At Bubble, we want to enable potential builders to create their ideas without code, so we are exploring and reviewing the many tools and software that entrepreneurs and startups might use to build apps.
What is Adalo?
Adalo is an app-building software that supports building websites and applications without needing to learn how to code.
Adalo is similar to Bubble and other no-code platforms in that its goal is to offer a platform to design and host websites and applications that include databases, workflow actions, and integrations. Adalo also has the ability to publish to Android and iOS devices, thus creating native mobile apps.
Who is Adalo for?
Users of Adalo include small to medium businesses, freelancers, hobbyists, and startups.
People who are interested in building a mobile app without code or who are new to web development and want to build their own app or site may be interested in Adalo.
Adalo Cost and Pricing
(Pricing model evaluation in USD: May 2020)
Adalo’s pricing plans start with a Free Plan, which limits you to 50 rows of data per app and requires you to publish with Adalo branding on an Adalo domain.
The next tier up is the Pro Plan, at $50/month, allows you to publish to Apple and Google app stores, access outside API integrations, create a custom domain, and get 5GB of data storage.
Users who want to build with multiple team members should use the Business Plan, at $200/month, which gives you 4 additional “seats” on your team, 20GB storage, and a dedicated Account Manager.
Adalo vs. Bubble: A Comparison
How does Adalo compare to Bubble?
Similarities between Adalo and Bubble:
Both Adalo and Bubble are visual web development platforms that help users structure data and workflows to build their apps without code.
Both platforms allow you to publish responsive web applications.
Both Adalo and Bubble currently have a free plan option.
Both Adalo and Bubble offer the ability to have freelance “experts” (for Adalo) or “agencies” (for Bubble) to help you build your app for a cost.
Both offer templates to help you get started building your app.
The key differences between Adalo and Bubble are:
Feature Set: Adalo has a more limited feature set than Bubble, including no Custom Actions (still in the works for Adalo as of this writing), no ability to define multiple states or conditional states, and no 3rd Party Authentication, whereas Bubble allows you to let users in your app login and signup with their Google or Facebook accounts.
Integrations: Adalo is currently lighter on integrations (as of this writing, they integrate with Zapier, Stripe, Mixpanel, and external APIs), but more are in the works. Bubble’s plugin integration library has over 900 plugins to choose from, and Bubble’s API Connector also lets you connect to any external API.
Mobile/Native App: Adalo allows you to publish to mobile app development stores from the platform, making native app development easy. Bubble allows you to view what your app looks like in the responsive editor, but does not yet support native mobile app publishing, so community members convert their apps to mobile using wrappers like Median, Dropsource, or Cordova.
Cost: Adalo’s basic paid plan costs $50/month and is more expensive than Bubble’s personal paid plan, which costs $26/month.
Alternatives to Adalo
Alternative no-code CMS platforms or tools that allow you to build a web application without code include the following tools:
If you’re looking for another platform that also has support for native or mobile apps, consider using no-code tools like Glide or Thunkable.
If you only need basic templated landing pages and simple CMS for your app, template website hosts like Squarespace, Wix, or Weebly are popular alternatives.
If you want to build a robust web app with custom states and a large set of integrations, consider no-code platforms like Bubble.
If you want an open-source CMS platform with an even larger library of plugins, try WordPress.
If you’re looking for a no-code platform with an enterprise focus, Unqork, Betty Blocks, and Retool offer more bespoke services to larger businesses.
About Bubble
Bubble is a leader in the no-code movement. Bubble offers a powerful point-and-click web editor and cloud hosting platform that allows users to build fully customizable web applications and workflows, ranging from simple prototypes to complex marketplaces, SaaS products, and more. Over 400,000 users are currently building and launching businesses on Bubble - some have gone on to participate in top accelerator programs, such as Y Combinator, and even raised $365M in venture funding. Bubble is more than just a product. We are a strong community of builders and entrepreneurs that are united by the belief that everyone should be able to create technology.
Disclaimer: The goal of these reviews is to provide an honest, practical, differentiated comparison of features and educate readers on tools in the no-code ecosystem so that you can evaluate how these services fit together and serve your needs.
