Emergent vs Shipper (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Emergent grades higher than Shipper: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Emergent grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Emergent
AI agents that build and deploy full-stack web and mobile apps
Shipper
No-code AI builder for web apps, mobile apps, stores and bots
Which one is for you
Pick Emergent if
- Fits if you're a solo founder who wants a web app and a matching phone app from one project
- Works for people who want the generated code in their own GitHub repository
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you keep apps live, as each deployed one takes 50 of Standard's 100 monthly credits
- Not for you if you're staying free, since the free plan can't deploy, connect GitHub, use a custom domain or buy top-ups
- Skip it if you want Flutter or native Swift or Kotlin, because mobile apps use a fixed Expo, FastAPI and MongoDB stack
- Watch out: monthly credits don't roll over, top-ups are $10 for 50, and previews stop after 30 minutes
- Pricey if you need the 1M context window or custom agents, since Pro is $167 a month billed annually, $200 monthly
Pick Shipper if
- Fits if you want a web app, a bot or a Chrome extension from one description
- Works for teams, as Pro has unlimited teammates, though each is billed as a user
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 10 credits a month and web apps only
- Pricey if you build a lot, as Pro is $25 per user for 100 credits and Max is $200 for 500
- Too light for hand-editing code, as manual code editing is marked coming soon on Max
- Watch out: the pricing page also shows a $39 Pro block that does not match its $25 plan, so check at checkout
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAEmergentFair | 2.2GPAShipperFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStandard is $17 a month billed annually, $20 monthly, a touch above the $16 that marks the cheapest quarter of builders here. The arithmetic is what hurts: 100 credits a month, and every deployed app takes 50 of them, every month. Credits don't roll over, top-ups are $10 for 50, and Pro is $167. | CPro is $25 per user a month on monthly billing for 100 credits, the top of the category's range. Max is $200 for 500 credits, and no yearly price was seen. |
| Free plan and trial | CThere's a free plan at 10 credits a month with the core building features. But you can't deploy an app, connect GitHub, use your own domain or build for mobile, and you can't buy more credits either. A look round, not a plan to work on. | C5 daily credits, up to 10 a month, web apps and landing pages only. You will reach that in one sitting. |
| Features | CAgents write the front end and back end, set up login, then test and debug their own work, and a deployed web app can be rebuilt as a phone app on the same backend. You own the code. But the listing names the limit: mobile uses a fixed Expo, FastAPI and MongoDB stack, with no Flutter and no native Swift or Kotlin. | CMany project types, connectors, an AI Advisor and a Shopify-to-app tool. Manual code editing and model choice are marked coming soon, so they are not there yet. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but there's nothing to install or configure: describe the app in chat and the agents design, code, test and deploy it. Two things to know going in — previews die after 30 minutes, and the credit maths wants attention before you deploy anything. | CA web app where you build by describing. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA web app for building, with nothing on desktop or phone. What it makes runs on the web and as iPhone and Android apps through Expo. It connects to GitHub, Stripe, Supabase, Airtable, Slack, Twilio, Figma and Notion. | BWeb with connectors to Stripe, Shopify, Google, Notion, WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack and Discord. |
| Best for | a web app and a phone app from one project | web apps and bots from a plain-English description |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Emergent and Shipper. How we grade
Price against what you get
Emergent starts at $17 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Shipper starts at $25 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
Emergent scores higher and starts $8 a month lower. Of the other AI app builders on the chart, 3 score higher than Emergent for less, and 20 score higher than Shipper for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Shipper also covers chatbots.
At a glance
| Emergent | Shipper | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $17 per month, billed annually; $20 billed monthly (Standard) | $25 per user / month, billed monthly (Pro) |
| Free plan | 10 credits a month with the core building features. No deployments, GitHub integration, custom domains, mobile agent or credit top-ups. | 5 daily credits, up to 10 a month, with Shipper hosting, public projects and unlimited collaborators. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Emergent Labs | Shipper |
| Price read from | emergent.sh | shipper.now |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Emergent
- The Free plan has 10 credits a month and cannot deploy apps, connect GitHub or use custom domains.
- Each deployed app uses 50 credits a month, half of the Standard plan's 100-credit allowance.
- Monthly subscription credits do not roll over; top-up credits, at $10 for 50, never expire.
- Mobile apps use a fixed Expo, FastAPI and MongoDB stack; Flutter and native Swift or Kotlin are not supported.
Shipper
- The Free plan is limited to 5 daily credits and up to 10 a month, and builds web apps and landing pages only.
- Pro is priced per user, from 100 credits a month at $25, and the credit steps go up to 20,000 a month.
- Several Max-only features, such as selectable AI models and manual code editing, are marked coming soon.
- Pricing is shown billed monthly; no annual price was seen.
Key features
Emergent
- Agent-built full-stack apps
- Describe an app in chat and Emergent's agents write the frontend and backend, set up authentication, then test and debug the result.
- Mobile apps with Expo
- A Mobile agent builds iOS and Android apps from one Expo (React Native) codebase with a FastAPI backend and MongoDB. It is available on paid plans only.
- Web and mobile conversion
- A deployed web app can be rebuilt as a mobile app, or the reverse, with both versions sharing the same backend, database and login.
- Deployment and custom domains
- Previews expire after 30 minutes; deploying keeps an app online and costs 50 credits a month per app. Custom domains are available on paid plans.
- GitHub integration
- Paid plans can connect GitHub for version control. Emergent states that you own the generated code and can download, modify or host it elsewhere.
- Custom agents and Pro modes
- Pro adds custom AI agent creation, system prompt editing, a 1M context window and an Ultra thinking mode for complex builds.
Shipper
- Chat-built apps
- Describe an app and Shipper builds and hosts it; you can also edit the code by hand and export it.
- Many project types
- Websites, mobile and web apps, e-commerce stores, Chrome extensions, and WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack and Discord bots.
- Website and Shopify to app
- Project types for turning an existing website or Shopify store into a mobile app.
- AI Advisor
- A mentor-style chat that reviews a project and gives advice on copywriting, marketing, design and product architecture.
- Local business outreach
- Finds local businesses without a website or app, builds one, and prepares an email pitch to the owner.
- Connectors
- The Pro plan lists connectors such as Stripe, Shopify, Google and Notion.
Plans
Emergent
Free$0
10 free monthly credits with core platform features. Deployments, GitHub integration, custom domains and top-ups are not included.
Standard$17
per month, billed annually; $20 billed monthly
100 credits a month, web and mobile app building, private project hosting, GitHub integration, forking and the option to buy extra credits.
Pro$167
per month, billed annually; $200 billed monthly
750 credits a month, a 1M context window, Ultra thinking, system prompt editing, custom AI agents, larger machines and priority support.
BusinessCustom
Everything in Pro, plus role-based access control, single sign-on, shared team workspaces and real-time co-editing.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Business, plus user-level credit limits, audit logs, self-hosted database support and deployment in your own cloud.
Shipper
Free$0
5 daily credits, up to 10 a month; builds web apps and landing pages with Shipper hosting, public projects and community support.
Pro$25
per user / month, billed monthly, for 100 credits
From 100 credits a month, up to 20,000 on larger steps; adds mobile apps, extensions and bots, connectors, unlimited teammates and AI Advisor.
Max$200
per user / month, billed monthly, for 500 credits
Everything in Pro with 500 credits and larger steps, priority support, early access and AI Employees; several Max-only features are marked coming soon.
EnterpriseCustom
Dedicated support, custom integrations, SSO and an opt-out of data training.
Ways to pay less
Emergent
- Annual discount
Lower monthly rate with annual billing
On the pricing page, annual billing brings Standard from $20 to $17 a month (a $36 saving a year) and Pro from $200 to $167 a month (a $396 saving a year).
Shipper
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Emergent or Shipper?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Emergent starts at $17 per month, billed annually; $20 billed monthly (Standard), and Shipper starts at $25 per user / month, billed monthly (Pro). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Emergent or Shipper?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Emergent and Shipper have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.