Builder vs Coder mode
Two workflows. Builder ships instantly. Coder gives you branches, PRs, and team collaboration.
Quick comparison
| Builder mode | Coder mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Solo projects, prototyping | Teams, production apps |
| Git workflow | Direct to main | Feature branches + PRs |
| Deploy | Manual publish | Manual publish after merge |
| Two-way sync | N/A | Edit in any IDE |
| Database | Shared | Isolated per session |
Builder mode
Changes commit directly to main. Use Publish to deploy to production. No branches, no PRs, no waiting.
Your prompt -> Generate code -> Commit to main -> Publish to deploy
Use when: Rapid prototyping, solo projects, learning, simple apps.
Coder mode
Each session creates a feature branch. Review and merge when ready.
Your prompt -> Session branch -> Generate code -> Review -> Create PR -> Merge
Use when: Team projects, production apps, complex features, code review needed.
Session lifecycle
- Create session -- Starts a new feature branch
- Build -- Generate code, iterate with prompts
- Review -- Click "View diff" to see changes vs main
- Create PR -- Opens pull request on GitHub
- Merge -- Merge on GitHub, session marked complete
Two-way GitHub sync
Work anywhere:
- Generate code in Appifex
- Clone repo, checkout session branch
- Edit in VS Code, Cursor, or any IDE
- Push changes
- Return to Appifex -- it detects your commits and picks up where you left off
Database isolation
Each session gets its own database. Test freely without affecting production data.
Switching modes
Use both in the same project:
- Builder for quick fixes to production
- Coder for major features
Which mode should I use?
| Scenario | Mode |
|---|---|
| Trying Appifex for the first time | Builder |
| Quick prototype | Builder |
| Production app for my startup | Coder |
| Team of 3+ developers | Coder |
| Need code review process | Coder |