JOYLO VS ZITE
Joylo or Zite.
Which AI app builder is right for you?
Pick Zite to run your team's apps, forms and automated steps on one shared database. Pick Joylo when the app is what you sell. Vibe coding is quick until it breaks. No Zite plan includes an engineer, so help means tech support and partner agencies you hire. Joylo steps in. One of its in-house engineers joins your project. Buy the hours Joylo recommends, and its written Production Guarantee means Joylo gets you live, paying any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply.
THE SHORT ANSWER. FOUR DIFFERENCES THAT MATTER.
What's the difference between Joylo and Zite?
- A Joylo engineer works inside your project.Click "Engage an Expert" and a certified, in-house engineer picks up the problem, with a first response within 24 hours. Help costs $500 for 10 hours. Zite has people to ask too, with email and chat support five days a week and priority support on Team. It doesn't publish an engineer who works in your app, and its partner agencies are hired separately.
- Written terms tie Joylo to your launch.We review your project scope with you, then recommend the engineering hours it needs. Buy those hours, and the Production Guarantee hands Joylo the job of getting that work live and keeping it there. Any overrun on the estimate is Joylo's to pay. Conditions and exclusions apply. On Zite, there's no launch promise, and its refund policy excludes downtime and performance problems.
- Zite runs a company's apps, forms and automated steps from one database.Websites sit on it too. Each plan sets how many automated runs you get a month, from 1,000 on Free to 250,000 on Team. On Joylo, every app gets its own Postgres database, which is set up for you. Joylo doesn't publish an automated-steps feature like Zite's.
- Every Zite plan links to 30+ other tools.Free is included, and Zapier or n8n can reach apps beyond those. You can also query and edit your Zite database from Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT on any plan. Joylo lists nine built-in connectors, among them Stripe, GitHub, Gmail and Microsoft Teams. Other services connect through your own API keys, added to a project.
TWO BUILDERS. TWO DIFFERENT JOBS.
What is each builder made for?
Non-technical founders and small businesses get the most from Joylo. When the AI gets stuck, an engineer can join them. Zite suits companies whose own staff will build and change the tools they use each day, from forms to automated steps.
Joylo
Joylo turns a plain-English description into a working web app with sign-in, a database and payments. Any developer can pick it up and work on the project in VS Code or Cursor. If your revenue app breaks at 2am and the AI gets stuck, a Joylo engineer takes over in your repo. Buy the hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and launch is guaranteed in writing. Conditions and exclusions apply.
Zite
Built for the tools a company runs on, Zite makes apps, forms, websites and automated steps that all share one built-in database. You change them by chat, or start in Planning mode, and quick edits to text or style don't use credits. Every plan lets you add as many users and editors as you like.
How does Joylo pricing compare to Zite?
At $25 a month, Zite's Pro and Joylo's Solo Builder are level on monthly billing. Pay Zite for the year and Pro works out at $20 a month, while Joylo bills monthly only. Below that, you can start on Zite's Free plan with 50 credits a month. Joylo has a Free plan too, plus a $1 Trial for the first month. Higher up, Business at $89 and Team at $300 a month, billed monthly, buy more records, automated runs and workspaces on Zite. On Joylo, $50 a month gets you Starter's shared team space. Co-Build puts a named engineer on your app for 40 to 160 hours a month, from $3,000.
What does each Joylo plan include?
Whatever plan you choose on Joylo, you own the app and can check each build with the AI Confidence Score, and every paid plan lets you hide the Joylo badge. Solo Builder suits one person building alone, and the $1 Trial leads into it. Starter is for teams, since it opens one shared space with no seat fee. Co-Build hands the build to a named Joylo engineer. Each plan's credits and limits are in the table below.
| Free | Trial | Solo Builder | Starter | Co-Build 40 | Co-Build 80 | Co-Build 160 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $0 | $1 first month, then $25 | $25 | $50 | $3,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 |
| AI credits | 30 first month, then 10 / month | 100 (first month) | 100 / month | 250 / month | 400 / month | 800 / month | 1,600 / month |
| Apps | 3 public | 10 private | 10 private | Unlimited private | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Storage | 1 GB | 5 GB | 5 GB | 10 GB | As Starter | As Starter | As Starter |
| Custom domains | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Team workspace | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Team members | Just you | Just you | Just you | Unlimited, no seat fee | Unlimited, no seat fee | Unlimited, no seat fee | Unlimited, no seat fee |
| Roles and basic analytics | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Engineering hours | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | 40 / month | 80 / month | 160 / month |
| Engineer response | 24 hours (Expert Assist) | 24 hours (Expert Assist) | 24 hours (Expert Assist) | 24 hours (Expert Assist) | 4 business hours | 4 business hours | 2 business hours |
| Production Support | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | Advanced included | Advanced included | Advanced included |
If you build on your own, start with Solo Builder at $25 a month. Move to Starter at $50 once other people need to work in the app with you. Co-Build is a different purchase, because a named engineer builds the app for you.
- Team members. Unlimited and free, with no per-seat charge, in a team workspace. A team workspace comes with Starter ($50 a month) and the Co-Build plans. Free, Trial and Solo Builder are single-user plans.
- Every plan includes app ownership and the AI Confidence Score. Every paid plan, from the $1 Trial up, adds export to GitHub, version control, credit top-ups, removing the Joylo badge and free standard migration.
- The Free plan has no expiry date. The $1 Trial gives you Solo Builder for your first month, then renews at $25. There is no annual billing. All plans are monthly.
- Co-Build 160 adds a dedicated developer, a part-time business analyst, executive reporting and custom integrations.
What do the engineer plans cost, and what do you get?
Buying engineer time on Joylo starts at 10 hours for $500, through Expert Assist on any plan. You hear back within 24 hours, and you can use up to 20 hours a month unless you're on Co-Build. That plan puts a named engineer on building the app for you, with 40, 80 or 160 hours a month for $3,000, $4,000 or $6,000. Zite sells no engineer time. Priority support on Team and partner agencies you hire yourself are its nearest offers, which is why only Joylo appears in the table below.
| Expert Assist | Co-Build 40 | Co-Build 80 | Co-Build 160 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $500 for 10 architect hours | $3,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 |
| Engineering hours | Hours are bought in blocks of 10. Self-serve plans can use up to 20 hours a month | 40 / month | 80 / month | 160 / month |
| How it works | Choose "Engage an Expert" inside your project. A Joylo engineer works in your project to fix an issue, finish a feature or help you launch | A named Joylo engineer builds the app for you. You meet 30 minutes, three times a week | ||
| First response | Within 24 hours | 4 business hours | 4 business hours | 2 business hours |
| AI credits included | Your plan's credits | 400 / month | 800 / month | 1,600 / month |
| Production Support | $299 or $999 a month | Advanced included | Advanced included | Advanced included |
| Extra engineering | $500 for 10 architect hours | Fixed $500 blocks | ||
| Also included | Chat with the engineer inside the project, follow tasks on a board and see the hours logged | No extras listed | No extras listed | A dedicated developer, a part-time business analyst, executive reporting and custom integrations |
| Written guarantee | Buy the engineering hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and Joylo guarantees that scope goes live. Joylo pays for any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply | |||
Work out how many hours your app needs before you pick. Expert Assist is capped at 20 hours a month on the self-serve plans. If you need more, Co-Build gives you 40, 80 or 160 hours a month, a faster first response and three 30-minute meetings a week.
What does each Zite plan include?
Unlimited users and editors, 30+ native integrations and code editing come with all Zite plans, Free included. Free gives you 50 credits a month and 10 AI messages a day. Billed monthly, Pro costs $25, Business $89 and Team $300 a month. Yearly billing brings them to $240, $900 and $3,000 a year, which saves 2 months. Enterprise is custom. The table below shows what each plan adds.
| Free | Pro | Business | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $0, free forever | $25 | $89 | $300 |
| Yearly price | Not applicable | $240 a year ($20 a month) | $900 a year ($75 a month) | $3,000 a year |
| AI credits | 50 / month | 100+ / month | 400+ / month | 800+ / month |
| Daily AI message limit | 10 a day | None | None | None |
| Users and editors | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Workspaces | 1 | 3 | 5 | Unlimited |
| Database records | 5,000 | 100,000 | 250,000 | 1,000,000 |
| Workflow runs | 1,000 / month | 5,000 / month | 50,000 / month | 250,000 / month |
| Attachment storage | 1 GB | 10 GB | 100 GB | Not listed |
| Custom domains | None listed | 1 | Unlimited | Not listed |
| Remove Zite branding | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced AI models, build with your own AI, AI training opt-out | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Granular permissions, roles, enforced two-factor, priority support | No | No | No | Yes |
| Human engineer | Not available | Not available | Not available | Not available. Approved partner agencies are hired separately |
| Refund | Not applicable | Full refund if you cancel in the first month, with minimal usage. Cancel any time | ||
Zite's plans grow with records, workflow runs and workspaces, the things a company's internal tools use up. Joylo's higher plans add engineer hours. That shows who each one is built for.
What do the add-ons and services cost?
People's time is what most Joylo add-ons buy. That covers Expert Assist, Production Support at $299 or $999 a month, and complex migration at a fixed $2,000, done by our engineers. Zite doesn't publish paid services like these. You raise the monthly credits on Pro or Business instead, and Enterprise adds a dedicated channel, custom service-level agreements and audit logs. The table puts both side by side.
| Service | Joylo | Zite |
|---|---|---|
| Expert Assist | $500 for 10 architect hours. First response within 24 hours. | Not available |
| Standard migration | Free on every paid plan, from the $1 Trial up. | Data import by CSV or from Airtable. Your app logic is rebuilt by the AI |
| Complex migration | $2,000 fixed price. You buy it, our engineers do the work. No charge if it doesn't work. | Not available |
| Production Support, Essential | $299 a month. 24/7 automated monitoring, next-business-day engineer response. | Not published. Priority support is a Team-plan feature |
| Production Support, Advanced | $999 a month. Adds security patching, monthly restore tests and 4-hour engineer response. | Not published |
| Extra live apps on Production Support | $199 per app per month, beyond 3 apps. | Not applicable |
| Extra Co-Build engineering | Fixed $500 blocks. | Not available |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing. | Custom, contact sales. A dedicated channel, custom SLAs, SAML single sign-on, MFA and audit logs |
Most of Joylo's add-ons buy an engineer's time, while Zite's extras sit inside its plans. If you want someone watching your app after launch, read the Production Support rows.
How do Joylo and Zite compare at a glance?
Help with a stuck app is where Joylo is stronger. Its own engineers work in your project, and its phone apps reach the App Store and Google Play. On paid plans, your code can go to your own GitHub too. Buy the hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and Joylo commits in writing to getting it live and paying any overrun. Zite is stronger for a whole team on a small budget. It has unlimited users on every plan, yearly billing and 30+ integrations. The 20 rows below compare both.
| Feature | Joylo | Zite |
|---|---|---|
| Access to a human engineer | Yes. Joylo's own engineers, from inside your project | No. 24/5 tech support, plus approved partner agencies you hire separately |
| Written guarantee | Production Guarantee: buy the hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope and Joylo gets it live, paying any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply | Not published. Refunds are not available for downtime or performance issues |
| Starting price | Free at $0, or $1 for the first month on the Trial. Paid plans from $25 a month. | Free at $0, or Pro at $25 a month |
| Paid plans | Solo Builder $25, Starter $50, Co-Build $3,000 / $4,000 / $6,000 a month | Pro $25, Business $89, Team $300 a month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Yes, $0, with 30 AI credits in the first month, then 10 a month, and 3 public apps | Yes, free forever, 50 credits and 10 AI messages a day |
| Billing | Monthly, fixed price, no long-term contract, 30-day money-back on paid plans | Monthly or annual (annual saves 2 months), cancel any time, full refund in the first month with minimal usage |
| How usage is charged | AI credits for building, changing and publishing. Hosting for live apps is covered by your monthly renewal. No separate hosting bill. | AI credits for building, with selectable credit limits on Pro and Business. Visual edits don't use credits. Hosting included. |
| Builds | Full-stack web apps; design-only screens; mobile apps built with Expo, published to the App Store and Google Play | Business apps, forms, websites and workflows on a shared database. Apps can be added to a phone's home screen as a web app |
| Built in | Sign-in, Postgres database, Stripe payments, file storage, AI key for your app | User login, built-in database, 30+ integrations including Stripe, attachment storage, Zite's AI keys on Pro and up |
| Hosting and domains | No separate hosting bill. Published apps always on and a custom domain on all paid plans. Free-plan apps sleep when idle | Zite hosting only, included. 1 custom domain on Pro, unlimited on Business |
| Team members | Unlimited, no seat fee, on Starter and Co-Build | Unlimited users and editors on every plan, including Free |
| Code ownership | You own the full app on every plan | No ownership terms published. Zite's own comparison page says "If you want to own the codebase, choose Lovable." |
| Code export | Export to your own GitHub on every paid plan, from the $1 Trial up, with two-way sync | Workspace export, with import into another Zite organization as the documented route |
| Tech stack | React, Node, Postgres. No proprietary runtime. | React apps written in TypeScript on Zite's own framework, Zite.js, with Postgres databases |
| Who the engineers are | HST Solutions, Dublin, since 2007. HST is certified to ISO 27001 and ISO 22301. | Not applicable. Zite is made by Restly, Inc., the company behind Fillout forms |
| Engineer price | $500 for 10 hours (Expert Assist), or 40–160 hours a month on Co-Build | Not applicable |
| Engineer response | Within 24 hours (Expert Assist); 4 or 2 business hours (Co-Build) | Not applicable. Priority support on the Team plan |
| Engineer hours | 9am to 5pm GMT, Monday to Friday | Tech support 24 hours a day, 5 days a week |
| Migration in | Free standard migration on paid plans; $2,000 fixed price for complex moves, done by our engineers | Data import by CSV or from Airtable. App logic is rebuilt by the AI |
| App check | AI Confidence Score on every plan | Not published. "Improve my app" suggestions on every plan |
Want help when something breaks? Read the engineer lines first. If your team is large and your budget is small, look at the team members line, because that's where Zite wins.
STUCK? BRING IN AN ENGINEER.
What happens when your app gets stuck?
An app your revenue depends on cannot run on a prompt box alone. APIs change. Payment gateways break at 2am. Every fix the AI makes can add new bugs. That is the moment most builders leave you to find a freelancer. Joylo's answer is a certified in-house engineer, inside your project within 24 hours, backed by a written Production Guarantee: buy the hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and Joylo takes responsibility for getting it live. If the estimate runs over, Joylo pays the difference. Conditions and exclusions apply. To start, choose "Engage an Expert" inside your project.
- Launch is guaranteed, in writing.Buy the engineering hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and Joylo guarantees that scope goes live. Joylo pays for any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply.
- Who they are.Joylo's engineers are its own in-house team, not freelancers. Joylo's engineers come from a team that builds software for regulated businesses, such as fund groups, banks and insurers.
- You stay in control.Engineers see your code only after you approve access. Nothing merges without your approval. Chat with the engineer inside the project, follow tasks on a board and see the hours logged.
- What it costs.$500 for 10 architect hours. Hours are bought in blocks of 10. Self-serve plans can use up to 20 hours a month.
- Rather not build it yourself?A named Joylo engineer builds the app for you: 40, 80 or 160 hours a month. You meet 30 minutes, three times a week.
CODE YOU OWN. TAKE IT ANYWHERE.
Who owns the code you build?
Your app is yours on every Joylo plan, Free included. On paid plans, you can export the code to your own GitHub, where changes flow both ways. Zite publishes no ownership terms. Inside Zite you can view and edit the code, or run the project on your own computer. Its documented export, though, moves a workspace into another Zite organization, without your database records.
Joylo
- Ownership. You own the full application on every plan. No lock-in.
- The code. React front end, Node API and a Postgres database. No proprietary runtime or client SDK. Any developer can pick it up.
- Hosting. It runs on AWS, Azure, GCP or your own servers.
- Export. On paid plans, from the $1 Trial up, push the project to a new or existing GitHub repository, private or public. After export, changes sync both ways, with help resolving conflicts.
- Moving in. Import from Lovable, Replit, Bolt or your own GitHub repository. Standard migration is free on paid plans. Complex migration: $2,000 fixed price. You buy it, our engineers do the work. No charge if it doesn't work.
Zite
- Ownership. No ownership terms published.
- The code. View and edit your app's code inside Zite on every plan, or run the project on your own computer.
- Hosting. Zite doesn't publish a way to host your app anywhere else.
- Export. The workspace export packs up your code, database setup, apps and forms for another Zite account. Your database records don't come with it.
- Moving in. Import data by CSV or from Airtable. Your app logic needs to be rebuilt.
How do Joylo and Zite compare feature by feature?
Much is shared: chat to build, a plan before you build, a built-in database, user login, Stripe payments and a live web address. Joylo adds its own engineers, phone apps in the App Store and Google Play, two-way GitHub sync and the AI Confidence Score. Once you agree a scope and buy the hours Joylo recommends, its Production Guarantee gets that work live, and Joylo pays any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply. Zite adds automated steps, 30+ ready-made links to other tools and unlimited users on every plan. It also connects AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT to your data. The rows below group every feature by task.
| Feature | What Joylo does | Zite |
|---|---|---|
| Build with AI | ||
| Describe it in plain English | Type or speak what you want. You can attach images or files as a reference. | Yes, prompt to build |
| Plan first, or build straight away | In Plan mode Joylo shows its plan and waits for your approval. In Build mode it goes ahead. | Yes, Planning mode and Chat mode |
| Three kinds of project | App: a full working web app. Design: screens only, which can be turned into an app later. Mobile: a phone app. | Apps, forms, websites and workflows on one shared database |
| Choice of AI model | Pick which AI model does the work. | Advanced AI models and build with your own AI on Business and up, with a free trial on Free and Pro |
| Power mode | The AI reviews its own code, runs visual tests and fixes what it finds. | Not published |
| Built-in backend | ||
| Database | Each app gets its own Postgres database, set up automatically. | Built-in database with a spreadsheet-style view: 5,000 records (Free), 100,000 (Pro), 250,000 (Business), 1,000,000 (Team) |
| Sign-in | Joylo Sign-in adds Google and GitHub login to your app without you setting up a login provider. | User login on every plan, a custom login screen on Business and up. SSO for app users on Enterprise |
| Payments | Connect your own Stripe account to a project. Joylo then builds the payment flows. | Stripe among the native integrations |
| Storage | Space for your apps' files: 1 GB on Free, 5 GB on Trial and Solo Builder, 10 GB on Starter. | 1 GB (Free), 10 GB (Pro), 100 GB (Business) |
| AI inside your app | A Universal AI Key lets the apps you build call AI models without your own AI provider account. | Use Zite's AI keys on Pro and up, or your own OpenAI key through the integration |
| Your own keys | Add your own API keys and settings to a project. | Yes, secrets on every plan |
| Preview and mobile | ||
| Live preview | See the app running in your browser as it is built. | Yes, preview as a user |
| Mobile app preview | Mobile projects are built with Expo. Scan a QR code with the Expo Go app to open the app on your phone. | Add to home screen as a web app. Zite says it is still your Zite website |
| Publish to the App Store or Google Play | Mobile apps are published to the App Store and Google Play through Expo. | Not available |
| Sleep when idle | While you are building, an unused preview goes to sleep. Published apps on paid plans stay on. Free-plan apps sleep when idle. | Not published |
| Editing | ||
| Change it by chat | Ask for changes in plain English, one message at a time. | Yes, Chat mode |
| Visual editor | Click an element in the preview and edit it in a side panel. | Yes, visual editing and a theme designer. Visual edits don't use credits |
| Code editor and terminal | Browse and edit the files, and use a terminal, in the browser. | Code viewing and editing on every plan, and you can run the project on your own computer |
| Use your own editor | Connect VS Code or Cursor to the project over SSH. | Build from Cursor, VS Code or Claude through Zite's MCP on Business, with a 7-day free trial on other plans |
| Figma import | Paste a Figma link, or use the Joylo plugin, and Joylo builds from the design. | Not published |
| App check (AI Confidence Score) | Scores the app out of 100 across security, reliability, integrations, scalability and code quality, and lists what to review. | Not published. Zite lists "Improve my app" among its AI tools |
| SEO and AI search check | Reviews your pages for search and AI-search issues, then fixes them with AI. | Not published |
| Publish and hosting | ||
| Publish to a live web address | Publish in a few clicks to a Joylo web address. | Yes, on a Zite subdomain |
| Custom domain | On paid plans, point your own domain at a published app. You buy the domain from a registrar. | 1 domain on Pro, unlimited on Business |
| Hosting included | Hosting is included in your plan, not a separate bill. Publishing uses credits upfront, from about 58 credits, and your monthly renewal covers hosting for apps already live. Published apps on paid plans are always on. | Included. Zite hosting only, on AWS via Render, in the US and the EU on request |
| Live apps stay live | Hosting for a live app is covered by your monthly renewal. If you run out of credits mid-month, new builds pause until your reset or an optional top-up, but live apps keep running. | Not published |
| Remove the Joylo badge | Hide the Joylo badge on your app, on paid plans. | Remove Zite branding on Pro and up |
| Team workspace | ||
| Team workspace | A shared space for projects, members, billing and credits. Starter and Co-Build | 1 workspace (Free), 3 (Pro), 5 (Business), unlimited (Team) |
| Unlimited members, no seat fee | Invite people by email. There is no member limit and no per-seat charge. Starter and Co-Build | Unlimited users and editors on every plan, including Free |
| Roles | Owner, Admin, Editor or Viewer for each member. Starter and Co-Build | Granular permissions and roles on Team |
| Require two-step login | The workspace owner can require two-factor authentication for every member. Starter and Co-Build | Enforce two-factor authentication on Team |
| Share a project | Share a link to a project or its preview. | Yes, share to the web and embed in other sites |
| Code ownership and export | ||
| You own the app | You own the full application on every plan. | No ownership terms published. Zite's own comparison page says "If you want to own the codebase, choose Lovable." |
| Standard stack | React front end, Node API and a Postgres database. No proprietary runtime or client SDK. | React apps written in TypeScript on Zite's own framework, Zite.js, with Postgres databases. Zite hosting only |
| Export to GitHub | On paid plans, push the project to a new or existing GitHub repository, private or public. | Workspace export (code, database setup, apps, forms) into another Zite account. Records not included |
| Two-way GitHub sync | After export, changes sync both ways, with help resolving conflicts. | Not published |
| Bring an app from elsewhere | Import from Lovable, Replit, Bolt or your own GitHub repository. Standard migration is free on paid plans. | Data import by CSV or from Airtable, with app logic rebuilt by the AI |
| Integrations (connectors) | ||
| Connectors | Stripe (payments), Joylo Sign-in (login), Universal AI Key (AI in your app), GitHub, Figma, Gmail, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, email by SMTP. | 30+ native integrations on every plan, plus webhooks, a REST API, Zapier and n8n |
| Human engineers | ||
| Expert Assist | Choose "Engage an Expert" inside your project. A Joylo engineer works in your project to fix an issue, finish a feature or help you launch. Add-on on any plan | Not available. Zite lists approved partner agencies you hire separately |
| Fixed price | $500 for 10 architect hours. Hours are bought in blocks of 10. Self-serve plans can use up to 20 hours a month. | Not available |
| Response time and hours | First response within 24 hours. Engineers work 9am to 5pm GMT, Monday to Friday. | 24/5 tech support by email and chat |
| Work you can see | Chat with the engineer inside the project, follow tasks on a board and see the hours logged. | Not applicable |
| Approval before access | Engineers see your code only after you approve access. Nothing merges without your approval. Published policy | Not applicable |
| Co-Build | A named Joylo engineer builds the app for you: 40, 80 or 160 hours a month. You meet 30 minutes, three times a week. | Not available |
| Production Support | 24/7 automated monitoring, with engineers acting during business hours. $299 or $999 a month. Add-on | Not published. Priority support is a Team-plan feature |
| Production Guarantee | Buy the engineering hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and Joylo guarantees that scope goes live. Joylo pays for any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply. Written terms | Not available |
| Billing and credits | ||
| Fixed monthly price | Each plan has a fixed monthly price. Billing is monthly only. No long-term contract. | Monthly or annual, and annual saves 2 months |
| AI credits | Credits pay for building, changing and publishing. The monthly allowance resets each month. Unused monthly credits do not roll over. | Monthly allowance resets each month and does not roll over |
| Top-ups | Buy more credits at any time on a paid plan. | Increase or decrease the monthly credits on Pro and Business |
| Free plan and Trial | Free plan at $0, with 30 AI credits in the first month and 10 a month after that. Or the Trial: $1 for the first month with 100 credits, then it renews as Solo Builder at $25 a month. | No priced trial. The Free plan costs nothing and comes with 50 credits and 10 AI messages a day |
| Promo codes | Enter a promo code at checkout. | Not published |
| Money-back guarantee | Paid plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee. | Full refund if you cancel in the first month, with minimal usage |
| Security | ||
| Two-factor login | Add an authenticator app to your Joylo account. | Enforce two-factor authentication on Team |
| Sign in with Google, GitHub or Microsoft | Use an existing account to log in to Joylo. | Google, Microsoft or email sign-in. SAML single sign-on on Enterprise |
| Role-based access | Roles control what each team member can do. Starter and Co-Build | Granular permissions and roles on Team |
| GDPR | GDPR-ready. A data processing agreement is available on request. EU-only hosting is available on request. | EU servers on request |
| Certifications | GDPR-ready. Engineering by HST Solutions, which holds ISO 27001 and ISO 22301. | SOC 2 Type II (Zite's stated claim) |
| What Zite offers that Joylo doesn't | ||
| Automated steps as a flowchart (workflows) | Not published | Yes: 1,000 runs a month (Free), 5,000 (Pro), 50,000 (Business), 250,000 (Team) |
| Connect your own AI agent (MCP) | Not published | Yes, MCP data access on every plan including Free |
| Audit logs | Not published | Enterprise |
| AI training opt-out | Not published | On by default, Business and up |
| Annual billing | All plans are monthly | Yes, and it saves 2 months |
Zite comes out ahead on free-plan users, storage on its higher plans, how many automated steps it runs a month, and the flowchart view of your app's rules. Joylo wins on the human engineer rows, the mobile app stores and leaving with your code. You're choosing between generous limits and an engineer you can reach when your app breaks.
Which one is
right for you?
For tools your own staff will keep changing themselves, Zite is the better pick. Choose Joylo when the app faces your customers and has to keep working. You'll notice the split the first time something breaks. Zite then offers tech support and partner agencies you hire yourself. Joylo can put one of its own engineers on the job. Once you buy the hours it recommends for the agreed scope, Joylo's written guarantee gets that scope live, with any overrun paid by Joylo. Conditions and exclusions apply.
Joylo
Choose Joylo if
- Your revenue will depend on this app. APIs change and payment gateways break. When the prompt box starts adding bugs instead of fixing them, a certified Joylo engineer steps into your repo within 24 hours. No freelancer marketplace, no agency quote.
- You want someone accountable for launch, in writing. Buy the hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope and Joylo guarantees that scope goes live. If the estimate runs over, Joylo pays the difference. Conditions and exclusions apply.
- You are a non-technical founder who wants a real app with logins, data and payments, not a prototype.
- You want to own your code: a standard React, Node and Postgres app you can export to your GitHub and host anywhere.
- You are stuck on another builder and want the app moved across and finished.
- You would rather not build it yourself and want a named engineer doing the work (Co-Build).
Not the best fit for
- Round-the-clock human support. Engineers work UK business hours. Out of hours there is automated monitoring only, unless you agree an Enterprise arrangement.
- Long-term hobby use. Paid plans start at $25 a month.
- A team on the $25 plan. Team workspaces start at Starter, $50 a month.
- Annual billing. All plans are monthly.
- Building mainly by drag and drop. Joylo is chat-first. The visual editor is for small changes.
Start with the page written for you:First-time foundersFixing a half-finished appSmall teams
Zite
Zite is right for you if:
- Your whole team needs to be in it on a free or $25 plan. Every Zite plan, even Free, lets you add as many users as you like. On Joylo, team workspaces start at Starter, $50 a month.
- The people running your operations want to change things themselves. They can click any part of the screen to edit it and set up automated steps as a flowchart, with no developer to wait on.
- The app is just for your own staff, like a directory, a tracker or an approvals list, and you're happy for Zite to host it.
Zite is not for you if:
- You want to own your code and host it yourself. Zite's own comparison page says to pick another tool if you "want to own and self-host the underlying codebase."
- You want an engineer to step in when your app gets stuck. Zite offers tech support and a list of partner agencies you hire yourself.
- You want your app in the App Store or Google Play. Zite apps can be added to a phone's home screen as a web app instead.
Each builder suits a different job. Pick the one whose list sounds most like you.
Fair questions.
Straight answers.
The practical details before you choose.
Is Zite's Pro plan $20 or $25 a month?
$25, if you pay monthly. Zite's pricing page opens on yearly billing, which shows Pro at $20 a month, or $240 a year with $300 crossed out. Business is $89 a month billed monthly or $900 a year, and Team is $300 a month or $3,000 a year. If you'd rather not pay, Zite's Free plan never expires, with up to 10 messages a day. Joylo's Solo Builder is $25 a month, billed monthly only.
Is Zite an AI builder for running your operations?
Yes. Zite's homepage calls it "The AI builder that means business". It says you can run your operations on one system, with custom apps and automated steps, which Zite calls workflows, on one database. Forms and websites sit there too, so its focus is the tools inside a company. Joylo's mobile apps are published to the App Store and Google Play, and an engineer steps in when the AI gets stuck.
Should I use Zite for internal company tools?
Yes, especially when lots of people need to use them. Every Zite plan, Free included, lets you add unlimited users and editors, and your apps, forms and automated steps share one database. That suits tools your own staff use every day. On Joylo, a shared team space starts with Starter at $50 a month, with no seat fee. If paying customers will use the app, Joylo fits better.
How many automated runs does each Zite plan include?
1,000 a month on Free, 5,000 on Pro, 50,000 on Business and 250,000 on Team. Zite calls these automated steps workflows, and they run on the same database as your apps and forms. Every plan also includes Zapier and n8n for linking other tools. Joylo has no published feature for automated runs, though its built-in connectors include Gmail, Outlook, Microsoft Teams and email by SMTP.
If my Zite app breaks, is there an engineer I can call?
No. Zite has no engineer service of its own. It offers tech support by email and chat, 24 hours a day, five days a week, and Team adds priority support. For build work, Zite lists approved partner agencies that you hire separately. On Joylo, you choose "Engage an Expert" inside your project, and a certified, in-house engineer replies within 24 hours. Help comes in blocks of 10 hours at $500.
What does Joylo promise if my launch runs over its estimate?
Joylo pays the overrun, as long as its Production Guarantee is in place. That takes two steps. We review your project with you, and Joylo assesses its scope. Then you buy the engineering hours it recommends. After that, Joylo is responsible for getting the agreed scope live and keeping it there. When the estimate falls short, Joylo carries the extra engineering cost itself. Conditions and exclusions apply. Zite publishes no launch guarantee.
Will Joylo import my Zite project?
No. Zite isn't one of the sources Joylo imports from. Those are Lovable, Replit, Bolt and your own GitHub. Zite's own export is built for moving a workspace between Zite organizations, and database records aren't part of it. On Joylo, you'd start by describing the app. Joylo then builds a working web app with sign-in, a database and payments, and you keep changing it by chat.
Can I move my Zite app's code to my own hosting?
Not on any route Zite publishes, and Zite has no published ownership terms either. Every Zite plan includes code editing, and the project can also run on a computer of your own. One of Zite's comparison pages says to choose Lovable "if you want to own the codebase". On Joylo, the full app is yours on every plan. On paid plans, export it to your own GitHub, and put it live on AWS, Azure, GCP or your own servers.
Start building.
With a guarantee it goes live.
Describe your app and see what you can build. Guarantee conditions and exclusions apply.
Prices in USD, excluding VAT. Engineers work 9am to 5pm GMT, Monday to Friday. Prices can change, so check each pricing page before you buy.