How we picked
We started from the no-code builders that Google and AI assistants name most often when people ask how to build an app without coding, then checked every claim against the product's own pricing page and documentation on October 10, 2026. We judged four things: what the builder produces (a native app, a cross-platform app or a web app), whether it publishes to the App Store and Google Play, whether you can take the code with you, and what a published app costs. Vibecode makes this guide and lists itself first because it is our pick for App Store apps built by people who don't code; the other entries say plainly where they are the better choice.
The 9 tools, in detail
Best for: A real iPhone or Android app from a description, published to the App Store
Vibecode is an AI app builder with no canvas to learn: you describe the app in a chat and an AI agent writes it. Each project is a native Swift iPhone app, a React Native app for iPhone and Android, or a web app. Swift apps are built on cloud Macs, so you don't need one, and run in a live iOS Simulator in your browser or on your own iPhone. When it's ready, Publish to App Store signs it with your Apple account and submits it for review.
- What it builds
- Native Swift iPhone and iPad apps, React Native (Expo) apps for iOS and Android, and web apps
- Pricing
- Free first build; paid plans Plus $20/mo, Pro $50/mo, Max $200/mo
Strengths
- Nothing to learn first: describe the app and the agent builds and tests it
- Submits to App Store review from the product, with no Mac or Xcode needed
- Vibecode Cloud database and auth on paid plans; AI features run on credits, no API keys of your own
Watch out for
- No visual canvas: you change the design by asking, not by dragging
- Google Play isn't built in; export the Expo project on Pro and publish with Expo's tools
- Code download starts at Pro ($50/mo)
Best for: Hands-on visual control over one app for iOS, Android and web
FlutterFlow is the most capable visual builder for mobile apps. You assemble screens from widgets, wire up logic in a visual action editor and connect Firebase or Supabase for data. It generates a Flutter project in Dart, so one app runs on iPhone, Android, the web and desktop. From the $39 Basic plan you can download the source code and deploy to the App Store in one click, then submit for review in App Store Connect. Google Play deploys work after your first manual upload.
- What it builds
- Flutter (Dart) apps for iOS, Android, web and desktop from one project
- Pricing
- Free (up to 2 projects); Basic $39/mo; Growth $80/mo first seat; Business $150/mo first seat; about 25% off yearly
Strengths
- One project for iOS, Android, web and desktop
- Source code and APK download from Basic ($39/mo)
- Fine-grained control over every widget, layout and action
Watch out for
- A real learning curve; it is closer to a developer tool than a simple builder
- Data lives in Firebase, Supabase or your own API, which you set up
- You add the listing and submit for review in App Store Connect yourself
Best for: Simple database apps on iOS, Android and web at a flat price
Adalo is a drag-and-drop builder aimed at first-time app makers. Every screen sits on one canvas, components connect to a built-in database, and one project goes out to the App Store, Google Play and the web. Paid plans have no usage charges, so the monthly cost is easy to predict. Adalo handles the iOS build and the upload to App Store Connect, leaving the review submission to you, and produces the Android bundle you upload in Google Play Console. Its AI assistant, Ada, is in beta.
- What it builds
- Native iOS and Android apps and responsive web apps from one visual project
- Pricing
- Free (test apps only); Starter $36/mo billed yearly ($45 monthly); Professional $52 ($65); Team $160 ($200)
Strengths
- Approachable canvas with a built-in database
- App Store, Google Play and web from one app
- Flat pricing with no usage-based charges
Watch out for
- No code export, so you can't hand the app to a developer
- Features are limited to its components and integrations
- Starter publishes one app; more apps need a higher plan
Best for: Complex web apps and SaaS built visually
Bubble has long been the default no-code tool for web apps. Its visual editor covers page design, a built-in database and workflows for the logic, which is enough to run a SaaS with user accounts and payments. Bubble has also added native iOS and Android apps, made in a mobile editor that is still in beta, and its AI Agent can generate a first version from a description. Plans are split into web, mobile and combined, and usage is metered in workload units.
- What it builds
- Web apps, plus native iOS and Android apps from a mobile editor in beta
- Pricing
- Free (development only); Web from $32/mo; Mobile from $49/mo; Web + Mobile from $69/mo; up to 20% off yearly
Strengths
- Database, logic, auth and hosting in one mature web platform
- Submits iOS apps with your App Store Connect API key on Mobile plans
- AI Agent drafts a first version you then refine visually
Watch out for
- No code export; your app stays on Bubble
- Workload units make heavy usage harder to predict
- Separate plans for web and mobile, and the mobile editor is in beta
Best for: Mobile apps started by AI and finished with drag and drop
Thunkable began as a drag-and-drop mobile builder and now calls itself a vibe coding platform. Thunkable AI builds a native mobile app from a description, and you refine it with drag-and-drop components. You test on your own phone with Thunkable Live. On paid plans, its automated publishing builds the iOS app and sends it to App Store Connect, and Android and web publishing are supported too. Read the fine print first: if your subscription lapses, published apps stop working for your users.
- What it builds
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android, plus web apps
- Pricing
- Free (3 public projects); Builder $59/mo ($37/mo billed yearly); Advanced $189/mo ($99/mo billed yearly)
Strengths
- AI generation and drag-and-drop editing in one tool
- Live testing on your own phone
- Automated iOS builds sent to App Store Connect
Watch out for
- Published apps become unavailable if your subscription expires (legacy plans aside)
- Builder allows one live published app; more need Advanced
- No code download listed on any plan
Rork
Best for: Native iPhone apps plus a separate native Android app
Rork is an AI builder in the same mold as Vibecode: you describe the app and it writes the code, with no canvas involved. It builds native Swift and SwiftUI iPhone apps on its own Macs and shows them in a cloud iOS Simulator. For Android it writes a second, native Kotlin app and can push it to Google Play, from internal testing through to production. iOS builds go to App Store Connect and TestFlight, where you finish the listing and submit.
- What it builds
- Native Swift/SwiftUI iPhone apps, native Kotlin Android apps and React web apps
- Pricing
- Free (design mode only); Rork Pro $20/mo; Rork Max from $200/mo
Strengths
- Native Swift on iPhone and native Kotlin on Android
- Pushes builds to TestFlight and Google Play internal testing
- Two-way GitHub sync on paid plans
Watch out for
- The free plan is design mode only; a working app needs Pro
- iPhone and Android are two separate codebases to maintain
Best for: Internal business apps built on a spreadsheet
Glide turns a spreadsheet or database into a working app for your team, and its newer GlideOS platform can also start from a prompt or a file. It connects to Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable, Salesforce and other sources, so data you already keep becomes an inventory tracker, a field-service app or a lightweight CRM. Glide apps run in the browser and install to a phone's home screen as progressive web apps. Glide's help center says they can't be published to the App Store or Google Play.
- What it builds
- Web apps that install to a phone's home screen, built from a spreadsheet, prompt or file
- Pricing
- Free; Basic $25/mo; Plus $50/mo; Pro $125/mo (from 5 members); Enterprise custom
Strengths
- Fastest path from an existing spreadsheet to a working app
- Connects to Sheets, Excel, Airtable, Salesforce and more
- Free plan for trying it with your own data
Watch out for
- Can't be published to the App Store or Google Play
- Made for business apps; publishing public apps starts at Plus ($50/mo)
Best for: Client portals, internal tools and CRMs
Softr builds business apps on top of your data: client portals, internal tools, CRMs and project trackers. Its AI Co-Builder creates an app from a plain-language description, and you adjust it with prebuilt blocks, user roles and permissions. Softr has its own databases and workflows, and it also connects to the tools you already use. On phones, apps install as a progressive web app on upper plans. There is no route to the App Store or Google Play.
- What it builds
- Business web apps such as portals, internal tools and CRMs; an installable PWA on upper plans
- Pricing
- Free; Basic $25/mo ($19 billed yearly); Pro $119/mo ($99); Business $395/mo ($329); Enterprise custom
Strengths
- AI Co-Builder plus ready-made blocks for portals and internal tools
- User roles and permissions built in
- Its own database and workflows, or your existing data
Watch out for
- No App Store or Google Play apps; mobile is a PWA
- Costs rise with app users and extra builders
Best for: Web apps and SaaS from a description
Lovable is the AI builder most people reach for when the product lives in a browser. You describe a web app, it writes React code with a backend from Lovable Cloud (database, auth, storage and edge functions), and you publish to a Lovable subdomain, or your own domain on Pro. It suits SaaS ideas, dashboards and landing pages, and it syncs the code to GitHub on every plan. It is the wrong tool for an App Store app: its docs say it builds web apps only.
- What it builds
- Web apps and websites in React
- Pricing
- Free (5 credits a day, up to 30 a month); Pro from $25/mo; Business from $50/mo
Strengths
- Quick route from a description to a hosted web app
- Backend included through Lovable Cloud
- GitHub sync on every plan, including Free
Watch out for
- Web only, with no App Store or Google Play publishing
- Build requests cost a variable number of credits depending on complexity
The two kinds of no-code app builder
Visual builders came first. FlutterFlow, Adalo, Bubble and Thunkable give you a canvas: you drag components onto screens, connect them to data and set what each button does. You see exactly what you're getting and can change any detail by hand. The cost is learning the editor, and complex logic still means thinking like a programmer, just with blocks and menus instead of code.
AI builders work from a description. Vibecode, Rork and Lovable have no canvas; you explain the app in plain English and an AI agent writes the code, runs it and changes it when you ask. A feature that isn't in any component library, like an AI chat or a custom animation, is just another request. The trade-off is less direct control: you steer by describing, not by dragging.
The line is blurring. Bubble's AI Agent drafts a first version, Adalo has the Ada assistant, Thunkable AI and Softr's AI Co-Builder start from a prompt, and GlideOS can too. The lasting difference is what you edit afterwards: a visual project that lives inside the builder, or code that an AI agent maintains and that you can often export.
How to choose: mobile app, web app or internal tool
For a consumer app people download from the App Store or Google Play, use a builder that produces a real mobile app and handles publishing: Vibecode or Rork if you want to describe it, FlutterFlow, Adalo or Thunkable if you want to lay it out yourself. Check two things before committing: whether the builder submits to the store or only uploads a build for you to submit, and whether you can export the code if you outgrow it.
For a web app or SaaS, Bubble (visual) and Lovable (AI) are the strongest choices. Both host the app and include a database and user accounts. Lovable keeps the React code in sync with GitHub; Bubble keeps the app on its own platform.
For an internal tool, a client portal or anything that starts as a spreadsheet, Glide and Softr beat any general-purpose builder on speed. Their apps run in the browser and install to a phone's home screen, which works well for staff and clients but rules out a public listing in the App Store or Google Play.
What publishing to the app stores still takes
Every builder here runs into the same store rules. Apple requires its Developer Program, $99 a year, and reviews every app before it goes live. Google Play charges a one-time $25 registration fee and reviews apps too. You also need a privacy policy, screenshots and a store description.
Builders differ most in the last step. For Swift apps, Vibecode signs the build with your Apple account, uploads it and submits it for review; React Native apps go through Expo Launch. FlutterFlow, Adalo, Bubble, Thunkable and Rork build the app and upload it to App Store Connect, then you complete the listing and press submit. For Google Play, Adalo and Bubble generate a bundle you upload, FlutterFlow deploys new versions after your first upload, Rork sends builds to internal testing and promotes them from chat, and Vibecode uses an Expo export on Pro.
Questions people ask
I have an app idea but no coding skills. What tool should I use?
Decide where the app will live. For an app people download on iPhone or Android, try Vibecode: describe the idea and an AI agent builds it, shows it in a live iOS Simulator and submits it to the App Store. If you'd rather design each screen yourself, Adalo is the easiest visual builder and FlutterFlow the most capable. For a web app, use Lovable or Bubble; for an internal tool built on a spreadsheet, Glide or Softr.
Is there a no-code app builder that works for both iOS and Android and is ready to launch?
Yes. FlutterFlow and Adalo build one app for both platforms and publish to the App Store and Google Play, though you submit the iOS build for review in App Store Connect yourself. Vibecode builds React Native apps for both and publishes the iPhone version from the product through Expo Launch; Google Play goes through an Expo export on the Pro plan. Rork builds two native apps, Swift for iPhone and Kotlin for Android. Glide and Softr make web apps, which go in neither store.
Is it possible to launch an app on the App Store without hiring a developer?
Yes. You need an Apple Developer account ($99 a year), a builder that produces a real iOS app, and a store listing with screenshots and a privacy policy. Vibecode handles the build, signing, upload and submission from a Publish button. FlutterFlow, Adalo, Bubble, Thunkable and Rork upload the build to App Store Connect, and you submit it there. Apple reviews every app, and its guideline 4.2 turns away apps that only repackage a website.
I want to build a mobile app for my small business without hiring a developer. Where do I start?
Start with who will use it. If it's for customers, such as a booking, loyalty or ordering app, you'll want it in the App Store: Vibecode builds that from a description, with a database, user accounts and Stripe or RevenueCat payments, while Adalo does it visually at a flat monthly price. If it's for your staff, such as inventory, job tracking or a client portal, Glide or Softr will be quicker and cheaper because they build on data you already keep.
What is the best free no-code app builder?
Free plans let you build and test, rarely publish. As of October 2026, FlutterFlow's free plan allows two projects and web publishing, Adalo's is for test apps, Bubble's is for development only, Thunkable's covers three public projects, and Glide and Softr have free plans for simple web apps. Vibecode makes your first app build free. To publish to the App Store you need a paid plan on any of them, plus Apple's $99 yearly fee.
Can I export the code from a no-code app builder?
Some, not all. FlutterFlow lets you download the Flutter source from its $39 Basic plan, Vibecode lets you download the Xcode or Expo project from Pro ($50/mo), Rork syncs to GitHub on paid plans, and Lovable syncs to GitHub on every plan. Adalo and Bubble don't export code, only your data as CSV. If you might hand the app to a developer later, pick a builder that exports.
What's the difference between a no-code app builder and an AI app builder?
A no-code builder traditionally means a visual editor: you drag components onto screens and configure the logic yourself. An AI app builder takes a description, writes the app as code and changes it when you ask. Neither needs coding skills. Visual editors give you more direct control over layout; AI builders reach further because they aren't limited to a component library.
Which no-code builder is best for internal business tools?
Glide or Softr. Glide builds apps on top of Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable and similar sources, and Softr builds portals and internal tools with user roles and its own database. Both run in the browser and install to a phone's home screen, so staff skip the app store. Bubble is the better fit when the tool needs complex workflows.
How much does it cost to put a no-code app in the App Store and Google Play?
Plan for three costs. The builder: roughly $20 to $60 a month for a plan that can publish, such as Vibecode Plus at $20, Adalo Starter at $36 billed yearly, FlutterFlow Basic at $39, Bubble Mobile at $49 or Thunkable Builder at $59 monthly. Apple's Developer Program: $99 a year. Google Play: a one-time $25 registration fee. Hosting on the builder's own servers is usually included.