B4X vs MobileTogether Designer

B4X is a suite of rapid application development tools for Android, iOS, desktop, server, and IoT projects. Its B4X language is described as a modern version of Visual Basic, and B4A, B4J, and B4i projects can share 90%+ of their code through cross-platform libraries. B4A includes a GUI designer for multiple screens and orientations and supports device debugging over USB or a wireless bridge. B4J creates desktop interfaces, console programs, and server solutions that can run on Windows, Mac, Linux, and ARM boards such as Raspberry Pi. B4R targets Arduino, ESP8266, and ESP32. The maker says compiled iOS, Android, Arduino, and ESP8266 applications are native and have no dependencies. B4A, B4R, and B4J are free, including for commercial purposes. Standard B4A and B4i licenses cost 59.00 USD once per developer. B4i requires an Apple developer account costing $99 per year, an iOS 11+ device, and Windows 7 64-bit or a VM for its IDE.

MobileTogether Designer is Altova’s framework for building data-driven native apps and enterprise solutions. It combines drag-and-drop interface design, Action Tree visual programming, and XPath/XQuery for selecting and processing data. Apps can connect to REST and SOAP services, XML, JSON, HTML, and relational databases including SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, and PostgreSQL. MapForce Server integration can connect legacy sources such as Excel, EDI, and text. App functions may include camera use, push notifications, maps and geolocation, barcode and QR scanning, NFC, MQTT, signatures, and biometric authentication. Designer includes a simulator for supported operating systems and automated tests replayable on client devices through MobileTogether Server. Apps can be deployed to the server for access or compiled from generated code for app store submission. The server can run on premises or in a private or public cloud such as AWS or Azure. Designer is free for unlimited developers; MobileTogether Server starts at $1,000 a year for one core. Custom-branded app store deployments require the server, and developers compile and submit the generated code themselves.