Best for
Best for founders and teams that want to build and launch a full web or mobile app without engineers.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
AI App Builders Comparison
Bubble vs. Xano
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for teams building a scalable backend and API without managing servers, with the frontend built elsewhere.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | Bubble | Xano |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | lower value From $32 / month Starter, web only, billed monthly; $29 per month billed annually. Mobile only starts at $49 and web plus mobile at $69 monthly. A free plan covers building and testing. | Free tier; paid from $85 / month Prices are billed annually: Essential $85 and Pro $224 per month. Custom plans are quoted by the vendor. |
| Free trial | Free plan | Free tier with rate limits, up to 100K database records and 1 workspace |
| Commercial use | Yes | Not stated |
| Output | Web apps and native mobile apps built in one visual editor, with a managed database and user accounts | Backends: PostgreSQL databases, REST APIs, background tasks and agent tooling |
| API | Not stated | Yes, the platform's purpose is generating APIs, with autogenerated OpenAPI docs and an MCP server |
| Hosting | Not stated | Xano-managed regions or self-hosted on Azure, AWS, GCP or on-premise |
| What it generates | Web apps and native mobile apps built in one editor; the AI app builder can generate a complete app from a single prompt | The backend rather than the whole app: database, REST APIs, custom functions, middleware, background tasks and triggers, with the frontend left to another tool |
| Stack and frameworks | No-code visual programming: you build by pointing and clicking instead of writing code | PostgreSQL with Redis caching and Docker microservices; logic is built visually or written as XanoScript, which the CLI syncs to files on disk; works with React, Next.js, Flutter, Webflow, Framer and AI-generated frontends from Lovable and Bolt |
| Auth and database | Managed database with separate development and live environments, plus built-in user management for signup and login | PostgreSQL with unlimited records from the Essential tier; authentication endpoints (/signup, /login, /me) ship by default on JWE tokens, with role-based access control and enterprise SSO through GitHub, Google and Microsoft |
| Hosting and deploy | Apps run in the browser or install from the app stores as native apps, hosted on Bubble's infrastructure | Xano-managed hosting across multiple regions, or self-hosted on Azure, AWS, GCP or on-premise; releases are immutable versioned objects promoted through staging |
| Payments | Payments run through Bubble's official Stripe plugin: one-time charges and recurring subscriptions, with billing and plan management handled by Stripe | Not stated |
| Access to the code | No-code visual editor, extended through community-made plugins | XanoScript is readable and editable, and the CLI syncs the workspace to files on disk; APIs carry autogenerated OpenAPI documentation |
| MCP-ready | No | stated Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based | more entries Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based, On-premise |
| Support | Community forum | more entries Chat, Community forum |
| Onboarding | Documentation and knowledge base | more entries Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials |
| Company size | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise |
| Integrations | Not stated | Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Lovable, Bolt.new, Webflow, Framer, Flutter, Datadog |
Add a tool
Adds a column to the table, from the tools in this category.
Row where the values differ The small markers point at the lower number, the longer list or the stated feature. They describe the data, they are not a verdict.
The short version
Key Differences
- Starting price Bubble From $32 / month Xano Free tier; paid from $85 / month
- Free trial Bubble Free plan Xano Free tier with rate limits, up to 100K database records and 1 workspace
- Deployment Bubble Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based Xano Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based, On-premise
- Support Bubble Community forum Xano Chat, Community forum
- MCP-ready Bubble No Xano Yes
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
Bubble
Strengths
- Builds web and native mobile apps in a single editor
- Generates a complete app from one prompt with the AI app builder, then lets you refine it
- Large ecosystem of community-made plugins and connectors
Limitations
- Priced in monthly workload units, so a busy app's running cost rises with usage instead of staying fixed
- The free plan cannot run a live app on a custom domain
Xano
Strengths
- Self-hosting on Azure, AWS, GCP or on-premise, not only the vendor's cloud
- Frontend-agnostic: pairs with React, Flutter, Webflow, Framer, Lovable or Bolt rather than dictating one
- An official MCP server, so external AI agents build against the same workspace rules
Limitations
- The first paid tier is $85 a month, a steep step up from the free one
- It builds only the backend, so a second tool is needed for the interface
- The free tier is rate-limited to 10 requests per 20 seconds and watermarks stored images
Plans
Pricing
Bubble
- Free $0 Build and test for free; launching an app requires a paid plan.
- Starter $32 Per month for web only ($29 billed annually). Mobile only $49, web plus mobile $69.
- Growth $134 Per month for web only ($119 billed annually). Mobile only $199, web plus mobile $249.
- Team $399 Per month for web only ($349 billed annually). Mobile only $529, web plus mobile $649.
- Enterprise Not stated Quoted by Bubble; handled through an account manager.
Xano
- Free $0 Core building tools, rate-limited to 10 requests per 20 seconds. Up to 100K database records, 1GB watermarked image storage, 1 workspace.
- Essential $85 Per month billed annually. Dedicated infrastructure without API rate limits, unlimited database records, 3 workspaces, 5 team seats, 100GB storage.
- Pro $224 Per month billed annually. 5 workspaces, 10 team seats, 250GB storage, managed load balancer, role management, 99.99% SLA.
- Custom Custom Quoted by the vendor. Self-hosting, advanced security, multiple tenant configurations and dedicated support.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
Bubble
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Xano
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Where this comes from
Where this comes from
Bubble https://bubble.io · no check date recorded yet
Xano https://www.xano.com · no check date recorded yet
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.