Adalo caught my attention with a bold claim: build native mobile apps and publish them to the Apple App Store and Google Play without writing a single line of code. Most platforms force you to choose between web-first functionality or mobile-first design. Adalo promises both from a single codebase.
Spoiler: Adalo impressed me with its speed but surprised me with its limitations.
Visit Adalo What Is Adalo?
Adalo is a no-code app builder that lets you create mobile and web applications through a visual drag-and-drop interface.
While platforms like Bubble focus on web-first applications and Glide specializes in spreadsheet-powered apps, Adalo positions itself as a mobile-first solution with automatic responsive design.
What makes Adalo unique is its template-first approach combined with a visual database builder. Instead of starting from scratch, you can:
- Choose from pre-built templates (e-commerce, social media, inventory management, chat apps)
- Customize the design through an interface that feels like Figma or Canva
- Connect screens with logic flows that show exactly how users navigate your app
- Manage your data through a spreadsheet-style interface
The trade-off? You’re building in a closed ecosystem. There’s no way to export your code or migrate to another platform. If you build it on Adalo, it lives on Adalo.
Who Is It For?
Adalo works best for startup founders validating ideas quickly. If you’re testing a marketplace concept, building a community app, or launching a service booking platform, you can have a working prototype in days rather than months.
Small business owners running operations will appreciate Adalo’s ability to create internal tools without technical overhead. You can build:
- Employee scheduling apps with shift management
- Inventory tracking systems connected to your existing data
- Customer portals where clients submit service requests
- Simple CRM tools for tracking leads and follow-ups
The visual database means you’re not wrestling with SQL queries or hiring consultants to set up your backend.
Freelancers and agencies building for clients can also deliver functional apps faster than traditional development.
Adalo is not ideal for developers building complex, scalable SaaS products or anyone who needs full code ownership.
Visit Adalo Adalo Pros and Cons
- Pre-built database saves hours of backend setup
- Templates include working logic and data connections
- Smooth staging preview mirrors final app exactly
- No credit card required for free account
- Spreadsheet-style data view feels instantly familiar
- Categories, products, and users work out-of-box
- Signup and login authentication handled automatically
- Cart and checkout logic included in templates
- Mobile-first design looks polished on phones
- Transitions between screens feel native and fast
- Primary and secondary color changes apply globally
- Grouping layers make simple edits unnecessarily difficult
- Version control locked behind paid trial
- External data sources require subscription upgrade
- Desktop view feels like stretched mobile app
- Cannot export code or migrate to GitHub
Start with Adalo’s free plan and see if your idea clicks, literally. You can always upgrade once you’ve proven it works.
Adalo Features
- Drag-and-drop visual app builder interface
- Pre-built templates with connected database logic
- Built-in user authentication and signup flows
- Spreadsheet-style database management with multiple collections
- Responsive design across mobile, tablet, desktop
- Staging preview for real-time app testing
- Custom branding with colors and fonts
- Direct publishing to web and app stores
My Hands-On Experience with Adalo
I spent time testing Adalo to see if it could actually build a functional web application. I recorded the entire session, from the first signup click to the final live preview. Here is the play-by-play of exactly how it went.
1. Getting Started: Signing Up and First Impressions
I started at Adalo.com. The homepage has a very clean, modern look with a big header that reads “Your App. Any Device. Infinite Scale.”
Right below that, there’s an input box that says “Enter your email” and a “Start Building” button. I typed in my email address and hit the button.
This took me to a dedicated signup page. I saw a “One Million Apps & Counting…” graphic on the right, which made the platform feel established. On the left, I had to fill out:
- Email Address (pre-filled from the previous screen)
- Password (it had those red and green checkmarks that updated as I added uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols)
- Full Name
After clicking “Let’s Do This!”, I was hit with a screen telling me to “Validate Your Email.” I had to leave the site, open my Mail tab, and wait for the verification email to arrive.
When I clicked the “Confirm email” button in my inbox, a new tab opened with a “Link confirmation” page.
Once I was officially in, Adalo started an onboarding survey. It asked what I was looking to achieve. I picked “I want to build an app myself.”
Then it asked, “Which of these describes you best?” and I selected “I have an idea, and I’m browsing different tools.”
The final question was about where I wanted users to access the app. I chose the “Mobile, Tablet, & Desktop” option over the “Mobile Only” one because I wanted to see how the design scaled across different screens.
My take on the signup:
I appreciated that they didn’t ask for a credit card right away, which made me feel more comfortable exploring.
2. Choosing a Template and Naming My Project
After the survey, I was taken to a screen to pick a template. I saw several options like “Blank Desktop First,” “Blank Mobile First,” “Classes,” “Chat,” “Shopping,” and “Social Media.”
I scrolled down a bit and, instead of starting from a blank canvas, I went with the Inventory Management template.
A setup wizard then appeared to handle the “Branding” of the app. It asked for:
- App Name: I went to my prompt library, copied “Service Request Portal,” and pasted it here.
- Primary Color: It defaulted to a teal green (#00A898).
- Secondary Color: It defaulted to a yellow-orange (#FFCD00).
I decided to leave the colors as they were just to see how the default theme looked. I clicked the “Create” button, a loading bar appeared for a few seconds, and then I was dropped into the actual builder environment.
What I thought about this was:
I liked the variety of templates, but I was surprised that there wasn’t an actual “AI Prompt” box where I could paste my 4-sentence project description.
I had to choose a template that looked close enough and then manually give it a name. Compared to other “AI-powered” builders I’ve tried, this felt much more manual and template-driven right from the start.
3. First Impressions of the Builder Interface
The builder interface is quite busy. As soon as it loaded, a “Resource Center” panel popped up on the right side of the screen. It offered a checklist of five steps to help me get started:
- Create your app and database
- Connect to the database
- Do something cool with your data
- Dynamically display data
- Preview your app
The left sidebar is the command center. It has a vertical row of icons that I spent some time exploring. There’s a “Plus” (+) icon for adding components, a “Branding” pallet icon, a “Screens” device icon, a “Database” icon that looks like three stacked discs, a “Settings” gear, an “Analytics” graph, and a “Version History” clock.
In the middle of the screen is the canvas. It showed a giant map of about ten different mobile screens (Sign Up, Login, Home, Category, Product Detail, etc.) all linked together by blue lines. These lines represent the logic flow, basically showing which button takes you to which screen.
My take on the interface:
It looks and feels like a professional design tool, almost like Figma or Canva, but for apps. It’s clean, but the “spider web” of lines connecting the screens can get confusing very quickly.
I noticed that every time I moved my mouse over a new area, a tutorial bubble would pop up and block what I was looking at, which started to feel a bit annoying after a few minutes.
4. Design Customization and the Grouping Struggle
I wanted to see how easy it was to change the look of the app. I clicked on the “Home” screen and tried to select a banner that said “SALE.”
Immediately, a yellow tooltip appeared saying: “Note: The list is inside of a Group, so you’ll need to double click the list to select it.”
I tried to follow the advice, but it was surprisingly difficult to click through the layers. I had to double-click, then click again, then click a specific sub-element.
Finally, a properties panel opened on the left. I was able to change the text from “SALE” to “WINTER SALE.” I also noticed that I could change the image source (either upload one or use a URL) and adjust the layout.
I also opened the “Branding” tab to see global settings. I saw options for:
- Colors (Primary, Secondary, Background, and Text)
- Fonts (I could choose different Google Fonts for headings and body text)
- Rounding (I could change how “curvy” the buttons and cards looked)
This part frustrated me because:
The “grouping” logic felt like a major roadblock. I just wanted to click and type, but the platform forced me to navigate through layers of groups and subgroups just to edit a single word. It’s powerful for keeping a design organized, but it makes simple edits feel like a chore.
5. Data and Backend Setup
I was curious about how the app handled information, so I clicked the “Database Collections” icon.
Since I had used the Inventory Management template, the database was already fully fleshed out with five collections:
- Users: (1 record – that was me)
- Categories: (4 records)
- Order Items: (5 records)
- Orders: (2 records)
- Products: (15 records)
I clicked into the “Products” collection, and a spreadsheet-style view popped up. I could see all the dummy data that was pre-loaded, like product names, prices, and images.
I clicked the “Add Property” button to see what else I could add, and a list of data types appeared:
- Text
- Number
- Boolean (True/False)
- Date & Time
- Image
- File
I also saw a section for “External Collections” to connect things like Airtable or external APIs. However, when I clicked on “Connect to External Data Sources,” it told me I needed to “Start Free Trial.” It seems the most powerful data features are locked behind a paywall.
My take on the backend:
This is the most impressive part of Adalo. The fact that the database is already built and connected to the screens in the template is a huge time-saver. It feels very logical and easy to understand. I liked being able to see all my data in one list without having to jump through hoops.
6. Version Control and Credit Limits
I didn’t notice any “credit” or “token” count like you see in some AI builders, but I did find where the limits are hidden.
I went to the “Version History” tab to see if I could save a backup of my work. A message appeared: “Save your Design Versions… Create and restore versions of your app’s design without affecting your database… START FREE TRIAL.”
Basically, I couldn’t even save a snapshot of my progress on the free plan. I also noticed that “Custom Domains” and “Removing Adalo Branding” were all locked behind the same upgrade button.
What I thought about this was:
It feels a bit stingy to lock version control behind a trial. If I were building a real app, I’d be nervous about not being able to save “checkpoints” as I worked. It definitely makes the “free” version feel more like a limited demo than a real workspace.
7. Publishing and Testing the App
I wanted to see if the app actually worked, so I clicked the “View App” button in the top right. I had two options: “Staging Preview” or “Published App.”
I went with the staging preview.
A new browser tab opened with a live, interactable version of my app. I had to go through the signup process again inside the app to see the internal screens.
I used my name and a test email. Once I was in, the app worked surprisingly well. I could:
- See categories like “Apparel,” “Beauty,” “Home,” and “Tech.”
- Click on a specific product (I chose the “2 T-Shirt Pack”).
- View a detailed product page with a price of $19.
- Add things to a cart and view account settings.
The transitions between screens were smooth and the app felt fast. I didn’t see any error messages or broken links.
My take on the publishing process:
The staging preview is fantastic. It’s a fully functioning app. I was impressed that everything from the signup logic to the cart worked right out of the box.
However, it still felt like a “Little Shop” store rather than a “Service Request Portal” because the template didn’t really adapt to the name I gave it.
8. Responsive Design and Code Ownership
Before finishing, I went back to the builder to check out the responsive design. At the top of the canvas, there are icons to toggle between views. I tried:
- Desktop View: The app looks like a mobile screen centered on a wide monitor.
- Tablet View: A slightly wider version of the mobile view.
- Mobile View: The default and most polished-looking view.
The responsive design is handled automatically. You don’t need to write media queries or adjust breakpoints manually. Adalo ensures your app looks polished across all devices right out of the box.
The “Little Shop” signup screen in the preview maintains its clean, professional appearance whether viewed on an iPhone, iPad, or desktop browser.
This automatic responsiveness is one of Adalo’s strongest selling points for non-developers or teams that need to launch quickly without getting bogged down in the technical details of responsive design.
I also looked for a way to export my work. I checked every menu (Settings, Publishing, App Settings), and I couldn’t find a single button to “Export Code” or “Connect to GitHub.”
Adalo is a closed platform. If you build it there, you have to host it there. You can’t just take the code and move it to your own server later.
My take on the responsive design:
Adalo is definitely a “mobile-first” tool. While it technically works on a desktop, the layout still feels like a phone app that’s been stretched out.
Regarding the code ownership, it’s a bit of a risk. You’re essentially renting the app from them. If they ever change their pricing or go out of business, you’d have to start over from scratch somewhere else.
Final Verdict
Adalo is a powerful tool for people who want to build data-heavy mobile apps without coding, but it isn’t the “AI magic” I was expecting.
It relies heavily on templates and manual design work. If you have the patience to navigate the layers and groups, you can build something very impressive, but it’s going to take more than just a simple prompt to get there.
Visit Adalo Adalo Pricing & Plans
Adalo offers five pricing tiers designed to scale from solo founders to enterprise teams.
All plans include unlimited app actions, a significant advantage since you’re not paying per user interaction, unlike some competitors. Here’s the breakdown:
| Feature | Budibase | Retool |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Moderate. Uses a structured block-based builder that handles layout logic for you. | Technical. Drag-and-drop canvas offers more freedom but requires more JavaScript knowledge to function. |
| Best For | IT teams & Operations needing quick, secure tools for many non-technical users. | Engineering teams building complex, mission-critical dashboards for power users. |
| Mobile Apps | Auto-Responsive. Apps automatically adapt to mobile screens without extra work. | Native. Has a separate product (“Retool Mobile”) to build actual native iOS/Android apps. |
| Backend & Data | Connects to external DBs + includes a built-in internal database with AI generation. | Connects to external DBs + includes “Retool Database” (PostgreSQL). |
| Design Flexibility | Structured. Components snap to a grid. Hard to “break” the design, but less creative freedom. | Flexible. You can drag components anywhere on the canvas, pixel-perfect. |
| Pricing | Scalable. Open-source is free. Cloud is low-cost for users ($2/mo). | Per-Seat. Free for up to 5 users, then expensive (10−50/user/mo). |
Note: Monthly billing is available at 20% higher cost
Add-Ons (All Plans)
If you hit limits, you can purchase:
- Additional Published Apps: $25/month per app
- Additional App Editors: $15/month per editor
- App Actions Overages: Auto-charged when limits exceeded ($5-$20 depending on plan tier)
Payment Details
Adalo accepts all major credit cards. Annual billing saves you 20% compared to monthly. If you exceed app action limits, overages are automatically charged. You’ll receive an email warning before this happens.
No refunds are mentioned in their documentation, so start with the free plan to test before committing.
Adalo Alternative: Bubble
Adalo excels at building mobile-first apps quickly, but if your project demands complex web applications with intricate workflows and deep customization, Bubble is the best alternative.
Bubble offers a full-stack visual programming environment designed for sophisticated web applications.
Adalo vs Bubble: Quick Comparison
| Feature | Adalo | Bubble |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Very easy. Clean interface, live preview as you build. | Steeper learning curve. More complex interface resembling Excel + Canva. |
| Best For |
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| Mobile Apps |
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| Backend & Data |
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| Design Flexibility | Template-driven with limited customization. Grouping layers makes simple edits harder. Clean, polished results but less control. | Extensive customization. Control every element, workflow, and interaction. |
| Performance | Apps load quickly. Infrastructure upgraded in late 2025 (3-4x faster). Works well for moderate traffic but may struggle under heavy loads. | Can slow down with complex workflows and high traffic. Requires optimization at scale. Database queries consume Workload Units (WUs). |
| Pricing | Unlimited app actions across all tiers. Predictable costs. | Usage-based pricing with WU consumption. Unpredictable costs possible. |
The major downside? Bubble’s usage-based pricing with Workload Units creates unpredictable costs. As your app scales and database queries increase, your monthly bill can spike unexpectedly.
Visit Adalo Final Verdict on Adalo
After building a complete app from scratch, here’s the truth: Adalo excels at mobile-first apps if you’re willing to work within its template structure.
The biggest wins? The pre-built database saved me hours of backend setup, and publishing to app stores happens directly from the platform at just $36/month. The staging preview worked flawlessly. Everything from sign-up logic to cart functionality ran smoothly, with no bugs.
The frustrations? The grouping system makes simple text edits unnecessarily difficult, and there’s no AI prompt box despite the “no-code” marketing. Version control is locked behind a paywall, and you can’t export your code. You’re renting the app from Adalo forever.
