Food Delivery Application Development with No-Code

Creating a food delivery app for your restaurant or food business has traditionally been a daunting challenge. The conventional path requires either mastering complex programming languages yourself or investing thousands of dollars in development agencies—barriers that put custom app development out of reach for most food business owners who simply want to serve their customers better.

Adalo, an AI-powered app builder, changes this equation entirely. Build database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase, then publish directly to the Apple App Store and Google Play. AI-assisted building and streamlined publishing enable launch in days rather than months, empowering any food business owner to build a professional delivery app without writing a single line of code.

Why Adalo Works for Food Delivery App Development

Adalo creates true native iOS and Android apps alongside web apps—all from one build. This makes it the ideal solution for restaurants, cafes, and food businesses looking to create their own custom delivery app without hiring expensive developers or learning to code.

Having your food delivery app available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store means you can reach hungry customers on any device, maximizing your potential audience and orders. With built-in push notification capabilities, you can alert customers about order confirmations, delivery status updates, and special promotions—keeping them engaged and coming back for more.

The platform's unlimited database records on paid plans means you won't hit storage walls as your menu grows or your customer base expands. Whether you're managing 50 menu items or 5,000, your app's performance stays consistent.

This guide covers everything you need to build a complete food delivery app. Here's what we'll walk through:

• What you'll need to prepare before building
• A step-by-step guide for creating your food delivery app
• Integrating payments, location services, and publishing to app stores
• Resources for ongoing maintenance and growth

Food Delivery Application Development: Getting Started

How a Food Delivery App Can Benefit Your Business

Food delivery apps allow restaurants, cafes, groceries, and other food businesses to provide their clients with the convenience of online shopping, ordering, and delivery—all from the comfort of their own homes.

You won't need to worry about paying third-party delivery platforms or deal with the repercussions of a third-party delivery person canceling on you. You'll have control over the entire delivery process, from order placement to doorstep delivery.

Beyond convenience, owning your delivery app means owning your customer data. You'll understand ordering patterns, popular items, and peak times—insights that third-party platforms typically keep for themselves.

Designing Your Food Delivery App

Before jumping into custom food delivery app development, you'll need to prepare a few things. Getting these 3 items checked is the first step to developing your app:

Wireframes (digital blueprints): First and foremost, you'll need to draw up some digital blueprints, also known as wireframes, which are screen-by-screen mockups of your app. Doing this will give you a better idea of how you want your app to appear, which will guide your app building.

Pass on the paper and pencil—it's the 2020s, and several high-quality and free wireframing tools are out there. We recommend you try Figma's free wireframe kit, an easy-to-use tool that makes professional wireframing accessible to anyone.

A list of your needed functionalities: It goes without saying that you'll need to feature the products you're selling on your app and have a location feature that informs your delivery team about customer locations.

However, you can build out other unique features and functions that separate your food delivery app from the rest. For instance, allow customers to star rate each of your products, provide push notifications about impending deliveries, and include a chat service so clients can speak directly with drivers.

If you include more functionalities that bolster your food delivery app's user experience, you might have a higher client satisfaction rate, meaning more folks could demand your products rather than those from your competitors.

A free account with Adalo: Don't have any technical knowledge? Does looking at line-after-line of code give you vertigo? Good! You can create your very own app with zero tech or programming skills.

Instead of writing code, Adalo lets you build your app using a drag-and-drop interface that's been described as "easy as PowerPoint." Piece together your app by moving elements around with your mouse, customizing everything to meet your precise needs, tastes, and brand image.

The platform combines simplicity with powerful features. Magic Start can generate complete app foundations from a simple description—tell it you need a food delivery app for a pizza restaurant, and it creates your database structure, screens, and user flows automatically. What used to take days of planning happens in minutes.

The Parts of Your App That You'll Build

One of the advantages of building with Adalo is that it's an all-in-one app builder: You won't need to sign up for a third-party backend or database builder to complete your app. Everything you need comes included.

When you build with Adalo, you'll create the following 3 parts:

The Frontend: Your clients will see, tap, and order using your frontend. Its screens will display all the food you're selling, screens for checkout, and a map that shows your client's location to your drivers. This is where your brand comes to life—colors, images, and layout all customizable to match your restaurant's identity.

The Backend: Functioning as your app's control center, your backend does all your app's heavy lifting. It calculates your client's final bills, sends location info to your drivers, processes payments through third-party platforms, and manages the logic that makes your app work seamlessly.

The Database: The database is essentially your app's data storage center. All the information clients enter is saved to your database. Here are typical database items you'll find in a food delivery app:

• User names and contact information
• User locations and delivery addresses
• Menu items and descriptions
• Prices and modifiers
• Order history and payment records
• Driver assignments and delivery status

With no record limits on paid plans, your database can grow alongside your business without hitting arbitrary caps. Whether you're storing 1,000 orders or 100,000, the platform handles it without performance degradation.

Already have a database or a pre-built backend? If it's through Xano, Google Sheets, or Airtable, you're in luck: Adalo integrates with these platforms. SheetBridge makes connecting Google Sheets particularly simple—turn your existing spreadsheet into an actual database for the easiest control without database-related learning curves.

Food Delivery App Building Guide

Step 1: Download the Ordering App Template

When you build your app with Adalo, there's no need to start from scratch. The platform provides dozens of premade templates with all the frontend, backend, and database components you need to create your app. For a restaurant delivery app, we suggest you download the ordering template.

If the colors and layout aren't what you have in mind, don't worry. You'll be able to customize nearly every last pixel—the color, structure, pictures, and more—so your final app meets your expectations and matches your brand.

Alternatively, try Magic Start: describe your food delivery app concept in plain language, and the AI generates a complete foundation including database structure, screens, and basic user flows. You can then customize from there.

Step 2: How to Customize Your App

Now that you have the template, it's building time. After answering a few questions, Adalo will take you to your building interface, which is composed of the following 3 pieces:

1. The Horizontal Ribbon: Stretching horizontally across your screen's top, you'll use the Horizontal Ribbon to access your account and see how your app looks on devices like an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or a tablet.

2. The Building Canvas: This is the part of the building interface you'll use to create your app. You'll be able to see all your app's screens—up to 400 screens at once if needed—and you can zoom in by pressing "Ctrl +."

You can also edit screens by clicking on them from the Building Canvas. Most of the customization you'll do comes directly from your Editing Dashboard.

3. The Editing Dashboard: Dropping down vertically on the left-hand side of your screen, the Editing Dashboard has all the tools for creating and customizing your app. You'll use it to add new screens, features, forms, and much more.

Adding and Deleting Screens and Components

The most important button found on the Editing Dashboard rests at the very top. It's a large "+" inside a colorful circle. By pressing this, you'll find functions to add new screens and other components, such as:

• Lists, which you can customize with pictures and info to feature the food you're selling
• Forms, which customers will fill out to create accounts, enter payment info, and more
• Elements such as buttons, icons, and text boxes
• Marketplace components, add-ons, and plugins made by Adalo and the developer community that provide fantastic functionality—including an image carousel for easy product viewing, a star rating tool, a map function, and more

Need to add a feature but not sure how to build it? Magic Add lets you describe what you want in natural language. Type "add a favorites list where customers can save their go-to orders" and the AI creates the necessary database fields, screens, and logic.

Customizing a component's color is as easy as clicking on it from your building canvas and changing the color scheme using the editing box that appears when you select a component.

You can easily toggle between screens by pressing the "Screens" button, which appears as a screen icon. To enlarge or shrink a component, select it, press your mouse button, and move your cursor until it reaches your desired size. Deleting components is as easy as choosing the undesired component and pressing the delete button.

To delete screens, go to the "Screens" button, scroll down to the screen you want to remove, select the 3 vertical dots button near the title, then click "Delete Screen."

Step 3: Getting To Know Your Database

Adalo has a pre-packaged database that you can customize to your tastes. First, access your database by clicking the "Database" button on your editing dashboard—it's a spreadsheet icon.

Here are the 3 parts of an Adalo database and how to customize them:

1. Collections: These are groups of data, structured as spreadsheets. Change any collection directly from the "Screens" button and push "Add to Database." You'll be able to create a new collection and customize your data. For a food delivery app, you might have collections for Users, Menu Items, Orders, and Drivers.

2. Properties: Properties live at the top of each collection, in the first row of cells. To add or delete them, push the "Add to Properties" button in the box that pops up to the right of your Editing Dashboard. Properties define what information each record contains—like "Item Name," "Price," "Description," and "Image."

3. Records: Your records are found in each cell of every collection. They're the actual data in your food delivery app, such as user names, prices, food for sale, and more. With unlimited records on paid plans, you can store as much data as your business generates without worrying about hitting caps.

How To Connect an External Database

For folks with a Xano, Google Sheets, or Airtable database: Integrate your pre-made database by scrolling down to the "Add External Datasource" option within the "Database" function. Follow the directions, and you should be connected.

SheetBridge makes Google Sheets integration particularly straightforward—if you're already managing your menu in a spreadsheet, you can connect it directly without learning database concepts.

Step 4: How To Preview Your Food Delivery App

By pressing the green "Preview App" button on the Horizontal Ribbon and selecting "Staging Preview," you can see how your app appears on mobile and desktop devices. You'll be able to navigate through your app as if it were live.

While flipping through your app, jot down any problems. Get these issues fixed immediately, as they could impede your app's publishing time.

X-Ray can help here—this AI feature identifies performance issues before they affect users. It highlights potential bottlenecks in your database queries or screen loading, letting you optimize before launch rather than after customers start complaining.

Step 5: Integrating Payments and Location Services

Payments with Stripe

Your customers will be able to pay as they order, thanks to Adalo's Stripe integration, which you can set up by visiting Stripe's account-creation homepage. Create an account, follow the directions, and return to the Editing Dashboard.

Then, select the "Add Components/Add Screens" button, find the Stripe payment form, enter your info, and you're ready to begin accepting payments. Stripe handles the security and compliance requirements, so you don't need to worry about PCI compliance or storing sensitive card data.

Integrating Geolocation

You've got a delivery app, so of course, you'll want to add geolocation so your drivers can seamlessly navigate to your customers' locations. First, get your Google API key, and then go to the "Settings" section (looks like a bicycle gear) on your Editing Dashboard.

Then, go to your "Database" section and select the "Special Location" property type. Follow the directions, and your geolocation should be up and running. If you have any issues, check out this section of the help documentation for a detailed rundown of setting up geolocation.

Step 6: Publishing on the Web and in the App Stores

Adalo lets you create 3 apps from 1: An app for the web, an app for the Apple App Store, and an app for the Google Play Store—all from a single codebase. Let's talk about how to publish your app to the web first:

1. Select your profile button from the Horizontal Ribbon.
2. Return to "Settings" on the Editing Dashboard, and find the "Domain" section—type in your domain (www.domain.co). Don't have one? Visit GoDaddy and purchase your very own domain.
3. Go back to the Editing Dashboard, press "Publish," and follow the instructions for a web app.

Now, your app is live on the web, and customers can find it like any other website. They'll be able to place orders, though some features like push notifications work best on native mobile apps.

Publishing to the Apple App and Google Play Stores

While publishing your app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store is more involved than on the web, you can add more functionalities like geolocation, camera integration, and push notifications. Plus, the Apple App Store and Google Play Store have a combined billion monthly visitors—an enormous potential audience.

Before you start the publishing process, ensure you have the following:

A written description: First, search for other food delivery apps and read their descriptions carefully, jotting down keywords the app-makers use. Then, start writing your app description and include the keywords you found and your unique keywords—essentially synonyms of their keywords.

Doing this can help your app appear in more search results, which might increase your app's visibility in the app store search results. Keep your description to the point: Although you'll have a 4,000-character limit, write just enough to illustrate your app's functionality. No one wants to read an app description that reminds them of a graduate school textbook.

Build a cool icon: You'll need an app icon that appears to the side of your app's title in the app store search results. Because folks will associate this icon with your app, you'll need to ensure that it's eye-catching.

If you don't have any graphic design experience, don't worry. Sign up for an easy-to-use program like Looka and build an engaging app icon quickly.

Provide pro-level screenshots and videos: Both app stores let you submit a few screenshots and videos of your app in action. Don't turn in anything sloppy: If customers see professional screenshots and well-thought-out videos, it will most likely reflect well on your brand.

Once you have all the above, it's time to publish.

Publishing Your Food Delivery App to the Apple App Store

Navigate to Apple's iOS developer page, create an account, and pay the $99 yearly fee. Register with Testflight, Apple's testing platform, which lets hundreds of folks download your app to their phones, test it, and provide feedback.

Take the feedback into account and make any necessary adjustments to your app. After it's ready, go back to your Adalo account and select the "Publish" button. After following Apple's instructions and submitting your app, Apple usually publishes it in a few days, though it may take longer depending on the app's complexity, compliance with guidelines, and the current review queue.

Adalo handles the complex submission process—certificates, provisioning profiles, and store guidelines—so you can focus on your app's features rather than wrestling with technical requirements.

Publishing Your Food Delivery App to the Google Play Store

Go to the Android developer page and create an account. Pay the one-time enrollment fee of $25. Sign up for Google's app-testing platform, similar to Testflight, and implement any needed changes based on tester feedback.

After polishing your app, go to your Adalo account, select "Publish," and follow the Android directions. Android should approve your app in as little as a few hours to a few days.

Once published, updates are unlimited—push new menu items, seasonal specials, or bug fixes without worrying about republishing limits or additional charges.

Next Steps: Resources, Analytics, and Maintenance

While building your app, you might encounter a few issues that we didn't discuss in this building guide. Luckily, Adalo has a thriving ecosystem, packed with enough info and resources such as the following:

1. Adalo's App Academy: This is the place for folks who want to learn through courses, tutorials, and modules. You'll have all the info you need to understand every part of the app-building interface.
2. Adalo's Forum: Use the forum to connect with other folks embarking on their app-building journey and get answers to your questions from experienced users.
3. Adalo's Help Documents: These provide step-by-step instructions and demo videos to help you build your app.

Maintenance, Analytics, and Marketing

After publishing your app, ensuring it runs without issues is priority number one. If you ever find crashing screens or bugs, fix them immediately to uphold a positive reputation as an app publisher.

Want to know how many folks are using your app daily, where they're located, and analytical info about your app? Just click that "Analytics" button (a graph icon) near the bottom of your editing dashboard and find out.

Growing your food delivery app's audience might result in more sales. One way to do this is to market your app methodically. Want to know more? Check out our app-marketing guide, which is a deep dive into all the techniques you can apply.

How Adalo Compares to Other App Building Options

When evaluating platforms for your food delivery app, understanding the differences matters. Here's how Adalo stacks up against common alternatives:

Platform	Starting Price	Native Mobile Apps	Database Limits	App Store Publishing
Adalo	$36/month	Yes (true native)	Unlimited on paid plans	iOS & Android included
Bubble	$59/month	Web wrapper only	Limited by Workload Units	Wrapper approach
Glide	$60/month	No	Row limits apply	Not supported
FlutterFlow	$70/month per user	Yes	External DB required	Additional setup needed

Bubble offers more customization options, but that flexibility often results in slower applications that struggle under increased load. Their mobile solution wraps the web app rather than compiling to native code, which can introduce performance challenges at scale. Bubble's Workload Units create unpredictable billing that makes cost planning difficult for growing food businesses.

Glide excels at spreadsheet-based apps and offers fast building with set templates, but this creates generic apps with limited creative freedom. More importantly, Glide doesn't support Apple App Store or Google Play Store publishing—a significant limitation for food delivery apps where customers expect native mobile experiences.

FlutterFlow is technically "low-code" rather than no-code, designed for users with technical backgrounds. Users must also source, set up, and pay for their own external database, adding complexity and cost. The ecosystem is rich with experts precisely because so many people need help—and end up spending significant sums chasing scalability.

Adalo's 3.0 infrastructure overhaul in late 2025 addressed many concerns that appeared in earlier third-party reviews. The platform is now 3-4x faster with modular infrastructure that scales to serve apps with over 1 million monthly active users. Most external ratings and comparisons predate this major update.

Scaling Your Food Delivery App

As your food delivery business grows, your app needs to grow with it. Adalo's architecture is built for this progression.

No record limits means your database expands naturally. Start with 100 menu items and 500 customers, then scale to thousands of items and tens of thousands of customers without migration headaches or surprise charges.

No usage-based billing eliminates the anxiety of success. Unlike platforms that charge more as your app gets popular, Adalo's paid plans include unlimited usage. A viral promotion that drives 10x your normal orders won't result in bill shock.

The platform's modular infrastructure scales automatically with your needs. Whether you're processing 100 orders per day or 10,000, the backend adjusts without manual intervention. With the right data relationship setups, apps can scale beyond 1 million monthly active users.

Ultimately, building a food delivery app can bolster your sales and be a rewarding experience. The platform provides all the tools you need for successful food delivery application development—from AI-assisted building to native app store publishing.

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. Unlike web wrappers, it compiles to native code and publishes directly to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store from a single codebase—the hardest part of launching an app handled automatically. With unlimited database records on paid plans and no usage-based charges, you can scale without surprise costs.
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 lets you go from idea to published app in days rather than months. Magic Start generates complete app foundations from descriptions, and the platform handles the complex App Store submission process—certificates, provisioning profiles, and store guidelines—so you can focus on your app's features.
Can I easily build a food delivery app without coding experience?	Yes, Adalo's drag-and-drop interface has been described as "easy as PowerPoint." You can piece together your app by moving elements around with your mouse, and start with a pre-made ordering template that includes all the frontend, backend, and database components you need. Magic Add lets you describe features in plain language and the AI builds them for you.
How long does it take to build a food delivery app?	With Adalo's templates and AI-assisted building, you can have a functional food delivery app ready for testing within a few days. Publishing to the app stores typically takes an additional few days for Google Play and up to a week for Apple's review process. The entire process from start to published app can be completed in under two weeks.
How much does it cost to build a food delivery app with Adalo?	Adalo's paid plans start at $36/month, which includes web and native mobile app building, unlimited database records, and app store publishing with unlimited updates. You'll also need Apple's $99/year developer fee and Google's one-time $25 enrollment fee to publish to the app stores. There are no usage-based charges regardless of how popular your app becomes.
What features should a food delivery app have?	Essential features include product listings with images and descriptions, shopping cart functionality, user accounts, Stripe payment processing, and geolocation for delivery tracking. Enhanced features like push notifications for order updates, star ratings for products, favorites lists, and driver chat can improve customer experience and retention.
Do I need to build separate apps for iOS, Android, and web?	No, with Adalo you build one version that works across all three platforms—web, iOS, and Android. This means you can reach customers on any device while only maintaining a single app, saving significant time and effort compared to traditional development or platforms that require separate builds.
Can I connect my existing database to an Adalo food delivery app?	Yes, Adalo integrates with external databases including Xano, Google Sheets, and Airtable. SheetBridge makes Google Sheets integration particularly simple—turn your existing spreadsheet into an actual database without learning complex database concepts. Use the "Add External Datasource" option within the Database function to connect.
Which is more affordable, Adalo or Bubble?	Adalo starts at $36/month with unlimited usage and database records, while Bubble starts at $59/month with usage-based Workload Unit charges and record limits. Adalo's predictable pricing makes it more affordable for growing food delivery apps, especially as order volume increases.
Is Adalo better than Glide for mobile food delivery apps?	For food delivery apps specifically, yes. Adalo creates true native iOS and Android apps that can be published to the App Store and Play Store, while Glide doesn't support app store publishing at all. Food delivery customers expect native mobile experiences with push notifications and smooth performance—capabilities Adalo provides that Glide cannot.