LiveCode vs B4X

LiveCode5.5Visit B4X8.8Visit

LiveCode #6 in Mobile Development IDEs 5.5/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit LiveCode

vs

Higher score B4X #8 in Mobile Development IDEs 8.8/10 Free plan · paid from $59 Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit B4X

• LiveCode fits best

  Visual multi-target app creation

• B4X fits best

  Native Android and iOS developers

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Side by side

Feature	LiveCode 5.5/10 Visit ↗	B4X 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	5.5	8.8
Ranking	#6 in Mobile Development IDEs	#8 in Mobile Development IDEs
Best for	Visual multi-target app creation	Native Android and iOS developers
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Email, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features LiveCode 2/3 · B4X 3/3
Emulator or simulator	Not published	✓ (best)
Visual UI designer	✓	✓
App packaging	✓	✓
Specs
Mobile targets	iOS, Android	Android, iOS
Desktop platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Supported languages	LiveCode Script	B4X, Java
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 Android and iOS application development Code and layout reuse across B4A, B4i and B4J Visual designers, emulators and device debugging
Cons	No free plan is available Mobile deployment documentation describes mobile support as a future release Enterprise features require a separate Enterprise plan	B4i requires a paid perpetual developer license Local Mac builder is needed for iOS simulator support The suite spans several products rather than one focused IDE
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 →	B4X is a suite from Anywhere Software for building native Android and iOS applications, along with desktop, server and IoT software. B4A targets Android, B4i targets iOS, B4J supports desktop and server development, and B4R supports… 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

• B4X — where it wins

  • Native Android and iOS application development
  • Code and layout reuse across B4A, B4i and B4J
  • Visual designers, emulators and device debugging

  Where it doesn't

  • B4i requires a paid perpetual developer license
  • Local Mac builder is needed for iOS simulator support
  • The suite spans several products rather than one focused IDE

• LiveCode5.5/10 · Paid

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

  Visit LiveCodeFull verdict →
• B4X8.8/10 · Free plan · paid from $59

  A broad B4X suite for native Android and iOS work with reusable code and visual designers.

  Visit B4XFull verdict →