If you’re like many folks exploring possible no-code platforms, you’ve most likely stumbled upon Glide, Bubble, and Adalo.
After all, these three platforms are major players in the no-code app-building game.
While these three platforms appear similar, you’ll find some big differences that set them apart. This article will compare Glide vs. Bubble vs. Adalo and help you choose the best app builder.
TL;DR: Glide vs. Bubble vs Adalo Overview
Take a glance at the table below, which highlights the key differences between Glide, Bubble, and Adalo:
Similarities
Although these platforms have their differences, they also have a few similarities that set them apart from other app builders:
- No technical skills or coding required: Sometimes, you create an account for a no-code app builder, only to find that you must “enter parameters” to start building your app. Ugh.
Adalo, Bubble, and Glide share one major similarity: Each app builder has no code, meaning you won’t need any technical knowledge or programming skills to build your app on the platform.
- Fully loaded templates: Some app builders only allow you to create your front end (screens or app pages). So, you're on your own when building a database to store and organize your app’s information.
This isn’t the case with Adalo, Bubble, or Glide — each app builder has a premade database that you can configure to fit your requirements. There’s no need to set aside time to learn a third-party database builder and create a database from scratch.
- Large template libraries: You won’t need to find the precise template to match your desired app. Adalo, Glide, and Bubble have extensive template libraries, offering dozens of app creation options.
Whether you want an app for project management, appointment booking, or meditation, you’ll find the templates and tools to make your idea a reality.
- Professional appearance: The templates offered by these 3 app builders all pass the eye test. This means that no matter which template you choose, its overall appearance and components, like forms, buttons, and fonts, will look gorgeous and professional — just as if your app were made with programming.
So, don’t worry about your finished product looking like it was created in 2003.
- Thriving ecosystems: You’ll inevitably have questions about using certain features during your app-building journey. These 3 platforms won’t leave you guessing: Each has a unique ecosystem with support resources.
You’ll find detailed help documents, video tutorials, and modules that teach you how to leverage every part of your chosen app builder.
Additionally, Adalo, Glide, and Bubble have forums where you can post your questions and get answers from experienced app builders. Use these forums to connect with other users and join the app-builder community.
Glide: For Creating Eye-Grabbing Apps
Who It’s Good For
For folks who need a platform to create an app that appears stunning, Glide is a great choice. Glide leads the pack in terms of aesthetics, so no matter what type of app you build, it will most likely turn more than a few heads.
Features
- Glide features a powerful AI tool. This tool, one of its main functionalities, will help you create your app and organize your database. Users can upload photos and PDFs to your app and use the AI tool to describe pictures or summarize information.
- If you want to create an app with a pre existing database, Glide has you covered. Glide integrates with popular database providers like Google Sheets, Airtable, MySQL, and more.
- You won’t need to worry about spending a lot of time learning Glide’s building interface, as it has a relatively low learning curve.
Pricing
Glide’s cheapest Maker Pricing Plan version costs $60/month (billed monthly). It allows you to add another editor to help build one app and provides 500 monthly database updates.
The next version, Glide’s Team Plan, costs $125/month (billed monthly). True to its name, you can build an unlimited number of apps with up to 5 different editors, and Glide lets you update your databases up to 5,000 times per month.
Bubble: A Flexible App Builder
Who It’s Good For
Do you have a super complex app idea that requires heaps of plugins and add-ons? Then Bubble might be the one for you. Bubble has the flexibility to craft nearly any web app and enough power to add as much oomph as you can handle.
The drawback? You’ll need to create a rigorous study plan to learn the building interface, and Bubble’s steep learning curve is nothing to scoff at.
Features
- Want to gather data from external sources around the web? Bubble has an API that makes data collecting a breeze and is available on its free version. So, if you want to feature weather data on a snow-report app for your local ski resort, you can do so!
- Bubble’s power and flexibility stem from its enormous collection of plugins and addons: With nearly 5,300 free and paid, you’ll probably find almost any functionality you can imagine.
- Suppose you’re creating a public-facing web app that anonymous users access via their browsers; leverage Bubble's SEO tool to bolster its Google ranking.
It lets you manage your site map for optimal indexing, configure your meta tags, and even improve your server-side rendering (SSR) to make it more accessible to crawlers.
Pricing
For $32/month, Bubble lets you release a white-label app, but you’re limited to 175,000 workload units (WUs) monthly across all apps. A WU is the metric Bubble uses to track the monthly actions your app executes — the more complex the app, the more WUs it will use.
Need more power? Go with Bubble’s $134/month (billed monthly) version — it provides up to 250,000 monthly workload units and also lets you add on another app editor.
Adalo: The Best Overall App Builder
Who It’s Good For
If you’re looking for a low-learning curve app builder that you can use right out of the box, all signs point to Adalo. While Adalo is intuitive enough to start using without consulting instructions or tutorials, it packs a lot of power — you can tailor-make any app that meets your needs.
Features
- Adalo is a responsive app builder, meaning you can create a web app and a native mobile app simultaneously. When you finish making your app, you won’t need to rejig it for compatibility with the web or app stores.
- You can publish unlimited screens and accept payments using the free version with Adalo’s Stripe integration.
- Unlike Glide and Bubble, you can publish your app directly to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store without going through a third-party platform like Nativator. This means your Adalo-made app will be less prone to glitches when downloaded from the app stores.
- Use Adalo’s Magic Text tool to create new screens from new data quickly. For instance, if you enter a new location in your travel app’s database, Magic Text will automatically create a screen for that location.
Pricing
Start using Adalo for $36/month.
Choosing the Right Platform
So you’ve made it this far and want to try a platform. Luckily, all 3 app builders have a free version. Signing up for each can be done in seconds, so we recommend you give all of them a shot.
Most folks selecting an app builder place a heavy emphasis on the 3 following attributes:
1. Pricing
Glide is the most expensive of the 3 platforms, starting at $60/month (billed monthly). While Bubble’s $32/month (billed monthly) beats Adalo’s $36/month, you’ll face a difficult-to-learn app-building interface if you go with Bubble.
Glide and Bubble also have a marked pricing gap between their first and second-tier products. Glide’s second-tier version costs $125/month (billed monthly), $65/more than its entry-level version.
Bubble has an even greater gap: Its second-tier version costs an eye-watering $134/month (billed monthly), over $100 more than its first-tier.
Adalo has the best pricing structure; its second-tier version is $52/month, only $16/month more than its first-tier version.
2. Customization
Customizing your app or configuring it exactly how you want it to look is another deal breaker. When comparing Bubble vs. Glide vs. Adalo, each app builder brings a different level of customization.
Glide differs from Bubble and Adalo in one major respect: You must create your database before creating your screens. This limits the amount of customization you can achieve with Glide.
While Bubble provides a powerful app-building interface with many customization options and functionalities, the learning curve is a major impediment. You’ll need to hit the Bubble books daily for a few months before harnessing its full potential.
Adalo offers a powerful, super-easy-to-learn app-building interface. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface gives you control while allowing for precise design. And it’s flexible enough to create nearly any type of app.
3. Publishing to the App Stores
When most people think of apps, they think of native mobile apps: Those they download directly to their phones from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Bubble and Glide don’t have built-in capabilities to make native mobile apps. However, you can create Progressive Web Apps (PWA) with Bubble and Glide.
Luckily, PWAs are essentially the same as native mobile apps — users download them to their phones from a direct link.
PWAs also function similarly to native mobile apps: Because they’re downloaded on users’ phones, PWAs can tap into a phone’s camera, GPS, microphone, and more — web apps can’t do this.
However, to get your app in front of a larger audience, publish it on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Last year, nearly 150 billion combined downloads from both app stores contributed to many app-store visitors.
Unlike Bubble and Glide, Adalo lets you easily publish your app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Next Steps: Pick Adalo, The Best Overall No-Code App Builder
Don’t want to deal with a rough learning curve? Do you prefer to build your app screens your way and not from a database? Then go with Adalo.
If you compare Glide vs. Bubble, Adalo has the easiest learning curve. But Adalo doesn’t sacrifice aesthetics and power for ease — you can release a professional-looking app packed with features to execute almost any task.
Another attractive attribute of Adalo is its flexibility. Whether you're developing an employee directory, marketing funnel, or a simple takeout app for your food truck fleet, Adalo is well-rounded enough for you to bring your idea to life.
Publish your Adalo-made app to the App Store, Google Play Store, and the web to maximize its exposure. Start building with Adalo for free.
