Bubble
No-code platform for building web applications visually, with built-in database, hosting and workflows. Free plan to develop; the Starter plan costs $59 a month billed annually.
With a code assistant, a simple application (forms, database, user accounts) can be written in code and hosted for a few euros, with no workload-unit pricing and no lock-in. What you lose: the visual editor, hosting and database managed by Bubble, and not having to maintain security and updates. The hardest part is not building but keeping the app running over time: decide whether you will really do that.
What you lose
- The visual editor with no code to maintain
- Hosting, database and workflows managed in one place
- Security and updates handled by the vendor
- A plugin marketplace
Existing alternatives to Bubble
- AppsmithOpen source
Open-source platform for building internal tools and applications with a visual editor (Apache-2.0), self-hostable.
- ToolJetOpen source
Open-source low-code platform for internal tools (AGPL), self-hostable.
The prompt to build it yourself
Rebuild my Bubble application as code that I own. Do not copy Bubble: reproduce only what my app does today. I will describe its pages, data and workflows. To do: - A simple stack I can maintain (Next.js and a PostgreSQL database such as Supabase), with accounts and permissions. - The data model deduced from my Bubble database, and an import script from a CSV export. - The pages and the workflows I list, one by one, with tests. - Deployment on a free or inexpensive host, secrets in environment variables. Out of scope: Bubble plugins, visual editor. README: launch, data import, deployment, and a reminder that I am now responsible for security and updates.
Frequently asked questions
- Can Bubble be replaced by a custom-built tool?
- casevibecode verdict: Partly replaceable. With a code assistant, a simple application (forms, database, user accounts) can be written in code and hosted for a few euros, with no workload-unit pricing and no lock-in. What you lose: the visual editor, hosting and database managed by Bubble, and not having to maintain security and updates. The hardest part is not building but keeping the app running over time: decide whether you will really do that.
- What is Bubble used for?
- No-code platform for building web applications visually, with built-in database, hosting and workflows. Free plan to develop; the Starter plan costs $59 a month billed annually.
- What alternatives to Bubble already exist?
- Appsmith (open source), ToolJet (open source). Options to compare before committing to a custom build.
Community feedback
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