While searching for the best no-code app builder to meet their needs, many folks shortlist Bubble, Thunkable, and Adalo. These platforms all have some important similarities, but they’re all quite different.
How do I know this? For over a decade, I’ve reviewed and recommended hundreds of app builders — I even started my website, NoCode.Tech, which is dedicated to educating the public about different app-building platforms.
In this article, I’ll educate you about Thunkable vs. Bubble vs. Adalo. I’ll uncover each platform’s features and functionalities so you’ll have a clear idea of which best suits your unique needs.
Thunkable vs. Bubble vs. Adalo: Key Differences
Key Similarities
- Purely no-code: Adalo, Bubble, and Thunkable have one fundamental commonality, which is that you’ll need to bring absolutely zero coding or programming skills. Each platform provides a drag-and-drop interface that works like online Legos.
Just drag over specialized buttons, pictures, and elements to your screen, configure them for size and color, and you’re good to go.
- Rich ecosystems: If you want to learn each platform’s ins and outs more traditionally, you’ll have the resources to do so. Adalo, Thunkable, and Bubble provide online tutorials, ample help documentation, and a forum for asking questions and joining an app-building community.
- Free versions (requiring no credit card info): You can test drive Adalo, Thunkable, and Bubble free of charge and without (irritatingly) entering any credit card data. This allows you to try out each app builder on your own time and at your own pace without worrying about when your free trial expires.
- Customization: Adalo, Bubble, and Thunkable each provide the tools needed to create an app that properly reflects your brand and is congruent with your needs and tastes. You'll be able to craft each screen’s layout, colors, and elements in the way that you want them to appear.
Thunkable
Who It’s Good For
Folks who want to build an app from scratch will enjoy the amount of design freedom and simplicity that Thunkable brings — it’s one of those app builders you can use immediately after signing up.
Features
- Want to create customized logic but don’t have any coding experience? No worries at all — Thunkable leverages a unique logic builder that snaps command-containing blocks together. You can name each action within the block and quickly place the blocks on the needed screens.
- Although Thunkable doesn’t have a database builder, it allows you to connect several leading third-party databases, like Xano, Airtable, Backendless, Google Sheets, and more.
- When you finish building your app, Thunkable lets you publish it to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. These app stores have billions of monthly users, giving you a potentially huge audience.
Pricing
Build a simple app with up to 500MB of storage that 25 people can download to their phones for $15/month (billed monthly). If you’re like most folks, you’ll need more storage space, so try out Thunkable’s $45/month (billed monthly) version — this is the most popular pricing tier. It gives you 1GB of storage and the ability to publish your app on the app stores.
Bubble
Who It’s Good For
Are you looking for an app builder that throws a serious punch in terms of power and lets you plug in nearly any particular functionality? Then, go with Bubble, but be warned: Bubble is not an out-of-the-box app builder, meaning you’ll need to hit the books to surpass its exceptionally high learning curve.
Features
- Because it’s been around since 2012, Bubble’s ecosystem is about as diverse as the Amazon rainforest’s. Check out the Bubble Academy and find tutorials to teach you everything you need to know about building with Bubble. You’ll also have access to their forum, Bubble Coaches, YouTube videos, and more.
- When you build with Bubble, your app will be secure. Bubble has solid security features like SOC II Type 2 compliance, advanced DDOS protection, and the ability to define and set your app’s unique privacy rules.
- Bubble has over 1,200 templates and nearly 5,300 plugins. You can start with a template that suits your needs and add an almost endless amount of special functionality.
Pricing
Bubble’s $32/month (billed monthly) tier is suitable for beginners and includes basic SEO features, which will help increase your Google search audience.
At $134/month (billed monthly), you’ll get 2-factor authentication for more robust security and unlimited database entries.
Adalo
Who It’s Good For
Adalo is the app-building platform I’ve recommended more than any other over the years. It is simple enough for anyone to use yet powerful and flexible enough to spark life into any app idea. With Adalo, you can build a super functional and professional app for nearly any use case.
Features
- When you create your app with Adalo, you’ll have all the pieces you need to put it together. Select a template with all the features your app needs — not just the screens, database, and custom logic but also forms, elements, plugins, and more.
- Adalo lets you publish your app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and provides features that only native mobile apps can use, like GPS, push notifications, and more.
- Take advantage of Adalo’s long list of integrations. Connect with Zapier, MailChimp, and 1,000s of other third-party platforms and transfer data directly to your app. Or, connect a database that you made with Google Sheets, Xano, or Airtable directly to your Adalo app.
Pricing
Get started with Adalo for $45/month (billed monthly).
Which Platform Should You Choose?
Now that we’ve reached the end, it’s time to shed some light on the differences between Bubble vs. Thunkable vs. Adalo. Each app builder is different in the following ways:
Rigid Pricing Tiers
If you want to level up your Thunkable or Bubble pricing plan, the cost jump is nothing short of substantial. After Thunkable’s $45/month version, which is the most popular plan, the only option you have is a $200/month plan.
Bubble’s second tier isn’t much better: You’ll jump from a $32/month version to a $134/month version.
Don’t worry, my fellow math-phobes. I crunched the numbers so you don’t have to: The price jump from the first to the second tier is $155/month for Thunkable and $102/month for Bubbles. Yikes.
However, Adalo has much smoother pricing tiers. If you want to upgrade from the $45/month version, your next choice is $65/month — just a gentle increase of $20/month.
Native Mobile Apps
While Bubble does not natively support publishing directly to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, third-party services like Nativator can help convert Bubble apps into native mobile apps.
However, you might encounter a few hurdles when converting to a native mobile app, such as certain features not showing up or your app not appearing as you want it to. Fixing these issues may take a lot of extra time.
Thunkable and Adalo both have features that streamline the app store publishing process. While you’ll need to get developer accounts for iOS and Android, Adalo and Thunkable have features in the app-building interface that make publishing easy.
Learning Curve
Adalo and Thunkable are relatively easier to learn compared to Bubble, especially for beginners. In fact, both are so simple that you can intuitively figure them out immediately after signing up. That’s why we call these “out of the box” app builders.
Unfortunately, learning the Bubble platform takes a considerable amount of time and effort due to its complexities. You’ll most likely need to spend a few hours daily for several months before you get the hang of Bubble.
Luckily, Bubble has the most extensive ecosystems, providing an abundance of learning materials, such as tutorials, help documentation, YouTube videos, and more. So, you’ll have the resources you need to learn Bubble properly, but it will take time.
Next Steps: Build Your App With Adalo
Now that you’ve compared Thunkable vs. Bubble vs. Adalo, it’s time to decide.
Do you want a powerful app builder that lets you publish your app to the web, the Apple App Store, and the Google Play Store? Look no further than Adalo.
Select a template, and start making with Adalo’s simple building interface. Adalo’s app templates come pre-packaged with everything you need: Screens, buttons, forms, backend logic, and much more.
Adalo is flexible enough to create apps for nearly any use case: Internal project management tools, commerce apps, delivery apps, and more. Upgrading to the second pricing tier only costs an extra $20/month.
