Quick answer
Codename One - Codename One wins for most builders because its free tier is broader, does not require a credit card, and is much easier to grow into without immediately hitting hard monthly caps.
How the free tiers compare
These products solve different problems, so the free-tier tradeoff is not just about generosity. Appcircle is a mobile CI/CD service first: it gives you a small, bounded allowance for builds, distribution, signing, and publishing across native app pipelines. That makes it useful if you already know you need a CI/CD workflow and can live inside tight monthly limits. Codename One is a cross-platform app framework with a free cloud-build allowance on top, so the free tier covers more of the actual app-building workflow, not just release automation. It also has a clearer on-ramp to paid plans, with flat pricing at $29, $99, and $499 rather than sales-led pricing. Appcircle’s paid path starts with contact sales, which makes the next step less predictable for small teams.
Appcircle vs Codename One free tier, side by side
| AppcircleFTV 39 | Codename OneFTV 67 | |
|---|---|---|
| Concurrent buildsAppcircle caps concurrency directly; Codename One caps cloud build usage through credits. | 1 | 100 build credits per month; concurrent builds not listed on free |
| Build time / build sizeDifferent constraints: Appcircle limits runtime per build, Codename One limits artifact size for cloud builds. | 30 minutes max per build | 8.5 MB build JAR size |
| Monthly build allowanceCodename One says 1 credit per build; iOS builds use 8 credits. | 20 builds per month | 100 build credits per month |
| Push / notification allowanceThe quota types are not the same product feature, but both expose a monthly messaging-style limit. | 1000 CodePush updates per month | 1,000 push notifications per month |
| Store / distribution publishingAppcircle includes a small automated publishing cap; Codename One keeps manual submissions unlimited on free. | 5 publishes to stores per month | Manual app store submissions remain unlimited and free |
| Credit card requiredAppcircle's free tier explicitly requires a card; Codename One's free tier explicitly does not. | false | true |
After you outgrow the free tier
Appcircle’s paid path is contact-sales only, so the next meaningful price is not public and costs vary by module and deployment model. Codename One is simpler: Basic is $29/month billed monthly, Pro is $99/month, and Enterprise is $499/month. For small teams, Codename One is the cheaper and more predictable step up. Appcircle may fit larger orgs that want tailored deployment and SLA terms, but you cannot compare it on a fixed price basis from the provided data.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Appcircle | Codename One |
|---|---|---|
| Small team moving off free tierAppcircle does not publish a starting price for Corporate. | contact sales / varies by usage | $29/mo |
| Higher-volume mobile release workflowCodename One Pro adds more build capacity, push volume, and support. | contact sales / varies by usage | $99/mo |
| Enterprise deployment with SLA and on-prem needsCodename One Enterprise is the published top tier in the input. | contact sales / varies by usage | $499/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Appcircle when…
- You already have a mobile app and mainly need CI/CD, signing, testing distribution, and store publishing.
- Your workload is tiny and predictable, such as a few builds per week and occasional app-store publishes.
- You want a free tier centered on release automation rather than on app framework features.
- You are specifically comparing cloud and self-hosted deployment options and may later need an on-prem or private-cloud setup.
Pick Codename One when…
- You are building the app itself in Java or Kotlin and want a cross-platform framework, not just a pipeline.
- You want a free tier with no credit card required.
- You need iOS, Android, and Windows UWP build support on the free plan.
- You expect to grow into a clear flat-price paid tier instead of negotiating a tailored plan.
- You want more room for push notifications, build credits, and native app features as you scale.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, Codename One is the better free tier because it gives you more of the app-building stack, not just release automation, and it has a clear, public upgrade path starting at $29/month. Appcircle is the narrower choice if your main need is mobile CI/CD and publishing. It can still be the right fit for release-focused teams, but its free caps are tighter and the next paid step is sales-led, which makes it harder to plan around.
Read the full listings: Appcircle and Codename One. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.