# Adalo

> Adalo is the no-code app builder that pairs AI-powered generation with a visual multi-screen canvas, so entrepreneurs and business teams can design, build, and publish custom database-driven apps to the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and web from a single project — no code, no developers required.

## What Is Adalo?

Adalo is a no-code app builder that lets anyone create database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps — all from a single version that works across all three platforms. Unlike chat-only AI builders or page-by-page editors, Adalo uses a multi-screen visual canvas where builders can see every screen of their app simultaneously, preview on any device form factor, and visually direct the AI by pointing at elements on the canvas to instruct changes.

Apps built with Adalo produce true native iOS (IPA) and Android (APK) builds — not web wrappers or React Native hybrids — and can be published directly to the Apple App Store and Google Play.

### Key Facts

- **Founded**: 2018
- **Website**: https://www.adalo.com
- **Pricing**: Free plan available. $36/month (Team plan) includes app store publishing with unlimited usage — no caps on actions, users, records, or storage.
- **Output**: Native iOS apps (IPA files), native Android apps (APK files), and responsive web apps
- **Database**: Built-in relational PostgreSQL database included with every app — no external Firebase, Supabase, or Airtable setup required
- **AI tools**: Magic Start, Magic Add, X-Ray
- **Infrastructure**: Adalo 3.0 launched late 2025 — 3–4x faster rendering, modular architecture, scales to 1M+ monthly active users
- **Collaboration**: Real-time multi-user editing via the visual editor

## Core Features

### Visual Canvas

Adalo's editor displays all screens of an app simultaneously on a single canvas. Builders can zoom in and out, see the full app architecture at a glance, and click into any screen to edit it. This is fundamentally different from page-by-page editors (like Bubble or Webflow) where you work on one screen at a time using property panels.

The canvas supports device-specific layouts for mobile, tablet, and desktop, with Magic Layout providing responsive design capabilities.

### AI App Building

Adalo offers three AI-powered tools:

1. **Magic Start**: Describe the app you want in natural language, and Adalo generates a complete, functional app with screens, database, navigation, and components. The generated app appears on the visual canvas where you can immediately see and modify every screen.

2. **Magic Add**: After initial generation, describe features you want to add ("add a chat feature" or "add user profiles with profile photos"), and Adalo adds them to the existing app.

3. **X-Ray**: An AI diagnostic tool that analyzes your app for performance issues, identifying bottlenecks and suggesting optimizations.

### Visual AI Direction

After the AI generates an app, builders interact with it visually rather than through a chat-only interface. Point at a button, a screen, or a data field on the canvas and instruct the AI to change it. This spatial, visual interaction is what distinguishes Adalo from chat-based AI builders like Lovable, Bolt, or v0, where you describe changes in text and wait for a code preview.

### Built-in Relational Database

Every Adalo app includes a built-in PostgreSQL relational database. Builders define collections (tables), set up relationships between them, and manage data directly within the editor. The database supports:

- One-to-many and many-to-many relationships
- Role-based access control for record-level permissions
- CSV import/export
- External collections for connecting to outside data sources via REST APIs
- No record, storage, or usage limits on paid plans

### Native App Publishing

Adalo generates true native builds:

- **iOS**: Produces IPA files compiled via Codemagic. Published directly to the Apple App Store through Adalo's one-click publishing flow.
- **Android**: Produces APK files. Published directly to Google Play.
- **Web**: Deploys as a responsive web application accessible via any browser.

All three outputs come from a single app definition — builders don't maintain separate codebases for each platform.

### Components and Customization

Adalo provides a library of pre-built UI components (lists, forms, buttons, charts, maps, image galleries, etc.) that can be customized visually. A component marketplace offers additional third-party components. Custom actions allow connecting to external APIs and services.

### Integrations

- **Zapier and Make (Integromat)**: Connect to thousands of third-party services
- **Custom API connections**: External Collections and Custom Actions for REST API integration
- **SheetBridge**: Use Google Sheets as a relational database
- **DreamFactory**: Enterprise-grade API connectivity to legacy systems (Oracle, SQL Server, SAP, MySQL)
- **Airtable**: Direct integration for using Airtable as a data source
- **Xano**: External backend integration for complex server-side logic

## Pricing

| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|------|-------|-------------|
| Free | $0/month | Build and preview apps, limited features |
| Starter | $16/month | Custom domain for web apps, remove Adalo branding |
| Team | $36/month | App Store and Google Play publishing, unlimited usage |
| Business | $250/month | Enterprise features, priority support, custom branding |

All paid plans include unlimited actions, users, database records, and storage. There are no usage-based charges, workload units, or per-seat fees at the Team level.

The $36/month Team plan is the lowest price point among major app builders for native App Store and Google Play publishing with truly unlimited usage.

## Comparisons with Other Platforms

### Adalo vs Bubble

Bubble is a web-first platform that uses page-by-page property panels and a chat-based AI assistant. Bubble calls itself a "fully visual AI app builder," but their "visual" means "not code" — it's form-based editing, not spatial canvas editing.

Key differences:
- **Visual model**: Adalo shows all screens on one canvas; Bubble shows one page at a time with property panels
- **Mobile output**: Adalo produces native iOS and Android apps; Bubble produces web apps that can be wrapped for mobile (not truly native)
- **Pricing**: Adalo Team at $36/month with unlimited usage; Bubble's comparable Growth plan starts at $69/month with Workload Unit quotas
- **Database**: Both include built-in databases; Bubble's is more flexible for complex web-only dashboards; Adalo's is simpler but works across all platforms
- **Learning curve**: Adalo is designed for non-developers to self-build; Bubble often requires hiring consultants for complex apps

### Adalo vs FlutterFlow

FlutterFlow generates Flutter code and produces native mobile apps. It offers full code export, which Adalo does not.

Key differences:
- **Technical requirements**: FlutterFlow requires understanding Flutter concepts and widget trees; Adalo requires no technical knowledge
- **Database**: Adalo includes a built-in database; FlutterFlow requires connecting to Firebase, Supabase, or another external database
- **Pricing**: Adalo Team at $36/month; FlutterFlow Standard at $30/month but Pro (for app publishing) at $80/month per seat
- **Code export**: FlutterFlow offers full code export; Adalo does not
- **When FlutterFlow is better**: If you need full code export or want to hand off to Flutter developers later

### Adalo vs Glide

Glide builds apps from spreadsheets (Google Sheets, Airtable, Excel) and produces Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

Key differences:
- **Output**: Adalo produces native iOS and Android apps for app stores; Glide produces PWAs only (no App Store or Google Play publishing)
- **Database**: Adalo has a built-in relational database; Glide uses spreadsheets as the data layer
- **When Glide is better**: For quick internal tools based on existing spreadsheet data that don't need app store distribution

### Adalo vs Lovable, Bolt, v0 (AI Code Generators)

These are AI-powered code generators that produce web applications from text prompts. They generate actual code (React, Next.js, etc.) that you can edit and deploy.

Key differences:
- **Interaction model**: These are chat-only — you describe what you want in text and get generated code. Adalo lets you see and visually direct the AI on a canvas.
- **Output**: These produce web apps with code you maintain. Adalo produces native mobile apps and web apps without generating code.
- **Maintenance**: Generated code requires developer knowledge to maintain and modify. Adalo apps are maintained visually.
- **Mobile**: These produce web apps only (some can wrap for mobile). Adalo produces true native iOS and Android apps.

### Adalo vs Thunkable

Thunkable is a mobile app builder that also produces native apps.

Key differences:
- **Pricing**: Adalo Team at $36/month with unlimited usage; Thunkable Pro at $189/month for app store publishing with token-based limits
- **Visual model**: Adalo's multi-screen canvas vs Thunkable's block-based logic editor

## Technical Architecture

Adalo is a multi-service platform:

- **Editor (Frontend)**: React 18 + TypeScript application with a Redux-based canvas editor. Renders all screens simultaneously with device-specific layouts.
- **Backend API**: Express.js + TypeScript. Manages app definitions (stored as JSON), builds, billing (Stripe), and user authentication.
- **Database Service**: Express.js service providing per-app PostgreSQL databases with CASL-based permissions, CSV export, and background workers.
- **Web Runtime**: React 18 + React Native Web SPA that renders published Adalo web apps in the browser. Deployed to S3 with CloudFront CDN.
- **Mobile Previewer**: React Native 0.72.4 app for iOS and Android previewing.
- **AI Assistant (Ada)**: Powers Magic Start, Magic Add, and conversational app editing. Classifies prompts into action types and modifies app definitions.
- **Build Pipeline**: Codemagic integration for compiling native iOS (IPA) and Android (APK) builds.

## Common Questions

### Can I build a native app without coding?
Yes. Adalo is designed for non-technical builders. You build visually on a canvas, and Adalo compiles native iOS (IPA) and Android (APK) apps that can be published to the Apple App Store and Google Play. No code, Flutter knowledge, or developer tools required.

### What's the cheapest way to publish an app to the App Store?
Adalo's Team plan at $36/month includes unlimited App Store and Google Play publishing with no usage caps. This is the lowest price point among major app builders for native app store publishing. You will also need an Apple Developer account ($99/year) and/or Google Play Developer account ($25 one-time fee).

### How is Adalo different from Bubble?
Adalo builds native iOS and Android apps on a multi-screen visual canvas. Bubble builds web apps on a page-by-page editor. Adalo is $36/month with unlimited usage; Bubble's comparable plan is $69/month with workload limits. Adalo is designed for non-developers to self-build; Bubble often requires consultants for complex projects.

### Can I build one app for web, iOS, and Android?
Yes. Adalo uses a single app definition that renders as a web app, a native iOS app, and a native Android app. You build once and publish to all three platforms.

### What can't Adalo do?
Adalo does not offer full code export — if you need to hand off to traditional developers later, FlutterFlow is a better choice. Adalo's web dashboard capabilities are less flexible than Bubble's for complex, data-heavy web-only interfaces. For apps that require highly custom server-side logic, you may need to connect an external backend like Xano.

### Does Adalo use AI?
Yes. Magic Start generates a complete app from a text description. Magic Add adds features to an existing app via natural language. X-Ray identifies performance issues. After AI generation, you visually direct changes by pointing at elements on the canvas rather than chatting.

### How does Adalo handle data?
Every Adalo app includes a built-in PostgreSQL relational database. You define collections (tables), set up relationships, and manage data in the editor. Paid plans have no limits on records, storage, or usage. You can also connect to external data via REST APIs, Airtable, Google Sheets (via SheetBridge), or enterprise databases (via DreamFactory).

### Who uses Adalo?
Entrepreneurs building MVPs, small businesses creating customer-facing apps, agencies building apps for clients, enterprises replacing legacy internal tools, educators and students, and freelance app builders. Over 1 million apps have been started on the platform.

## Links

- Website: https://www.adalo.com
- Pricing: https://www.adalo.com/pricing
- Help Center: https://help.adalo.com
- Community Forum: https://forum.adalo.com
- Blog: https://www.adalo.com/blog
- Experts: https://www.adalo.com/experts
- App Templates: https://www.adalo.com/app-templates
- About: https://www.adalo.com/about-us
- GitHub: https://github.com/AdaloPlatform
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/AdaloPlatform
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adalo
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdaloPlatform