Free Bubble Alternatives: No-Code App Builders You Can Launch On Without Paying
Bubble is still one of the strongest no-code tools for building a full web app or SaaS product, and you can build on it for free for as long as you like. The catch is the launch: Bubble's free plan runs a development version only, so real users, a live website and your own domain all start with a paid plan. If you want to test an idea with real customers before you pay anything, the question is not which tool is "best" but which free plan lets you put an app online. We checked each tool below on its official pricing page in November 2026: what the free plan includes, whether a live app is allowed, and whether you can use a custom domain for free.
Quick answer: to launch a real web app for $0, use Softr (5 app users), WeWeb (live on a WeWeb subdomain), FlutterFlow (web on 2 free subdomains) or Noloco (50 active clients). For internal tools, Retool and Appsmith are free for up to 5 users, and Budibase is free without user limits if you host it yourself. None of the hosted free plans includes a custom domain: that is the first thing you pay for almost everywhere.
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What Bubble's Free Plan Includes in 2027
The Bubble pricing page (checked November 2026, web plans, billed annually) describes Free as the plan "for projects under construction". It costs $0 and includes 500 AI credits and 50,000 workload units a month, the API connector, the web debugger and a development version of your web app. Bubble now also builds native iOS and Android apps from the same project. A live website and a custom domain start with Starter at $32 a month billed annually (175,000 workload units); Growth costs $119 and Team $349 a month. So Bubble Free is a good place to learn and prototype, but not to launch. Here is what the alternatives give you for free.
Free Bubble Alternatives Compared
Sources: each tool's official pricing page in its default view, checked 8 November 2026. Retool and WeWeb showed euro prices from our location. Free plans change often, so check again before you build.
The Best Free Bubble Alternatives in 2027
1. Softr: launch a portal or internal tool with 5 users for free
Softr builds client portals, CRMs, intranets and internal tools from a prompt or from templates, on its own database or on data from Airtable and other sources. The Softr pricing page lists a Free plan with unlimited apps, databases, workflows, agents and forms, up to 3 builders, 5 app users, 5,000 database records, 500 workflow actions and 5 AI credits a month. That is enough to run a real portal for your first customers. A custom domain starts with Basic at $19 a month, and removing Softr branding needs Pro at $99. Compared with Bubble, Softr is faster to set up but less flexible for custom logic.
2. WeWeb: the closest free match for Bubble-style web apps
WeWeb is a visual front-end builder with AI generation that connects to your own backend and APIs, which makes it the nearest thing to Bubble for custom web apps. The WeWeb pricing page (prices in euros) lists a Free plan with no subscription: 1 million AI tokens a month, the drag-and-drop editor, API and data integrations, and going live on WeWeb Cloud Free (1,000 sessions in total) on a WeWeb subdomain. Essential costs €20 a month billed annually and adds code export, GitHub sync and paid hosting per app. You need a separate backend, so plan a little more setup than on Bubble.
3. FlutterFlow: free web apps on a subdomain, mobile later
FlutterFlow builds Flutter apps for web, iOS and Android; its visual builder is now called FlutterFlow Studio. On the FlutterFlow pricing page, the Free plan includes 2 projects, a free AI allowance and web deployment on up to 2 free subdomains, with a FlutterFlow watermark. Custom domains, code download, APK download and one-click App Store and Google Play deployment start with Basic at $39 a month. Choose it if you expect to need a native mobile app.
4. Noloco: free client portals for up to 50 clients
Noloco is an AI portal builder for operations teams: you build internal views and client portals where every client sees only their own data. Its Free plan includes 30 AI credits a month plus 5 a day, unlimited team seats, 50 active clients and 2,000 records in Noloco Tables, and free apps carry a small "Powered by Noloco" label. Build costs $65 a month billed annually ($79 billed monthly) and adds external data sources, 1,000 active clients and 25,000 records; every plan starts with a 14-day trial.
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5. Retool: free internal tools for a team of 5
Retool builds internal apps, workflows and AI agents on top of your databases and APIs. The Retool pricing page showed euro prices from our location: the Free plan costs €0 for up to 5 users, with 250 pooled AI credits a month, Retool Cloud and a production environment. Team costs €9 per builder and €5 per internal user a month, billed annually, and adds staging. External users and embedded apps are not part of the free plan, so Retool is for tools your own team uses, not for customer-facing products. Prefer to self-host? See our open-source Retool alternatives.
6. Appsmith: free cloud for 5 users, free forever if you self-host
Appsmith is an open-source low-code platform for admin panels, dashboards and internal tools. The Appsmith pricing page lists Free at $0 for up to 5 cloud users, with 5 workspaces, Git version control for 3 repositories, Google sign-in and public apps; the open-source Community edition is free to run on your own server. Business costs $15 per user per month and removes the "Powered by Appsmith" branding. It expects some JavaScript.
7. Budibase: free and unlimited on your own server
Budibase builds internal apps, automations and AI agents for business processes. On the Budibase pricing page, the self-managed Community plan costs $0 with unlimited users, apps, agents and automations. There is no free hosted plan: Budibase Cloud starts at $299 a month after a 14-day trial. Pick it if you are comfortable running a server and want no per-user bill.
8. Adalo: free to build native mobile apps, paid to publish
Adalo builds native iOS, Android and web apps, and its AI builder Ada can draft a first version. The Adalo pricing page calls Free "free forever": 5 Ada prompts a month, one free app build, unlimited test apps, 1 app editor and 500 records per app. Publishing to the app stores and the web, and custom domains, start with Builder at $65 a month (the page showed $30 for the first month on monthly billing).
9. Bravo Studio: from your Figma design to a native app
Bravo Studio turns app designs into native iOS and Android apps, either in its no-code Studio or with AI through Bravo MCP. The free Starter plan on the Bravo pricing page lets you preview apps on your phone with basic API connections and up to 15 screens per app, but has no App Store builds. Solo costs $22 a month billed monthly and adds native app builds and every integration. Good for designers who want a mobile prototype that feels real.
10. Thunkable: free mobile prototypes
Thunkable is a drag-and-drop builder for native mobile apps. Its free plan includes 2,000 AI tokens, 3 public projects and 5 screens per project; free projects cannot be private. Accelerator costs $19 a month, and a live published app needs Builder at $59 a month (both billed monthly).
11. Glide: free to build, paid to publish
Glide turns spreadsheets, prompts or files into business apps on its GlideOS platform. The Glide pricing page Free plan gives limited credits, 2 team members and 10 projects, but 0 published apps; Basic at $25 a month publishes 2 apps. We compare tools for that use case in our free Glide alternatives.
12. Webflow: free websites, not apps
Webflow is a visual website builder, so it replaces Bubble only for marketing sites and landing pages, not for apps with user accounts and complex logic. The Starter plan on the Webflow pricing page is free with a webflow.io domain, 2 static pages, limited CMS, 1 GB of bandwidth and 50 form submissions. A custom domain starts with Basic at $15 a month billed yearly. For a simple landing page, see our free Carrd alternatives and free Squarespace alternatives.
13. Backendless: a free backend with a visual UI builder
Backendless is a visual app development platform with a database, logic and a UI builder, aimed at people who want more backend control. Its pricing page offers a free Backendless Cloud plan with no credit card, and Backendless Pro, which you install on your own infrastructure with free licensing. The page does not list the free plan's limits in its default view, so check them in the full pricing table before you commit.
Bubble Alternatives That Closed or Changed
The 2025 version of this article included four tools that no longer fit a free Bubble alternatives list:
- Zapier Interfaces: zapier.com/interfaces now redirects to Zapier Forms, a form builder that starts workflows, not an app builder. For automation, see our open-source Zapier alternatives.
- Bildr: bildr.com now shows a farewell note from the team, thanking customers and investors. The product is no longer available.
- Appy Pie: its pricing page offers a 7-day free trial for personal, non-commercial use, not a free plan.
- Webstudio: a visual website builder rather than an app builder; its pricing page showed a bot check when we visited, so we could not confirm its free plan. For open-source site builders, see our open-source Framer alternatives and open-source Weebly alternatives.
Which Free Bubble Alternative Should You Choose?
- You want customers using your MVP this month without paying: Softr for portals, or Noloco if each client needs their own private view.
- You want Bubble-level design freedom for a web app: WeWeb on top of your own backend, free on a WeWeb subdomain.
- You need a native mobile app eventually: FlutterFlow (free web now), Adalo or Thunkable, and Bravo Studio if you design in Figma first.
- You build tools for your own team: Retool or Appsmith for up to 5 people, Budibase or Appsmith self-hosted for more.
- You need enterprise-style apps with workflows and governance: read our open-source Mendix alternatives.
- You only need a website: Webflow Starter, Carrd or Squarespace alternatives, not an app builder.
- You plan a complex SaaS and accept paying at launch: stay on Bubble and budget $32 a month (billed annually) for Starter.
Database-first builders are covered in our open-source Airtable alternatives and open-source AppSheet alternatives, and design tools in our open-source Figma alternatives.
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How Founders Use Free No-Code Builders to Test an Idea
The free plans above are best used for one thing: proving that someone wants your product before you pay for hosting, domains and seats. Pick the tool by where your first users will be (a portal, a web app or a phone), build the one screen that solves their main problem and send the link to ten people. A subdomain is fine for a test; buy the custom domain once people come back. Our guide to no-code AI app builders for startups covers AI-first tools, the biggest mistakes when choosing no-code tools explains how to avoid lock-in, and low-code vs AI-code prototyping tools helps if you are tempted to skip no-code and prompt an AI coder instead.
Keep your running costs low in the other parts of the business too: our free Expensify alternatives cover expenses, and grants for early-stage startups and accelerators for early-stage startups can fund the paid plan when you need it. Before you build, validate your startup idea with real customers, and once the app is live, write about it with the F/MS AI SEO Tool so people can find it in Google and AI assistants.
FAQ About Free Bubble Alternatives
Is Bubble free in 2027?
You can build on Bubble for free with 500 AI credits and 50,000 workload units a month, but the free plan runs a development version only. A live website and custom domain start with Starter at $32 a month billed annually (checked November 2026).
What is the best free alternative to Bubble?
For launching for free, Softr (5 app users) and WeWeb (live on a WeWeb subdomain) are the strongest picks. WeWeb is closer to Bubble for custom web apps; Softr is faster for portals and internal tools.
Which Bubble alternative lets me publish a live app for free?
Softr, WeWeb, FlutterFlow (web on free subdomains), Noloco, Retool and Appsmith (up to 5 users) and self-hosted Budibase. Adalo, Bravo Studio, Thunkable, Glide and Bubble need a paid plan to go live.
Can I use a custom domain on a free no-code plan?
Not on the hosted free plans we checked. Softr, FlutterFlow, Adalo, Webflow and Bubble all add a custom domain with their first paid plan. Self-hosting Appsmith or Budibase on your own server is the free way to use your own domain.
Is there an open-source alternative to Bubble?
Appsmith and Budibase are open source and free to self-host; they suit internal tools more than consumer apps. Our open-source Retool and Mendix alternatives cover more options.
Is FlutterFlow free?
Yes, with 2 projects, a free AI allowance and web deployment on up to 2 free subdomains. Custom domains, code download and app store deployment start with Basic at $39 a month.
What is the best free Bubble alternative for mobile apps?
FlutterFlow, Adalo, Thunkable and Bravo Studio all let you build and test mobile apps for free, but publishing to the App Store and Google Play is on paid plans, and Apple and Google charge their own developer fees.
Is Webflow a Bubble alternative?
Only for websites. Webflow is a website builder with a free Starter plan on a webflow.io domain; it is not built for apps with user accounts and complex logic like Bubble.
What happened to Bildr and Zapier Interfaces?
Bildr's website now shows a farewell note from its team. Zapier Interfaces now redirects to Zapier Forms, a form builder rather than an app builder.
Where can I get a backlink by writing about my startup?
You can publish a guest post in one of the Fe/male Switch startup blogs, which rank in Google and in AI tools. Get a quality backlink.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
