Bubble Review
Reviewed by Carlos Gil · Founder & Editor, The Best Network
Updated 8 min readEditorially reviewed
Quick facts
- Starting price
- Starter $29/mo billed annually ($32 monthly) for a web app; $32 annual and $39 monthly from Oct 20, 2026
- Free plan
- Yes
- Best for
- Founders and small teams building a custom web app or native mobile app with real logic, users and a database, who accept staying on Bubble's platform
- Platforms
- Browser-based editor; apps run on the web and as native iOS and Android apps (React Native); hosted on AWS
BestStacked Score
Weighted average of 5 categories. Methodology below.
Quick answer
What is Bubble, and is it worth paying for?
Bubble is a no-code platform for building and hosting full web apps and native iOS and Android apps. You design pages, a database, privacy rules and workflows visually, or let Bubble AI generate a first version and then edit it with the AI Agent. It's worth paying for if you need custom logic and user accounts that simpler builders can't handle, and you're fine with your app running only on Bubble. Building is free; going live needs Starter, which costs $29 a month billed annually or $32 monthly for a web app, checked on Bubble's pricing page on October 13, 2026. Bubble's October 6 announcement says the web Starter price rises to $32 annual and $39 monthly on October 20, 2026. Usage is metered in workload units, with overages at $0.30 per 1,000.
- Best for
- Founders building an MVP marketplace, SaaS tool, client portal or internal app with custom logic, and teams that want one backend for a web app and a native mobile app.
- Skip it if
- You need to export and own the source code, want a fixed monthly bill with no usage metering, or only need a marketing site.
- Strongest capability
- Depth: a built-in database, privacy rules, backend workflows, an API Connector, a plugin marketplace and native mobile publishing, all edited visually or through the AI Agent.
- Biggest limitation
- Lock-in and metered costs: Bubble apps can only run on Bubble's platform with no code export, and workload overages or a hard offline cap apply once the monthly allowance runs out.
The Verdict
Bubble is the most complete visual builder in this category for apps with real logic. One project can hold a web app and a native iOS and Android app on the same database and workflows, and the plans add version control, branches, server logs and more editors as you grow. Bubble AI generates a first version from a prompt, and Agent 2, which Bubble says left beta on October 6, 2026, edits existing apps using monthly AI credits. The costs need watching. Every plan includes a fixed number of workload units, and going over either bills $0.30 per 1,000 units or, if you turn overages off, takes the app offline until the next cycle. Bubble's manual says apps can't be exported as code, its terms make annual plans a full-term commitment, and the web Starter price rises on October 20. We score Bubble 8.3/10.
Best for
Founders and small teams building a custom web or native mobile app who want visual control over data, logic and privacy rules.
Skip if
You need exportable source code, predictable flat pricing, or a simple marketing site.
The Background
What Is Bubble?
Bubble (bubble.io, run by Bubble Group, Inc. in New York) is a visual programming tool and cloud platform. You build in a browser-based editor and your app is hosted and run on Bubble's servers on AWS. A Bubble project can contain a web app, a native mobile app built on React Native, or both sharing one backend. Bubble AI can generate an app from a description, the AI Agent builds and edits features in an existing app, and the Bubble MCP (in beta) lets builders connect their own coding agent, such as Claude Code or Codex. Bubble's homepage claims 6 million builders, 8 million apps and 8,000 plugins (its own figures). Plans are bought per app, and hosting usage is measured in workload units (WU).
The Product
Bubble Features: What You Actually Get
AI app generation and the AI Agent
Bubble AI builds a first version of an app, including pages, a database and workflows, from a text description, and the result stays editable in the visual editor. Agent 2 can add features, troubleshoot and explain an app, with a preview tab beside it. App generation, the visual editor and the Bubble MCP don't use AI credits; building with the Agent and generating images or test data do. Plans include 500 to 4,000 AI credits a month, which refresh on the first and don't roll over, and paid plans can buy more that last six months.
A solo founder describes a dog-walking marketplace, lets Bubble AI generate the pages and data types, then asks the Agent to add a booking calendar and email confirmations.
Visual database, logic and privacy rules
Every app has a built-in database, user authentication, front-end and backend workflows, recurring workflows (limited on Free, daily on paid plans), and privacy rules that control which users can see which data. The Free plan is capped at 200 database things (records); paid plans list unlimited records. Growth adds premium version control and two-factor authentication, and Team adds 25 custom branches, sub apps, scheduled deployments and custom alerts.
A recruiting startup builds a two-sided job board where employers see only their own applicants, enforced by privacy rules rather than by hiding elements on the page.
Native iOS and Android apps
Bubble's native mobile editor builds React Native apps with tab bars, bottom sheets and swipe gestures, plus camera, location and push notification access. You can build and test on a device for free, but a paid plan is needed to deploy a live version, test through TestFlight or Google Play, and publish to the stores. Starter includes 5 build submissions a month and 3 live app versions, Growth 10 and 5, Team 20 and 8, with unlimited over-the-air updates. You still need your own Apple and Google developer accounts.
A fitness studio launches a member app on iOS and Android that shares its class schedule and bookings database with the studio's web dashboard.
Workload-based hosting
Bubble meters server activity, such as database operations, workflows and page loads, in workload units. Free includes 50K WU a month, Starter 175K, Growth 250K and Team 500K, and web and mobile usage in a project count toward one total. Beyond that, paid apps either pay overages at $0.30 per 1,000 WU, buy a workload tier, or turn overages off, in which case Bubble takes the app offline when it hits the limit. Bubble emails you at 75% and 100% of the allowance.
A SaaS founder watches the workload chart after a product launch and buys a workload tier for the month instead of paying overages.
Security and enterprise controls
Bubble's security page says it is SOC 2 Type II compliant, hosts on AWS, encrypts data with TLS in transit and AES-256 at rest, and runs annual penetration tests. Paid plans add basic security checks, Growth adds advanced checks, and Enterprise adds SSO, a choice of hosting region, a customizable server, a dedicated support team, a SOC 2 report and invoice or ACH payment.
A health-adjacent startup moves to Enterprise to host its app in a chosen AWS region and give its security reviewer Bubble's SOC 2 report.
Feature recap
- Visual editor for pages, database, workflows and privacy rules
- Bubble AI app generation, plus an AI Agent billed in monthly AI credits
- Native iOS and Android apps sharing one backend with the web app
- Free plan for building, with 50K workload units and 200 records
- Workload units metered per app, with $0.30 per 1,000 WU overages
- API Connector, Bubble app API and a plugin marketplace
- Version control, branches and 2 to 5 editors on Growth and Team
- No code export; data exports as CSV or through the API
The Numbers
Bubble Pricing: Every Plan Explained
These Bubble prices come from Bubble's pricing page, checked October 13, 2026, in USD per app (project) a month. Annual prices are shown as a monthly figure. Bubble sells separate Web, Mobile and Web & Mobile plans; the table lists the web price first. Bubble's October 6, 2026 announcement says the web-only Starter plan rises to $39 monthly and $32 billed annually on October 20, 2026. Taxes are added at checkout.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Included Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Development version only (no live app or custom domain); 50K WU a month, no overages; 1 editor; 500 AI credits; 200 database things; 0.5 GB file storage; 6 hours of server logs; build and test native mobile apps on a device; Bubble branding | Learning and building before launch |
| Starter | Web $32 ($39 from Oct 20); mobile $49; web + mobile $69 | Web $29 ($32 from Oct 20); mobile $42; web + mobile $59 | Live app and custom domain; 175K WU a month; 1,000 AI credits; 1 editor; 50 GB storage; 2 days of server logs; basic version control; daily recurring workflows; white label; mobile: 5 builds a month and 3 live versions; 14-day trial | Launching a first app |
| GrowthBest value | Web $134; mobile $199; web + mobile $249 | Web $119; mobile $169; web + mobile $209 | 250K WU a month; 2,000 AI credits; 2 editors; 10 custom branches; premium version control; two-factor authentication; advanced security checks; 100 GB storage; 14 days of logs; mobile: 10 builds and 5 live versions | Apps with paying users |
| Team | Web $399; mobile $529; web + mobile $649 | Web $349; mobile $449; web + mobile $549 | 500K WU a month; 4,000 AI credits; 5 editors; 25 custom branches; sub apps; scheduled deployments; custom alerts; 1 TB storage; 20 days of logs; mobile: 20 builds and 8 live versions | Teams shipping together |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom WU and AI credits (unlimited AI credits per the pricing page), choice of hosting region, dedicated or customizable server, SSO, SOC 2 report, dedicated support team, custom status page, invoice or ACH payment | Companies with security reviews |
A web app on Starter costs $348 a year billed annually at today's $29 rate, or $384 a year at the $32 rate Bubble lists from October 20, 2026; a web and mobile project on Starter costs $708 a year (our arithmetic from Bubble's listed prices). Going 100,000 WU over the allowance in a month adds $30 at the $0.30 per 1,000 WU overage rate. Extra file storage is $3 per 100 GB a month, and AI credit top-ups are priced in the app's plan settings rather than on the public page. The 14-day Starter trial is for new apps only, must start within 10 days of creating the app, needs a $1 card pre-authorization, and converts to a paid plan unless canceled; users in India can't start a trial. Bubble's manual says subscriptions are generally non-refundable, including trials that have converted. Its terms (effective October 3, 2026) say subscriptions renew automatically at the then-current rates, annual plans renew for another year unless canceled at least 30 days before the anniversary, and canceling an annual plan early doesn't end the obligation to pay for the full term. AI credit purchases are final. Canceled plans stay active until the next billing date, then lose paid features, including the custom domain. Late payments accrue 1.5% interest a month. Students, educators and nonprofits can get 30% off with documentation, per the manual.
Read before you buy
Where Bubble's own pages differ
Starter price: the pricing page and the manual's pricing article both list web-only Starter at $29 a month billed annually and $32 monthly on October 13, 2026. Bubble's October 6 blog post announcing Agent 2 says that from October 20, 2026 the same plan costs $39 monthly and $32 billed annually, that existing Starter Web subscribers and trials move to the new price at their next renewal, and that buying an annual plan before October 20 keeps the $29 rate for a year.
AI Agent status: the October 6 blog post says Agent 2 is out of beta and available to all apps. Bubble's AI page still labels the AI Agent chat "BETA", and its mobile page labels the AI mobile app builder and the AI Agent as beta.
Mobile builds: the pricing page lists 5, 10 and 20 build submissions a month on Starter, Growth and Team. The manual's pricing article lists 10, 15 and 25 for the first three months, then 5, 10 and 20.
App count: Bubble's homepage claims 8 million apps, while its AI page claims 7 million. Both pages say about 6 million builders.
Data
Ownership, security and AI terms
Bubble's manual says you own your app's design and your users' data, but Bubble keeps the underlying code. Bubble apps can only run on Bubble's platform and can't be exported as code, so leaving means rebuilding the logic elsewhere. Data can be exported as CSV files or pulled through the Bubble API. The manual also says that if Bubble is discontinued, its source code will be released under an open-source license so apps can run on a self-hosted Bubble server.
Bubble's security page says it complies with SOC 2 Type II, hosts on AWS, and keeps servers and data in the AWS West Region for all plans except Enterprise Dedicated, which can choose a region. Data is encrypted with TLS in transit and AES-256 at rest, DDoS protection runs through Cloudflare, and a GDPR data processing agreement is available. The security page doesn't mention HIPAA.
Bubble's terms (last revised September 28, 2026, effective October 3, 2026) say prompts and outputs from Bubble AI Tools may be shared with third-party AI services and may be used to train and improve Bubble's AI tools. You own your input, and Bubble doesn't claim ownership of the output. The terms cap Bubble's liability at $100 in most cases and send disputes to individual arbitration under New York law.
The Tradeoffs
Bubble Pros and Cons
What we love
- Builds both web apps and native iOS and Android apps on one backend
- Deep visual control over database, workflows and privacy rules
- Free plan with no time limit for building and testing
- AI app generation doesn't use AI credits
- API Connector and a large plugin marketplace
- SOC 2 Type II, with SSO and region choice on Enterprise
What could be better
- No code export; apps run only on Bubble's platform
- Workload metering adds overages or a hard offline cap
- Web Starter price rises to $39 monthly on October 20, 2026
- Only 1 editor below Growth, which starts at $119 a month billed annually
- Subscriptions generally non-refundable; annual plans are a full-term commitment
- Bubble's pages disagree on Agent beta status, mobile builds and app counts
The Audience
Who Should Use Bubble?
Best for: non-technical founders building an MVP
A founder building a marketplace, booking tool or SaaS app can generate a first version with Bubble AI, refine logic and privacy rules visually, and launch on Starter without hiring developers.
Best for: teams that need web and native mobile together
A Web & Mobile plan lets a small team ship a web dashboard and App Store and Google Play apps from one database and set of workflows, with over-the-air updates after launch.
Skip if: you need to own the code or a fixed bill
Teams that may need to move off the platform, or can't tolerate usage-based costs, should look at a code-generating builder such as Lovable or FlutterFlow. Softr fits simpler portals on existing data.
The Methodology
How We Reviewed Bubble
This is an editorial review, not a documented hands-on test. We didn't build an app in a Bubble account for this review. It's based on Bubble's pricing page (read in the browser across its Web, Mobile and Web & Mobile tabs, monthly and annual billing, and its full comparison table), its homepage, AI, mobile and security pages, its October 6, 2026 announcement of Agent 2, Bubble MCP and AI credits, its terms, and manual articles on pricing and plans, plans and billing, the pricing FAQ, AI credits, workload, and application and data ownership, all checked on October 13, 2026. Where Bubble's pages differ, we report both statements. No performance, workload-consumption or AI-output results are claimed.
Our editorial evaluation considers product information, official documentation, pricing, features and professional experience. It is not a claim of documented hands-on testing.
Our review methodology →What changed
- : First published. Editorial review based on Bubble's pricing page and full comparison table, homepage, AI, mobile and security pages, its October 6, 2026 Agent 2 and AI credits announcement, its terms, and manual articles on pricing and plans, plans and billing, the pricing FAQ, AI credits, workload, and application and data ownership, all checked October 13, 2026. Sub-scores are provisional pending editorial approval.
The Field
Bubble vs The Competition
Bubble competes with no-code and AI app builders. Prices below were checked on each vendor's pricing page on October 13, 2026.
| Tool | Starting Price | Free plan | Best Feature | BS Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubble | Starter $29/mo billed annually ($32 monthly) for a web app; $32 annual and $39 monthly from Oct 20, 2026 | Yes | AI app generation and the AI Agent | 8.3/10 |
| Softr | Basic $19/mo billed annually ($25 monthly) | Yes | Client portals and internal tools on existing data | 8.5/10 |
| Lovable | Pro $21/mo billed annually ($25 monthly) | Yes | AI-generated full-stack apps with real code | 9.1/10 |
| Webflow | Basic $15/mo per site billed yearly | Yes | Design-led marketing sites with a CMS | 9.1/10 |
| FlutterFlow | Basic $39/mo (monthly billing; annual saves about 25%) | Yes | Visual Flutter builder with code download | Not yet reviewed |
Softr: Softr is quicker to learn for portals and internal apps built on its own database or Airtable, with pricing by plan rather than workload. Bubble handles more complex custom logic and native mobile apps.Read our Softr review →
Lovable: Lovable generates React code from prompts, with 100 monthly credits on Pro and custom domains. It suits builders who want code they can take elsewhere; Bubble keeps everything visual on its own platform.Read our Lovable review →
Webflow: Webflow is built for content and marketing sites, with a CMS on its $25 Premium plan billed yearly. Bubble is the better fit when the product itself is an app with users, data and workflows.Read our Webflow review →
FlutterFlow: FlutterFlow builds mobile, web and desktop apps visually and includes code and APK download from its Basic plan, which Bubble doesn't offer. BestStacked hasn't reviewed FlutterFlow yet.
In The Wild
How People Actually Use Bubble
A solo founder validating a marketplace
Build on the Free plan, then move to web Starter ($29 billed annually until October 20) to launch on a custom domain. Watch the workload chart in the first weeks and decide whether to leave overages on.
A startup adding a mobile app
A Web & Mobile Starter plan ($59 billed annually) shares the web app's database and workflows with native iOS and Android apps, with 5 build submissions a month. Budget for Apple and Google developer accounts.
A product team of three to five
Growth ($119 billed annually for web) adds a second editor, branches and two-factor authentication; Team ($349) raises that to 5 editors, 25 branches and scheduled deployments.
The Ecosystem
Bubble Integrations
Bubble connects to outside services through its API Connector, which is on every plan including Free, its own app API, and a plugin marketplace that its homepage puts at 8,000 plugins.
- →API Connector for any REST API (all plans)
- →Bubble app API for external access to your app's data and workflows
- →Plugin marketplace, including Bubble-made plugins such as Stripe
- →Apple and Google in-app purchases and subscriptions in native apps
- →Bubble MCP (beta) for agents such as Claude Code and Codex
- →CSV import and export
- →SSO (Enterprise)
The integration list above is from Bubble's pricing comparison table, mobile page and October 6, 2026 announcement, checked October 13, 2026. Bubble says the MCP can't yet read logs, merge branches or deploy, and that it doesn't use your plan's AI credits. Paid plugins carry their own subscriptions.
Common Questions
Bubble FAQ
The Final Word
Should You Use Bubble?
Bubble is a strong choice for founders and small teams who want to build a real web or native mobile app without writing code, and who value visual control over data, logic and privacy rules. Go in knowing the trade-offs: your app can't leave Bubble's platform as code, workload metering can add overages or take the app offline, and the web Starter price rises on October 20, 2026. Start on the Free plan to see how much workload your app uses before you buy an annual plan. We score Bubble 8.3/10.
Yes, if
You're building a custom web or mobile app with users, data and workflows, and you're comfortable running it on Bubble's platform.
No, if
You need exportable code, flat predictable pricing, or only a marketing site.
About the reviewer
Carlos Gil
Founder & Editor, The Best Network
Carlos Gil is the bestselling author of The End of Marketing, a LinkedIn Top Voice, and founder of The Best Network. He brings 15+ years in marketing to practical reviews of AI, SaaS, email marketing, creator, and ecommerce software.
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