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It's a split decision.
Choose Bubble for a web app that also needs native iOS and Android apps, shared workflows, and direct app-store submission. Its visual editor covers the backend, while usage is measured in workload units. Choose Softr for portals, CRMs, and internal tools where built-in data, automation, and granular permissions matter more than native mobile. Both offer free tiers, but their ceilings differ: Bubble meters workload; Softr caps records, workflow actions, users, and AI credits.
01Side by side
| Bubble | Softr | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Monthly plans; workload overages billed per 1,000 WU | Monthly plans; add-on charges for builders and users |
| Free tier | 50,000 WU/month; dev-only, no custom domain or live deployment | 5 users, 5,000 records, 500 workflow actions/month |
| API and SDKs | Bubble MCP for connecting agents, including Claude or Codex | REST API listed as an integration; no SDK details |
| CLI and docs | Visual editor and AI Agent; no CLI details | Help Docs listed; no CLI details |
| Integrations | LLMs and payment providers; no integration count published | Named tools include Airtable, HubSpot, Stripe, and Zapier |
| Deployment model | Hosting included; submit mobile apps to app stores | Business plan includes a PWA mobile app |
| Platforms | Web, native iOS, and native Android | Web apps; homepage also promotes mobile apps |
| Limits and scaling | Web plans include 175,000–500,000 live WU/month | Plans cap records, workflow actions, and app users |
Bubble Choose Bubble if
- Choose Bubble if native iOS and Android apps share web data.
- Choose Bubble if you want visual control over the backend.
- Choose Bubble if workload-based billing matches your usage model.
Softr Choose Softr if
- Choose Softr if you need portals, CRMs, or internal tools.
- Choose Softr if built-in records, workflows, and permissions fit.
- Choose Softr if fixed record and action limits suit your app.
02Pricing at real usage
Bubble’s Free plan is for development: it includes 50,000 workload units (WU) per month, 0.5 GB of file storage, and no live deployment or custom domain. Starter costs $32 monthly, or $29 per month billed annually, and includes 175,000 live WU plus 100,000 dev WU. Growth is $134 monthly or $119 billed annually, with 250,000 live WU. Workload overages cost $0.30 per 1,000 WU; a $29 monthly tier adds 200,000 WU and lowers overage to $0.15 per 1,000. Softr Free includes 5,000 records and 500 workflow actions monthly. Basic starts at $19/month, Pro at $99, and Business at $329. Its caps rise from 50,000 to 1,000,000 records and from 2,500 to 25,000 monthly actions. Extra builders and, on some plans, app users add cost. Softr lists annual billing as two months off but does not publish exact annual prices.
03API, SDKs and integration
Bubble’s AI Agent generates an editable app, and its visual editor lets builders change workflows, data, and design. The homepage says it connects to almost any tool, including LLMs and payment providers, and supports connecting agents such as Claude or Codex through Bubble MCP, marked beta. It does not name language-specific SDKs or a CLI. Softr’s AI builder generates an interface, database, and workflows; its Help Docs are linked from the site. Its integrations include Airtable, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Supabase, MySQL, PostgreSQL, REST API, OpenAI, Anthropic, Stripe, Make, and Zapier. REST API appears in the integration list; the product pages do not describe a language-specific SDK or CLI. For either platform, check the docs for the exact authentication, request, and rate-limit behavior your integration needs before making it a production dependency.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Neither vendor states an open-source licence or self-hosting option on its product pages. Bubble includes hosting and infrastructure, and its backend, workflows, and visual editor live within the platform. Softr also bundles its database, workflow automation, and permissions into the app-building product. That keeps core pieces together, but it means moving an app would involve more than replacing its interface: data structures, automations, and access rules may need to be recreated in a new stack. The vendors do not describe data-export formats on their product pages. Before committing, ask each vendor what you can export, whether exports include relationships and attachments, and how to reproduce workflows and permissions outside the platform.
Questions people ask
Which is better for a native mobile app, Bubble or Softr?
Bubble explicitly supports native iOS and Android apps that share data and workflows with a web app, and says apps can be submitted to the App Store and Google Play. Softr promotes turning apps into mobile apps and lists a PWA on Business; it does not specify native iOS and Android apps.
Does Bubble charge based on usage?
Yes. Bubble’s web plans include monthly workload-unit allowances, with the amount varying by plan. The listed pay-as-you-go overage is $0.30 per 1,000 WU; a $29 monthly Workload Tier 1 add-on includes 200,000 WU and lowers overage to $0.15 per 1,000.
What are Softr’s main usage limits?
Softr’s plans set limits on database records, monthly workflow actions, AI credits, builders, and app users. Free includes 5,000 records and 500 workflow actions per month; Business includes 1,000,000 records and 25,000 actions. Additional builders and some app users cost extra.
Can we self-host either app or export its data?
The vendors do not state an open-source licence or self-hosting option on their product pages, and those pages do not describe export formats. Ask each vendor about exporting records, relationships, and files, and how to carry workflows and permissions into another platform before you commit.