Updated Feb 19, 2026

Building an E-Learning App Without Code: A Complete Guide

Table of Contents

Why Adalo Works for Building an E-Learning App

Adalo is a no-code app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play. This makes it the perfect solution for educators and course creators who want to reach learners on any device without managing separate codebases or hiring expensive development teams.

For e-learning apps, app store distribution is essential—it puts your courses directly in students' pockets and enables push notifications to boost engagement, remind learners about upcoming lessons, and celebrate their progress. With Adalo, you can build a professional, feature-rich learning platform that competes with established apps, all while keeping full control over your content and business model.

Creating an e-learning app used to be expensive and time-consuming, often requiring budgets of $10,000–$100,000 and months of development. But with no-code platforms like Adalo, you can now build apps for iOS, Android, and web - without writing a single line of code. Here's the best part: tools like Adalo's Magic Start let you design an app in minutes by simply describing your idea. Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, or small business owner, this guide will show you how to create a fully functional app quickly and affordably.

Key Highlights:

Cost Savings: No-code platforms cut development costs by 40% on average.
Speed: build and launch an MVP app 90% faster than traditional methods.
Features: Video hosting, progress tracking, user authentication, payment integration, and more - all without hiring developers.
AI Assistance: Adalo's AI Builder (launching in early 2026) refines apps using simple, natural language commands.

This guide walks you through every step: planning your app, creating courses, setting up secure logins, integrating payments, and publishing on app stores. Let's get started.

Core Features of an E-Learning App

Required Features for E-Learning Apps

An effective e-learning app requires five essential components working together. Secure user authentication protects both students and instructors while enabling personalized experiences. A searchable and filterable course catalog helps learners quickly find relevant content. Versatile lesson management supports video tutorials, text content, and downloadable PDFs to accommodate different learning styles. Progress tracking through completion rates, quiz scores, and certificates keeps students motivated. Finally, integrated payment systems using platforms like Stripe enable seamless transactions for course purchases.

To elevate functionality, consider adding role-based access control. This creates distinct experiences for students, instructors, and administrators. Instructors benefit from dashboards to upload content and monitor student performance, while students access their enrolled courses and materials. Features such as push notifications, discussion forums, and in-app messaging further enhance engagement and encourage collaboration among users.

Creating a Good User Experience

A smooth and intuitive interface is key to keeping learners engaged. Students should easily find courses, monitor their progress, and access support when needed. This requires responsive design—ensuring the app works equally well on web browsers, iOS, and Android devices. Given that learners often switch between devices throughout the day, this flexibility is essential.

Accessibility is another critical factor. Features like video captions, adjustable text sizes, and offline lesson downloads can make a significant difference for users with varying needs. With education apps accounting for 9.5% of active apps on the App Store—ranking as the third most popular category—delivering a user-friendly and inclusive experience is crucial for standing out.

Identifying Your Target Audience

Knowing your audience is crucial for designing features that truly meet their needs. Different learner segments require different approaches:

Corporate training apps may require tools for analytics and compliance tracking.
Individual creators often need robust video hosting and community-building features.
K–12 platforms should include parental controls and designs suitable for younger users.
Professional learning apps benefit from streamlined layouts and efficient navigation.

To understand your audience better, conduct thorough market research. Tools like Google Forms or Survey Monkey are excellent for gathering insights. Additionally, analyzing existing apps can help you identify common challenges and opportunities. With the global e-learning market valued at $399 billion in 2022 and projected to reach $1 trillion by 2032, there's a massive opportunity to address unmet needs.

Once your audience is defined, the next step is structuring and building your app to meet their expectations.

How to Build Your E-Learning App

Turning your e-learning idea into a fully functional app is easier than ever with Adalo's AI-powered app builder. Here's a step-by-step guide to get you started.

Planning Your App Structure

Start with Magic Start to lay the foundation for your app in minutes. Describe your idea—like "a guitar lesson app with video tutorials, progress tracking, and achievement badges"—and the AI generates your database structure, screens, and user flows automatically. What used to take days of planning happens in minutes.

Next, map out the entire user experience on Adalo's Building Canvas, which supports up to 400 screens. Plan how users will move through the app, from logging in to accessing courses and instructor tools. Use the Database Collection icon to create collections for Users, Courses, Lessons, Progress, and Quizzes. Paid plans include no caps on records or storage, so you can store thousands of user activities like lesson completions and quiz results without worrying about limits.

Set up one-to-many relationships, such as Courses to Lessons, to ensure smooth navigation. Use an Enrollments collection to link users to their courses, enabling accurate progress tracking.

With your app structure in place, you're ready to focus on creating content for courses and lessons.

Creating Course and Lesson Features

Adalo's drag-and-drop components make it simple to build your course catalog. Add text boxes, images, and video galleries to create visually appealing and functional course pages. Organize your courses into categories and link them to individual lesson pages. For video content, store files as unlisted YouTube or Vimeo links in the Lessons collection.

Design a polished course player with a 30/70 split screen: a sidebar for lesson navigation (complete with progress checkmarks) and a main area for video playback and supplemental materials. Create a nested course catalog with sections and lessons, and enable load-on-scroll for better performance.

Need to add new features quickly? Magic Add lets you describe what you want—"add a quiz at the end of each lesson with multiple choice questions"—and the AI builds it for you. Set up conditional rules to restrict premium content to paying users. For free lessons, include a "Preview" button, while full lessons remain accessible only to enrolled students. You can also integrate features like Zoom for live lessons or enable offline access to downloadable materials via Adalo's native iOS and Android apps.

Adding User Authentication and Profiles

Adalo's built-in authentication system makes setting up secure logins straightforward. It handles password encryption and session management automatically. Personalize user profiles by adding fields like Name, Role (Student/Instructor), Bio, and Profile Photo to the Users collection.

Track individual progress with a Lesson Progress collection that records completion status for each user. Add a "Mark Complete" button to lesson pages to update progress, and consider rewarding users with badges or certificates when they hit milestones.

You can also create role-specific dashboards. Instructors might see tools for uploading content and tracking student performance, while students see their enrolled courses and progress. All user data is stored securely in your database with unrestricted storage on paid plans—no need to worry about hitting record limits as your student base grows.

Adding Payment Systems and Monetization

Monetizing your app is straightforward with Adalo's Stripe integration. Sign up at Stripe.com, add your API keys in Settings, and use Adalo's payment component to handle transactions. Create a Payments collection to track details like Amount, Status, Stripe ID, and Date. Add buttons for one-time course purchases or subscriptions.

Use the Enrollments collection to automatically link students to purchased courses once payment is confirmed. Conditional visibility rules ensure only paying users access premium content. Adalo's paid plans start at $36/month and include Stripe integration, app store publishing, and unlimited usage—no hidden charges or usage-based fees that spike your costs unexpectedly.

For added convenience, automate receipt delivery with tools like Zapier or Make. You can send email confirmations and PDF receipts for each transaction. Explore monetization options like freemium models, in-app purchases, or subscriptions to generate steady revenue as your user base grows.

Before moving forward, test every feature to ensure everything—from payments to progress tracking—works seamlessly.

Testing and Improving Your App

Preview your app across web, iOS, and Android platforms using Adalo's Horizontal Ribbon feature. Double-check that all user flows are smooth—students should easily access courses, complete lessons, and track progress. Test payment processing to ensure successful enrollments grant the correct access.

Adalo's X-Ray tool helps you identify and fix performance bottlenecks, especially as your app grows. It highlights issues that could affect scalability, ensuring smooth video playback and fast transitions. The platform's modular infrastructure supports apps with 1 million+ monthly active users, processing 20 million+ daily requests with 99%+ uptime.

Gather feedback from beta testers before launching. Test your app on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, and desktops, to ensure responsive design and accessibility features like captions and adjustable text sizes. Adalo's visual builder makes it easy to tweak and improve your app without writing code.

With these steps, you'll be well on your way to creating an engaging and functional e-learning app.

Publishing and Launching Your E-Learning App

When your app is ready to go, Adalo simplifies the process of publishing it across web, iOS, and Android. With a single build, you can reach multiple platforms without juggling separate codebases. Publishing marks the beginning of a journey where user feedback becomes a key ingredient for improvement.

Publishing to Web, iOS, and Android

For web publishing, you'll need a custom domain, which is included in Adalo's Starter, Professional, Team, or Business plans. Domain names typically cost between $10 and $45 per year. In your Adalo dashboard, enable the "Publish" option and input your domain (e.g., www.yourowndomain.com). Your app goes live immediately.

For iOS and Android, Adalo handles the heavy lifting. The platform generates the necessary files—.IPA for Apple and .AAB for Google Play. You'll need an Apple Developer account ($99/year) and a Google Play Developer account (a one-time $25 fee). Apple usually reviews submissions within 24-48 hours, while Google Play's process can take 2-7 days.

This native app store publishing capability is what sets Adalo apart from competitors like Glide (which only creates web apps) or Softr (which requires a $167/month plan for PWA functionality). At $36/month, Adalo offers the lowest price for true native iOS and Android app store publishing.

App Store Submission Guidelines

Each app store has its own set of rules you must follow. Apple requires a 1024x1024 px PNG icon with no transparency and 4-5 screenshots per device type showcasing your app. Google Play needs a 512x512 px icon, along with clear descriptions, privacy policy links, and accurate categorization.

If your app is aimed at children, keep in mind that apps in the "Kids Category" can't include external links or purchasing options unless they're protected by a parental gate. For apps with medical or health-related content, expect stricter reviews to ensure accuracy. Apple emphasizes creating a safe user experience, stating: "We want to provide a safe experience for users to get apps and a great opportunity for all developers to be successful." Additionally, ensure your Stripe payment system is set up correctly if you're monetizing your courses.

Once your app is approved, the real work begins—gathering feedback and using analytics to refine the experience.

Improving Your App After Launch

Launching your app is just the beginning. Post-launch monitoring helps you maintain quality and keep users engaged. Adalo Analytics provides insights like daily active users, geographic data, and the most visited screens. You can also track student progress with metrics such as quiz pass rates and lesson completion to spot areas that might need adjustment. If a module isn't performing well, consider adding interactive features or supplementary content to re-engage users.

Feedback is another essential tool. Embed in-app surveys using platforms like Typeform or Google Forms to collect insights after key interactions. While typical response rates range from 5% to 30%, offering small incentives—like access to premium content or in-app rewards—can boost participation. Additionally, keep an eye on App Store and Google Play reviews. 53% of users expect a response to negative reviews within a week.

When you act on feedback, let your users know. Informing them about updates based on their input fosters trust and encourages future engagement. With Adalo's visual builder, you can quickly make changes and push updates across all platforms at once. This ensures your e-learning app stays relevant, functional, and responsive to the needs of your audience.

Start Building Your E-Learning App Today

Adalo simplifies the entire process—from initial planning to publishing on multiple platforms—so you can focus on creating impactful e-learning experiences.

Key Advantages to Keep in Mind

AI-assisted development saves time and money. With Adalo's AI Builder, apps launch up to 90% faster than traditional development methods. Magic Start builds your app's foundation—complete with database, screens, and user flows—just by describing your idea. A single codebase deploys to the web, Apple App Store, and Google Play Store simultaneously, eliminating the need to manage separate versions.

Starting at $36/month, Adalo's paid plans include unlimited database records, no caps on actions or users, and zero usage-based charges. This predictable pricing model stands in contrast to competitors like Bubble, which charges $69/month plus unpredictable Workload Units for CPU and record usage. Over 1 million apps have been built on Adalo, processing 20 million+ data requests daily with 99%+ uptime.

This seamless process ensures that every step, from concept to launch, stays connected and efficient.

How to Get Started

With a clear plan and the tools outlined above, you're ready to bring your e-learning idea to life. Begin with Adalo's free plan, where you can create unlimited test apps to refine your concept before upgrading. Use Feature Templates like Coaching or Course Offerings to speed up development—they come pre-configured with logic, screens, and databases. If you're familiar with spreadsheets, SheetBridge allows you to turn a Google Sheet into your app's database, simplifying content management.

Take advantage of Adalo App Academy's 70+ courses to guide you through every stage, from brainstorming to launch. Explore the Component Marketplace for community-built features like advanced charts and video players. Regular testing with Staging Preview and X-Ray ensures you catch and fix issues early.

Your e-learning app is closer than ever—the tools are in place, and the only thing left is to take that first step. Start building today.

FAQ

Question	Answer
Why choose Adalo over other app building solutions?	Adalo is an AI-powered app builder that creates true native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase. Unlike web wrappers, it compiles to native code and publishes directly to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. At $36/month with unlimited usage and no hidden charges, it offers the lowest price for native app store publishing among major competitors.
What's the fastest way to build and publish an app to the App Store?	Adalo's drag-and-drop interface combined with AI-assisted building through Magic Start and Magic Add lets you go from idea to published app in days rather than months. Describe your app concept, and the AI generates your database, screens, and user flows. Adalo then handles the complex App Store submission process, so you can focus on features instead of certificates and provisioning profiles.
Can I easily build an e-learning app without coding?	Yes, with Adalo you can build a fully functional e-learning app without writing any code. Magic Start generates your database structure, screens, and user flows in minutes just by describing your idea. Drag-and-drop components make it simple to add course catalogs, video lessons, progress tracking, and payment systems.
What essential features should my e-learning app include?	An effective e-learning app should include secure user authentication, a searchable course catalog, versatile lesson management supporting video and text content, progress tracking with completion rates and quiz scores, and integrated payment systems like Stripe. Additional features like push notifications, role-based access for students and instructors, and discussion forums can significantly boost engagement.
How much does it cost to build an e-learning app with Adalo?	Building an e-learning app with Adalo starts at $36/month for paid plans that include app store publishing, Stripe integration, and unlimited database records with no usage-based charges. This is dramatically lower than traditional development, which typically costs $10,000–$100,000. You can also start with Adalo's free plan to build and test unlimited apps before upgrading.
Which is more affordable, Adalo or Bubble?	Adalo is more affordable at $36/month compared to Bubble's $69/month for equivalent functionality. More importantly, Adalo includes unlimited usage with no caps on actions, users, or records, while Bubble charges additional Workload Units for CPU and record usage—making Adalo's costs predictable while Bubble's can spike unexpectedly.
Can I monetize my e-learning app with subscriptions and course purchases?	Yes, Adalo makes monetization straightforward with built-in Stripe integration for handling payments. You can set up one-time course purchases, subscriptions, or freemium models with conditional visibility rules to restrict premium content to paying users. The platform also supports automating receipts and enrollment management through Zapier or Make.
How do I track student progress and engagement in my e-learning app?	Adalo allows you to create a Lesson Progress collection that records completion status for each user, track quiz scores, and award badges or certificates at milestones. Post-launch, Adalo Analytics provides insights like daily active users, most visited screens, and lesson completion rates to help you identify areas for improvement.
Is Adalo better than Glide for mobile apps?	Yes, for mobile apps Adalo is the better choice. Glide only creates web apps and cannot publish to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Adalo builds true native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase, giving you access to push notifications and the distribution advantages of app store presence.
How long does it take to build an e-learning app?	With Adalo's AI-assisted building, you can launch an e-learning app up to 90% faster than traditional development. Magic Start generates your app foundation in minutes, and Feature Templates for Coaching or Course Offerings come pre-configured with logic, screens, and databases. Most creators can go from idea to published app in days to weeks rather than months.