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

This comprehensive tutorial walks you through creating a Disney+ style streaming app using Adalo's no-code app builder. You'll learn how to structure a video database, implement multi-profile authentication, integrate external video hosting, add subscription payments, and deploy across all platforms.

Key Takeaways

• Build a fully functional streaming platform for iOS, Android, and web without writing code using Adalo's no-code platform
• Create multi-profile user accounts, content libraries, and subscription monetization in 2-6 weeks
• Host videos externally to bypass Adalo's 40-50MB file size upload limit
• Integrate Stripe subscriptions with built-in payment components for recurring revenue
• Publish to web, Apple App Store, and Google Play from a single build

What Is a No-Code Disney+ Clone and Why Build One?

A no-code Disney+ clone replicates the core features of modern streaming platforms—content browsing, video playback, user profiles, watchlists, and subscriptions—without traditional coding. Using visual builders like Adalo, you can create apps that serve niche audiences like fitness studios, corporate training programs, or educational content creators.

Core Features of Modern Streaming Platforms

Streaming apps share common functionality that translates well to no-code:

• Content categorization by genre, release date, or custom tags
• Multi-profile accounts allowing family members separate watchlists
• Video-on-demand playback with progress tracking
• Subscription tiers with recurring billing
• Search and filtering across content libraries
• Personalized recommendations based on viewing history

Why No-Code Makes Sense for Streaming App Prototypes

Building streaming platforms traditionally can cost hundreds of thousands and takes months. No-code platforms cut development time by 90%, letting you validate your concept with real users in weeks instead of quarters.

Apps built with Adalo have registered more than two million end-user accounts and process over 20 million data requests every day—proving the platform handles production-level streaming workloads.

Planning Your Streaming App: Features and Database Structure

Before building, map your data architecture. Streaming apps require relational databases connecting users, profiles, videos, categories, and viewing history.

Essential Collections for a Streaming Platform

You'll need these core collections:

Users Collection:

• Email (Text)
• Password (Password)
• Subscription Status (Text: Active, Inactive, Trial)
• Subscription Tier (Text: Basic, Standard, Premium)
• Subscription End Date (Date & Time)
• Payment Method (Relationship to Payments)

Profiles Collection:

• Profile Name (Text)
• Avatar (Image)
• Is Kids Profile (True/False)
• Maturity Level (Text: All, Teen, Adult)
• Account Owner (Relationship to Users)

Videos Collection:

• Title (Text)
• Description (Text, Multiline)
• Video URL (Text)
• Thumbnail Image (Image)
• Duration (Number, in minutes)
• Release Year (Number)
• Content Rating (Text: G, PG, PG-13, R, TV-Y, TV-PG)
• Featured (True/False)

Categories Collection:

• Category Name (Text: Action, Comedy, Drama, Documentary)
• Category Icon (Image)

Watch History Collection:

• Profile (Relationship to Profiles)
• Video (Relationship to Videos)
• Progress (Number, seconds watched)
• Completed (True/False)
• Last Watched (Date & Time)

Mapping User-Content Relationships

Set up these database relationships:

1. Users to Profiles: One-to-Many (one user owns multiple family profiles)
2. Profiles to Watch History: One-to-Many (each profile has viewing history)
3. Videos to Categories: Many-to-Many (videos belong to multiple genres)
4. Watch History to Videos: Many-to-One (tracks which video was watched)
5. Users to Payments: One-to-Many (payment history per user)

Adalo's built-in relational database handles these connections without SQL knowledge.

Setting Up Your Adalo Account and Choosing the Right Plan

Creating Your Account

1. Visit Adalo.com and click "Start Building For Free"
2. Sign up with email or Google account
3. Choose "Responsive App (Adalo 2.0)" as your template
4. Name your project "Disney+ Clone"
5. Select "Start from Scratch"

Free vs. Paid Plans for Streaming Apps

Adalo offers unlimited test apps on the free tier, perfect for building and testing. For publishing, you'll need:

Free Plan ($0/month):

• 200 records per app (insufficient for content libraries)
• Adalo branding on web apps
• No custom domain or app store publishing

Starter Plan ($36-45/month):

• 1 published app
• Unlimited app actions
• 5GB storage
• Custom domain
• Stripe payments
• App store publishing

Professional Plan ($52-65/month):

• 2 published apps
• 25GB storage
• Custom Actions (API integrations)
• External Collections
• Priority support

Recommendation: Start with Free for building, upgrade to Starter ($45/month) for publishing, or Professional ($65/month) if you need subscription webhook integrations via Custom Actions.

Storage Requirements for Video Content

Adalo supports video files up to 40-50MB, but files over 40MB frequently timeout. For production streaming apps, host videos externally on YouTube, Vimeo, or AWS S3 and store URLs in your database.

Building the Home Screen: Content Rows and Navigation

Step 1: Design Your Welcome Screen

1. In the Adalo editor, rename the default screen to "Home"
2. Set background to black (#000000) for that streaming platform aesthetic
3. Add your app logo in the top-left corner (Image component)
4. Add a navigation bar with:
   
   • Home icon
   • Search icon
   • Profile icon

Step 2: Create the Featured Content Banner

1. Add a Rectangle component at the top (full width, 400px height)
2. Inside the rectangle, add:
   
   • Image component (Featured Video → Thumbnail)
   • Text component (Featured Video → Title)
   • Text component (Featured Video → Description)
   • Button "Watch Now"
3. Set the rectangle's data source to filter Videos where Featured = True
4. Limit to 1 item

Step 3: Build Category-Based Content Rows

1. Add Text component with "Trending Now"
2. Below it, add Horizontal List component:
   
   • Set list direction to Horizontal
   • Data source: Videos collection
   • Sort by: Release Year (Newest First)
   • Enable lazy loading
   • Limit initial load to 10-20 items
3. Inside the list, add:
   
   • Image (Video → Thumbnail, 200px width × 300px height)
   • Click action → Link to "Video Detail" screen
4. Repeat this pattern for each category:
   
   • "Action Movies"
   • "New Releases"
   • "Continue Watching" (filtered by current profile's watch history)

Adalo's drag-and-drop builder creates responsive layouts without flexbox coding.

Mobile vs. Web Layout Considerations

Since you're building a responsive app, design for mobile first (320px width), then add breakpoints for tablet (768px) and desktop (1024px+). Adalo handles cross-platform compatibility automatically when you publish to all platforms from a single build.

Integrating Video Content with Vimeo or External Sources

Connecting Vimeo as Your Video Host

Adalo's video component has 40MB upload limits, so external hosting is essential for production apps.

Using Vimeo:

1. Upload your videos to Vimeo
2. For each video, copy the direct .mp4 URL:
   
   • Go to video settings → Distribution → Get embed code
   • Extract the video file URL (format: https://player.vimeo.com/external/[ID].mp4)
3. In Adalo, add this URL to your Videos collection → Video URL property

Adding Video Player Components

1. On your "Video Detail" screen, add the Video component (built-in for Responsive apps)
2. Set video source to: Current Video → Video URL
3. Configure settings:
   
   • Autoplay: False (better UX)
   • Show Controls: True
   • Loop: False

Important limitation: Video controls aren't available on Native Android builds. Use Responsive web apps or the YouTube component as a workaround.

Using Custom API Integrations for Video Libraries

For advanced setups, connect to external video platforms via Custom Actions (requires Professional plan):

1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Custom Actions
2. Add API endpoint for your video service
3. Map response fields to Adalo collections
4. Trigger API calls when users browse content

Alternatively, use the YouTube component from the marketplace to embed public or unlisted YouTube videos directly.

Creating User Authentication and Profile Management

Step 4: Build the Signup and Login Screens

Signup Screen:

1. Create new screen "Signup"
2. Add Form component:
   
   • Connect to Users collection
   • Include fields: Email, Password, Confirm Password
3. Add Dropdown for subscription tier selection:
   
   • Basic ($9.99/month)
   • Standard ($15.99/month)
   • Premium ($19.99/month)
4. On submit button:
   
   • Create User
   • Navigate to "Create Profile" screen

Login Screen:

1. Create new screen "Login"
2. Add Login Form (pre-built component)
3. After successful login → Navigate to "Profile Selection" screen

Step 5: Create Profile Selection Screen

1. Add new screen "Profile Selection"
2. Add Custom List showing all profiles where Account Owner = Logged In User
3. For each profile, display:
   
   • Avatar (Image)
   • Profile Name (Text)
   • Kids indicator if applicable
4. Add "Add Profile" button (limit to 5 profiles per account)
5. Click action on each profile → Store selected profile in variable → Navigate to Home

Managing Multiple User Profiles per Account

Creating the "Add Profile" screen:

1. Add Form connected to Profiles collection
2. Fields:
   
   • Profile Name (Text Input)
   • Avatar (Image Picker or pre-set options)
   • Is Kids Profile (Toggle)
   • Maturity Level (Dropdown based on Kids toggle)
3. On submit:
   
   • Set Account Owner = Logged In User
   • Create Profile
   • Navigate back to Profile Selection

This mimics Disney+'s family profile system, crucial for household streaming accounts.

Implementing Search, Filters, and Content Discovery

Step 6: Add a Global Search Bar

1. Create new screen "Search"
2. At top, add Text Input component:
   
   • Placeholder: "Search movies, shows, and more"
   • Icon: Search icon
3. Below, add Custom List of Videos filtered by:
   
   • Title contains [Text Input value] OR
   • Description contains [Text Input value]
4. Use Adalo's built-in AND/OR logic for complex queries

Step 7: Create Genre and Category Filters

1. Create "Browse" screen
2. Add Dropdown component:
   
   • Data source: Categories collection
   • Display: Category Name
3. Add Custom List of Videos:
   
   • Filter: Videos → Categories → Contains → [Selected Category]
   • Sort options: Release Year, Title (A-Z)
4. Add secondary filters:
   
   • Content Rating dropdown
   • Release Year range slider

Building Advanced Filter Combinations

Combine multiple filters using custom formulas:

1. Add filter conditions in list settings
2. Use AND logic for required matches
3. Use OR logic for alternative matches
4. Example: (Category = Action OR Category = Adventure) AND (Content Rating = PG-13)

Adding Watchlists, Favorites, and Viewing History

Step 8: Set Up Favorites and Watchlist Relationships

Create a new collection called "Watchlist":

• Profile (Relationship to Profiles - Many to One)
• Video (Relationship to Videos - Many to One)
• Added Date (Date & Time - Automatic)

On each Video Detail screen, add:

1. Button "Add to Watchlist"
2. Action: Create Watchlist record (Profile = Current Profile, Video = Current Video)
3. Conditional visibility: Hide button if Watchlist record already exists

Step 9: Track User Viewing Progress

Update the Watch History collection when users watch videos:

1. On Video Detail screen, add action when video starts:
   
   • Create or Update Watch History record
   • Set Profile = Current Profile
   • Set Video = Current Video
   • Set Last Watched = Current Time
2. Every 30 seconds during playback:
   
   • Update Progress = Current playback position
3. When video reaches 90% completion:
   
   • Set Completed = True

Creating a "Continue Watching" Row

On the Home screen:

1. Add Text "Continue Watching"
2. Add Horizontal List:
   
   • Data source: Watch History
   • Filter: Profile = Current Profile AND Completed = False
   • Sort by: Last Watched (Newest First)
3. For each item, display:
   
   • Video thumbnail
   • Progress bar showing % watched
   • "Resume" button

Adalo's relational database handles these complex user-content relationships across 20 million daily requests.

Monetization: Adding Subscription Payments with Stripe

Step 10: Integrate Stripe for Subscriptions

1. Go to Adalo Marketplace
2. Search and install "Stripe Subscription" component
3. Connect your Stripe account via OAuth
4. In Stripe dashboard, create subscription products:
   
   • Basic: $9.99/month
   • Standard: $15.99/month
   • Premium: $19.99/month

Step 11: Create Tiered Access Levels

1. Build "Subscribe" screen with pricing table
2. Add Stripe Subscription component for each tier
3. After successful subscription:
   
   • Update User → Subscription Status = "Active"
   • Update User → Subscription Tier = [Selected Tier]
   • Update User → Subscription End Date = 1 month from now
   • Navigate to Home screen

Building a Paywall for Premium Content

1. On Video Detail screen, add conditional visibility:
   
   • IF Logged In User → Subscription Status ≠ "Active"
   • SHOW: "Subscribe to Watch" button → Link to Subscribe screen
   • HIDE: Video player
2. For premium content only:
   
   • Add Video property: Requires Premium (True/False)
   • Show paywall if User Tier ≠ "Premium" AND Video Requires Premium = True

Adalo's payment components enable subscription monetization, with standard Stripe fees of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

Important: Stripe subscription status doesn't auto-update in Adalo. Set up webhooks using Zapier or Make.com with Custom Actions to sync subscription renewals and cancellations.

Designing for Mobile and Web: Responsive Layout Best Practices

Mobile Navigation vs. Desktop Navigation

Mobile (320px-768px):

• Bottom navigation bar with 4-5 icons
• Hamburger menu for secondary options
• Vertical scrolling for content rows
• Single-column layouts

Desktop (1024px+):

• Top navigation with horizontal menu
• Sidebar for categories
• Multi-column content grids
• Hover states for thumbnails

Adalo's responsive design lets you build once and publish to all platforms seamlessly.

Optimizing Video Player for Different Screens

1. Set video component width to 100% on mobile
2. Maintain 16:9 aspect ratio across devices
3. Add fullscreen button for immersive viewing
4. Test playback on actual devices using Adalo's preview app

Testing Across Devices

1. Use Adalo's web previewer for desktop testing
2. Download Adalo mobile app (iOS/Android)
3. Scan QR code to test on physical devices
4. Verify video playback works on each platform

Testing Your Streaming App Before Launch

Step 12: Use Adalo's Preview Mode

1. Click "Preview" button in top-right of editor
2. Test all user flows:
   
   • Signup → Profile creation → Browse → Video playback
   • Login → Profile selection → Continue watching
   • Search → Filter → Add to watchlist
   • Subscribe → Payment → Access premium content

Step 13: Test Video Playback Across Platforms

Create test videos in different formats:

• Short videos (<5 minutes, <40MB) for direct upload testing
• External URLs (Vimeo, YouTube) for production simulation
• Various resolutions (480p, 720p, 1080p)

Test on:

• Chrome/Safari desktop browsers
• iOS Safari (iPhone/iPad)
• Android Chrome
• Adalo preview app

Gathering User Feedback

1. Create 5-10 test accounts with varying subscription tiers
2. Invite beta users to test via Adalo's Free tier
3. Collect feedback on:
   
   • Navigation clarity
   • Video loading times
   • Payment flow ease
   • Overall user experience

Publishing Your Disney+ Clone to Web, iOS, and Android

Step 14: Publishing to the Web with Custom Domains

1. Upgrade to Starter plan minimum ($45/month)
2. In app settings → Publishing → Web
3. Click "Publish to Web"
4. Choose subdomain (yourapp.adalo.com) or connect custom domain
5. App goes live in minutes with manual publishing control

Step 15: Submitting to the Apple App Store

Prerequisites:

• Apple Developer Account ($99/year)
• App name, description, screenshots
• Privacy policy URL
• App icon (1024×1024px)

Steps:

1. In Adalo → Publishing → iOS
2. Enter app metadata
3. Upload app icon and screenshots
4. Click "Submit to App Store"
5. Review typically takes 24-48 hours

Step 16: Deploying to Google Play Store

Prerequisites:

• Google Play Developer Account ($25 one-time)
• App assets and metadata
• Content rating questionnaire

Steps:

1. In Adalo → Publishing → Android
2. Complete app details
3. Upload icon and feature graphic
4. Submit for review (~7 days)

Learn more about publishing

Why Adalo Makes Building Streaming Apps Accessible

Adalo removes the technical barriers that traditionally kept streaming platforms exclusive to well-funded studios. Instead of hiring a development team and spending months in production, you get:

Built-in video support with responsive players that work across web and mobile—no custom code required to embed and stream content.

Pre-built Stripe components that handle subscription billing, payment processing, and recurring revenue without setting up payment infrastructure from scratch.

True cross-platform deployment from a single build. Publish to all platforms simultaneously, reaching users wherever they prefer to watch content.

Relational database management that connects users, profiles, videos, watch history, and favorites—the complex data relationships streaming apps require—through a visual interface.

Marketplace ecosystem offering 50+ additional components for enhanced functionality, from custom video players to advanced analytics integrations.

The platform's 99%+ uptime and proven scale—2M+ registered users across apps—means your streaming service runs on production-grade infrastructure from day one.

For fitness studios monetizing workout libraries, educators selling online courses, or businesses launching internal training platforms, Adalo provides the fastest path from concept to launched streaming app. Start building free, publish when ready, and scale as your audience grows.

Start building free today with Adalo's free tier—no credit card required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I really build a streaming app like Disney+ without coding?

Yes. Adalo provides visual tools for building streaming apps without writing code. You'll use drag-and-drop components for video players, user authentication, subscription payments, and content libraries. While you won't replicate Disney+'s exact recommendation algorithms or DRM systems, you can create functional streaming platforms serving users for niche markets like fitness classes, corporate training, or educational content.

How much does it cost to build and publish a streaming app with Adalo?

Building is free on Adalo's unlimited test tier. Publishing requires the Starter plan at $45/month (or $36/month annual). Add $99/year for Apple Developer license and $25 one-time for Google Play. External video hosting (Vimeo, AWS) costs $20-$500/month depending on usage. Total first-year costs typically range from $765-$1,800.

What video hosting service should I use with my Adalo streaming app?

Host videos externally since Adalo has 40MB upload limits. Use YouTube, Vimeo, or AWS S3. Store video URLs in your Adalo database and display using the Video or YouTube component. For production apps serving hundreds of users, budget $200-$600/month for reliable video hosting.

How many videos can my Adalo streaming app handle?

The Free plan supports 200 records total (insufficient for content libraries). Paid plans provide unlimited app actions with storage limits based on your tier. Since you host videos externally, database records only store metadata (title, description, URL, thumbnail)—meaning you can catalog extensive libraries within these limits.

Do I need separate apps for iOS, Android, and web, or can I build once?

Build once in Adalo's Responsive app format, then publish to all platforms from the same project. Your screens adapt automatically to different device sizes. Update content in one place—changes deploy across all platforms simultaneously without disrupting users. This cross-platform capability saves months compared to building native apps separately for each platform.

Can I add subscription payments to my streaming app built with Adalo?

Yes. Install the Stripe Subscription component from Adalo's marketplace, connect your Stripe account, and create subscription tiers (Basic, Standard, Premium). The component handles recurring billing, payment processing, and card storage. Standard Stripe fees apply. For automatic subscription status updates, integrate Stripe webhooks via Zapier or Make.com (requires Professional plan for Custom Actions).