When comparing app-building platforms, Draftbit, FlutterFlow, and Adalo are often top contenders.
Although these app builders may appear similar, they each have distinct features that cater to different needs.
If you’re wondering which platform is best for developing your next app idea, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll explore the differences between Draftbit vs. FlutterFlow vs. Adalo and help you decide which fits your requirements best.
Draftbit vs. FlutterFlow vs. Adalo: Head to Head to Head
Draftbit, FlutterFlow, and Adalo all have core strengths and weaknesses that appeal to a specific audience. But if you want to see each app builder’s core information, like key features, pricing, and audience, check out the table below. Â
TL;DR: A Quick Summary of Differences
While the table indicates that Draftbit and FlutterFlow have the most features in common, all 3 platforms have a few key commonalities.Â
Similarities
Draftbit, FlutterFlow, and Adalo share the following 5 features:Â
- Publish to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store: Each platform lets you publish a native mobile app to both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. This capability lets your users download your app directly to their phones.Â
Additionally, publishing your app to the app stores puts it in front of a massive audience — both apps have a combined user base of billions.
- Thriving ecosystem: Each platform has a collection of resources that allow you to learn every aspect of the app-building process. These include many helpful documents, video tutorials, and instructions.Â
Each app builder has an online forum where you can join the community, access expert knowledge, and share your app-building experience.  Â
- Affordability: Adalo, Draftbit, and FlutterFlow each have an entry-level pricing tier under $40/month. This means you won’t need to worry about forking out an exorbitant sum of cash.
- No-credit-card-info-required-free version: Before you commit your hard-earned bucks to the app-building platform of your choice, you can take advantage of a free version. This will give you a good feel for the platform and whether or not it meshes with you.Â
You won’t be asked for credit card information as a bonus. You only pay when you decide to purchase a paid version.Â
- Power: Want to make a social-media app for carpenters, a takeout app for your restaurant, a booking system for your salon, or do you have a unique SaaS (software as a service) idea? Adalo, Draftbit, and FlutterFlow all have the power, flexibility, and functionality to make any app idea a reality.Â
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Draftbit
Who It’s Good For
Draftbit is a low-code app-building platform. To use it, you’ll need to know technical concepts, such as understanding how code works, working with JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), and the ability to structure data in a database. Â
FeaturesÂ
- Draftbit's AI image generator lets you create unique images. Just key in how you want your images to appear, and Draftbit’s AI will create them for you. Â
- You can watch your code update in real-time while crafting your app using Draftbit’s drag-and-drop interface. Then, add a few lines of code if you can build your special function.Â
- When you finish building your app, use Draftbit’s iOS and Android testing features to ensure your app is good to go for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. These can help you avoid publishing headaches. Â
- Draftbit integrates with GitHub, Zapier, and several other third-party applications to give your app extra oomph.Â
PricingÂ
Draftbit differentiates itself from FlutterFlow and other app-building platforms by offering three pricing levels. The first level is aimed at freelancers and entrepreneurs, with a plan starting at $29/month (billed monthly). It lets you publish to the app stores (FlutterFlow’s basic pricing tier doesn’t allow for this) and create unlimited draft apps, allowing you to publish one.
If you want to build bigger apps with more screens and publish on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, go with the Pro Version for $79/month (billed monthly).
The second pricing level is geared toward agencies or enterprises that need to publish several apps. The basic tier is $249/month (billed monthly), allowing you to publish up to 15 apps per month with a team of up to 5 collaborators.Â
Draftbit also provides a third pricing level, in which you outsource building your app to Draftbit’s development team. Starting at $2,000/month (billed monthly), Draftbit’s team will spend 8 hours weekly developing your app, and you’ll be able to communicate with them directly as they build it. Â
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FlutterFlow
Who It’s Good For
Just like Draftbit, FlutterFlow is a low-code app-building platform. To use FlutterFlow, you’ll need a skill set similar to the one you bring to Draftbit. Ultimately, there’s a good amount of overlap between the two platforms. Â
FeaturesÂ
- FlutterFlow provides abundant resources for learning the building interface. One particularly unique learning feature is the FlutterFlow Ambassadors, experts who create YouTube videos about learning FlutterFlow and some tips and tricks. Â
- You can try FlutterFlow without signing up. Visit the FlutterFlow Playground and tinker with its building interface to see how it feels—no signup information is required.Â
- Want to create a few lines of code but don’t want to write them out? Look no further than FlutterFlow’s AI-code generator, which produces lines of code after you enter a prompt.Â
PricingÂ
Start using FlutterFlow for $30/month (billed monthly), and download your source code. If you want simple publishing to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and the ability to integrate with Github, try the $70/month (billed monthly) version.Â
If you’re a big company that needs to build an app at scale, try FlutterFlow’s Enterprise option. It comes with enterprise-level security and hands-on support. Contact FlutterFlow for pricing info.Â
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AdaloÂ
Who It’s Good For
Adalo is the only truly no-code native mobile app builder in this triple-head comparison: You don’t need any tech or programming skills to create an app with Adalo. Adalo is so simple that you can build your app intuitively right after signing up without consulting any tutorials.Â
FeaturesÂ
- While Adalo is one of the easiest app builders on the market, I don’t think it sacrifices power for simplicity. Adalo offers a perfect balance between functionality and ease of use — it comes with enough features and design freedom to take any app from idea to reality.Â
- When you build with Adalo, you create two apps simultaneously: A web app and a native mobile app. Adalo is a responsive app builder, meaning you won’t need to make any major adjustments to transform your web app into a native mobile one.Â
- Adalo has useful features, like a GPS tool that allows easy navigation and a Stripe integration for taking payments.Â
PricingÂ
Adalo’s Starter plan, at $36/month (billed annually), is for you to publish one app to the web and app stores, with 10,000 monthly app actions and one app editor. The Pro plan, at $52/month (billed annually), includes features like push notifications and publishing up to two apps, alongside 30,000 monthly app actions and five app editors. Both plans come with additional benefits like custom fonts and domains.
If you sign up for Adalo’s Team version, which costs $160/month (billed annually), Adalo will also cover your subscription to Xano, a powerful backend builder, for $99/month. Xano allows you to create a custom database, connect APIs, and customize your backend logic to a T.Â
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Which Platform Should You Choose?
When debating Draftbit vs. FlutterFlow vs. Adalo, consider the following points:Â
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- How much coding knowledge do you have?
- Do you want to outsource?Â
- How much you can spend?
- How many apps do you want to build?
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Folks in the tech crowd who want to patch in their code and then keep their source code after publishing their app might want to consider Draftbit or FlutterFlow.Â
For those who want to release their app in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, Draftbit has the edge in a FlutterFlow vs. Draftbit face-off. This is because Draftbit allows you to publish on the app stores for only $29/month, while with FlutterFlow, it costs $70/month.
However, Adalo appeals to both the tech crowd and the tech-averse crowd. Adalo lets you publish your app to the app stores for only $45/month ($36/month billed annually).Â
Adalo also offers more pricing options — its second tier is only $65/month ($54/month billed annually), which is much cheaper than FlutterFlow and Draftbit’s second tiers, which are $70/month and $79/month, respectively.   Â
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Next Steps: Build the App of Your Dreams with Adalo
Are you not part of the tech crowd and don’t know a thing about coding? Or maybe you’re a seasoned programmer who wants a user-friendly app-building experience. No matter how tech-savvy you are (or aren’t), Adalo is the app builder that can make your app a reality.Â
When comparing Draftbit vs. FlutterFlow vs. Adalo for ease of use, Adalo takes the cake by a mile. It has an extremely easy learning curve, but it packs enough punch and design freedom for you to make an uber-professional, eye-catching app.  Â
Choose from almost 40 different templates to get started. Then, select from over 100 plugins and 5,500 integrations to supercharge your app. No matter what your app idea, Adalo has the features and functionality to bring it to life.Â