Codename One vs B4i

Codename One8.4Visit B4i7.9Visit

Higher score Codename One #5 in Mobile Development IDEs 8.4/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Codename One

vs

B4i #9 in Mobile Development IDEs 7.9/10 Paid ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit B4i

• Codename One fits best

  Java teams shipping Android and iOS apps

• B4i fits best

  Low-cost Windows iOS development

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Side by side

Feature	Codename One 8.4/10 Visit ↗	B4i 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.4	7.9
Ranking	#5 in Mobile Development IDEs	#9 in Mobile Development IDEs
Best for	Java teams shipping Android and iOS apps	Low-cost Windows iOS development
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$300/user/yr	$26/yr
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	14 days	—
Money-back guarantee	30 days	30 days
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Desktop, Cloud
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, iOS
Support	Email, Phone, Live chat, Community, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Codename One 3/3 · B4i 3/3
Emulator or simulator	✓	✓
Visual UI designer	✓	✓
App packaging	✓	✓
Specs
Mobile targets	Android, iOS/iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS	iOS
Desktop platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Supported languages	Java, Kotlin	B4X
Our review
Pros	Native Android and iOS builds from a shared Java or Kotlin codebase Visual GUI builder, simulator, testing, and CSS live updates Free plan plus cloud builds and broad Java ecosystem integrations	Native iOS compilation with visual UI design and device debugging $59 perpetual Standard license with local Mac compilation Hosted Mac Builder option removes the need for a local Mac
Cons	Free plan limits builds to 100 credits monthly Free plan has an 8.5 MB user JAR limit Paid plans use annual billing per developer seat	Development targets iOS rather than multiple mobile platforms Local compilation requires a Mac computer No trial version; the IDE uses a B4X programming language
Our verdict	Codename One is an open-source framework and development toolchain for Java and Kotlin developers building native applications from a shared codebase. It targets Android, iOS/iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and web browsers.… Read the review →	B4i is a Windows-based development environment for building native iOS applications with B4X, a Visual Basic-like programming language. It is aimed at solo developers, small teams, and organizations that want to create iPhone and iPad… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Codename One — where it wins

  • Native Android and iOS builds from a shared Java or Kotlin codebase
  • Visual GUI builder, simulator, testing, and CSS live updates
  • Free plan plus cloud builds and broad Java ecosystem integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Free plan limits builds to 100 credits monthly
  • Free plan has an 8.5 MB user JAR limit
  • Paid plans use annual billing per developer seat

• B4i — where it wins

  • Native iOS compilation with visual UI design and device debugging
  • $59 perpetual Standard license with local Mac compilation
  • Hosted Mac Builder option removes the need for a local Mac

  Where it doesn't

  • Development targets iOS rather than multiple mobile platforms
  • Local compilation requires a Mac computer
  • No trial version; the IDE uses a B4X programming language

• Codename One8.4/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  A Java and Kotlin toolchain for native mobile builds, visual design, testing, and cloud delivery.

  Visit Codename OneFull verdict →
• B4i7.9/10 · Paid

  A low-cost route to native iOS development from Windows, with Mac-based compilation options.

  Visit B4iFull verdict →