The Bubble Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Bubble in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Bubble
The Insider’s Guide
No-code visual builder for web and native mobile apps, with AI
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI app builders, read from Bubble’s own pages.
Made by Bubble Group, Inc. · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Bubble’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Bubble’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 2 of the 26 other AI app builders we grade
Bubble is a no-code platform for building web apps and native iOS and Android apps in a visual editor, with a built-in database, workflows and hosting. Its AI Agent can generate a first version of an app from a prompt and then help edit and troubleshoot it inside the editor. Plans are bought per project and priced by platform (web, mobile or both), with usage measured in workload units.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Bubble, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No rating on record, and this is the steepest climb in the group.
- 1
Best for visual control over an app's logic and data
One project can run web, iPhone and Android apps on one backend.
- 2
Paid plans start at $29 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $29 per month, billed annually (Starter, web only); $32 billed monthly.
- 3
There is a 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.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
Visual editor
Design the interface, define custom events and workflows, and manage data visually. Web and mobile apps are built in the same editor.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 2 of 26
That is against the other AI app builders we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Bubble you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Bubble at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $29 per month, billed annually (Starter, web only); $32 billed monthly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of the Starter plan for new apps, started within 10 days of creating the app
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Bubble Group, Inc.
- Category
- AI App Builders
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for visual control over an app's logic and data
Bubble is a visual builder: you lay out the screens, wire up the workflows and manage the data yourself, with an AI Agent to draft a first version. One project can run web, iPhone and Android apps on one backend. But going live starts at $29 a month on annual billing, the free plan is for building only, a second editor means $119, and workload overages come on top.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Starter is $29 a month billed annually for web only, $42 mobile only, $59 for both. And $29 is exactly where the dearest tenth of builders here begins, against a $19 middle. You pay per project, a second editor means Growth at $119, and workload overages sit on top of all that. |
| Free plan and trial | C | There 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. |
| Features | B | It 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. |
| Ease of use | C | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | The 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Bubble is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you're just starting, at $29 a month billed annually 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
Good to know
Good for
- Founders building a full web app or marketplace without writing code
- Builders who want visual control over logic and data, not only prompts
- Projects that need web, iOS and Android apps on one shared backend
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$29
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Bubble has a free plan. Paid plans start at $29 per month, billed annually (Starter, web only); $32 billed monthly.
But it's the development version: a live site, your own domain and an app-store release all need paying for.
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.
Starter
From $29
per month, billed annually; from $32 billed monthly
Web only $29, mobile only $42, web and mobile $59 on annual billing. Live app, custom domain, recurring workflows and 175K workload units a month.
Growth
From $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.
Team
From $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.
Enterprise
Custom
Custom workload units, a choice of hosting location, a customizable server, a dedicated support team and payment by invoice or ACH.
The 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.
Trying it first
14-day free trial of the Starter plan for new apps, started within 10 days of creating the app
Read from manual.bubble.io on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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 $29 a month paid annually against $32 monthly, and web-only Team is $349 against $399.
Stated on bubble.ioEducation
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.
Stated on bubble.ioNonprofit
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.
Stated on bubble.io
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
No-code visual builder for web and native mobile apps, with AI. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, app builder, no-code.
Native phone apps share the web backend.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Stripe
- Slack
- Airtable
- Zapier
- Google Analytics
- Mixpanel
- Segment
- Braintree
Bubble is made by Bubble Group, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
2/26
Other AI app builders it is graded above
Bubble's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 2 of the 26 other AI app builders we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on features (B, above 15 of 26) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 24 of the 26 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 11 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 27 AI app builders we grade, cut by the letter each got. Bubble’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 26
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 26
- BFeaturesAbove 15 of 26
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 26
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 4 of 26
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 27 AI app builders. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Bubble is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Bubble you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 19 of the 26 other AI app builders grade higher. It costs $348 a year.
What you could not
- A tool that builds and hosts other apps.
- A builder that other people can use without writing code.
- It plugs into other products, Stripe, Slack and Airtable among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Bubble’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Softr, Glide, Adalo, Lovable and Base44
The 5 tools Bubble is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Softr
Free plan · from $19/mo
No-code builder for client portals and internal tools, with AI.
- Softr also covers databases, workflow automation and forms.
- 2.4GPA
Glide
Free trial · from $25/mo
AI builder that turns spreadsheets into internal business apps.
- Bubble has a free plan. Glide does not, though it has a free trial.
- Glide also covers workflow automation and AI agents.
- 2.2GPA
Adalo
Free plan · from $36/mo
No-code builder for native iOS, Android and web apps, with AI.
- Adalo also covers databases.
- 2.8GPA
Lovable
Free plan · from $21/mo
Chat-based AI builder for full-stack web apps and websites.
- Only Lovable lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- 2.8GPA
Base44
Free plan · from $16/mo
No-code AI builder with a database, login and hosting included.
- Only Base44 lists iOS and Android apps.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Bubble free?
Bubble has a free plan. Build in the development version with 1 app editor, 50K workload units a month and the web and native mobile editors.
How much does Bubble cost?
Bubble lists 5 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Bubble work on?
Bubble is available on Web.
Does Bubble offer any discounts?
Bubble publicly lists the following: Save up to 20% with annual billing; Student and classroom discounts; Nonprofit discount on all plans.
Does Bubble have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Bubble is listed for Web.
Does Bubble have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Bubble is listed for Web.
Is Bubble open source?
Bubble is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
What does Bubble integrate with?
Bubble's listing names Stripe, Slack, Airtable, Zapier, Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Segment and Braintree.
Does Bubble have a student discount?
Student and classroom discounts. Bubble says it offers discounts to students on all plans and group discounts for educational institutions.
Does Bubble have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial of the Starter plan for new apps, started within 10 days of creating the app.
Who makes Bubble?
Bubble is made by Bubble Group, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Bubble?
The closest alternatives to Bubble in our directory are Softr, Glide, Adalo, Lovable and Base44.
How does Bubble compare with other AI app builders?
Bubble's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 2 of the 26 other AI app builders we grade, and level with 5.
Is Bubble good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Bubble D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 24 of the 26 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Bubble?
To replace Bubble you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Bubble’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Bubble's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-06-22.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Bubble Group, Inc. Prices change, so check bubble.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Bubble, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/bubble
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Bubble: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/bubble
Know someone choosing between AI app builders?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/bubble/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI app builders after Bubble, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI App Builders Insider's GuideEvery one of the 27 AI app builders we grade, compared
- Taskade Insider's GuideWorkspace that builds apps, AI agents and automations from prompts3.2 GPA
- Replit Insider's GuideCloud platform where an AI agent builds, hosts and publishes apps3.0 GPA
- Base44 Insider's GuideNo-code AI builder with a database, login and hosting included2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Bubble’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Bubble is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Bubble Group, Inc. Prices and plans change: check bubble.io before you buy.