MobileTogether Designer vs Monaca

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.

Monaca is a cross-platform hybrid mobile app development platform and cloud tool suite built around HTML5, JavaScript, and Apache Cordova. Its browser-based Cloud IDE supports Cordova work without local setup, while Monaca Localkit and the CLI provide local development tools. It supports Angular 1, Angular 2+, React, and Vue.js, and developers can bring another JavaScript framework. Cloud builds and continuous-integration features include hook scripts, custom plugins, and configurable setups. The Debugger provides breakpoints, stepping, and profiling, including iOS and Android debugging on Windows and Mac without installing SDKs. Cordova backend APIs cover push notifications, user management, remote databases, and email delivery. The Free plan costs nothing and includes three projects and three remote builds per 24 hours; corporate use is restricted to non-commercial purposes. PRO costs $22 a month, BUSINESS costs $55 a month plus base usage of $22 a month per team, and ENTERPRISE costs $110 a month plus base usage of $550 a month per organization. Monaca states that transmission uses HTTPS and SSL/TLS, but data is not encrypted at rest.