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Codename One vs IBM MobileFirst comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Codename One
Ranking in Mobile App Platforms
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM MobileFirst
Ranking in Mobile App Platforms
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
Mobile Development Platforms (13th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Mobile App Platforms category, the mindshare of Codename One is 3.2%, down from 7.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM MobileFirst is 8.0%, up from 5.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Mobile App Platforms Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
IBM MobileFirst8.0%
Codename One3.2%
Other88.8%
Mobile App Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

it_user480888 - PeerSpot reviewer
Chicken Little at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
Uses standard Java, with low rewrite requirement for existing applications.
Uses standard Java, with low rewrite requirement for existing applications I ported a couple of large-ish real world Java applications, and maintained a common code base. Future development continues, fully cross platform, on standard desktop Java, Android and iOS. Core Java features are not…
MT
Senior Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Streamlines development of hybrid applications, and has ability to integrate device-native code
It was a cakewalk for us to develop mobile apps for three different platforms using IBM MobileFirst. Since it was a consumer application built for large-scale events, it was very crucial for us to manage application compatibility with all sort of devices. With MobielFirst, we could actually achieve this with very little trouble. With help of this product, we have been able to develop mobile applications without having complete knowledge of each mobile OS's native programming. App development, delivery, and code management have been very efficient using this product.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Uses standard Java, with low rewrite requirement for existing applications."
"A few things that stand out to me are a well-documented and pretty extensive API, build server, access to native functionality via native interface, easy extension with third-party libraries, active developer support, and attractive pricing."
"To the best of my knowledge CN1 is better than some of the available mobile app development frameworks such as Xamarin and Nativescript because it gives almost 100% -- if not 100% -- write once run anywhere."
"One of the most valuable features is that we are using the IBM MobileFirst, which is actually providing a gateway to all the mobile resources either for the employees or for the consumers."
"I like Its capability for developing hybrid applications, with an ability to integrate device-native code as well"
"We use it as a secure proxy server for a mobile app using public internet as well as for its mobile app support features."
"IBM MobileFirst has one of the most feature-rich admin panels."
"With help of this product, we have been able to develop mobile applications without having complete knowledge of each mobile OS's native programming technology, and app development, delivery, and code management have been very efficient using this product."
 

Cons

"Core Java features are not fully supported (introspection, serialization) and many standard functionalities (windows, events) are implemented in an idiosyncratic way, not standard Java."
"Testing through a CLI simulator is free but difficult to setup."
"Windows Phone port. However, that is actively being improved and should be released later this year if all goes well."
"There are issues with push notifications, especially for Windows mobile apps. JSONStore also crashes abruptly at times."
"I would like to see improved support for native device functions."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"Cost depends upon various factors. Size of the overall application and product usage matter a lot. For an enterprise-grade application, this certainly comes out as an economical solution. However, for small-scale applications, it can turn out to be on the higher side."
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Also Known As

No data available
MobileFirst, Worklight
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Pmovil, Chemetall Italia SRL, BOi Global Group
UniCredit Business Integrated Solutions, Gruppo Unipol, Raymond James Financial, Toshiba GCS, CST, ABK-Systeme GmbH, BNP Paribas
Find out what your peers are saying about Codename One vs. IBM MobileFirst and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
908,800 professionals have used our research since 2012.