The 2026 Pricing Guide for No Code Mobile App Maker Platforms: Key Factors to Consider | Adalo

Choosing the right no-code mobile app maker platform requires understanding how pricing models vary across features, publishing capabilities, and scalability. With costs ranging from free tiers to enterprise subscriptions, knowing what factors drive pricing helps you budget accurately and avoid unexpected expenses.

Adalo lets you build database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps — published to the App Store and Google Play — from a single no-code editor. Understanding how Adalo's pricing compares to other platforms in 2026 ensures you select the most cost-effective solution for your specific app requirements.

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 2026 and platforms offering 90% faster development cycles, understanding the true costs of no-code app development becomes essential for every business decision.

Platforms like Adalo, 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, are driving this cost revolution. By eliminating the need for traditional development teams, these tools make professional app creation accessible to businesses of any size.

Key Takeaways

• 70% of new applications by 2026 will use low-code or no-code (Gartner forecast)
• 500M+ digital apps/services by 2026 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 (2026) per Gartner (includes no-code within low-code)

Understanding No Code App Builder Pricing Models in 2026

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. This lets you push thesame app to the web, native iOS, and native Android with Adalo, all without writing a line of code or rebuilding anything. 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 2026, 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 2026

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:

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

Adalo's No-Code Approach:

1. Learn platform via App Academy (1-2 weeks)
2. Build and launch production app (1-4 weeks)
3. Iterate based on user feedback (ongoing)
4. 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 2026, 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 2026 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 2026, 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.

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