Best for
Best for solo makers who want a native iPhone or Android app they own the code to and can publish to the stores themselves.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
AI App Builders Comparison
Rork vs. Xano
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for teams building a scalable backend and API without managing servers, with the frontend built elsewhere.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | Rork | Xano |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | lower value Free tier; paid from $20 / month Rork Pro $20 / month for 100 credits up to $100 for 500; Rork Max $200 / month for 1,000 credits up to $1,800 for 10,000. Native iOS requires Max. | Free tier; paid from $85 / month Prices are billed annually: Essential $85 and Pro $224 per month. Custom plans are quoted by the vendor. |
| Free trial | Free tier | Free tier with rate limits, up to 100K database records and 1 workspace |
| Commercial use | Yes, paid users own the generated code | Not stated |
| Output | Native iPhone apps (Swift and SwiftUI), native Android apps (Kotlin and Compose) and web apps (Vite and React) | Backends: PostgreSQL databases, REST APIs, background tasks and agent tooling |
| API | Not stated | Yes, the platform's purpose is generating APIs, with autogenerated OpenAPI docs and an MCP server |
| Hosting | Not stated | Xano-managed regions or self-hosted on Azure, AWS, GCP or on-premise |
| What it generates | Native iPhone apps, native Android apps and web apps, plus iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro targets on the Max plan | The backend rather than the whole app: database, REST APIs, custom functions, middleware, background tasks and triggers, with the frontend left to another tool |
| Stack and frameworks | Swift and SwiftUI on iPhone, Kotlin and Compose on Android, Vite and React on the web; Expo and React Native projects can no longer be created, existing ones still build | PostgreSQL with Redis caching and Docker microservices; logic is built visually or written as XanoScript, which the CLI syncs to files on disk; works with React, Next.js, Flutter, Webflow, Framer and AI-generated frontends from Lovable and Bolt |
| Auth and database | Rork Cloud, a managed Postgres backend with row-level security and edge functions built on Supabase and transferable to your own Supabase organisation, or connect your own Supabase or Firebase project; sign in with Apple and Google via OAuth | PostgreSQL with unlimited records from the Essential tier; authentication endpoints (/signup, /login, /me) ship by default on JWE tokens, with role-based access control and enterprise SSO through GitHub, Google and Microsoft |
| Hosting and deploy | Publish to the Apple App Store, with an AI App Store Reviewer to check a submission first; Google Play via a manually created Android App Bundle; web apps are shared as a link, with no store or review | Xano-managed hosting across multiple regions, or self-hosted on Azure, AWS, GCP or on-premise; releases are immutable versioned objects promoted through staging |
| Payments | RevenueCat for paywalls, in-app purchases, subscriptions and free trials | Not stated |
| Access to the code | Paid users own all generated code and download it through a two-way GitHub sync, so it can be edited locally and imported back | XanoScript is readable and editable, and the CLI syncs the workspace to files on disk; APIs carry autogenerated OpenAPI documentation |
| MCP-ready | No | stated Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based | more entries Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based, On-premise |
| Support | Email helpdesk, Chat | Chat, Community forum |
| Onboarding | Documentation and knowledge base | more entries Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials |
| Company size | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized | more entries Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise |
| Integrations | Supabase, Firebase, RevenueCat, GitHub | more entries Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Lovable, Bolt.new, Webflow, Framer, Flutter, Datadog |
Add a tool
Adds a column to the table, from the tools in this category.
Row where the values differ The small markers point at the lower number, the longer list or the stated feature. They describe the data, they are not a verdict.
The short version
Key Differences
- Starting price Rork Free tier; paid from $20 / month Xano Free tier; paid from $85 / month
- Free trial Rork Free tier Xano Free tier with rate limits, up to 100K database records and 1 workspace
- Deployment Rork Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based Xano Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based, On-premise
- Company size Rork Freelancers, Small and mid-sized Xano Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise
- Support Rork Email helpdesk, Chat Xano Chat, Community forum
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
Rork
Strengths
- Generates genuinely native code, Swift and SwiftUI on iPhone and Kotlin and Compose on Android, rather than a wrapped web view
- Paid users own all generated code, with two-way GitHub sync back into the project
- Rork Cloud gives an app a managed Postgres backend with no setup, and can be moved into your own Supabase organisation later
Limitations
- Native iOS is only on the Max plan, from $200 per month
- The free plan builds web apps only, and projects on it are public
- Google Play publishing is a manual App Bundle upload
- Expo and React Native projects can no longer be created, so a shared codebase for both phones is no longer an option
Xano
Strengths
- Self-hosting on Azure, AWS, GCP or on-premise, not only the vendor's cloud
- Frontend-agnostic: pairs with React, Flutter, Webflow, Framer, Lovable or Bolt rather than dictating one
- An official MCP server, so external AI agents build against the same workspace rules
Limitations
- The first paid tier is $85 a month, a steep step up from the free one
- It builds only the backend, so a second tool is needed for the interface
- The free tier is rate-limited to 10 requests per 20 seconds and watermarks stored images
Plans
Pricing
Rork
- Free $0 5 credits per day, up to 35 per month in major markets. Web apps only, projects are public.
- Rork Pro From $20 Per month for 100 credits, up to $100 for 500. Native Android and web apps, private projects, dev mode.
- Rork Max From $200 Per month for 1,000 credits, up to $1,800 for 10,000. Adds native iOS, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, and priority chat support.
Xano
- Free $0 Core building tools, rate-limited to 10 requests per 20 seconds. Up to 100K database records, 1GB watermarked image storage, 1 workspace.
- Essential $85 Per month billed annually. Dedicated infrastructure without API rate limits, unlimited database records, 3 workspaces, 5 team seats, 100GB storage.
- Pro $224 Per month billed annually. 5 workspaces, 10 team seats, 250GB storage, managed load balancer, role management, 99.99% SLA.
- Custom Custom Quoted by the vendor. Self-hosting, advanced security, multiple tenant configurations and dedicated support.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
Rork
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Xano
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Where this comes from
Where this comes from
Rork https://rork.com · checked against the official source on 2026-08-30
Xano https://www.xano.com · no check date recorded yet
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.