Step-by-Step Guide: Building a Robinhood Clone with Adalo

Building a stock-trading app like Robinhood traditionally requires deep pockets, a team of developers, and months of coding—not to mention navigating complex regulatory requirements. Even creating a functional prototype to test your concept or demonstrate core user flows can feel out of reach when you're facing native iOS, Android, and web development simultaneously. The technical barriers alone stop most founders before they even start.

That's where Adalo changes the equation. Adalo is a no-code 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. This means you can prototype registration flows, portfolio views, buy/sell order interfaces, and payment screens without writing code or hiring a development team—giving you a tangible product to test with users and potential investors while you tackle the compliance side separately.

Why Adalo Works for Building a Stock Trading App

Adalo is a no-code app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play. This makes it an excellent choice for prototyping a Robinhood-style trading app, where users expect seamless access across their phone, tablet, and desktop without any friction between platforms.

For a stock trading prototype, app store distribution is essential—users need to check their portfolios and execute trades on the go, and push notifications keep them informed about price alerts and order confirmations in real time. With Adalo, you can build and publish a polished, data-driven trading experience without writing code, letting you focus on validating your concept before investing in the compliance infrastructure that real brokerages require.

This guide walks you through creating a stock-trading–style app using Adalo’s platform. While fully regulated brokerages require substantial budgets, licensing, and specialist partners, this approach lets you prototype core flows—registration, KYC intake, portfolio view, buy/sell order UX (off-ledger accounting), alerts, and payments UI—in weeks, depending on scope. You can even publish the same app to the web, native iOS, and native Android with Adalo, all without writing a line of code or rebuilding anything.

Important: This guide implements a custodial/off-ledger prototype in Adalo for educational purposes. Real securities execution, customer funds custody, and exchange-entitled real-time data require regulated providers and compliance work. Use External Collections and Custom Actions to connect third-party services.

Setting Up Your Adalo Account for Trading App Development

Step 1: Create Your Adalo Account

1. Visit Adalo.com and sign up.
2. Verify your email.
3. Create New App → choose Mobile App.
4. Name your project (e.g., “StockTrade”).
5. Start from Scratch (no trading template).

Step 2: Choose Your Plan

Review Adalo pricing for current plan features (publishing, External Collections/Custom Actions for APIs, collaborator seats, limits). Select a plan that supports the integrations you need.

Step 3: Configure Your App Theme

Choose a trustworthy palette (dark/neutral base, green/red for gains/losses), set typography, spacing, and corner radii, then continue into the builder.

Building the Database Structure

Step 4: Enhance the Users Collection

Database → Users → add properties:

• Full Name (Text), Phone Number (Text), Profile Image (Image)
• Account Balance (Number), Available Cash (Number), Total Portfolio Value (Number)
• KYC Status (Text): “Pending”, “Verified”, “Rejected”
• KYC Verification Token (Text) (store token/ID from provider; not PII)
• Two-Factor Enabled (True/False)
• Risk Tolerance (Text): “Conservative”, “Moderate”, “Aggressive”
• Investment Experience (Text): “Beginner”, “Intermediate”, “Advanced”

Learn relational databases • Adalo database basics

Step 5: Create the Stocks Collection

+ Add Collection → “Stocks”

• Ticker Symbol (Text), Company Name (Text), Logo URL (Image URL)
• Current Price, Open, High, Low (Numbers)
• Price Change, Percent Change, Volume, Market Cap (Numbers)
• 52-Week High, 52-Week Low (Numbers), Last Updated (Date & Time)

Step 6: Create the Portfolio Holdings Collection

+ Add Collection → “Holdings”

• Shares Owned, Average Purchase Price, Total Cost Basis (Numbers)
• Current Value, P/L, P/L % (Numbers; can be computed in UI)
• Purchase Date (Date & Time – automatic)

Step 7: Create the Transactions Collection

+ Add Collection → “Transactions”

• Transaction Type (Text): “Buy”, “Sell”, “Deposit”, “Withdraw”
• Ticker Symbol (Text), Shares (Number), Price Per Share (Number)
• Total Amount, Transaction Fee (Numbers)
• Order Type (Text): “Market”, “Limit”, “Stop Loss”; Limit Price (Number)
• Status (Text): “Pending”, “Completed”, “Failed”, “Cancelled”
• Created Date (Date & Time – automatic), Executed Date (Date & Time)

Step 8: Create the Watchlist Collection

+ Add Collection → “Watchlist”

• Added Date (Date & Time – automatic), Price Alert (Number)
• Alert Enabled (True/False), Notes (Text)

Step 9: Set Up Database Relationships

• Holdings ↔ Users: Many-to-One (a User has many Holdings)
• Holdings ↔ Stocks: Many-to-One (a Stock appears in many Holdings)
• Transactions ↔ Users: Many-to-One; Transactions ↔ Stocks: Many-to-One
• Watchlist ↔ Users: Many-to-One; Watchlist ↔ Stocks: Many-to-One

Database guide

Installing Required Components and Integrations

Step 10: Set Up Market Data APIs

Pick providers that fit your needs. Examples (check current plans/limits):

• Alpha Vantage — free tier with per-minute/per-day rate limits; intraday/time series; real-time may require paid options. Pricing
• Finnhub — broad coverage; free tier limits; real-time U.S. equities may require paid plans/licensing. Pricing
• Marketstack — end-of-day/historical; real-time on paid plans. Pricing

Note: Real-time U.S. equities data often requires paid plans and exchange agreements. In Adalo, use External Collections or Custom Actions to call your provider. Refresh UI on a timer (e.g., 5–30s) to simulate near-real-time.

Step 11: Install Payments (Prototype Funding UX)

1. Open the Adalo Marketplace → install Stripe.
2. Create a Stripe account and add API keys in Adalo.
3. (Optional) For mobile subscriptions, see IAPHUB.

Production note: For brokerage funding with customer money, partner with a regulated broker-dealer/clearing firm and use compliant ACH/wire rails (e.g., Plaid + bank partners). Most payment processors restrict financial services that involve custodying funds for investment. Use general-purpose processors only for subscriptions or non-securities commerce unless your legal/compliance review approves. Confirm your processor’s restricted-business and acceptable-use policies, and consult counsel.

Step 12: Install Chart Components

In the Marketplace, add a Charts/Graph component for price history, portfolio performance, and P/L visualizations.

Creating User Authentication and Security

Step 13: Build the Welcome Screen

Logo, headline (“Commission-free trading UX, built fast”), value bullets (market data, watchlists, alerts), and buttons: Get Started (Sign Up) and Login.

Step 14: Create the Sign Up Screen

Form (Users): Email, Password (min 8 + complexity text), Full Name, Phone.
Add Terms/Privacy checkbox.
Submit: Create User → (optionally) send verification email via Custom Action (SendGrid/Mail provider) → navigate to KYC or Dashboard.

Step 15: Implement Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Create Enable 2FA and Verify 2FA screens:

• Support SMS or TOTP (Authenticator apps).
• For TOTP: generate secret server-side (external API), show QR; verify 6-digit code via Custom Action.
• On success, set Two-Factor Enabled = true.
• Microsoft reports 2FA reduces account compromise risk by ~99.9%.
  Source: Microsoft Security Blog

Step 16: Create KYC Intake (Prototype)

Account Verification screen: collect DOB, address, employment info, etc.
Integrate a compliant KYC vendor (Persona, Alloy, Trulioo) via Custom Actions:

• Vendor does the sensitive handling (ID/SSN).
• Store only the vendor token/reference and KYC Status in Adalo, not raw PII.
• Set status to Pending and notify the user.

Building the Home Dashboard

Step 17: Create the Main Dashboard

• Portfolio Value with P/L (green/red), today’s return.
• Quick stats: Available Cash, Total Invested.
• Bottom nav: Home, Markets, Portfolio, Account.

Step 18: Build the Stocks List & Categories

• List (Stocks): logo, ticker, current price, % change, sparkline.
• Search input to filter.
• Horizontal tabs: Most Active, Top Gainers, Top Losers, Watchlist (filter lists accordingly).
• Add Refresh icon to re-fetch quotes.

Vendors advertise coverage/latency differently and by plan. In Adalo, use timer-based refresh rather than raw WebSockets for “live” UI.

Building Stock Detail and Trading Screens

Step 19: Stock Detail Screen

Header: name/ticker, current price, change %.
Chart: 1D/1W/1M/3M/1Y/All (line or candlestick).
Stats: Market Cap, 52-week high/low, Volume, Avg Volume.
Actions: Buy, Add to Watchlist.

Step 20: Buy Flow

Buy Stock screen:

• Show ticker, current price, Available Cash.
• Form: Shares, Order Type (Market/Limit/Stop), Limit Price (conditional).
• Live total cost, estimated commission (if applicable).
• Review Order → Order Review.

Step 21: Order Review and Confirmation

Order Review screen:

• Ticker/company, quantity, order type, price, total.
• “I understand market risks” checkbox.
• Place Order → create Transaction (“Completed” for prototype), update Holdings and Available Cash, show success → Order Confirmation.

Step 22: Sell Flow

Sell Stock screen:

• Position summary: shares, average price, current value, P/L.
• Form: shares to sell (max = owned), order type, proceeds estimate.
• Review Sell Order → confirm (same pattern as buy).

Creating Portfolio and Alerts

Step 23: Portfolio Screen

Header: total value, today’s change, all-time P/L.
List (Holdings): ticker/name, shares, current value, P/L and P/L%.
Sorting: Alphabetical, Highest value, Best/Worst performance.
Tap → Stock Detail.

Step 24: Transaction History

History screen:

• Filters: Today / This Week / This Month / All / Custom.
• List (Transactions) with type, ticker, shares×price, total, date, status.
• Tap → details; Export CSV optional.

Step 25: Watchlist & Price Alerts

Watchlist screen:

• Watched symbols, current price, change, alert icon.
• Add/Remove, sort by alpha or % change.
• Price alerts: save target price and enabled flag.
• Use Timer to periodically fetch quotes; when condition met, trigger push notification.

References: Adalo push notifications • Zapier integration

Implementing Account Management

Step 26: Funding (Prototype UX) & Withdrawals

Add Funds screen:

• Options: bank transfer (ACH), debit card (instant), wire (copy instructions).
• For prototypes, you can demonstrate with Stripe (amount input, method).
• On success: update Available Cash, create Transaction (Deposit).
• Note timelines (cards ~instant; ACH often 3–5 business days).
• Production: route via broker/clearing partner using compliant rails (ACH/wire).

Withdraw Funds screen:

• Show available cash; amount input (max = available), bank selection.
• Re-enter password + 2FA code if enabled.
• Create Transaction (Withdraw) and show confirmation.

Step 27: Settings

Sections:

• Personal Info: edit name/email/phone, change password, profile photo.
• Security: 2FA toggle, login history, linked devices.
• Banking: linked accounts, payment methods, limits.
• Notifications: price alerts, order confirmations, market updates.
• Preferences: theme (light/dark), default order type, confirmations.
• Data Security: All API calls over TLS 1.2+; do not store SSNs or raw PII—store vendor tokens/status only.

References: NIST TLS 1.2/1.3

Implementing Security Features

Step 28: Security Settings

Add toggles for 2FA, change password, session/logout-all, and notification preferences.

Step 29: Rate Limiting (App Logic)

Track failed logins in Users; after a threshold, lock the account and notify. Implement cooldowns using Adalo actions + timestamp fields.

Step 30: Data Protection Notes

• Use Adalo auth + HTTPS; handle secrets carefully.
• Never store SSNs or full card data in Adalo collections—use KYC/payment providers that tokenize.
• Follow OWASP mobile guidance during implementation.

Reference: OWASP Mobile App Security Cheat Sheet

Step 31: Activity Logs

Create an Activity Log collection (action, IP/device, time, status).
Log sign-ins, funding requests, orders, and settings changes.

Testing Your Trading App

Step 32: Seed Test Data

Create test users (2FA on/off, KYC states), add stocks, holdings, and transactions. Use Stripe test cards for funding UX where applicable.

Step 33: Test Core Workflows

• Registration & KYC → verify status transitions and notifications.
• Trading: Buy/Sell flows; holdings and cash updates; limit order UX.
• Alerts: price conditions → push notifications.
• Security: 2FA, lockouts, password resets, activity logs.

Step 34: Performance Optimization

Compress images, limit list sizes, paginate long lists, and cache quote snapshots. See Optimize performance. For large datasets, move history to External Collections.

Publishing Your Trading App

Step 35: Prepare for Launch

Switch to production keys (data providers, notifications), configure push notifications, add legal pages (Privacy, Terms, Disclosures, Risk, Fee schedule), and set up support flows.

Step 36: App Store Submission

• iOS: Join Apple Developer ($99/year) and follow Adalo’s iOS guide.
• Android: Pay $25 one-time and follow Adalo’s Android guide.
• Review timelines vary; plan for several days and possible iterations.
  References: Apple App Review • Adalo: iOS guide • Android guide

Step 37: Web App Deployment

Publish your web app and set a custom domain via web app publishing; configure DNS and SSL, then test responsiveness.

Platform Limitations and Workarounds

Real-Time & Background Processing

• Adalo doesn’t expose native WebSockets or background jobs; “live” quotes require timer-based refresh or screen revisit.
• For true real-time streams, order books, and post-trade webhooks, proxy via an external service and call it with Custom Actions/External Collections.

Market Data Entitlements

• Free tiers are commonly rate-limited and delayed. Real-time U.S. equities usually require paid plans and exchange agreements. Label data appropriately in the UI.

Scalability

• Don’t store tick history in Adalo collections. Keep lightweight snapshots in-app; move history to an external database. Use progressive loading; avoid lists-within-lists.

Compliance Boundaries

• Treat this as a prototype. Production funding, custody, best-execution, and books/records require a regulated broker-dealer/clearing partner and compliant rails (ACH/wire).

Workarounds

• Cache quote snapshots; fetch details on demand.
• Use 5–30s timers for near-real-time screens.
• Add an Admin/Compliance app for manual reviews, KYC status updates, and audits.
• Split roles into multi-app (Customer / Admin / Ops) as you scale.

Cost Breakdown and Resources

Adalo Subscription

• Verify plan features/limits (publishing, API integrations, seats) on the live pricing page.

Data & Payments

• Market-data APIs: costs vary by provider/plan; free tiers are rate-limited and often delayed.
• Stripe (U.S. online card reference): typically 2.9% + $0.30 per successful charge; varies by country/payment method. See Stripe pricing.

App Stores

• Apple Developer: $99/year.
• Google Play Developer: $25 one-time.

Ongoing Maintenance

• Many teams budget ~15–25% annually of initial effort for maintenance, updates, security reviews, and compliance monitoring.

Additional Resources

• Adalo Database — collections & relationships: https://help.adalo.com/database
• External Collections — connect external APIs: https://help.adalo.com/integrations/external-collections-with-apis
• Custom Actions — call third-party endpoints: https://help.adalo.com/integrations/custom-actions
• Optimize performance — lists, images, data strategy: https://help.adalo.com/performance/optimize-app-performance
• Stripe component — marketplace: https://www.adalo.com/marketplace
• Push notifications — triggers & requirements: https://help.adalo.com/action-basics/notifications/trigger-push-notifications
• Apple App Review: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/
• FINRA Rules/Guidance: https://www.finra.org/rules-guidance
• PCI Security Standards: https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/
• GDPR: https://gdpr.eu/ 
• CCPA: https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa

Note: This Robinhood-style build covers quote display, portfolio accounting, buy/sell order UX (prototype/off-ledger), watchlists/alerts, and funding UI using Adalo plus vendor APIs. For production brokerage—real securities execution, customer funds, data entitlements, and automated compliance—partner with regulated providers, route funding via compliant rails, and performance-/security-test on real devices before launch.

FAQ