Adalo — What It’s Best At (2025)
Build and iterate web apps fast with a visual, drag-and-drop workflow.
Adalo is built for people who want web and mobile apps up and running quickly—no installs, no code, no fuss. Its browser-based builder walks you through designing screens, linking data, and even launching to app stores or your own domain—all in a way that feels smooth and approachable.
Quick Facts
Learning CurveBeginner to Intermediate. You can start building fast—even if you’ve never coded—but having basic familiarity with HTML/CSS/JS helps you go farther, faster. Adalo’s interface is friendly and approachable. |
Hosting / DeployNo installs needed. You get instant previews in your browser, and a one-click deploy experience either on Adalo’s platform or via export for web access |
Free / TierAdalo gives you a solid free tier to get your feet wet—it includes basic app-building with limited records and actions. When you’re ready to go live, paid plans unlock publishing to custom domains and app stores. |
IntegrationsConnects smoothly with common web APIs, tools like Airtable, Xano, Stripe, and lot of automation platforms. You can embed custom logic or export and embed your app into other environments. |
Who It’s For
- Founders validating ideas quickly
- Adalo makes it easy to turn an idea into a working prototype you can show to users or investors—without waiting weeks for custom code.
- Marketers or PMs needing polished interactive demos
- Perfect for clickable mockups or demos that feel like the real thing. Great when you need to impress stakeholders or test a flow before committing budget.
- Developers who want a zero-install sandbox and fast iteration
- Even if you can code, Adalo is handy for quick experiments. It’s faster than spinning up a custom stack and lets you share results instantly in the browser.
Who It’s Not For
- Complex data models or advanced authentication out of the box
- Adalo handles straightforward user logins and simple relationships well, but if you need intricate data logic or enterprise-grade auth, you’ll quickly hit limits.
- Enterprise apps requiring SSO or strict compliance
- If your project needs things like single sign-on (SSO), HIPAA, or SOC2 compliance, Adalo isn’t designed for that level of enterprise security and governance.
- Heavy backend workflows
- For apps that rely on complex backend automation or heavy data processing, Adalo alone won’t cut it. In those cases, teams often pair it with APIs, Xano, or a dedicated database for the heavy lifting.
Pricing Overview
| Plan | Price | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | 200 Records Per App; Unlimited App Actions; 1 App Editor; Database + Collections; Unlimited Screens; Unlimited Test Apps |
| Starter | $45/month | 1 Published App; Unlimited App Actions; 1 App Editor; All Free Features; Custom Fonts; Custom Domain; Publish to Web; Publish to App Stores |
| Professional | $65/month | 2 Published Apps; Unlimited App Actions; 5 App Editors; All Starter Features; Custom Integrations; Design Versions; Geolocation |
| Team | $200/month | 5 Published Apps; Unlimited App Actions; 10 App Editors; All Pro Features; Priority Support; Xano Integration; Collections API |
| Business | $250/month | 10 Published Apps; Unlimited App Actions; Unlimited App Editors; All Team Features; Special Add-On Pricing |
Strengths & Tradeoffs
Strengths
- ⚡ Speed to first prototype — working UI in minutes with drag-and-drop components and templates
- 🧩 Visual scaffolding — prebuilt screens/forms/lists; connect data without code
- 🧪 Great for experiments — zero-install sandbox with instant preview links for quick feedback
- 🚀 Ship web + mobile — publish to the web or App Store/Play when you’re ready
Tradeoffs
- 🔌 Not a full no-code data platform — Adalo’s built-in database works well for simple apps, but complex schemas or high-volume data usually need an external backend (like Xano or Airtable APIs).
- 🔐 Auth/roles & multi-environment releases need extra tooling — you get standard logins, but advanced role management, enterprise SSO, or staging/production setups aren’t baked in.
- ⚙️ Opinionated starter flow — the drag-and-drop builder is fast, but advanced customization sometimes means manual wiring or external integrations.
Tutorial
Why this tutorial: concise, practical, and ships a small feature end‑to‑end (layout → interactivity → publish). Emphasizes iteration speed and how to layer in API calls.
Alternatives & When to Pick Them
Bubble
Best for teams that want maximal flexibility and complex logic. Bubble’s plugin marketplace and workflow engine go far beyond what Adalo offers.
- Pick Bubble if you need deep extensibility, advanced workflows, or integrations at scale.
- Skip Bubble if you’d rather have a lighter learning curve and faster path to a first mobile app.
Glide
Spreadsheet-first builder focused on polished web and mobile apps. Strong choice for data that already lives in Sheets or Airtable.
- Pick Glide if you want to quickly turn spreadsheets into mobile-friendly apps with little effort.
- Skip Glide if you need native app publishing to the App Store or Play Store (Adalo handles that better).
Bolt.new
Code-forward scaffolding tool. It generates exportable code and fits developers who want to own the repo and extend in their stack.
- Pick Bolt.new if you prefer developer control, API wiring, and full-stack ownership.
- Skip Bolt.new if you want a managed, no-code experience with built-in hosting and publishing.
Webflow
Exceptional for content-heavy sites and marketing pages. Webflow excels in design precision but isn’t built around app logic or native mobile delivery.
- Pick Webflow if pixel-perfect CMS websites are your priority.
- Skip Webflow if user roles, app logic, or mobile store publishing are central to your project.
Softr
Turns Airtable/Google Sheets into portals or dashboards with user roles and memberships. Web-focused rather than native mobile.
- Pick Softr if you’re building client portals or dashboards from Airtable data.
- Skip Softr if your must-have is App Store/Play Store publishing—Adalo is better for that.
Base44
Browser-based full-stack builder with AI assistance. Handles UI, database, and hosting in one workspace—strong for web apps, less for mobile publishing.
- Pick Base44 if you want one workspace for UI, data, and hosting, with AI help along the way.
- Skip Base44 if App Store/Play Store deployment is a must-have—that’s Adalo’s edge.
Opal (Google)
Google’s early-stage builder. Handy for lightweight experiments inside the Google ecosystem, but not production-ready for app stores yet.
- Pick Opal if you want a Google-aligned experiment with simple data apps.
- Skip Opal if you need established pricing, features, or guaranteed production stability.
Rule of thumb: Choose Adalo when native publishing to iOS/Android is non-negotiable. If you’re only shipping web apps, other builders (Bubble, Base44, Softr, Glide) may fit better.
FAQs
Bonus Questions
Can I assign a custom domain?
Yes. On paid plans you can point your app to a custom domain by mapping DNS (A/CNAME) records in your registrar, then setting the primary domain inside Adalo’s settings.
Can I monetize apps (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)?
Yes. Stripe is the native option for payments in Adalo, and you can also connect to other providers like PayPal through APIs or tools like Zapier. Be sure your plan includes the features you need before launch.
Do I own the code that’s created?
You own your app’s data, content, and business logic. However, Adalo’s underlying code and hosting environment stay within the platform—you don’t get raw source code access.
Can I download or export the code and use it elsewhere?
No full code export is available. You can export your data and connect APIs, but the app itself is tied to Adalo’s platform. If you need complete portability, you may want to pair Adalo with a backend like Xano or consider a code-forward tool.