSS and JavaScript

Bubble.io - Building tech is slow and expensive. Bubble is the most powerful no-code platform for creating digital products.

Ionic - Ionic is a cross-platform mobile development stack for building performant apps on all platforms with open web technologies.

Adalo - Build apps for every platform, without code ✨

React Native - A framework for building native apps with React

Thunkable - Powerful but easy to use, drag-and-drop mobile app builder.