Step-by-Step Guide: Building a Paramount+ Clone with Adalo

This comprehensive tutorial walks you through building a functional video streaming app using Adalo's no-code platform. You'll learn how to create a Paramount+-style app complete with multi-profile support, content categorization, subscription payments, and cross-platform publishing—all without writing a single line of code.

Building a streaming app traditionally requires a development team and costs $50,000-$100,000 for the first year. With Adalo, you can launch a production-ready streaming platform for under $2,000 annually while cutting development time by 90% faster development.

Key Takeaways

• Total Build Time: 7-10 hours of hands-on work spread over 2-5 weeks (including app store review periods)
• Required Plan: Starter plan minimum ($36/month annual) for publishing; Professional ($52/month annual) recommended for subscription features
• Critical Requirement: External video hosting is mandatory—Adalo's 40MB practical upload limit makes direct video uploads impractical for production apps
• Publishing Options: Single build deploys to iOS, Android, and web simultaneously

Understanding the Core Components of a Streaming App

Before diving into the build, you need to understand the foundational elements that make a streaming platform function. Your Paramount+ clone requires six interconnected systems working together.

Essential Components:

• User Authentication: Sign-up, login, and multi-profile management (like Netflix's family profiles)
• Content Database: Structured storage for video metadata, categories, and relationships
• Video Delivery: External hosting integration for actual video playback
• Subscription System: Payment processing and access control based on subscription tier
• User Experience Features: Watch history, watchlists, and personalized recommendations
• Cross-Platform Publishing: Deployment to web, iOS App Store, and Google Play Store

Adalo's built-in relational database handles content organization, while marketplace components cover payments and video playback. The platform processes 20 million daily requests with 99%+ average uptime.

Setting Up Your Adalo Project

Step 1: Create Your Account and App

1. Go to Adalo.com and click "Start Building For Free"
2. Sign up with email or Google
3. Click "Create New App"
4. Select "Responsive App (Adalo 2.0)" for cross-device compatibility
5. Name your project "Paramount+ Clone"
6. Choose a dark color scheme to match streaming app conventions

Time Required: 15 minutes

Step 2: Configure Your Theme

1. Set your primary color (dark navy or black works well for streaming apps)
2. Choose an accent color for CTAs (Paramount+ uses blue)
3. Select a clean, modern font from the library
4. Click "Continue" to enter the visual builder

The responsive design feature ensures your app automatically adapts across mobile, tablet, and desktop screens from a single build.

Managing Your Content Library with Adalo's Database

Step 3: Build Your Database Structure

Click the Database icon in the left sidebar. You'll create six collections to power your streaming platform.

Collection 1: Videos

• Title (Text)
• Description (Text - Multiline)
• Video URL (Text) - stores external hosting link
• Thumbnail (Image)
• Duration (Number)
• Release Year (Number)
• Content Rating (Text) - G, PG, PG-13, R
• Is Featured (True/False)
• View Count (Number)

Collection 2: Categories

• Category Name (Text)
• Icon (Image)
• Display Order (Number)

Collection 3: Profiles

• Profile Name (Text)
• Avatar (Image)
• Is Kids Profile (True/False)
• Language (Text)
• Relationship to Users (Many-to-One)

Collection 4: Watch History

• Progress (Number) - percentage watched
• Last Watched (Date & Time)
• Completed (True/False)
• Relationships to Profiles + Videos

Collection 5: Watchlist

• Added Date (Date & Time)
• Relationships to Profiles + Videos

Collection 6: Reviews

• Rating (Number)
• Comment (Text)
• Relationships to Users + Videos

Database setup guide

Time Required: 45-60 minutes

Step 4: Set Up Video Categories Relationship

1. In the Videos collection, add a relationship to Categories
2. Select "Many-to-Many" (one video can belong to multiple categories)
3. This enables filtering by genre on your browse screens

Common Mistake: Incorrect relationship types cause filtering issues later. Use "One User → Many Profiles" and "One Video → Many Categories" patterns consistently.

Setting Up External Video Hosting

Step 5: Choose Your Hosting Solution

Adalo's native video component has a 50MB maximum upload due to timeout issues. Production streaming apps require external hosting.

Hosting Options:

ChatGPT said:

• YouTube (Unlisted) — Free — Best for: MVPs and prototypes
• Vimeo Pro — $20–$75/month — Best for: Professional apps
• AWS S3 + CloudFront — $50–$200/month — Best for: Enterprise control
• Bunny.net — $10–$100/month — Best for: Cost-effective alternative

For YouTube:

1. Upload videos as "Unlisted" on YouTube
2. Copy the video URL
3. Install the YouTube Component from Adalo's marketplace
4. Paste URLs into your Videos collection

For Vimeo/AWS:

1. Upload .mp4 files (H.264 codec required)
2. Set privacy settings to prevent public discovery
3. Copy direct video URLs
4. Use Adalo's native Video Component with these URLs

Critical Note: Vimeo embeds may not work on Native Android. Use Responsive apps or direct .mp4 URLs for maximum compatibility.

Time Required: 30 minutes (YouTube) to 2 hours (AWS setup)

Implementing User Authentication and Profile Management

Step 6: Build Authentication Screens

Welcome Screen:

1. Add your app logo (Image component)
2. Add tagline text: "Stream your favorites anytime"
3. Create two buttons:
   
   • "Sign In" → Link to Login screen
   • "Start Free Trial" → Link to Sign Up screen

Sign Up Screen:

1. Add Form component connected to Users collection
2. Include fields: Email, Password, Full Name
3. On submit action: Create User → Navigate to Profile Creation

Login Screen:

1. Add Login Form component
2. On success: Navigate to Profile Selection screen
3. Add "Forgot Password" link

Step 7: Create Multi-Profile System

Profile Selection Screen:

1. Add Custom List component filtered by: Logged In User's Profiles
2. Display Profile Avatar and Name for each
3. On profile click: Set Current Profile → Navigate to Home

Add Profile Screen:

1. Create form with Profile Name, Avatar selector
2. Toggle for "Kids Profile" (enables content filtering)
3. On submit: Create Profile linked to Logged In User

This multi-profile feature mimics how streaming services let families share accounts while maintaining separate watch histories.

Time Required: 60 minutes

Integrating Video Playback and Subscription Payments

Step 8: Build the Home Screen

1. Create "Home" screen with dark background

2. Add Featured Banner:

• Custom List limited to 1 item
• Filter: Is Featured = True
• Large thumbnail with play button overlay

3. Add horizontal content rows:

• "Continue Watching" - Filter: Watch History where Profile = Current Profile, Completed = False
• "Trending Now" - Sort by View Count (descending)
• "Action Movies" - Filter: Categories contains "Action"
• "New Releases" - Sort by Release Year (descending)

4. Enable "Load Items as User Scrolls" on all lists for better performance

Time Required: 90 minutes

Step 9: Create Video Player Screen

1. Add new screen "Video Player"
2. Insert Video Component (or YouTube Component for YouTube-hosted content)
3. Set source to: Current Video → Video URL
4. Enable "Show Controls" and "Show Full Video (Don't Crop)"
5. Below player, add:
   
   • Video Title and Release Year
   • Duration and Content Rating
   • Description text
   • "Add to Watchlist" button with conditional visibility

Step 10: Implement Watch Progress Tracking

1. On Video Player screen load:

• Check if Watch History record exists for Current Profile + Current Video
• If not, create new Watch History record
• If yes, update Last Watched timestamp

2. Add timer action (every 30 seconds):

• Update Progress field with current playback position

3. On video 90% complete:

• Set Completed = True
• This removes it from "Continue Watching" and enables completion tracking

Time Required: 30 minutes

Step 11: Set Up Subscription Payments

1. Install Stripe Kit from Marketplace

2. Connect your Stripe account (free to create)

3. Create "Choose Your Plan" screen with pricing cards:

• Basic: $9.99/month (with ads simulation)
• Standard: $14.99/month
• Premium: $19.99/month (4K + downloads)

4. Add Stripe Subscription Component configured for recurring billing

5. On successful payment:

• Update User: Subscription Status = Active
• Update User: Subscription Tier = selected plan
• Update User: Subscription End Date = 30 days from now
• Navigate to Home screen

Important: Stripe subscription status doesn't automatically sync cancellations. For production apps, set up Zapier webhooks to handle status updates. This requires the Professional plan for Custom Actions.

Time Required: 60 minutes

Publishing Your Streaming App

Step 12: Test Thoroughly Before Publishing

1. Add 20-30 test videos to your database
2. Test all user flows in Adalo Preview mode:
   
   • Sign up → Profile creation → Browse → Play video
   • Payment flow with Stripe test cards
   • Watch history and watchlist functionality
3. Test on physical devices using the Adalo mobile app

Step 13: Publish to All Platforms

Web Publishing:

1. Click Publish → Web
2. Add custom domain (requires Starter plan minimum)
3. Configure SEO settings
4. Click Publish

iOS Publishing:

1. Click Publish → iOS
2. You'll need an Apple Developer account ($99/year)
3. Follow Adalo's submission wizard
4. Apple review takes 24 hours to 7 days

Android Publishing:

1. Click Publish → Android
2. Google Play Developer account required ($25 one-time)
3. Submit through Adalo's guided process
4. Google review typically takes 1-3 days

Time Required: 2-4 hours (plus app store review periods)

Optimizing Performance for Your Streaming Clone

Step 14: Image and Loading Optimization

• Compress all thumbnails to under 200KB using TinyPNG before upload
• Enable pagination on every video list (prevents loading thousands of items at once)
• Use External Collections when your catalog exceeds 500 videos

Step 15: Database Efficiency Tips

• Keep list queries simple—complex filters slow performance
• Avoid nesting lists within lists (common cause of 3-5 second load times)
• Monitor App Actions usage in Account Settings → Billing & Usage

Adalo maintains 99%+ average uptime, but list rendering can slow with 1,000+ records. Plan for External Collections integration when scaling beyond 5,000 videos.

Scaling Your Paramount+ Clone

Step 16: Connect Marketing and Analytics Tools

Use Zapier integration to connect your app with:

• Email marketing platforms (Mailchimp, SendGrid)
• Analytics tools for user behavior tracking
• CRM systems like HubSpot for subscriber management

Step 17: Expand Database Capacity

When your catalog or user base grows significantly:

1. Upgrade to Team plan ($160/month annual) for Xano integration
2. Migrate video metadata to external database
3. Keep authentication and user data in Adalo
4. This architecture supports 10,000+ videos and active users

Why Adalo Is Your Best Choice for Building a Streaming App

Adalo stands out for streaming app development because it eliminates the traditional barriers to entry. The platform has powered over 1 million apps with more than 2 million registered users across the ecosystem.

What makes Adalo ideal for this project:

• True Visual Development: Unlike platforms requiring CSS knowledge, Adalo's drag-and-drop builder means "if you can make a slide deck, you can make an app"
• Cross-Platform from Day One: Build once and publish to iOS, Android, and web—no separate codebases
• Built-In Relational Database: Store and relate videos, users, profiles, and watch history without external tools
• Component Marketplace: Access video players, payment processing, and advanced UI components with one-click installation
• Transparent Pricing: Start free and scale predictably—pricing plans based on your needs

For entrepreneurs validating a streaming concept, Adalo offers the fastest path from idea to published app. The significant cost savings compared to traditional development lets you invest in content and marketing instead of engineering costs.

Ready to build your streaming platform? Start with Adalo's free plan to test your concept, then upgrade when you're ready to publish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I really build a complex streaming app like Paramount+ without any coding?

Yes, but with realistic expectations. Adalo handles the core functionality—user accounts, content browsing, video playback, and payments. You won't replicate every Paramount+ feature (like adaptive bitrate streaming or offline downloads), but you can build a fully functional streaming service suitable for niche audiences, course platforms, or MVP validation.

What are the essential Adalo features needed to create a video streaming service?

You need five core capabilities: the built-in database for content organization, Video or YouTube components for playback, Stripe integration for subscriptions, user authentication for accounts, and responsive design for cross-device compatibility. All are available on paid plans starting at $36/month with annual billing.

How do I handle video content storage and delivery within an Adalo app?

Always use external hosting. Adalo's 40MB practical upload limit makes direct uploads impractical for video content. YouTube (free, unlisted videos) works for prototypes, while Vimeo Pro ($20-75/month) or AWS S3 provides professional-grade delivery for production apps.

Can I monetize my Adalo streaming app with subscriptions?

Absolutely. The Stripe integration supports recurring subscription billing with multiple tiers. For automatic subscription status syncing (handling cancellations and renewals), you'll need the Professional plan ($52/month annual) for Custom Actions combined with Zapier webhooks.