Updated Oct 13, 2025

The 2025 Pricing Guide for No Code Mobile App Maker Platforms: Key Factors to Consider | Adalo

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The average mobile app costs between $40,000 and $400,000+ to develop traditionally, yet no-code platforms deliver the same functionality for a fraction of the price—typically $300 to $1,000 annually. With 70% of new applications expected to use low-code or no-code technologies by 2025 and platforms offering 90% faster development cycles, understanding the true costs of no-code app development becomes essential for every business decision.

Key Takeaways

70% of new applications by 2025 will use low-code or no-code (Gartner forecast)
500M+ digital apps/services by 2023 were forecast by IDC, with low-/no-code playing a major role
Apple $99/year and Google Play $25 one-time developer accounts are baseline publishing costs
2.9% + $0.30 per card charge is the typical U.S. Stripe processing rate (country/card-type varies)
~70% build in <3 months in vendor surveys (Mendix, 2021; methodology applies)
Low-code market +20% YoY (2023) per Gartner (includes no-code within low-code)

Understanding No Code App Builder Pricing Models in 2025

No-code platforms have revolutionized software pricing by replacing six-figure development contracts with predictable monthly subscriptions. The shift from project-based to subscription-based pricing models fundamentally changes how businesses budget for app development.

Modern pricing structures typically include:

Freemium models - Limited functionality for testing and learning
Usage-based pricing - Costs scale with app users, data storage, or API calls
Per-app pricing - Fixed cost for each published application
Editor seat pricing - Charges based on team members building apps
Storage and bandwidth limits - Additional fees for exceeding thresholds

The beauty of this model lies in its transparency. Unlike traditional development where costs balloon unexpectedly, no-code platforms provide clear pricing tiers.Adalo’s pricing scales from Free to Starter $45/mo, Professional $65/mo, Team $200/mo, and Business $250/mo, with each tier defining features, published-app limits, and usage quotas.

Free vs Paid Tiers

The distinction between free and paid tiers represents more than feature limitations—it's the difference between experimentation and production deployment. Free plans typically restrict:

Publishing to custom domains
Number of database records — 200 records/app on Adalo Free (upgrade for higher limits)
Access to premium components
Removal of platform branding
Priority support channels

Additional Upgrades

Beyond base subscriptions, budget for:

Platform transaction fees — In the U.S., Stripe’s standard card rate is 2.9% + $0.30 (rates vary by country and card type)
Third-party integrations - Zapier, Make, or custom API connections may require separate subscriptions
Custom component development - Unique features might need developer assistance at $50-150/hour
Data migration - Moving existing data can cost $500-5,000 depending on complexity

Free App Builder Options: What You Really Get Without Paying

Free tiers serve as powerful evaluation tools, but understanding their limitations prevents project delays; the market is large and growing.

Adalo's free plan exemplifies typical free tier offerings:

Unlimited test apps for experimentation
200 records per app for basic data management
Web publishing on platform subdomains
Community forum access for troubleshooting
Unlimited screens and actions within usage limits

Testing vs Production Apps

Free plans excel for:

Proof-of-concept development
Internal team demonstrations
Learning platform capabilities
Validating business ideas
Creating portfolio projects

However, production limitations become apparent when you need:

Custom domain hosting for professional branding
Database capacity beyond basic testing
App store distribution for mobile apps
Advanced integrations with business systems
White-label branding removal

Adalo vs Other No-Code Platforms: A Price Comparison

Adalo's mobile-first approach and transparent pricing model distinguish it from competitors in the no-code space. Understanding how Adalo compares to alternative platforms helps organizations select appropriate tools for specific use cases and budgets.

Adalo's Pricing Advantage

Adalo's positioning offers native mobile and web capabilities starting at $45/month, with direct app store publishing included on paid plans. The platform uses a straightforward tier-based model:

Published apps per plan (1-10 depending on tier)
Unlimited app actions across all paid plans
App editors (1-unlimited based on tier)
Cross-platform publishing (web, iOS, Android) from single builds
Add-ons available: $25/month per additional published app, $15/month per extra editor

This pricing sweet spot attracts businesses needing professional mobile apps without enterprise-level complexity or unpredictable usage-based charges.

Alternative Platform Costs

Comparing Adalo to other no-code platforms reveals distinct pricing philosophies:

Bubble

Web-focused platform with capacity-based pricing
Workflow units (processing power), database rows, file storage, API calls
Tiers: Free → Starter → Growth → Team → Enterprise
Limited native mobile capabilities; primarily web applications
Higher tiers required for production deployments and team collaboration

FlutterFlow

Native mobile focus with code export
Basic tier (individual use)
Pro adds advanced features
Teams adds collaboration/roles; per-seat pricing
App store fees apply: Apple $99/yr, Google $25 one-time
Requires Flutter/Dart knowledge for customization

Glide

Spreadsheet-driven apps
Tiers: Maker, Team, Business/Enterprise
User-based pricing model with usage limits
Limited native mobile features (focus on web/PWA)
Best for simple data display applications

BuildFire

Mobile-specific platform with higher entry costs
Public plans: Growth – $159/mo, Business – $424/mo, Enterprise – $699+/mo
App-store management services vary by tier
White-label/reseller options available
3-5x more expensive than Adalo for similar functionality

Softr

Airtable/Google Sheets-powered apps
Plans: Basic, Professional, Business/Enterprise
Website-first capabilities; mobile via responsive/PWA
Feature and usage limits vary by billing cycle/tier
No native mobile app publishing

Adalo's combination of affordable entry pricing, native mobile publishing, unlimited app actions, and cross-platform capabilities positions it as the most balanced option for teams building professional mobile and web applications without coding expertise or unpredictable scaling costs.

Mobile App Development Tools: Essential Features and Their Costs

Adalo delivers comprehensive mobile app development tools through transparent tier-based pricing, eliminating the hidden costs that plague many no-code platforms. With more than 65% of application development activity expected to use low-code technologies (which include no-code) by 2024, understanding feature-to-cost relationships becomes crucial for budget planning.

Adalo's Feature-Rich Development Environment

Adalo includes essential development tools across all pricing tiers, distinguishing itself from competitors that gate basic functionality behind premium plans:

Database and Backend Services

Adalo provides robust data management from the free tier upward:

Built-in databases – Visual relational database included in all plans with record limits scaling by tier
External database connections – Xano, Airtable, and custom REST APIs available on Professional plans ($65/month)
Real-time sync – Live data updates across all devices included without additional charges
Collections API – Custom API endpoint creation available on Team plans ($200/month) and above

Design and User Interface

Adalo's visual development tools remain accessible across pricing tiers:

Drag-and-drop builders – Intuitive WYSIWYG editor standard across all plans including Free
Custom components – Marketplace access with 50+ premium components for payments, maps, and specialized UI elements
Responsive design – Automatic mobile, tablet, and desktop adaptation built into every component
Custom branding – Logo, colors, and fonts customization available starting at Starter plan ($45/month)

Core Features vs Premium Add-ons

Essential features included in all Adalo paid plans:

Visual app builder interface with real-time preview
Relational database with visual schema design
50+ standard UI components (lists, forms, buttons, navigation)
User authentication and role-based permissions
Form builders with validation and data collection
Cross-platform publishing (web, iOS, Android)

Premium features available on Professional ($65/month) and higher:

Geolocation services for location-based features
Payment processing (Stripe integration via marketplace)
Push notifications for mobile engagement
Custom integrations with external APIs
Design version history for rollback capability
Team collaboration tools with multiple editor seats

Integration Ecosystem and Cost Efficiency

Adalo's native integration support reduces dependency on expensive third-party middleware:

Included native integrations:

Zapier – Connect 5,000+ apps with trigger-based automation
Stripe – Payment processing through marketplace components
Xano – Scalable backend (Team plan required)
Airtable – Spreadsheet-based data management
Custom REST APIs – Connect any service with documented endpoints

External service costs for reference:

Zapier – $20-750 monthly for automation workflows
Make (Integromat) – $9-299 monthly for complex integrations
Xano – $85-500 monthly for scalable backend
Custom APIs – Development costs $500-5,000 per integration

Adalo's comprehensive feature set at competitive pricing—starting at $45/month for production apps—delivers exceptional value compared to platforms requiring multiple subscriptions for equivalent functionality. The platform's unlimited app actions across all paid plans and cross-platform publishing included eliminate the unpredictable scaling costs that plague capacity-based competitors, making budget forecasting straightforward for growing businesses.

Traditional Development vs No-Code Mobile App Development

The cost differential between traditional development and no-code platforms has reached a tipping point where companies save 40% using low-code tools. Traditional mobile app development costs range from $40,000 to over $300,000, while no-code alternatives deliver comparable results for $300-$1,000 annually.

Traditional Development Costs

Agency and freelance developer pricing includes:

Discovery and planning - $5,000-25,000
Design and prototyping - $10,000-50,000
Development - $25,000-200,000
Testing and deployment - $5,000-25,000
Maintenance - $1,000-10,000 monthly

Total project costs typically reach:

Simple apps: $40,000-60,000
Medium complexity: $60,000-150,000
Complex applications: $150,000-300,000+

Development timelines stretch 3-12 months, with additional months for revisions and updates.

No-Code Platform Savings

The economics of no-code development transform budget equations:

Direct Cost Savings:

Platform subscriptions: $45-250 monthly
Development time: 90% reduction
Maintenance: Automatic updates included
Iterations: Instant changes without development cycles

Time-to-Market Advantages:

MVP development: Forrester TEI and vetted case reports show MVPs often ship in weeks rather than months, with timelines as short as 2–6 weeks depending on complexity
User feedback integration: Hours vs weeks
Feature updates: Real-time vs quarterly releases

Resource Efficiency:

No developer hiring or management
Business users create directly
Reduced communication overhead
Eliminated technical debt

Adalo's professional plan at $65/month replaces traditional development costs while enabling direct publishing to Apple App Store and Google Play Store, delivering enterprise capabilities at startup prices.

Mobile App Development Frameworks: Cost Analysis for 2025

Traditional development frameworks carry hidden costs beyond initial licensing. While frameworks like React Native and Flutter offer "free" open-source licenses, the total cost of ownership reveals a different story.

Framework Licensing Fees

Popular framework costs:

React Native - Free framework, but requires JavaScript developers at $75-150/hour
Flutter - Open source with Dart developers commanding $80-175/hour
Xamarin/.NET MAUI — free and open source (optional Visual Studio subscriptions may add cost)
Ionic - Free to $8,999/year for enterprise features
Native development - Platform-specific tools and annual developer accounts

Development Tool Costs

Beyond frameworks, traditional development requires:

IDEs and editors — Core tools are free (Xcode, Android Studio, VS Code); paid IDEs/subscriptions are optional.
Version control - $4-21/user/month for GitHub/GitLab
CI/CD pipelines - $30-500/month for automated deployment
Testing tools - $50-500/month for device testing platforms
Monitoring services - $100-1,000/month for production apps

Infrastructure Requirements:

Development servers: $50-500/month
Staging environments: $100-1,000/month
Production hosting: $100-5,000/month based on scale
CDN and media storage: $50-500/month

The framework ecosystem typically costs $500-3,000 monthly before any development begins. No-code platforms consolidate these tools into single subscriptions, explaining how 90% of users report accelerated growth from no-code adoption.

Best No Code App Builder Features That Justify Premium Pricing

Premium tier features deliver exponential value beyond basic app building. With the low-code market expected to generate $187 billion by 2030, platforms differentiate through advanced capabilities that justify higher pricing.

Starter vs Professional Features - Adalo

Starter Tier Essentials ($45/month):

Custom domain hosting for professional presence
Basic app store publishing rights
5,000-10,000 database records
Standard email support
SSL certificates and basic security

Professional Advantages ($65/month):

Multiple published apps (2-5)
Team collaboration with 5+ editors
25GB+ storage capacity
Geolocation features
Priority support channels
Advanced API integrations
Custom code injection capabilities

Enterprise Requirements

Business and enterprise tiers ($200-250+/month) unlock:

Unlimited editor seats for entire teams
10+ published applications across departments
99% uptime SLAs with monitoring
Handling 20M+ daily requests for scale
Dedicated account management
Custom security configurations
White-label options for agencies

Critical enterprise features:

Single Sign-On (SSO) integration
Role-based access control (RBAC)
Audit logs and compliance reporting
Data residency options
Service level agreements (SLAs)
Volume licensing discounts

Adalo's Team plan at $200/month includes 5 published apps and 10 editors with priority support, while the Business plan at $250/month supports 10 apps with unlimited editors—positioning perfectly for growing organizations needing collaboration features without enterprise complexity.

Mobile App Development Course Alternatives: Learning vs Building

The education-versus-execution decision impacts both timeline and budget. Traditional mobile development courses cost $500-15,000 with months of learning before building, while no-code platforms enable immediate creation with built-in education. Adalo exemplifies this shift by combining platform access with comprehensive learning resources, allowing users to build production apps while learning—eliminating the traditional separation between education and execution.

Education Investment vs Platform Subscription

Traditional Learning Paths:

Bootcamps: $10,000-20,000 over 3-6 months
Online courses: $500-3,000 for comprehensive programs
University programs: $30,000-120,000 for degrees
Self-teaching: 12-24 months of dedicated study

Adalo's No-Code Learning Model:

Adalo's approach transforms the education equation by integrating learning directly into the building process. Starting at just $45/month for production apps (or free for unlimited testing), Adalo provides:

Platform basics: 2-7 days to understand core concepts
First app completion: 1-2 weeks for functional applications
Advanced features: 1-2 months mastering integrations and custom logic
Expert proficiency: 3-6 months building complex, scalable solutions

Adalo's App Academy includes structured video tutorials, documentation, and project-based learning at no additional cost—effectively eliminating the $500-15,000 education investment required for traditional development while providing hands-on experience with real deployable applications.

Time to Market Comparison

The opportunity cost calculation reveals Adalo's significant advantage:

Traditional Path:

Learn programming (3-12 months)
Build first app (2-6 months)
Deploy and iterate (1-3 months)
Total: 6-21 months before launch

Adalo's No-Code Approach:

Learn platform via App Academy (1-2 weeks)
Build and launch production app (1-4 weeks)
Iterate based on user feedback (ongoing)
Total: 2-6 weeks to market

With 80% of no-code users expected outside IT departments by 2026, platforms like Adalo prioritize intuitive learning and immediate productivity. This learn-while-building model means teams validate ideas with real users within weeks rather than waiting months to complete education before development begins—a crucial advantage in competitive markets where speed determines success.

How much does it cost to publish on App Store and Google Play?

Publishing costs extend beyond platform fees, yet many builders discover these requirements only at launch. Understanding total deployment costs prevents budget surprises and ensures successful app store approvals.

Required Developer Accounts

Apple App Store:

Developer license: $99/year (required)
Enterprise: $299/year (internal distribution)
Account approval times vary
App review — most reviews complete quickly, but timing varies by app

Google Play Store:

Registration: $25 one-time
Account approval times vary
App review — timelines vary and can take up to 7 days or longer

Ongoing Operational Costs

Beyond store fees, budget for:

Domain and Hosting:

Custom domains: $10-45 annually
SSL certificates: Often included with platforms
CDN services: $20-200/month for global performance
Backup services: $10-50/month for data protection

Marketing and Growth:

App Store Optimization (ASO): $500-5,000 initially
Paid user acquisition: $2-25 per install
Analytics tools: $0-500/month
Push notification services: $0-250/month based on volume

Maintenance Requirements:

Platform updates: Automatic with subscriptions
Content updates: 2-10 hours monthly
User support: $500-5,000/month for outsourced help
Security monitoring: Often included in professional tiers

Adalo's direct publishing to both app stores simplifies deployment, though developer accounts remain separate requirements. The platform handles technical requirements, certificates, and compilation—eliminating traditional publishing complexities worth $5,000-15,000 in developer time.

Enterprise No-Code Solutions: Scaling Costs and Considerations

Adalo leads the enterprise no-code space by delivering production-grade infrastructure at accessible price points that scale with organizational growth. With 75% of large enterprises expected to use multiple low-code tools by 2025, Adalo's transparent enterprise pricing and proven reliability make it the platform of choice for mission-critical applications across education, healthcare, and corporate sectors.

Why Adalo Excels in Enterprise Deployments

Adalo distinguishes itself through three critical enterprise advantages: predictable flat-rate pricing without surprise capacity charges, proven infrastructure handling 20M+ daily requests with ~99% uptime, and comprehensive cross-platform publishing from a single codebase. Unlike competitors requiring separate web and mobile subscriptions or charging per-user fees, Adalo's enterprise plans deliver unlimited app actions and cross-platform deployment at fixed monthly rates—enabling accurate budget forecasting as organizations scale.

Adalo's Team and Business Plans

Adalo Team Plan ($200/month):

5 published applications
10 editor seats for collaborative development
50,000 monthly app actions
Priority support with faster response times
Xano integration for advanced backend scalability
Collections API for custom data connections
Shared workspace management across departments

Adalo Business Plan ($250/month):

10 published applications
Unlimited editor seats organization-wide
200,000 monthly app actions
Enhanced priority support
Special add-on pricing for additional apps ($25/month each)
Advanced security and compliance features
Dedicated account management

Enterprise Scalability and Custom Solutions

For organizations requiring capabilities beyond standard plans, Adalo offers custom enterprise packages including:

Unlimited applications across multiple departments and business units
Enhanced SLA agreements with guaranteed uptime commitments
Dedicated infrastructure for performance-critical applications
Professional services for migration from legacy systems
Custom training programs for internal teams and citizen developers
Volume discounts on additional published apps and editor seats

Enterprise Decision Factors Beyond Pricing

Organizations evaluating Adalo for enterprise deployment should consider:

Scalability Planning:

User growth projections and concurrent usage patterns
Data volume estimates and database optimization needs
Integration requirements with existing enterprise systems
Geographic distribution and CDN performance needs

Security and Compliance:

SSL encryption included on all custom domains
Role-based access controls for governance
Manual publishing workflows for change management
Audit trails for compliance documentation
GDPR/CCPA data handling compliance

Proven Enterprise Performance:

~99% uptime reliability for production applications
20M+ daily data requests demonstrating infrastructure capacity
Automatic load balancing during traffic spikes
CDN distribution for optimal global performance

Organizations like educational institutions and healthcare providers leverage Adalo's enterprise solutions for mission-critical applications requiring reliability, security, and scale—validating the platform's readiness for complex organizational deployments. The combination of transparent pricing starting at $200/month, proven infrastructure, and unlimited cross-platform publishing positions Adalo as the cost-effective enterprise no-code leader.

Industry Benchmarks Reveal the True Value

Adalo exemplifies the no-code revolution's measurable impact, delivering enterprise-grade performance that validates the platform's leadership position. The no-code market grows from $28.75 billion in 2024 to projected $264.40 billion by 2032, with platforms like Adalo driving this expansion through proven results: organizations achieve strong returns on investment with most recovering costs within one year.

Adalo's Industry-Leading Performance Benchmarks

Adalo distinguishes itself through infrastructure reliability and development velocity that surpasses industry standards:

Platform Performance Metrics:

~99% uptime – Industry-leading reliability for production applications
20M+ daily requests – Proven capacity handling enterprise-scale traffic
Cross-platform deployment – Single build publishes to web, iOS, and Android simultaneously
Automatic CDN distribution – Global content delivery optimizing load times worldwide

Development Efficiency Benchmarks:

Development velocity: 10x faster than traditional coding
Cost reduction: 70% savings on development expenses
Time to market: 90% faster deployment cycles
Learning curve: 1-2 weeks to first production app versus 6+ months with traditional development

Enterprise Adoption Indicators:

User adoption: Gartner predicted (2019) that by 2023, at large enterprises, active citizen developers would outnumber professional developers 4:1
Democratization impact: Non-technical teams building production apps independently
Scaling flexibility: Unlimited app actions on paid plans eliminate capacity concerns

Why These Benchmarks Matter

Adalo's performance metrics translate into competitive advantages that justify platform investment regardless of pricing tier. The combination of 99% uptime reliability, 10x development speed, and 70% cost savings creates ROI that compounds over time—teams ship faster, iterate based on real user feedback, and avoid the technical debt plaguing custom-coded solutions. Organizations using Adalo recover their subscription costs within weeks through reduced development expenses and accelerated time-to-revenue, validating the platform's position as an industry leader in measurable business value.

Frequently Asked Questions about No Code Mobile App Maker Platforms

Q: What's the real total cost of building an app with no-code platforms? The complete cost typically ranges from $1,500-5,000 annually for professional apps, including platform subscription ($432-3,000/year), app store fees ($99/year for iOS, $25 one-time for Android), domain registration ($10-45/year), and third-party integrations ($240-2,000/year). Additional costs can add 30-50% to base subscriptions.

Adalo minimizes cost surprises through transparent flat-rate pricing starting at $45/month ($540/year). The platform includes unlimited app actions, cross-platform publishing (web, iOS, Android), native integrations (Zapier, Stripe, Xano), and automatic SSL certificates—reducing the typical 40-50% markup to approximately 20-30% for optional add-ons. Most professional Adalo apps total $1,500-2,500 annually including all fees.

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Q: How do I choose between monthly and annual billing for no-code platforms? Adalo offers flexible billing with both monthly and annual options across all paid plans (Starter at $45/month, Professional at $65/month, Team at $200/month, Business at $250/month). The platform's generous free tier with unlimited test apps allows thorough evaluation before committing to any paid plan. Most Adalo builders start with monthly billing for 2-3 months to confirm platform capabilities, then switch to annual billing once their app gains traction—typically recovering the investment within one year through reduced development costs and faster time-to-market.

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Q: Can I migrate my app between no-code platforms without losing data? Migration complexity varies significantly by platform architecture. Data typically exports via CSV or API, preserving records but losing platform-specific features. Design elements, workflows, and custom logic require rebuilding on new platforms. Budget 20-40 hours for simple apps, 100+ hours for complex applications. Some platforms like Adalo offer external collections connecting to independent databases, reducing lock-in risks by maintaining data sovereignty.

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Q: Should I hire a no-code expert or build the app myself? Self-building works for simple apps with 5-10 screens and basic functionality, typically taking 2-4 weeks to learn and launch. Hire experts ($50-150/hour or $5,000-25,000 per project) for complex logic, custom integrations, or tight deadlines. The sweet spot often involves self-building with expert consultation for specific challenges. Adalo's expert marketplace connects builders with certified professionals when specialized knowledge accelerates development.

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Q: How much revenue can a no-code app realistically generate? Apps built with Adalo demonstrate real revenue potential across diverse monetization models—from subscription-based fitness platforms to e-commerce marketplaces and booking services. Successful no-code apps typically generate $1,000-50,000 monthly, with outliers exceeding $500,000 monthly through effective monetization strategies. Explore Adalo Success Stories to see real-world applications built by makers that have scaled to serve thousands of users and generate sustainable revenue across industries including fitness, events, education, and professional services.

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Q: What are the performance limitations of no-code apps compared to native development? Adalo handles 20M+ daily requests with 99% uptime, delivering performance sufficient for demanding business needs including e-commerce transactions, real-time data updates, and high-traffic consumer applications. For 95% of business applications—marketplaces, booking systems, internal tools, social platforms, and content apps—users cannot distinguish between no-code and traditionally-coded performance. The advantage of no-code lies in rapid deployment and iteration, allowing teams to optimize based on real user data rather than theoretical performance concerns.

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