Most mobile app platforms give you two (false) choices. You get to choose between rigid, out-of-the-box (OOTB)  templates or bankroll a 6+ month custom build. Neither feels like a win.

Both fall short on the speed, flexibility, and creativity that today’s ecommerce brands need to grow. 

Most platforms force you to choose between fast and flexible. An open commerce platform ends that tradeoff.

Whether you’re a developer craving full code access or a marketer racing to launch a promo before lunch, App Studio gives both sides the tools they need to move fast and build something truly on-brand.

You get a solid foundation to launch quickly—and the freedom to customize every interaction as your business evolves.

Tapcart’s App Studio brings that vision to life. And with the new Spring Release, it’s even faster, cleaner, and way more efficient to build custom mobile experiences.

Why legacy approaches fall short

Let’s dig into how open commerce platforms help businesses create apps that are as unique and dynamic as their brands (and why that matters).

What is open commerce? A more flexible way to build mobile apps

Open commerce refers to platforms that give developers access to edit source code for key components and logic, without locking them into rigid templates or workflows.

With Tapcart, that means you’re not stuck building inside a black box. You get access to editable source code, APIs, and local development tools, so your mobile app isn’t limited by what your platform thinks you should build.

Open commerce lives inside a managed, scalable platform, but gives developers freedom to customize, extend, and own the user experience. You get the flexibility of a custom build with the speed and support of OOTB software.

This gives you the flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions, with the ability to:

• Modify functionality on the fly when plans shift
• Integrate third-party tools with drag-and-drop ease
• Design an app experience that’s 100% your brand.

When you have full control over how your app works and looks, you’re not waiting on a feature release or redesign cycle—you’re shipping what your team needs, when you need it. That’s the power of open commerce.

Why other ways slow mobile commerce growth

The two most common paths to building a mobile app may get the job done, but they often create more constraints than solutions. Let’s break down what’s holding brands back—and why neither route is built for today’s pace of commerce.

What you lose with out-of-the-box mobile app builders

Out-of-the-box mobile app builders play an important role in the mobile app lifecycle. They help brands launch and adapt a mobile app quickly without a heavy lift.

But those guardrails can start to feel limiting as you grow:

• Limited design flexibility: Customizing layouts or user flows often means working within strict constraints.
• Fixed feature sets: You’re tied to what the platform offers, and when they choose to release it.
• Minimal access under the hood: If you want to add business logic, change behavior, or integrate a third-party tool, you’re often out of luck.

In short, it’s a fast way to get started, but not always a long-term fit. When you’re brand needs more control over how your app looks, performs, and evolves, it’s time to graduate from a one-size-fits-all solution.

Why full custom builds are slower, riskier, and harder to scale

Custom mobile apps offer full control—but that freedom comes with a long list of trade-offs.

Building a mobile app from scratch means longer timelines, bigger budgets, and a lot more overhead to maintain. And while the end result might look the way you want, the process often creates friction between teams, slows down iteration, and makes even small updates a heavy lift.

Let’s talk numbers. 

Custom app development costs range from $30,000 to $250,000 on average, with a mean cost of $171,450, depending on complexity and feature set. 

Here's a closer look:

And that doesn’t include:

• Ongoing maintenance and bug fixes
• Dev time for feature updates or seasonal changes
• The cost of being dependent on an external team to make even small changes

Worse, most custom builds limit what internal teams can do post-launch. You’re often locked out of the codebase, waiting on outside help to make tweaks, bug fixes, or test new ideas. That slows things down and puts distance between you and your mobile customer experience.

That was exactly the challenge for G FUEL, a leading energy drink brand in the gaming space, before they replatformed to Tapcart:

"The [Tapcart app’s] ease of use is just… monumental. I can change things on the fly. If someone requests a picture update, I can do it right away. That used to be a developer handoff.”
‍Victoria Hana, Senior Ecommerce Manager at G FUEL

That kind of lag isn’t just frustrating—it holds brands back from delivering the fast, flexible, on-brand experiences mobile customers expect.

Is Tapcart the best of both worlds?

App Studio ends the trade-off between launch speed and creative freedom. It’s the perfect blend of open commerce innovation and user-friendly functionality, designed to meet your business’s unique needs.

You get a strong out-of-the-box foundation and the tools to take it further. Whether you're tweaking layouts or building custom logic, App Studio gives you the control to own your mobile experience, without the overhead of a full custom build.

And if you’re ready to get more technical? That’s where App Studio really shines.

How App Studio’s unmatched control and flexibility helps you build your mobile app

App Studio is Tapcart’s open commerce platform that gives you the freedom to build fast and the flexibility to build exactly what you need.

From quick-launch storefronts to custom logic for complex catalogs, App Studio gives you the tools and control to make it yours.

You get the speed of a pre-built foundation and the ability to customize every layer of your mobile experience—architecture, design, logic, and data handling.

Let’s look at what that unlocks for your brand.

How App Studio makes customization easy for marketers and developers

App Studio makes it easy to build mobile experiences that feel nothing like a template—and everything like your brand.

Whether you’re fine-tuning your layout or rolling out entirely custom logic, App Studio gives your team real control over how the app looks, works, and grows. You don’t have to start from scratch or wait on a developer for every update—unless you need their support.

Here’s how it works:

• Design control where it counts: Create custom screens, flows, and UI elements that reflect your brand’s personality and your customers’ expectations.
• Built-in dev flexibility: Developers can go deep with full source code access to customize components and screens, using a React-based component library and tools designed for fast, flexible workflows.
• Logic that scales: Build reusable components, like “add to cart,” “back in stock,” or “pre-order” flows, and use them anywhere in the app with consistent performance.

And with the latest Spring Release, App Studio just got even faster and more collaborative:

What’s new in App Studio: 2025 Spring Release

The newest set of features helps developers and marketers build faster, iterate confidently, and scale with less overhead:

• Global components: Code a logic block once and reuse it across any screen, perfect for “add to cart,” “back in stock,” or “pre-order” flows.
• Tapcart CLI: Work in your local dev environment using the tools you already love. Pull blocks, customize, and push live in seconds.
• Live preview and hot reloading: See exactly what you’re building in real time on device, without the guesswork.
• Fully configurable blocks: Developers can expose settings like fonts, colors, and copy. Marketers can update them on the fly—no dev ticket required.

These features help teams move faster, collaborate better, and launch with confidence—right inside App Studio.

App Studio brings your dev and marketing teams together. Code when you need it. Drag and drop when you don’t.

Want to dive deeper into the technical breakdown? Explore App Studio’s developer tools →

A mobile app built to scale with your brand

Growth adds layers—more teams, more products, more moving parts. App Studio is built to support all of it without adding unnecessary overhead.

Whether you're launching a seasonal collection, entering a new geo, or introducing new features, App Studio adapts as your operations evolve, so your app doesn’t need a rebuild every time your business shifts.

Here’s how it supports long-term growth:

• Custom APIs and integrations: Connect to the rest of your stack with clean data flows, real-time syncing, and integration flexibility.
• Smarter data handling: Stream app data to your warehouse or use local storage to power faster, more relevant experiences.
• Infrastructure that supports scale: Whether you're running lean or with a full dev team, App Studio gives you the freedom to move fast without cutting corners.

As your business scales, App Studio scales with you, keeping you agile without sacrificing control.

The mobile infrastructure that grows with your stack—and your strategy

What works today won’t cut it tomorrow. Mobile commerce moves fast, and your platform needs to move with it.

App Studio’s open architecture makes it easy to adapt to changing tech, new shopping behaviors, and whatever your team wants to try next. No rebuilds. No rigid limitations. Just the freedom to evolve.

Here’s how App Studio keeps you ready for what’s next:

• Flexible enough to grow with your stack: Add new features, connect new tools, and extend your app experience without waiting for a platform update.
• Ready for new shopping behavior: Whether it’s surprise drops, loyalty exclusives, or new content formats, you can launch fast—and adjust just as quickly.
• Built for the future of personalization: While we’re not saying AI (yet), App Studio is designed to support deeper, more dynamic experiences as individualization becomes a bigger part of ecommerce strategy.

The best part? You don’t need to rebuild to keep up—you just keep building.

You deserve more than two bad options. Build the mobile app your brand actually needs.

Rigid platforms hold you back. Custom builds slow you down. And neither helps you stay ahead or deliver the mobile experience your customers expect.

When you’re stuck waiting on platform updates or developer resources, every delay costs you—speed, control, and momentum.

Open commerce offers a better path forward. It gives you the freedom to build fast, scale smart, and launch new experiences without hitting walls. With a strong foundation, your app becomes a living, evolving part of your brand—ready to grow with you.

And the stakes are high. Falling behind isn’t just about slower updates—it’s about losing ground with the customers who matter most.

App Studio gives you the tools to stay flexible, move faster, and build an app that leads, not lags.

Stop compromising. Start building and help your brand grow. Book a demo to stay ahead of mobile commerce trends with expert insights and tools to create impactful shopping experiences.

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