Bubble vs OutSystems (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bubble and OutSystems share a 2.2 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about platforms, where Bubble grades higher, or value for money, where OutSystems does.
Checked Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bubble
No-code visual builder for web and native mobile apps, with AI
Which one is for you
Pick Bubble if
- Fits if you're building a full web app or a marketplace and don't write code
- Works for projects that need web, iPhone and Android apps on one shared backend
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're just starting, at $32 a month billed annually ($39 monthly) before your app can go live, and $59 for web and mobile
- Not for you if you build with a partner, as Free and Starter don't support collaborators; Growth at $119 allows 2
- Skip it if you want a trial with no card, since the 14-day one takes a $1 pre-authorization
- Watch out: each plan has a workload allowance, and going over means buying a tier or paying overages
- Tight if you run several projects, because plans are bought per project
Pick OutSystems if
- Fits if you work for a company that needs governed, production-grade apps
- Works for developers who want to learn the platform on the free Personal Edition
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need a price you can read, as pricing is a custom quote
- Not for you if you want to run a live app free, as the Personal Edition is a development runtime
- Too light on its own if you need 24x7 support, 99.95% uptime or SOC 2, which are paid add-ons
- Watch out: self-hosting is only available on certain plans
How we grade them
| 2.2GPABubbleFair | 2.2GPAOutSystemsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DStarter is $32 a month billed annually for web only ($39 monthly), $42 mobile only, $59 for both. That puts it in the dearest tenth of builders here, which starts at $30, against a $19 middle. You pay per project, a second editor means Growth at $119, and workload overages sit on top of all that. | CNo subscription price is published; it is a quote based on Application Objects, end users and add-ons. A page with no price sits in the middle of the ladder. |
| Free plan and trial | CThere is a free plan and it never expires, with 50K workload units a month and both the web and mobile editors. But it's the development version: a live site, your own domain and an app-store release all need paying for. The 14-day Starter trial takes a $1 card pre-authorization too. | CThe Personal Edition is free for up to 100 internal users, but it is a development runtime for learning, not for running production apps. |
| Features | BIt covers the whole job. AI drafts an app with a database and workflows, an in-editor Agent knows your pages and privacy rules and explains why something failed, and you keep visual control of design, logic and data. Native phone apps share the web backend. Branch version control needs Growth, so B. | BPrompt-based app creation, agent building, DevSecOps, separate runtimes, deployment choices and open generated code. No gap shows in the job, only plan add-ons. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record, and this is the steepest climb in the group. AI hands you a first version, then you're designing screens, defining custom events and workflows and setting privacy rules by hand in a visual editor. That's a real learning curve. | CA web environment with a learning curve, built for professional developers. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BThe editor is a web app, with nothing to build in on desktop or phone. What it produces runs on the web and as native iPhone and Android apps on one shared backend. Plugins cover Stripe, Slack, Airtable and Zapier, and the API Connector is on the Free plan too. | CWeb only, and the listing names no integrations. |
| Best for | visual control over an app's logic and data | enterprise apps and agents on a vendor platform |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bubble and OutSystems. How we grade
Where they differ
- OutSystems is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Bubble also covers no-code.
- OutSystems also covers AI agents.
At a glance
| Bubble | OutSystems | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $32 per month, billed annually (Starter, web only); $39 billed monthly | Not published |
| Free plan | Build in the development version with 1 app editor, 50K workload units a month and the web and native mobile editors. A live app needs a paid plan. | Personal Edition: free, for exploring and learning the platform on your own, with up to 100 internal users and a development runtime only. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the Starter plan for new apps, started within 10 days of creating the app | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Bubble Group, Inc. | OutSystems |
| Price read from | manual.bubble.io | outsystems.com |
| Checked | Nov 2, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bubble
- The Free plan covers development only; a live website, custom domain or app-store release needs a paid plan.
- Plans are bought per project, and the 14-day Starter trial takes a $1 card pre-authorization.
- Each plan has a monthly workload allowance; going over means buying a workload tier or paying overages.
- Free and Starter do not support collaborators; Growth allows 2 app editors and Team 5.
OutSystems
- No subscription prices are published; pricing is a custom quote based on Application Objects, end users and add-ons.
- The Personal Edition has a development runtime only, so it is for learning, not for running production apps.
- 24x7 support, 99.95% uptime, SOC 2 Type II and PCI DSS compliance, and extra runtimes are paid add-ons.
- Self-hosting is only available in certain plans.
Key features
Bubble
- AI app generation
- Describe an idea and Bubble AI proposes a feature list, then generates a working app with a database and workflows that you go on to customize.
- AI Agent in the editor
- An in-editor assistant that knows the app's pages, workflows, data types and privacy rules, and can add elements, change workflows or explain why something fails.
- Visual editor
- Design the interface, define custom events and workflows, and manage data visually. Web and mobile apps are built in the same editor.
- Native mobile apps
- Native iOS and Android apps run on React Native and share the web app's database and workflows. Paid plans include 5 to 20 build submissions a month.
- Plugins and API Connector
- Bubble-made plugins cover services such as Stripe, Slack, Airtable and Zapier, and the API Connector, included on the Free plan, links to other services.
- Version control
- Starter has basic version control. Growth adds premium version control with 10 custom branches, and Team raises that to 25 and adds sub apps.
OutSystems
- Prompt-based app creation
- The vendor describes building apps and AI agents from a typed prompt, with full-stack development tools for the logic and data behind them.
- Agent building
- The platform page lists building and running AI agents for employees, customers and partners alongside apps.
- Built-in DevSecOps
- Deployment, quality assurance and code reviews are handled in the platform, and the development and CI/CD tools come with any subscription.
- Separate runtimes
- Development, non-production and production runtimes keep apps and data apart, and more runtimes can be added.
- Deployment choices
- Fully managed OutSystems cloud, on-premises, private cloud, and sovereign and regulated cloud options are listed.
- Open generated code
- The FAQ says the platform generates code in widely used frameworks and languages that can be extended outside OutSystems.
Plans
Bubble
Free$0
Development version only: 1 app editor, 50K workload units a month, 6 hours of server logs, the API connector and on-device mobile testing.
StarterFrom $32
per month, billed annually; from $39 billed monthly
Web only $32, mobile only $42, web and mobile $59 on annual billing. Live app, custom domain, 175K workload units and 1,000 AI credits a month.
GrowthFrom $119
per month, billed annually; from $134 billed monthly
Web only $119, mobile only $169, web and mobile $209 on annual billing. 2 app editors, 10 custom branches and 250K workload units a month.
TeamFrom $349
per month, billed annually; from $399 billed monthly
Web only $349, mobile only $449, web and mobile $549 on annual billing. 5 app editors, 25 custom branches, sub apps and 500K workload units.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom workload units, a choice of hosting location, a customizable server, a dedicated support team and payment by invoice or ACH.
OutSystems
Personal Edition$0
Free for learning, with a development runtime, OutSystems Cloud, up to 100 internal users and business-hours support.
Agentic Systems PlatformCustom
Development, test and production runtimes, starting at 100 internal users, with ISO 27001 and a 99.5% uptime guarantee. Quoted by the vendor.
Ways to pay less
Bubble
- Annual discount
Save up to 20% with annual billing
The pricing page advertises up to 20% off annually. In Bubble's manual, web-only Starter is $32 a month paid annually against $39 monthly, and web-only Team is $349 against $399.
- Education
Student and classroom discounts
Bubble says it offers discounts to students on all plans and group discounts for educational institutions. The amount is not listed; requests go through a contact form.
- Nonprofit
Nonprofit discount on all plans
Nonprofit organizations get a discount on all plans, according to the pricing page. The amount is not listed; requests go through a contact form.
OutSystems
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bubble or OutSystems?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bubble starts at $32 per month, billed annually (Starter, web only); $39 billed monthly, and OutSystems publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, Bubble or OutSystems?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Bubble and OutSystems have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.