Best for
Best for teams that want to turn spreadsheets and databases into internal tools and customer apps without writing code.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
AI App Builders Comparison
Glide 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 | Glide | Xano |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | lower value Free plan; paid from $25 / month Billed per month; Plus is $50, Pro $125 and Enterprise custom priced. Each plan carries a monthly credit allowance, from 100 credits on Basic to 500 on Pro. | 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 (1 project, limited credits) | Free tier with rate limits, up to 100K database records and 1 workspace |
| Commercial use | Yes | Not stated |
| Output | No-code business apps for web and mobile, built on your existing data | 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 | Business apps such as CRMs, inventory, dashboards and internal tools on web and mobile; can be generated from data, a file or a 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 editor; no generated code to manage or export | 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 | Glide Tables plus Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable and databases like PostgreSQL and Snowflake; per-user sign-in with role-based access (SSO on Enterprise) | 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 | Published to a web-accessible URL and installable as a mobile app | 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 | Yes, a Stripe integration that creates and sends invoices from inside the app; access may require a paid plan | Not stated |
| Access to the code | No code access, visual no-code editing only | 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 | more entries Email helpdesk, Chat, Community forum | Chat, Community forum |
| Onboarding | Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials | Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials |
| Company size | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise |
| Integrations | Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, Airtable, PostgreSQL, Snowflake, Stripe, OpenAI, Slack | more entries 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 Glide Free plan; paid from $25 / month Xano Free tier; paid from $85 / month
- Free trial Glide Free plan (1 project, limited credits) Xano Free tier with rate limits, up to 100K database records and 1 workspace
- Deployment Glide Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based Xano Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based, On-premise
- Support Glide Email helpdesk, Chat, Community forum Xano Chat, Community forum
- MCP-ready Glide 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
Glide
Strengths
- Turns an existing spreadsheet or database into a working app quickly
- Connects to Glide Tables, Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable, PostgreSQL and Snowflake
- Per-user access controls so each role sees only the right data
Limitations
- No access to or export of the underlying code
- Paid plans meter AI usage with credits
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
Glide
- Free $0 Per month, with limited credits.
- Basic $25 Per month, 100 credits.
- Plus $50 Per month, 250 credits.
- Pro $125 Per month, 500 credits. Starts at five team members with 50 credits included per member, and adds human support.
- Enterprise Not stated Custom pricing, with a dedicated success manager and priority support.
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
Glide
- 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
Glide https://www.glideapps.com · checked against the official source on 2026-09-03
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.