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Choosing between Adalo and Bubble is a vital decision if you want to build apps without coding. But what if your real goal is to create an internal tool or client portal — not a consumer-facing product?
In that case, there's a third contender worth considering: Noloco.
While Adalo and Bubble cater to app builders creating mobile apps or full-scale SaaS products, Noloco is built specifically for business and operations teams. It enables non-technical users to build internal tools, CRMs, and partner dashboards — all without writing a single line of code or relying on engineering resources.
This article compares the three platforms side by side, helping you understand their strengths, limitations, and which type of project each tool is best suited for.
Each platform takes a different approach:
Whether you're an entrepreneur working on a prototype, a small business creating an MVP, or a medium-sized company building a full internal platform, understanding these platforms' core philosophies will help you choose the right one for your needs.
The way a no-code platform designs its interface deeply influences how quickly and effectively you can build applications. Adalo and Bubble both offer visual, drag-and-drop builders — but they differ in who they're built for and how much complexity they require.
Adalo stands out with its clean, intuitive interface geared toward beginners. You see your changes live as you build, which makes it feel natural and straightforward — especially for mobile-first apps.
Bubble, on the other hand, provides a far more powerful but complex visual editor. Once you get the hang of it, it enables deep customization through a layered interface that resembles both Canva and Excel. But this flexibility comes at the cost of a much steeper learning curve — making it better suited for technical users or product teams with some development background.
Noloco offers a completely different take: a zero-friction builder made for internal apps. Instead of overwhelming users with design decisions, Noloco gives you fast, structured components (like tables, forms, and kanban boards) tailored to managing and interacting with data. You can build polished business applications with minimal setup — without having to configure complex workflows from scratch.
To recap:
Adalo was built with mobile-first thinking. Every app adapts to iOS, Android, and the web from a single build, making it ideal for launching to mobile users quickly.
Bubble takes a web-first approach. It starts with desktop designs and then requires extra effort to ensure mobile responsiveness. This gives you control for complex web apps but can slow you down if mobile is your primary target.
Noloco generates fully responsive applications automatically. It starts with a desktop-ready layout but adapts to mobile views with just one click — no design tweaks or media queries required. This is perfect for dashboards and internal tools where users need seamless access across devices.
To recap:
The features a platform offers should match your team’s skill set and your product goals. While Adalo, Bubble, and Noloco all fall under the no-code umbrella, they approach core functionality — like workflows and data — very differently.
Adalo gives users a basic set of "Actions" — good for navigation and simple app behaviors, but limited in complexity.
Bubble offers an advanced visual programming interface where you can set up conditional workflows, data triggers, and API calls — ideal for highly customized applications, but often intimidating for non-technical users.
Noloco offers built-in automation that hits the sweet spot:
This makes Noloco especially powerful for internal use cases like onboarding flows, request management, or updating records across connected tools.
To recap:
Adalo treats databases like spreadsheets. It’s simple and intuitive, but not ideal for complex data relationships.
Bubble provides a powerful, relational database system that allows for deep structuring of data and workflows — perfect for apps that rely heavily on custom data models.
Noloco combines the best of both worlds:
This flexibility makes it easy to start fast, scale later, and leverage existing business infrastructure.
To recap:
Your app’s ecosystem often needs to work with other tools — whether for payments, automations, CRM, or file management. All three platforms support third-party integrations, but their focus reflects the kind of apps they’re built for.
All three platforms connect to Zapier, giving access to thousands of other apps.
This makes Noloco ideal for teams that want to start fast with structured internal tools — and scale their apps over time without needing to rebuild or migrate platforms.
Design freedom varies widely across these platforms — and so does the need for it, depending on your use case.
Your time and resources matter when choosing a no-code platform — especially if you're not technical. Adalo, Bubble, and Noloco each offer different experiences when it comes to getting started.
Each platform shows different strengths in creating your first working app. Both platforms need you to put in work. Industry professionals remind us that "no-code doesn't mean no work". Your choice depends on your schedule, tech comfort level, and your app's future needs.
Your time and resources matter when learning a no-code platform. Adalo and Bubble each offer unique learning paths that shape your development path differently.
Since Bubble and Adalo don’t allow you to publish your app on their free plans, it’s important to consider how pricing scales if you're planning to build your SaaS with one of these tools.
Bubble uses “workload units” to track app activity instead of bandwidth. As your app becomes more popular or complex, your costs increase accordingly. This makes Bubble’s pricing grow in line with usage—ideal for startups that generate more revenue as they scale.
Adalo, on the other hand, uses a feature-based pricing model, which can make costs harder to predict. You pay more as you unlock additional features, not necessarily based on user growth. Higher-tier plans (up to $200/month) include things like custom actions, integrations, and more editor seats.
This pricing difference has a big impact on growing apps. With Bubble, costs rise gradually with usage. With Adalo, a single feature requirement could push you into a much higher tier, causing sudden jumps in your monthly bill.
The detailed comparison between Adalo, Bubble, and Noloco highlights that each platform serves a distinct purpose in the no-code development space. Your choice should depend on your specific project needs—not just the platform's popularity.
Adalo stands out for its user-friendly interface and mobile-first approach. Its simplified app store publishing makes it ideal for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to launch mobile apps quickly. It's a great tool for building functional prototypes without requiring deep technical skills. However, this simplicity comes with trade-offs, particularly in database flexibility and handling complex logic.
Bubble, by contrast, excels in backend capabilities and customization. While it has a steeper learning curve, it offers better scalability and performance for data-intensive web apps. Its full-featured workflow engine and JavaScript integration make it a strong choice for building complex, dynamic applications. The downside: publishing to mobile platforms is more challenging.
Choose Adalo if you’re creating a mobile app and need to get it live fast. Go with Bubble if you’re ready to invest time in learning a powerful platform and want full control over a web application’s functionality.
But if you're building an internal tool, client-facing portal, or team dashboard, Noloco may be the better fit. It offers faster time to launch, minimal technical setup, and features tailored to how business teams actually operate.
Noloco isn’t trying to be everything. It’s designed for a specific use case: apps that your team or clients use daily to manage workflows and data—without the overhead of building consumer-facing experiences.
Adalo is mobile-first and easier for beginners, while Bubble is web-focused with more advanced features. Adalo excels in native mobile app development, whereas Bubble offers superior database management and workflow automation for complex web applications.
Adalo is generally better for mobile app development. It offers native publishing to iOS and Android app stores without additional tools, making it ideal for entrepreneurs and businesses focused on creating mobile applications quickly and easily.
Adalo's paid plans start at $36 per month with a feature-based pricing model, while Bubble begins at $29.99 monthly with a usage-based approach. Bubble's model may offer better long-term value for growing web applications, while Adalo's pricing is more suitable for mobile-focused projects.
Bubble has a steeper learning curve compared to Adalo. While Bubble offers more advanced features and customization options, it requires more time to master. Adalo, on the other hand, is more intuitive and beginner-friendly, allowing for quicker app creation with less technical knowledge.
Bubble demonstrates superior scalability, capable of handling up to 1 million users with proper data structures. It performs better with large datasets and complex applications. Adalo, while suitable for small to mid-sized apps, may struggle with performance as complexity and user numbers increase.
Noloco is best for building internal tools, CRMs, client portals, and dashboards — without needing to write code or manage infrastructure.
Yes, Noloco connects to multiple data sources like Airtable, Google Sheets, Postgres, and more, letting you instantly generate a front-end interface.
Teams that want to build business tools — not consumer apps — and need to move quickly without engineering help should strongly consider Noloco.
Noloco is perfect for small to medium-sized businesses in non-technical industries like construction, manufacturing, and other operations-focused fields.
Not at all! Noloco is designed especially for non-tech teams. Simply build your custom application using a drag-and-drop interface. No developers needed!
Absolutely! Security is very important to us. Our access control features let you limit who can see certain data, so only the right people can access sensitive information
Yes! We provide customer support through various channels—like chat, email, and help articles—to assist you in any way we can.
Definitely! Noloco makes it easy to tweak your app as your business grows, adapting to your changing workflows and needs.
Yes! We offer tutorials, guides, and AI assistance to help you and your team learn how to use Noloco quickly.
Of course! You can adjust your app whenever needed. Add new features, redesign the layout, or make any other changes you need—you’re in full control.