LiveCode vs B4i

LiveCode8.1Visit B4i7.9Visit

Higher score LiveCode #6 in Mobile Development IDEs 8.1/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit LiveCode

vs

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

• LiveCode fits best

  Visual multi-target app creation

• B4i fits best

  Low-cost Windows iOS development

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Side by side

Feature	LiveCode 8.1/10 Visit ↗	B4i 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.1	7.9
Ranking	#6 in Mobile Development IDEs	#9 in Mobile Development IDEs
Best for	Visual multi-target app creation	Low-cost Windows iOS development
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	—	$26/yr
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Desktop, Cloud
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Windows, macOS, iOS
Support	Email, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features LiveCode 2/3 · B4i 3/3
Emulator or simulator	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Visual UI designer	✓	✓
App packaging	✓	✓
Specs
Mobile targets	iOS, Android	iOS
Desktop platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Supported languages	LiveCode Script	B4X
Our review
Pros	Visual UI, workflow, and responsive layout editors Publishes to web, desktop, iOS, and Android targets Combines no-code tools with LiveCode Script for custom logic	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	No free plan is available Mobile deployment documentation describes mobile support as a future release Enterprise features require a separate Enterprise plan	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	LiveCode is a cross-platform application development environment for individuals, businesses, educators, and organizations creating internal or commercial applications. LiveCode Create combines a visual drag-and-drop UI builder, responsive… 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

• LiveCode — where it wins

  • Visual UI, workflow, and responsive layout editors
  • Publishes to web, desktop, iOS, and Android targets
  • Combines no-code tools with LiveCode Script for custom logic

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Mobile deployment documentation describes mobile support as a future release
  • Enterprise features require a separate Enterprise plan

• 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

• LiveCode8.1/10 · Paid

  A visual, multi-target IDE for teams that want app building without a code-only workflow.

  Visit LiveCodeFull verdict →
• B4i7.9/10 · Paid

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

  Visit B4iFull verdict →