Best No-Code App Builders in 2026

Who This Guide Is For

This comparison is for founders launching a first version of a product, operations teams replacing spreadsheets with proper apps, and teams building internal tools on data they already have. Founders need custom logic, payments and room to grow. Ops teams need speed, permissions and a bill that scales sensibly per user. Internal tools teams need database connections and access control.

We compared the tools on documented features, current pricing pages and the trade-offs that show up once an app is in production. All prices were checked on each vendor's own pricing page in October 2026.

No-Code vs Low-Code: Where Each Tool Sits

"No-code app builder" covers very different products, so it helps to place the tools first:

• Full-stack no-code (Bubble, Adalo): visual editor, built-in database, workflows and hosting in one place. You can ship a product with sign-up and payments without code, but the app only runs on the vendor's platform.
• Data-first no-code (Glide, Softr): you start from data (their own tables, Google Sheets, Airtable and others) and build screens on top. Fast to learn and strong for internal tools and portals, weaker for complex consumer products.
• Database with interfaces (Airtable): a relational database first, with an Interface Designer for your own team and a paid Portals add-on for external guests. Not a general app builder.
• Low-code (Retool, FlutterFlow): visual, but they assume someone can code. Retool expects SQL and JavaScript. FlutterFlow generates Flutter code you can download.

If nobody on your team writes code, focus on Bubble, Glide, Softr and Adalo. If you have developers, Retool and FlutterFlow become serious options.

Bubble review

Bubble is the most capable pure no-code builder on this list. It is built for people who want to launch a real product: a marketplace, a SaaS tool, a booking platform, a CRM for a niche. You design pages visually, define your database, and build logic with workflows that run on the client or the server.

Key features

• Visual editor for responsive web apps with a built-in database and privacy rules
• Workflows for front-end and back-end logic, including scheduled and recurring workflows on paid plans
• API Connector to call outside services, plus a plugin marketplace
• Native iOS and Android apps built from the same project (Bubble uses React Native), sharing the database and workflows with the web app
• AI features (an AI agent and page generation) that use a monthly AI credit allowance

Pricing

Bubble prices per app (project), not per user. Each plan includes a monthly allowance of workload units (WU), Bubble's measure of server usage. Plans come in three versions: Web, Mobile, and Web & Mobile.

• Free: $0, 50K WU/month, development version only. No live website or custom domain.
• Starter (Web): $29/month billed annually ($32 monthly). 175K WU, live website, custom domain, 1 editor.
• Growth (Web): $119/month billed annually ($134 monthly). 250K WU, 2 app editors, premium version control, two-factor authentication.
• Team (Web): $349/month billed annually ($399 monthly). 500K WU, 5 app editors, branches, sub apps.
• Web & Mobile bundles: Starter $59, Growth $209, Team $549 per month billed annually ($69, $249, $649 monthly). These add mobile build submissions (5, 10 and 20 per month) and live app versions (3, 5 and 8).
• Enterprise: custom pricing, with choice of hosting location, SSO and dedicated support.

When an app uses up its workload allowance, you can buy a higher workload tier or pay overages as you go. Bubble emails you at 75% and 100% of your allowance.

Pros

• The most flexible no-code option for custom logic, data models and user flows
• Web and native mobile apps can share one backend and database
• No per-user fees, so a consumer app with many users is not billed per seat

Cons

• Real learning curve: building a well-structured app takes weeks, not hours
• Workload units make costs harder to predict, and inefficient workflows cost money
• No code export: the app only runs on Bubble, so moving off means rebuilding

Who should use it

Founders and small product teams building a customer-facing web app (and possibly a mobile app) who want maximum flexibility without code, and who accept being on Bubble's platform long term.

Who should skip it

Teams that just need an internal tool on top of a spreadsheet (Glide or Softr will be faster), and teams that need to own and self-host their code (look at FlutterFlow).

Glide review

Glide made its name turning spreadsheets into good-looking apps that work well on phones. It is aimed at operations teams: inventory, field reporting, work orders, CRMs and project tracking.

One important change: Glide now sells two separate products. GlideOS is a new AI-driven platform where an agent builds apps from a spreadsheet, a prompt, a PDF or a screenshot. Glide Classic is the original visual builder. Glide states that they are separate accounts with separate pricing, they cannot share data, and there is currently no migration tool from Classic to GlideOS. Existing Classic apps keep working.

Key features

• Build apps from Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable, Glide Tables or SQL (SQL on Enterprise)
• Mobile-friendly layouts that adapt to any screen automatically
• Workflows triggered by app interactions, schedules, emails and webhooks
• Glide AI for extracting data, generating content and building apps (GlideOS is agent-based)
• Row-level, user-specific data and role-based visibility

Pricing

GlideOS (billed monthly; Glide says annual plans are coming soon) is based on credits, which stand for the AI tokens the platform uses:

• Free: limited credits, 2 team members, no published apps.
• Basic: $25/month, 100 credits, 2 published apps.
• Plus: $50/month, 250 credits, 3 team members, 5 published apps, public apps.
• Pro: from $125/month for 5 members and 500 credits (50 credits per added member), unlimited published apps.
• Enterprise: custom.

Glide Classic is priced by app users and "updates" (data changes and syncs):

• Free: 1 editor, drafts only, up to 25k rows.
• Explorer: $19/month billed annually ($25 monthly). 1 app, 100 personal users, 250 updates.
• Maker: $49/month billed annually ($60 monthly). 3 apps, unlimited personal users, 500 updates, custom domains.
• Business: $199/month billed annually ($249 monthly). Unlimited apps, 30 users included, then $5 per user annually ($6 monthly), 5,000 updates, API access.
• Enterprise: custom.
• Extra updates cost 2 cents each on paid Classic plans.

"Personal users" sign in with Gmail-style or .edu emails. Users with business email domains need the Business plan.

Pros

• One of the fastest ways to turn existing spreadsheet data into a usable app
• Apps look polished on phones without design work
• Business plan includes 30 users, which is reasonable for small teams

Cons

• Glide apps are installable web apps, not native app store apps
• The split between GlideOS and Glide Classic adds confusion, and there is no migration path today
• Update-based billing on Classic can climb if data syncs often

Who should use it

Operations teams and small businesses that run on spreadsheets and want simple, mobile-friendly apps for staff.

Who should skip it

Founders who need a native app in the App Store, or a public product with complex custom logic.

Softr review

Softr builds business apps such as client portals, intranets, CRMs and internal tools. It has its own database now, but it is best known for sitting on top of data you already have in Airtable, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Notion, Salesforce or SQL databases. Its strength is user management: who can log in, what each person sees, and what they can edit.

Key features

• Apps built from blocks on top of Softr Databases or external sources (Airtable, Google Sheets, Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, SQL and more)
• User groups, granular permissions and visibility rules for portals
• Softr Workflows for automations, plus forms with conditional logic
• AI co-builder that builds apps from a description
• Installable mobile app (PWA) and push notifications on the Business plan

Pricing

Softr bills per workspace, with a set number of builders and app users. App users are split into Team users (same business email domain as a builder) and Client users (everyone else). Yearly billing gives two months off.

• Free: up to 3 builders, 5 app users, 5K database records, 500 workflow actions/month.
• Basic: $19/month billed yearly ($25 monthly). 1 builder ($5 per extra), 5 team + 5 client users, 50K records, custom domain.
• Pro: $99/month billed yearly ($119 monthly). 2 builders ($10 per extra), 10 team + 50 client users, 500K records, Softr branding removed, granular permissions, custom code and API connectors.
• Business: $329/month billed yearly ($395 monthly). 3 builders ($20 per extra), 30 team + 100 client users, 1M records, 2FA, PWA and push notifications.
• Enterprise: custom, with SSO, SCIM and audit logs.

Extra app users start at $1 a month on Pro and $2 on Business. Softr offers a 50% discount for non-profits and education.

Pros

• Very approachable for non-technical builders
• Strong permissions and user management for client portals
• Connects to many data sources, so you can keep data where it already lives

Cons

• Removing Softr branding and granular permissions require Pro ($99/month yearly)
• App user limits mean client-facing portals with many users push you toward Business or Enterprise
• No native app store apps, only a PWA on Business

Who should use it

Agencies, service businesses and ops teams building client portals, partner portals or internal tools on data they already store elsewhere.

Who should skip it

Founders building a consumer product with thousands of users or complex custom logic.

Adalo review

Adalo is a visual builder for database-driven apps that publish to the web and as native iOS and Android apps from one project. It is the cheapest path on this list to getting a native app into the App Store and Google Play without code.

Key features

• Drag-and-drop canvas showing every screen at once, with 200+ components
• Built-in Postgres database, plus external collections and Google Sheets
• Publishing to web, custom domains, Apple App Store and Google Play
• Ada AI assistant for building and editing screens by prompt (beta)
• Push notifications, geolocation and custom formulas on Professional and up

Pricing

Adalo bills per team, with no usage-based charges and unlimited app actions on all plans. Monthly billing costs 20% more than annual.

• Free: $0, 500 records per app, 1 editor, no published apps.
• Starter: $36/month billed annually ($45 monthly). 1 published app, 1 editor, 5GB storage, custom domain, app store publishing.
• Professional: $52/month billed annually ($65 monthly). 2 published apps, 5 editors, 25GB, push notifications, custom integrations.
• Team: $160/month billed annually ($200 monthly). 5 published apps, 10 editors, 125GB, Xano integration, Collections API, white labeling.
• Enterprise (Adalo Blue): for existing businesses; see vendor.

Pros

• Native iOS and Android publishing from the entry paid plan
• Flat pricing with no workload or token charges, which makes budgeting simple
• Easy visual editor with all screens on one canvas

Cons

• Less depth for complex logic than Bubble
• Push notifications and custom integrations need Professional
• Published app limits (1, 2 or 5) can force upgrades for agencies

Who should use it

Founders and small businesses that want a straightforward native mobile app, such as a booking, community or directory app, on a fixed budget.

Who should skip it

Teams building complex web platforms, or teams that need to own their source code.

Retool review

Retool is honest about who it is for: developers and technical teams building internal tools. You drag components onto a canvas, but you connect them to databases and APIs with SQL queries and JavaScript. It is very good at admin panels, support consoles and approval tools on top of production data. It is not a no-code tool for non-technical founders.

Key features

• Drag-and-drop UI components connected to databases and APIs through SQL and JavaScript
• Retool Workflows for scheduled jobs and automations
• Retool Database (hosted PostgreSQL) and native mobile apps for iOS, Android or PWA
• External apps for customer-facing portals (Business and up)
• Self-hosted or air-gapped deployment on Enterprise; audit logs from Business, SSO and Git source control on Enterprise

Pricing

Retool bills per builder and per internal user per month. A builder is anyone who created or edited an app or workflow that billing cycle. Annual billing saves 20%.

• Free: $0 for up to 5 users, 500 workflow runs/month, 250 AI credits.
• Team: $10 per builder and $5 per internal user per month billed annually ($12 and $7 monthly). 5,000 workflow runs/month, staging and production.
• Business: $50 per builder and $15 per internal user per month billed annually ($65 and $18 monthly). Audit logs, rich permissions, external apps. External users: first 50 free, then $8/user/month annually for 51 to 250 users, with lower rates above that.
• Enterprise: custom, with SSO, SCIM, Git source control and air-gapped deployment.

Free, Team and Business run on Retool's cloud. Self-hosting, SSO and unlimited users need Enterprise.

Pros

• Excellent for internal tools on top of real databases and APIs
• Enterprise can self-host or run air-gapped, which matters for regulated data
• Per-user pricing is cheap for small teams on the Team plan

Cons

• Needs SQL and JavaScript skills; non-technical users will struggle
• Costs scale with every internal user, and Business is a big step up
• Customer-facing apps require Business and metered external user pricing

Who should use it

Engineering and technical ops teams building internal admin tools and dashboards on top of existing databases.

Who should skip it

Non-technical founders and ops teams without developer support. Glide or Softr fit better.

Airtable review

Airtable is a relational database with a spreadsheet feel. It belongs in this comparison because many teams use it as their "app": tables for the data, automations for logic, and the Interface Designer for screens. But it is a different kind of tool. If you want a customer-facing product with its own sign-up flow and branding, Airtable alone is not the right choice.

Key features

• Relational database with linked records, views and field types
• Interface Designer for dashboards, record pages, forms and lists (on all plans, including Free)
• Automations with runs per month based on plan
• Portals add-on for sharing interfaces with external guests
• AI features (AI credits per editor, Omni, AI field agents) and iOS and Android apps

Pricing

Airtable bills per seat, charging for users with editor permissions.

• Free: $0, up to 5 editors, 1,000 records per base, 1GB attachments per base, 100 automation runs/month.
• Team: $20/seat/month billed annually ($24 monthly). 50,000 records per base, 25,000 automation runs, 20GB attachments.
• Business: $45/seat/month billed annually ($54 monthly). 125,000 records per base, 100,000 automation runs, admin panel, SAML SSO.
• Enterprise Scale: custom, 500,000 records per base.
• Portals add-on: starts at $120/month for 15 guests on Team and $150/month on Business.

Pros

• The fastest way to model structured data that a non-technical team can maintain
• Interface Designer is included on every plan
• Strong ecosystem: Softr, Glide and many other tools build on top of Airtable

Cons

• Not a general app builder: limited control over layout, branding and custom logic
• Per-seat pricing adds up for larger teams, and external users need the paid Portals add-on
• Record limits per base (50,000 on Team) can be reached by growing apps

Who should use it

Teams whose "app" is mostly shared, structured data: content calendars, inventory, CRMs and project trackers. Also teams that plan to use Softr or Glide as the front end.

Who should skip it

Founders building a public product, and anyone who needs a branded mobile app in the app stores.

FlutterFlow review

FlutterFlow is a low-code visual builder that generates Flutter code. You design screens and logic visually, connect a backend (it integrates with Firebase and Supabase, and calls any REST API), and publish to iOS, Android, web and desktop. On paid plans you can download the code and keep working in a normal developer workflow.

Key features

• Visual builder for mobile, web and desktop apps using Flutter
• Code download and APK download from the Basic plan
• Firebase and Supabase integrations, API endpoints and OpenAPI imports
• One-click App Store and Play Store deployment
• GitHub integration, branching, real-time collaboration and a VS Code extension on Growth and up

Pricing

FlutterFlow bills per seat on team plans. Annual billing saves about 25%.

• Free: $0, up to 2 projects, web publishing, no code download.
• Basic: $29.25/month billed annually ($39 monthly). 1 editor, unlimited projects, code and APK download, app store deployment, 1 custom domain.
• Growth: $60/month for the first seat and $41.25 for the second, billed annually ($80 and $55 monthly). GitHub integration, real-time collaboration for 2 users.
• Business: $112.50/month for the first seat and $63.75 for seats 2 to 5, billed annually ($150 and $85 monthly). Up to 5 editors, automated tests, Figma frame import, CLI.
• Enterprise: custom.

Pros

• Code export means you are not locked in: developers can take the Flutter code and continue
• True native apps for iOS and Android, plus web and desktop
• Good developer workflow on higher tiers (GitHub, branches, VS Code)

Cons

• Low-code, not no-code: you need to understand state, data models and some Flutter concepts
• No built-in hosted database; you set up and pay for Firebase, Supabase or your own backend
• Collaboration needs Growth or Business, with per-seat pricing

Who should use it

Startups and teams with at least one technical person who want native mobile apps and want to own the code.

Who should skip it

Non-technical founders who want everything (database, hosting, logic) in one place. Bubble or Adalo will be simpler.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Ease of use and web apps

Glide and Softr are the easiest for non-technical builders: connect data, arrange blocks, and have something useful in an afternoon. Adalo is next. Bubble takes longer to learn but is the strongest for full web products with custom logic. Retool and FlutterFlow assume technical skills; Retool is the strongest for internal tools on production databases.

Native mobile apps

Bubble, Adalo and FlutterFlow publish native apps to the Apple App Store and Google Play. Retool builds mobile apps for internal use on iOS, Android or as a PWA. Glide and Softr make installable web apps (PWAs), which work well for staff but are not app store listings. Airtable only offers its own mobile apps.

Pricing models

This is where the tools differ most, and where surprises happen:

• Per app with usage: Bubble charges per app plus workload units. No per-user fees, but heavy usage costs more.
• Flat per team: Adalo charges a flat fee with no usage-based charges.
• Per workspace with user limits: Softr includes set numbers of builders and app users, then charges for more.
• Credits or users and updates: GlideOS charges by credits; Glide Classic charges by users and updates.
• Per builder and per user: Retool charges for every builder and every internal user.
• Per seat: Airtable charges per editor; FlutterFlow charges per editor seat.

For a consumer app with thousands of users, per-user pricing (Retool, Airtable) is a poor fit. For an internal tool used by 20 staff, per-user pricing can be the cheapest.

Lock-in and code ownership

Only FlutterFlow lets you download your app's code. Bubble, Glide, Softr and Adalo run your app on their platform; you can export your data, but not a working app. Retool Enterprise can be self-hosted on your own infrastructure, which reduces hosting lock-in, but apps still run on Retool. Airtable data can be exported, but interfaces stay in Airtable.

How to Choose: Decision Framework

Ask these questions

1. Who will use the app? Your own team (Glide, Softr, Airtable, Retool), clients or partners (Softr, Retool Business, Airtable Portals), or the public (Bubble, Adalo, FlutterFlow).
2. Do you need an app store listing? If yes, choose Bubble, Adalo or FlutterFlow.
3. Who will build and maintain it? Non-technical staff: Glide, Softr, Adalo, Airtable. A dedicated no-code builder: Bubble. Developers: Retool or FlutterFlow.
4. Where does your data live today? In spreadsheets or Airtable: Glide or Softr. In a production database: Retool. Nowhere yet: Bubble or Adalo.
5. How many users at what price? Model the bill at your expected user count, not at launch size.
6. How much does lock-in matter? If you may need to move off later, FlutterFlow's code export is the strongest protection.

Red flags

• Choosing Airtable as the front end for a customer-facing product
• Choosing Retool when nobody on the team writes SQL or JavaScript
• Estimating Bubble costs without checking workload usage in a test app
• Assuming a Glide or Softr app can be listed in the App Store
• Starting a new Glide project without deciding between GlideOS and Glide Classic

What to test in trials

• Build one real workflow end to end, including sign-up, permissions and an edit
• Load realistic data volumes (thousands of records, not ten)
• Check what happens when you hit plan limits: records, users, workload or credits
• Invite a second editor and check collaboration and version control
• Export your data and confirm you can get it back out

Conclusion

The right no-code app builder depends less on features than on who uses the app, who builds it, and how the bill scales. Founders should start with Bubble, or FlutterFlow if they want to own the code and have technical help. Ops teams with spreadsheets should look at Glide and Softr. Adalo is the budget route to a native app. Developer teams building internal tools should look at Retool, and teams whose app is mostly shared data may only need Airtable. Whatever you pick, build one real workflow on the free plan and model the bill at the size you expect to reach.