# CatDoes vs Rork

> CatDoes vs Rork: CatDoes is our pick, leading for beginners and free plans. They split on mobile output and data residency. Verified August 2026.

![CatDoes logo](https://www.versusref.com/logos/catdoes.png) ![Rork logo](https://www.versusref.com/logos/rork.png)

CatDoes (AI agent-driven builder shipping native iOS/Android + web from one prompt) and Rork (Mobile-first prompt-to-native-app builder for indie app founders) are AI app builders platforms, priced from $16/mo and $20/mo respectively. Below: the bottom line, verified head-to-head facts, and real production costs.

AI app builders platforms · 23 facts compared · all sourced · pricing verified Aug 31, 2026

## Bottom line

CatDoes wins four of the seven use cases to Rork's two, with one tie. CatDoes takes beginners on its documented Figma and screenshot import and larger starting credit allowance, and free plans on its lower entry price and credit rollover that Rork's plan lacks. It also wins internal tools, documenting built-in authentication and a GitHub integration where Rork publishes neither, and wins UI design on documented import along with versioning and rollback. Rork answers with developers, where its code export comes without the paid-plan gate CatDoes places on that feature, and mobile apps, where its Swift and Kotlin native builds are more platform-specific than CatDoes's cross-platform Expo output. Self-hosting the builder ties.

## Verdict summary

| Use case | Winner | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beginners | CatDoes | Both CatDoes and Rork offer an agent that builds autonomously, so that does not separate them. |
| Developers | Rork | Code export and GitHub sync are the hard filters for developers. |
| Free Plans | CatDoes | CatDoes gives 25 starting credits to build and test with, while Rork's free plan trickles in just 5 credits a day, a smaller working pool for someone evaluating the platform. |
| Internal Tools | CatDoes | For internal tools, a real backend, integrations, and built-in auth matter most. |
| Mobile Apps | Rork | Both CatDoes and Rork ship native mobile output, so that alone does not separate them. |
| Self-Hosted | Tie | Neither CatDoes nor Rork publishes whether the builder itself runs offline, what license it ships under, or whether you can bring your own API keys instead of paying a subscription, the things that matter most for someone who wants to run the app builder on their own machine. |
| UI Design | CatDoes | Figma or screenshot import is the top requirement for design-led teams, and CatDoes documents it, while Rork does not publish this capability at all. |

## CatDoes vs Rork: head-to-head facts

| Fact | CatDoes | Rork | Verified |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Metering unit | credits ([source](https://catdoes.com/pricing)) | credits ([source](https://docs.rork.com/billing/build-credits-vs-cloud-credits.md)) | Aug 31 |
| What the free plan caps | 25 starting credits ([source](https://catdoes.com/pricing)) | 5 credits/day ([source](https://docs.rork.com/introduction/subscriptions.md)) | Aug 31 |
| Cheapest paid plan (monthly) | $17 ([source](https://catdoes.com/pricing)) | $20 ([source](https://docs.rork.com/introduction/subscriptions.md)) | Aug 31 |
| Cheapest paid plan (annual) | ~$16 ([source](https://catdoes.com/pricing)) | n/a | Aug 31 |
| Metering pool at entry plan | 50 credits/month ([source](https://catdoes.com/pricing)) | 100 build credits/mo ([source](https://docs.rork.com/introduction/subscriptions.md)) | Aug 31 |
| Output stack | Mobile: React Native Expo (iOS + Android). Web: Vite or N... ([source](https://docs.catdoes.com/features/tech-stack.md)) | Native: Swift/SwiftUI (iOS), Kotlin/Compose (Android) ([source](https://docs.rork.com/swift-vs-react-native/whats-the-difference.md)) | Aug 31 |
| Backend model | Built-in platform backend (CatDoes Cloud) ([source](https://catdoes.com/)) | Rork Cloud (built-in Postgres DB + row-level security + E... ([source](https://docs.rork.com/backend/rork-cloud.md)) | Aug 31 |
| Code export | full project, Plus plan ($84/mo) and above ([source](https://catdoes.com/)) | full project ([source](https://docs.rork.com/faq/code-export.md)) | Aug 31 |
| GitHub sync | bidirectional ([source](https://docs.catdoes.com/features/github-integration.md)) | bidirectional ([source](https://docs.rork.com/import/import-from-github.md)) | Aug 31 |
| Self-host the output | ✓  Yes ([source](https://catdoes.com/)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.rork.com/swift-vs-react-native/whats-the-difference.md)) | Aug 31 |
| Keeps working if you stop paying | false ([source](https://catdoes.com/legal/terms-of-service)) | n/a | Aug 31 |
| Mobile output | native (React Native Expo) ([source](https://docs.catdoes.com/features/deployment.md)) | native ([source](https://docs.rork.com/swift-vs-react-native/whats-the-difference.md)) | Aug 31 |
| Agent mode (autonomous multi-step builds) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://catdoes.com/)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://rork.com/)) | Aug 31 |
| Figma / screenshot import | ✓  Yes ([source](https://catdoes.com/)) | n/a | Aug 31 |
| Training-on-your-code policy | Does not train AI models on user data ([source](https://catdoes.com/legal/privacy-policy)) | n/a | Aug 31 |

## CatDoes vs Rork pricing: true cost at 3 usage tiers

True monthly cost at 3 builder profiles: weekend prototyper (1 app, ~40 edit prompts/mo), active builder (2-3 apps, ~250 edit prompts/mo), small team (5 seats, continuous). Vendors with a published per-action cost resolve to a real $/mo; effort-based or unpublished metering renders honestly as "metered - conversion not published" rather than a guess. Open-source/local tools show license + BYO-API-key cost, never $0.

| Volume | Buyer | CatDoes | Rork | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 app, ~40 edit prompts/mo | Weekend prototyper | $16/mo, 50 credits/month included - metered, conversion not published | $20/mo, 100 build credits/mo included - metered, conversion not published | A single side project, built once and lightly iterated on over a weekend or two a month. |
| 2-3 apps, ~250 edit prompts/mo | Active builder | $16/mo, 50 credits/month included - metered, conversion not published | $20/mo, 100 build credits/mo included - metered, conversion not published | Several projects in flight at once with a steady daily edit cadence - the volume where a credit pool that looked generous at signup starts to run out. |
| 5 seats, continuous builds | Small team | $16/mo, 50 credits/month included - metered, conversion not published | $20/mo, 100 build credits/mo included - metered, conversion not published | A 5-person team building continuously. Priced off each vendor's own published team/business plan, not a per-seat guess - pooled-credit workspaces (Lovable, Rocket) do not simply multiply the solo price by seat count, so a tool with no published flat team rate renders honestly as not published rather than an invented multiply. |

## CatDoes vs Rork: verdicts by use case

### Beginners → CatDoes

Both CatDoes and Rork offer an agent that builds autonomously, so that does not separate them. CatDoes documents Figma or screenshot import, letting a beginner start from an existing design, a capability Rork does not publish. CatDoes also gives 25 starting credits up front, a working pool for a first project, while Rork gives only 5 credits a day. CatDoes is cheaper to start too, at $17/mo against Rork's $20/mo. Between the documented design import, the larger upfront free allowance, and the lower entry price, CatDoes is the better starting point for someone who has never shipped an app.

### Developers → Rork

Code export and GitHub sync are the hard filters for developers. Both tools sync bidirectionally with GitHub and both claim you can self-host the output, so those tie. The difference is code export: Rork includes a full project export, while CatDoes only unlocks a full project export on its Plus plan at $84/mo, a real cost gate for developers who want the AI to get out of the way early. Rork's backend also runs on a built-in Postgres database with row-level security, a more developer-familiar setup than CatDoes's own built-in platform backend. Public API availability is not published for either tool.

### Free Plans → CatDoes

CatDoes gives 25 starting credits to build and test with, while Rork's free plan trickles in just 5 credits a day, a smaller working pool for someone evaluating the platform. CatDoes is also cheaper to start, at $17/mo against Rork's $20/mo, and CatDoes lets unused credits roll over while Rork's do not. The one caution is that CatDoes confirms your app stops working if you stop paying, a real risk worth weighing since Rork does not publish the same information either way. Custom domains are available on CatDoes's Starter tier at $42/mo, with no published Rork equivalent. On balance CatDoes's larger free allowance and lower price outweigh that cancellation risk.

### Internal Tools → CatDoes

For internal tools, a real backend, integrations, and built-in auth matter most. CatDoes confirms built-in authentication and documents GitHub as an integration for importing and syncing projects, while Rork does not publish auth or integration details. Rork's backend does run on a built-in Postgres database with row-level security, a detailed and credible setup, against CatDoes's own built-in platform backend, CatDoes Cloud, a point in Rork's favor. But with auth and integrations both documented only for CatDoes, and neither publishing SSO or collaboration details, CatDoes has more of what an ops or IT team can actually verify.

### Mobile Apps → Rork

Both CatDoes and Rork ship native mobile output, so that alone does not separate them. The difference is what native means under the hood: Rork builds separate native codebases, Swift and SwiftUI for iOS and Kotlin and Compose for Android, while CatDoes builds through React Native Expo, a single cross-platform framework targeting both. For a team that wants the platform-specific route, Rork is the closer match. Rork's backend also runs on a built-in Postgres database with row-level security, a more detailed setup than CatDoes's own built-in platform backend. Both claim you can self-host the output and both offer an autonomous build agent, so those tie.

### Self-Hosted → Tie

Neither CatDoes nor Rork publishes whether the builder itself runs offline, what license it ships under, or whether you can bring your own API keys instead of paying a subscription, the things that matter most for someone who wants to run the app builder on their own machine. What is documented is that both let you self-host the generated output, so that ties too. Without any published difference on local-first operation, licensing, bring-your-own-key billing, or a documented hosted option either way, there is nothing here that favors one platform over the other for this use case.

### UI Design → CatDoes

Figma or screenshot import is the top requirement for design-led teams, and CatDoes documents it, while Rork does not publish this capability at all. CatDoes also documents versioning and rollback, letting a team step back through changes while polishing the result, again with no published Rork answer. CatDoes's output stack includes web frameworks, Vite or Next, alongside its React Native Expo mobile build, giving designers a front end to work with beyond the native mobile shell that is all Rork documents. Element-level editing and collaboration are not published for either tool. With import and rollback both confirmed only for CatDoes, it is the stronger fit here.

## CatDoes vs Rork: common questions

### Is CatDoes cheaper than Rork?

Yes, at the entry level. CatDoes's cheapest paid plan is $17/mo, or $16/mo billed annually, while Rork's cheapest paid plan is $20/mo. CatDoes's entry plan includes 50 credits a month against Rork's 100 build credits a month, so Rork's plan includes more credits for the higher price, and CatDoes lets unused credits roll over while Rork's do not.

### CatDoes vs Rork: which is better for beginners?

CatDoes is the better starting point. It documents Figma or screenshot import so a beginner can start from an existing design, and gives 25 starting credits up front, well ahead of Rork's 5 credits a day. CatDoes is also cheaper to start: its cheapest paid plan is $17/mo, against Rork's cheapest paid plan at $20/mo. Both offer an agent that builds autonomously, so that does not separate them, but CatDoes's documented import path and larger free allowance make it the easier first stop.

### Does CatDoes or Rork keep working if you stop paying?

CatDoes confirms that your app stops working if you cancel your subscription. Rork does not publish what happens to a build after cancellation, so there is no confirmed answer for it either way.

### Is CatDoes or Rork better for native mobile apps?

Both output native mobile apps, but the underlying stack differs. Rork builds separate native codebases: Swift and SwiftUI for iOS, Kotlin and Compose for Android. CatDoes builds through React Native Expo, a single cross-platform framework covering both iOS and Android.

### Can you export the full project code from CatDoes or Rork?

Rork includes a full project code export. CatDoes also offers a full project export, but only on its Plus plan at $84/mo and above, so the capability comes at an extra cost compared with Rork.

### Does CatDoes or Rork sync with GitHub?

Yes for both. CatDoes and Rork each support bidirectional GitHub sync, so changes made in the platform and in your own repository stay in sync in both directions.

### Where is user data stored with CatDoes or Rork?

CatDoes lets you choose data residency in the United States or the European Union. Rork's data residency is US-based.

### Do unused credits roll over on CatDoes or Rork?

CatDoes lets unused credits roll over. Rork's unused credits do not roll over, so credits you do not use in a billing period are lost on Rork but kept on CatDoes.

Source: https://www.versusref.com/app-builders/catdoes-vs-rork/