Builder vs Coder mode
Appifex offers two development workflows. Choose based on your needs.
Quick comparison
| Feature | Builder mode | Coder mode |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Solo development, prototyping | Teams, production apps |
| Git workflow | Direct to main | Feature branches |
| Deploy speed | Instant | After PR merge |
| Collaboration | Limited | Full team support |
| Rollback | Manual | Git-based |
Builder mode
How it works
Your prompt → Generate code → Deploy to main → Live immediately
Every change goes directly to production.
When to use
- Rapid prototyping - Test ideas quickly
- Solo projects - No team coordination needed
- Learning - See changes instantly
- Simple apps - Low complexity, fast iteration
Advantages
- Speed - No branches, no PRs, no waiting
- Simplicity - What you see is what's live
- Iteration - Make changes and see results immediately
Limitations
- No staging environment
- Harder to roll back changes
- Not ideal for team collaboration
Coder mode
How it works
Your prompt → Create session branch → Generate code → Review → Create PR → Merge
Each "session" is a feature branch.
When to use
- Team projects - Multiple developers
- Production apps - Need staging/review
- Complex features - Want to test before deploy
- External editing - Use Cursor, VS Code, etc.
Advantages
- Safe iteration - Test without affecting production
- Code review - PRs before merge
- Two-way sync - Edit anywhere, sync back
- Parallel development - Multiple sessions at once
- Database isolation - Each session has its own schema
Session lifecycle
Active → PR Created → Merged
↓
Abandoned (if branch deleted)
Using sessions
Create a session: Sessions are created automatically when you start prompting, or create manually for specific features.
Work in a session:
"Add user authentication"
"Include password reset flow"
"Add OAuth with Google"
All changes stay in your session branch.
View changes: Click "View diff" to see everything changed vs main.
Create PR: Click "Create pull request" when ready for review.
Merge: Merge on GitHub, session marked as complete.
Two-way GitHub sync
Coder mode's killer feature: work anywhere.
Start in Appifex
- Create session, generate code
- Push happens automatically
Continue in your IDE
- Clone repo:
git clone your-repo - Checkout branch:
git checkout session/feature-name - Make changes in VS Code, Cursor, etc.
- Push:
git push
Return to Appifex
- Appifex detects your external commits
- Continue prompting with full context
- Deploy when ready
Switching modes
You can use both modes in the same project:
- Builder mode for quick fixes to production
- Coder mode for major features
Select your mode before starting a new prompt.
Recommendations
| Scenario | Recommended mode |
|---|---|
| "Just trying Appifex" | Builder |
| "Building a quick prototype" | Builder |
| "Production app for my startup" | Coder |
| "Team of 3+ developers" | Coder |
| "Need code review process" | Coder |
| "Learning to code with AI" | Builder |