In 2024, Glide and Bubble are two top contenders in the no-code world. Both have grown, updated their features, and introduced new pricing, making them strong choices depending on what you want to build. Hereโs a head-to-head comparison with all the latest features to help you make the best decision for your project!
Ease of Use ๐ง๐ป
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Glide: If you want to jump into app-building fast, Glide is still the easiest option! You can connect Google Sheets, Airtable, or the new Big Tables, and get an app up and running in minutes. Whether you’re building mobile apps or desktop apps, Glideโs drag-and-drop simplicity makes it a breeze, especially for non-developers who want to avoid coding.
- ๐ Bubble: Bubble is like a deep dive ๐. Itโs powerful but requires more learning. With so many customization options, itโs perfect for developers or those willing to spend time mastering the platform. It offers amazing flexibility but isnโt as intuitive for beginners.
๐ Winner: Glide for its ease of use.
Scalability and Power ๐
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Glide: With the introduction of Big Tables, Glide can handle up to 10 million rows of data, making it scalable for large, enterprise-level projects. Plus, Glide now supports desktop applications, expanding its versatility beyond mobile-first apps. Whether itโs Slack, PDFMonkey, or OpenAI, Glideโs integrations allow you to automate and create complex apps with ease.
- ๐ Bubble: Bubble is a heavyweight when it comes to web apps. It excels at handling complex workflows and offers more robust API and plugin support for building things like marketplaces, SaaS platforms, and social networks. However, it doesnโt natively support mobile or desktop apps without third-party tools.
๐ Winner: Glide for scalability across mobile and desktop, Bubble for web app complexity.
Customization and Features ๐ ๏ธ
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Glide: In 2024, Glide has introduced a game-changing featureโthe Custom AI Component. Now, you can chat with AI to build any component you can think of, control data, and create automations. This makes building complex apps even faster. Additionally, Glide offers integration with third-party tools like Slack, Zapier, and OpenAI(
- ๐ Bubble: Bubble remains unbeatable when it comes to full customization. You can control every aspect of your app, from front-end design to back-end workflows. Bubble allows you to build highly detailed, complex apps with limitless customization options, making it perfect for web-first applications.
๐ Winner: Glide for quick AI-driven components, Bubble for deep customization.
Mobile vs. Desktop and Web Apps ๐ฑ๐ป
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Glide: Originally built as a mobile-first platform, Glide has expanded to fully support desktop applications too! This means you can create responsive, cross-platform apps that work perfectly across smartphones, tablets, and desktop devices(
- ๐ Bubble: Bubble excels at creating web apps. Itโs optimized for responsive design, making web apps that work well on any device. However, if you want a native mobile app, youโll need third-party tools to convert your web app into a mobile-friendly format.
๐ Winner: Glide for mobile and desktop apps, Bubble for web-first apps.
Pricing (Updated for September 2024) ๐ฐ
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Glide Pricing:
- Free Plan: $0/month paid yearly for basic testing with limited features.
- Maker Plan: $49/month paid yearly, limited to 1 app but includes features like custom domains, AI components, and integrations
- Team Plan: $99/month paid yearly, includes unlimited apps, 10,000 updates/month, and external data integration.
- Business Plan: $249/month paid yearly, with Big Tables (up to 10 million rows), SQL databases, and advanced API functionalities
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing with unlimited apps, dedicated support, and the highest performance options.
๐ Bubble Pricing:
- Free Plan: $0/month, for experimenting with limited data and app features
- Personal Plan: $29/month, for small projects, includes custom domains and API workflows
- Professional Plan: $129/month, suitable for businesses with 10 GB of file storage and scaling features
- Production Plan: $399/month, built for businesses that need high performance and scalability
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for large organizations needing unlimited apps and dedicated support
๐ Winner: Glide offers more value for teams and businesses, with lower pricing for unlimited apps and better scalability options.
Final Showdown: Which Should You Choose in 2024?
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Glide: If youโre building apps for mobile and desktop with fast deployment and AI-driven components, Glide is your best bet. Itโs the perfect choice for small to medium-sized projects that require speed but also have room to scale
- ๐ Bubble: For web-based projects requiring deep customization and control, Bubble remains the top choice. Itโs best suited for complex web apps like marketplaces, SaaS platforms, or social networks
Conclusion: Both Glide and Bubble have evolved to meet different needs in 2024. Whether you prioritize quick app development with powerful AI integrations or require deep customization and scalability, thereโs a platform for you.
So, who will you choose to build with in 2024? ๐
