Buildy vs Rork
Buildy vs Rork
Rork and Buildy are two of the few AI app builders that actually target native mobile, both generate Expo / React Native projects rather than a web app in a wrapper, both can target native Android, and both let you own and export the source on paid plans. So on the thing people worry about most, lock-in, they're genuinely close. This page compares them fairly on pricing, code export and ownership, native targets, and how transparent each is about AI usage. Where Rork is the better choice, we say so.
Scroll horizontally to see every column.
| Buildy | Rork | |
|---|---|---|
| Code ownership | Full, a standard Expo project you own; zip export + GitHub sync on Pro (€25) | Full on paid plans, you own generated code, with GitHub two-way sync to VS Code/Cursor; free projects are public and can't export |
| Native targets | Expo/RN + native Android (Kotlin/Compose) + native iOS (SwiftUI); iOS store build from Pro (€25) | Expo/RN + native Android (Kotlin/Compose) on Rork Pro; native iOS (SwiftUI + Apple ecosystem) requires Rork Max (from ~$200/mo) |
| Free tier | Generate + hosted PWA preview, with a Home Screen shortcut; no card | ~5 credits/day (about 35/mo in major markets, ~5/mo elsewhere); projects are public; no code export or store publishing |
| Export | Zip download + GitHub sync from Pro (€25/mo) | GitHub two-way sync on paid plans; free projects can't export |
| Pricing | Pro €25/mo (6M generation units); Max €50/mo (12M generation units); billed in EUR, Paddle handles VAT | Credit-based, USD. Rork Pro from ~$20/mo; native iOS via Rork Max from ~$200/mo. Exact tiers and credit counts vary, check their site |
| App Store 2.5.2 | Hosted preview is separate from the release project, reducing one runtime-code risk; final review depends on the app | Not documented publicly, verify self-containment before you rely on it |
| Backend | Supabase integration (Pro+) | Rork Backend serverless functions; Supabase/Firebase integrations |
| Learning curve | Chat to build; 7 UI languages; generation-unit budget shown | Chat to build; large community + template library; credit-based usage |
Where Buildy is the better pick
A free tier for hands-on evaluation. Buildy's free plan includes generation and a hosted PWA preview you can open on your phone and add to the Home Screen, with no card. Source export and store builds require a paid plan. Rork's free plan limits usage, keeps projects public, and blocks code export and store publishing.
Native iOS at a fraction of the price. Buildy includes a native iOS (SwiftUI) store build from Pro at €25/mo. Rork's native iOS (SwiftUI) requires Rork Max, which starts at around $200/mo. Both also generate Expo/React Native and can target native Android, so the real gap here is what shipping native iOS actually costs you.
A separated preview architecture. Buildy's hosted preview is not packaged into the release project, which avoids one runtime-code pattern addressed by Guideline 2.5.2. This is an architectural control, not an approval guarantee; the final app and its dependencies still require review.
EU-friendly billing. Buildy prices in euros with Paddle as merchant of record, so EU VAT is handled for you. Rork bills in USD and region-gates its free credits (as low as ~5/month outside major markets).
Transparent metering. Buildy publishes normalized generation-unit budgets (6M on Pro, 12M on Max) so usage is visible without exposing provider-specific accounting. Rork meters in 'credits', 'roughly one request' each by its own definition, so a tiny tweak and a large build can draw the same credit, and there is no public mapping for a direct comparison.
Where Rork may be the better pick
No tool wins everything. Here's where Rork is genuinely the stronger choice.
Turnkey iOS shipping. Rork Max compiles and submits your iOS app to the App Store from the cloud in about two clicks, a very hands-off path if you're all-in on Apple and fine with the ~$200/mo tier.
More funding and momentum. Rork raised a $15M seed round (April 2026, led by Left Lane Capital) and has a large, active community plus a deep template and review footprint, more social proof and a longer public track record than a newer entrant.
Simpler mental model for some. Rork's flat 'X credits per month' can be easier to reason about than a generation-unit budget if you prefer a single credit count.
The verdict
On lock-in, Rork and Buildy are close: both provide a standard Expo project with GitHub sync on paid plans, and both can target native Android. Buildy's free tier offers a hosted PWA preview for evaluation, while native source export and signed builds are paid. Buildy may fit teams seeking lower-cost native iOS targets and euro billing; Rork may fit teams that value its community and hands-off cloud submission. Buildy's preview separation reduces one 2.5.2-related architecture risk, but neither tool can guarantee App Store approval for a final app.
Build your first app free →A few Rork details move fast, so we've kept this comparison conservative (as of July 2026): (1) Rork meters usage in 'credits', by Rork's own definition 'roughly one request', with no public credit-to-token mapping, so per-request cost can't be lined up 1:1 with Buildy's normalized generation-unit budgets. (2) Rork's prices are in USD and the exact tiers and credit counts change over time; treat the ranges here as approximate and confirm on Rork's own site. (3) Rork Pro does offer a native Android (Kotlin/Compose) target, so we make no claim to the contrary. (4) The Guideline 2.5.2 point refers only to Buildy's separation of hosted preview and release output; we did not confirm any specific Rork rejection and make no such claim.