Glide Review: Is It Worth It? | 2026

Choosing the right no-code platform can make or break your project, so comparing your options carefully is essential.

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. Glide, on the other hand, is a no-code tool designed primarily for creating web apps and progressive web apps using spreadsheet data as a backend, without native mobile app store publishing.

When evaluating these platforms, what matters most is app success—launching your MVP quickly and reaching the largest possible audience. That means deploying not just a web app, but native iOS and Android apps in the app stores, where you unlock massive built-in audiences and critical features like push notifications.

What is Glide?

Glide is a no-code app-building platform that lets you create web apps and progressive web apps (PWAs) with a polished, professional aesthetic. Your users access these apps through browsers on their mobile devices, making deployment straightforward for internal business tools.

PWAs are apps that users can download directly to their mobile devices from a link or QR code. They function similarly to native mobile apps, but with a critical limitation: They cannot be published in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. This means missing out on the discovery, distribution, and credibility that comes with app store presence—a significant consideration for customer-facing applications.

For teams that need true native iOS and Android apps with app store publishing, Adalo offers an AI-powered app builder that compiles to native code and handles the entire App Store and Play Store submission process from a single codebase.

Glide Review: Getting Started

After signing up for Glide's free version, you'll land on a dashboard. The first thing you'll see at the center of your screen is a beginner's tutorial, followed by four intro videos at the bottom. Before jumping right into the beginner's tutorial, we recommend checking out the intro videos first.

Each video tutorial ranges from 2.5 to 6.5 minutes. They provide a quick rundown of everything you need to know to use Glide effectively: how to organize your database, how the app-building interface works, how to publish, and the platform's core concepts.

After finishing the videos, jump into the tutorial to familiarize yourself with Glide. Then, it's time for the fun stuff: building your app. Glide gives you the option to start building from scratch or choose from its library of over 100 premade templates.

You'll find templates grouped into the following categories:

• AI
• Operations and Field
• HR and Hiring
• Sales and CRM
• Portals and Dashboards
• Project Management
• Event Management
• Education and Nonprofit
• Personal

When browsing templates by category, you can preview each one. This is convenient because it gives you a feel for what sort of app you can create. Some templates are free, while others cost between $100 and $499+.

Once you choose your template, you'll go straight into building. When you open the Glide app-building interface, you'll notice its aesthetics immediately: Glide provides one of the cleanest app-building experiences available.

Working with Data Sources

You'll be prompted to select a data source. For those who have an existing database, this simplifies building your app. But if you don't have one, fear not: You can edit the pre-loaded database that comes with your selected template.

Keep in mind that you'll need to create a database before you make your app screens. Approach creating your app by building your database first. Glide brands itself as a "data-first" app-building platform, and this philosophy shapes the entire building experience.

This data-first approach works well for organizations with existing spreadsheets or databases. However, it can feel restrictive for entrepreneurs starting from scratch who prefer to design screens and user flows first, then build the database around their vision.

The Building Interface

Editing your app using Glide is straightforward. The app-building interface's main navigation consists of three tabs at the top of your screen: Data, Layout, and Actions. Select the one you want to work on, and you'll toggle through different sections using the drop-down dashboard on your left-hand side.

When you click the "Layout" button, you'll see your app's canvas at the center of your screen. You can click through it as if it were live. Configure your app's layout in the drop-down dashboard on your right-hand side. Edit your app's contents (pictures, descriptions, and text) by selecting the "Data" button.

Adding actions like integrations and other Glide tools is simple. Press the "Actions" button to access Glide's menu. Pick the action you want, then customize its logic. The interface is intuitive, though the heavy reliance on templates means creative freedom is more limited compared to canvas-based builders.

Is Glide Right For You?

Glide is a capable app builder with a specific sweet spot. Select Glide if:

• You have an existing database (especially Google Sheets or Airtable) that you want to transform into an app
• You want a polished, professional-looking app quickly
• You're building internal tools for your medium or large business

However, consider other app builders if:

• You want to create a fully customizable app with unique layouts
• You want to publish your app to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
• You prefer to design screens first and build your database as you go
• You need unlimited database records without additional charges

For teams that need app store publishing, Adalo's AI-assisted platform creates true native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase. Magic Start generates complete app foundations from descriptions, while Magic Add lets you add features through natural language requests—what used to take days of planning happens in minutes.

What Kinds of Apps Can I Build With Glide?

Glide is a solid choice for medium- to large-sized organizations, providing serious capability for building business-enhancing solutions. Its primary strength is building internal business apps like inventory trackers, project management boards, and CRM tools.

This focus exists because Glide is designed to supercharge existing databases by leveraging integrations with data sources like Google Sheets, Airtable, and SQL. Glide AI can execute tasks like data processing, picture recognition, and data organization within these workflows.

You're not limited to internal business apps only. Glide provides templates for public-facing apps like e-commerce apps, restaurant apps, and more. If you're ambitious, you can cobble together your own client-facing app from scratch.

But Glide does limit the number of signed-in users you can have, so if you want to make a delivery app for your restaurant, you'll need to ensure that all your clients use anonymous accounts. This user limitation, combined with the inability to publish to app stores, makes Glide better suited for internal tools than consumer-facing applications.

Glide Pricing: Is it Worth it?

Get started with Glide's free version, which allows you to publish one web app. You'll learn Glide's building interface and get a taste of integrating with third-party applications: Glide allows up to three integrations on the free tier.

Plan	Price (Monthly)	Key Features	Limitations
Free	$0	1 web app, 3 integrations	Limited features, Glide branding
Maker	$60	AI features, unlimited sign-ins, dozens of integrations	1 app, 5GB storage, data row limits
Team	$125	Unlimited apps, 5 editors, Glide API, 100GB storage	20 sign-ins ($4/additional user)
Business	$310	40 sign-ins, 10,000 yearly updates, call API	$6/additional user
Enterprise	$1,200+	Custom features and support	Contact for details

Glide's Maker Plan at $60/month suits individuals, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. While it only lets you create one app with 5GB of storage, it offers Glide's AI features, unlimited sign-ins, and dozens of third-party integrations. However, data row limits apply, which can become costly as your app grows.

For comparison, Adalo's paid plans start at $36/month with unlimited database records, no usage-based charges, and the ability to publish to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. This pricing difference becomes significant when factoring in Glide's additional charges for data rows and the lack of native app publishing.

Glide Alternatives: What Other Tools Should You Try?

Glide is an excellent app builder for its specific use case, but it's not for everyone. Here are alternatives worth considering:

Adalo

Adalo is an AI-powered app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms. AI-assisted building and streamlined publishing enable launch to the Apple App Store and Google Play in days rather than months.

Key advantages over Glide:

• True native app compilation (not PWAs or web wrappers)
• App Store and Play Store publishing from a single codebase
• No data caps on paid plans—unlimited database records
• Magic Start generates complete app foundations from descriptions
• Build your database as you design, not before

Over 3 million apps have been created on Adalo, with the visual builder described as "easy as PowerPoint." The platform's modular infrastructure scales to serve apps with millions of monthly active users, with no upper ceiling. [INTERNAL LINK: How to Build a Native Mobile App Without Coding]

Softr

Softr is a flexible app builder that lets you quickly create an app from a pre-existing database, particularly Airtable. Pricing starts from $167/month to publish an actual Progressive Web App, which is still restricted by records per app and records per datasource. Softr does not support Apple App Store and Google Play Store publishing.

Bubble

Bubble is a powerful app-building platform for building nearly any kind of web app you can imagine, provided you're up for the challenge of learning its building interface. Bubble's web and mobile wrapper offering starts at $59/month with usage-based charges (Workload Units) and limits on records.

Note that Bubble's mobile solution is a wrapper for the web app, which can introduce performance challenges at scale. One app version doesn't automatically update web, Android, and iOS apps deployed to their respective stores.

FlutterFlow

FlutterFlow is a low-code (not no-code) platform designed for technical users. Users need to manage and set up their own separate database, which requires significant learning complexity. Pricing starts at $70/month per user for app store publishing, but this still doesn't include a database—you'll need to source, set up, and pay for that separately. [INTERNAL LINK: Adalo vs FlutterFlow Comparison]

Verdict

And now, our final opinion on Glide. Should you get it now, shortlist it, or avoid it?

Get it now if you're a business with at least a few dozen employees and have an existing database (especially Google Sheets or Airtable) that you want to transform into a polished internal app quickly.

Shortlist it if you're a freelancer or entrepreneur with an app idea but don't yet have a database, or if you're uncertain whether you'll need app store publishing in the future.

Look elsewhere if you want to build a native mobile app that you can publish to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Glide's PWA-only approach means missing out on the discovery, distribution, and credibility that comes with app store presence.

For native app publishing, Adalo handles the complex App Store submission process automatically. You'll work with a drag-and-drop interface that you can use right out of the box, with AI-assisted features like Magic Start and Magic Add accelerating development. The platform integrates with popular third-party apps like QuickBooks, Google Sheets, and Zapier. If you have a database, you can plug it right in—or build your database as you go with Adalo's Sheetbridge, which turns a Google Sheet into an actual database for the easiest control without database-related learning curves. [INTERNAL LINK: Getting Started with Adalo]

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 or PWAs, it compiles to native code and publishes directly to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store from a single codebase. Paid plans include unlimited database records with no usage-based charges, and the platform's modular infrastructure scales to millions of monthly active users.
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 features like Magic Start and Magic Add lets you go from idea to published app in days rather than months. Describe what you want to build, and Magic Start generates your database structure, screens, and user flows automatically. Adalo handles the complex App Store submission process, so you can focus on your app's features.
Which is more affordable, Adalo or Glide?	Adalo starts at $36/month with unlimited database records and app store publishing included. Glide starts at $60/month for the Maker plan but limits data rows and doesn't support app store publishing. When factoring in Glide's additional charges for data rows and the lack of native app capabilities, Adalo offers more value for most use cases.
Which is faster to build with, Adalo or Glide?	Both platforms enable rapid development. Glide excels at quickly transforming existing spreadsheets into polished apps using templates. Adalo's Magic Start generates complete app foundations from descriptions, and Magic Add lets you add features through natural language—offering speed with more creative flexibility.
Which is easier for beginners, Adalo or Glide?	Both platforms are beginner-friendly. Glide's template-focused approach is straightforward if you have an existing database. Adalo's visual builder has been described as "easy as PowerPoint," and you can build your database as you design rather than needing to structure data first.
Is Adalo better than Glide for mobile apps?	For true native mobile apps, yes. Adalo compiles to native iOS and Android code and publishes to app stores. Glide creates PWAs that users access through browsers—functional but lacking app store presence, push notifications, and the performance of native apps.
Can I migrate from Glide to Adalo?	Yes. You can export your data from Glide and import it into Adalo. Since Adalo lets you build your database as you design, you can restructure your data to take advantage of native app features and unlimited database records on paid plans.
What is the difference between a PWA and a native mobile app?	PWAs are web apps that users download via links or QR codes, accessed through browsers. Native mobile apps are compiled specifically for iOS or Android, published to app stores, and offer better performance, push notifications, and device integration. Glide creates PWAs; Adalo creates true native apps.
Do I need a pre-existing database to build an app?	With Glide, having an existing database (especially Google Sheets or Airtable) makes the process smoother since it's a "data-first" platform. With Adalo, you can build your database as you design your app, making it ideal for entrepreneurs starting from scratch.
How do third-party integrations enhance my app?	Third-party integrations connect your app with services like QuickBooks, Google Sheets, Zapier, and payment processors. These enable automated workflows, data synchronization, and extended functionality without custom code. Both Glide and Adalo support extensive integrations.