Frequently Asked Questions

• How does the Free Trial period work?

  BuildFire provides access to the platform to build out your mobile app for 14 days. During the Trial period, you have access to our platform, features, and functionality to finish building your app. When you’re finished building and want to publish to IOS and Android, you will need to pay for one of our subscriptions that suits your needs. If you need any help picking the right subscription for your app, you can reach out to “Support@BuildFire.com” and we’ll be happy to help.

• Why do I have to pay every quarter/year?

  There’s a myth out there that goes something like, “If I custom code an app, I can pay once and it will work forever.” What custom development shops won’t tell you though is that even if you custom code an app, there will still be monthly costs for upkeep, server space, maintenance, content changes, and more. With BuildFire, however, we’ve not only built many of the features you’ll need right out of the box which reduces your upfront cost, but we also handle all of your servers, CDNs, push notification systems, user login/authentication, OS updates, design updates, the ability to change content, and more with one low monthly or yearly cost based on the features you need. It’s a pretty darn good deal if you ask us :)

• Can I host multiple apps under one subscription?

  You can definitely have multiple apps under one account, however, each app will require its own subscription to be submitted to the App Store and Google Play and to function properly. If you have multiple apps, contact our support team at support@buildfire.com to find out about multiple app discount options. If you need a multi-app management system, contact our sales team at sales@buildfire.com to learn more about our enterprise solutions.

• Is the security settings (with user tagging) included on my plan?

  Security settings along with user tagging is an awesome feature that lets you determine who has access (and who doesn’t) to certain parts of your app. You can unlock both of these features, along with several others, by being on either the Professional or Business plan.

• Can I publish my app with a free plan?

  In order to get your app live on the App Store and Google Play, you will need to sign up for one of our paid plans. Not only will our publishing team handle the submissions for you, but our development team also handles a ton on the front end (the cool features you do see) and the back end (all of the necessary features you don’t see) for you.

• What happens when I hit the limits max number of users, push notifications, sessions, etc. under my plan?

  If you’re hitting your limits, that means you’re doing something right. We make it easy for you to be successful. If you do hit your max numbers, instead of halting your service, you will simply be automatically upgraded to the plan that will accommodate your needs based on your usage.

• If I stop paying does my app get taken off the App Store and Google Play?

  In order for app to maintain an active status with our servers and systems that power it and therefore function properly, you must maintain an active subscription. Not convinced? See the question “Why do I have to pay every month/year?" for more information on what your subscription goes toward.

• How do I integrate custom plugins?

  One of the advantages of BuildFire is the ability to create custom features (also known as plugins) and add them to your app. You can do this either by creating a developer account and either submit them to the Marketplace or add them directly to your app. If you submit them to the Marketplace, you can even earn additional revenue by selling them to our customer base. If you want to keep your feature proprietary, simply upgrade to a Business plan to add your custom feature.

• Are there any additional costs besides my subscription plan?

  In order to get you app live on the App Store and Google Play, both Apple and Google require that you have your own Apple and Google developer accounts, respectively. To date, Google is a one time fee of $25 and Apple is a yearly fee of $99 for a standard account or $299 for an enterprise account. If you are a non-profit organization, government entity, or educational institution, you may be eligible to get a free standard account. Find out if you qualify here.

• Can I cancel anytime?

  If you are not in a contract. Our subscriptions are based on either quarterly or, if you want a sweet discount, annual terms. Please note, however, if you cancel your service, your app will no longer function and will be removed from the App Store and Google Play per our terms.