a0.dev alternative
An a0.dev alternative in native SwiftUI
a0.dev builds React Native apps on Expo, previewed as a web version or inside a0's own iPhone app. Borel is the alternative for people who want the real thing while they build: native SwiftUI, running in Apple's iOS Simulator in your browser, then installed as the actual app on your iPhone and published to the App Store.
Updated
Apps built by Borel, in the iOS Simulator.
a0.dev
Who is a0.dev for?
a0.dev is an AI app builder aimed at people who want to launch a mobile business: it writes the app, handles the build, creates the App Store Connect listing and uploads it for you, with payments and analytics alongside.
Under the hood, a0 projects are built on Expo, the React Native framework, so the code is JavaScript that runs on iPhone and Android.
The iPhone question
Where does a0.dev stop for an iPhone app?
The difference is in how you see the app while you build it. a0's docs list the web preview's limit as no native features, and its iPhone app, where you open a project by QR code, as no payments.
To run the app as itself on an iPhone, a0 makes a native build, and its docs say iOS devices have to be registered before it installs.
Borel
What Borel does differently
Apple's simulator, in your browser
Every Borel build runs in the iOS Simulator on Borel's Mac, native features and all, free for everyone.
SwiftUI, not React Native
Borel writes Swift with SwiftUI and compiles it with Xcode, so the app is native from the first build.
Your iPhone with a free Apple ID
On Pro, Borel Companion installs the real app with your Apple ID, a free one included, and keeps it signed.
At a glance
How do a0.dev and Borel compare?
From a0.dev's own site, as of October 2026. The full comparison has every row.
| Borel | a0.dev | |
|---|---|---|
| Code | Swift and SwiftUI | React Native, with Expo |
| Preview in the browser | The iOS Simulator | A web version |
| App Store upload done for you | Yes | Yes |
| Paid plans from | $20 a month | $20 a month |
Switching
How to switch from a0.dev to Borel
- 1
Bring the prompt
Paste what you asked a0 for. Borel plans the screens with you and writes them in SwiftUI.
- 2
Check the native parts
Try the camera, Face ID, maps and purchases in the simulator, where they run as the real app does.
- 3
Install and publish
On Pro, put the app on your iPhone with Companion, then send it to App Store Connect from the browser.
Choose Borel if…
- You want native SwiftUI rather than React Native.
- You want to see native features working while you build.
- You don't need Android.
Frequently asked questions
Borel builds a new SwiftUI app from your prompt or description. It doesn't import a0's React Native code.
Yes. Borel apps sell subscriptions and one-time unlocks through Apple's In-App Purchase, with the paywall written in Swift and the products created at Apple when you publish.
Yes. A Borel app's paywall shows in the iOS Simulator while you build, and on your iPhone with Borel Companion on Pro. Buying opens once the app is on the App Store.
No. Xcode runs on Borel's Mac, the simulator streams to your browser, and Borel Companion for Windows and Mac installs the app on your iPhone on Pro.
No. Borel makes native iPhone apps, and the same app runs on iPad.
Yes. Try the native build in the iOS Simulator at no cost, with 5 free credits a day, up to 30 a month. Pro starts at $20 a month.
Watch your app run natively
Describe it and see the SwiftUI build in the iOS Simulator, free.