Can Bubble Make
Mobile Apps?
The Definitive Guide
If you're searching for a Bubble mobile app solution, you're not alone. With Bubble.io's 7.2 million apps and a new native mobile builder launched in 2025, the landscape has changed. This guide breaks down exactly what Bubble can and cannot do for mobile — with real pricing, honest limitations, and how it compares to AI-powered alternatives.
What Is Bubble? A Quick Overview
Bubble.io is one of the most popular no-code platforms for building web applications. Founded in 2012 and bootstrapped for seven years before raising $106.3 million in funding, the platform lets non-technical users create full-stack web apps through a visual drag-and-drop editor. It generated $74.2 million in revenue in 2024 (up from $50 million in 2023) and hosts over 7.2 million total applications.
Visual Builder
Drag-and-drop interface for creating web applications. No traditional coding required, though the visual logic system has a steep learning curve according to user reviews.
Full-Stack Platform
Includes a built-in database, user authentication, API connections, and 6,500+ plugins. Designed primarily for web applications with recent mobile expansion.
Market Leader
$74.2M revenue in 2024 with 42% compound annual growth since 2021. Over 485 employees and startups built on Bubble have raised $15 billion+ in funding.
Can Bubble Build Mobile Apps?
Yes — but with important caveats. As of 2026, Bubble offers three paths to mobile. Each has distinct tradeoffs in performance, cost, and capability. Here is an honest breakdown of all three approaches.
Approach 1: Bubble Native Mobile Builder
Public Beta — Launched June 2025Bubble's flagship mobile offering uses React Native under the hood but wraps it inside Bubble's visual no-code editor. This means you build your mobile screens and workflows using the same drag-and-drop interface as web — but targeting native iOS and Android output.
What It Can Do
- Generate native iOS and Android apps published to the App Store and Google Play
- Share the same Bubble database and backend between web and mobile
- Access camera, GPS, push notifications, and in-app purchases
- Use Bubble AI Agent (launched October 2025) for assisted development
What It Cannot Do
- Convert existing web apps — you must rebuild everything from scratch
- Export source code — zero code portability
- Access Bluetooth, NFC, ARKit, or low-level sensors
- Use native features inside WebView components within the app
Approach 2: WebView Wrappers
Legacy — High App Store Rejection RiskBefore the native builder, the primary way to get a Bubble app on phones was through wrapper services (like GoNative or BravStudio) that package your web app inside a native WebView container. This approach carries significant App Store rejection risk.
Apple's Guideline 4.2 explicitly targets web-wrapped apps for rejection. Multiple Bubble developers report being rejected two or more times during Apple review.
Approach 3: Progressive Web App (PWA)
No App Store PresenceYou can make any Bubble web app responsive for mobile browsers, but this is not a true "app" in any meaningful sense. It runs in Safari or Chrome with no App Store or Play Store presence, no push notifications on iOS, and no access to native device features. For most businesses, a PWA is not a serious mobile strategy.
Bubble Mobile App Pricing:
What It Really Costs
Bubble restructured its pricing on October 1, 2025, to add dedicated mobile plan tiers. Mobile is not included in the standard web plans. Here is the full breakdown.
Bubble Mobile-Only Plans
| Plan | Monthly Price | Build Allotment | Live Versions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | ~$42/mo | 5 builds/mo | 3 |
| Growth | ~$147/mo | 10 builds/mo | 5 |
| Team | ~$449/mo | 20 builds/mo | 8 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom |
Bubble Web + Mobile Bundles
If you also need the Bubble web editor, combined plans range from $59 to $549 per month, giving you access to both web and mobile from a single subscription.
Hidden Costs and Workload Units
Beyond the base plan price, Bubble charges for Workload Units (WUs) — a measure of server-side processing. Every action your app takes (database queries, API calls, workflows) consumes WUs. Your plan includes a set number, and overages cost $0.30 per 1,000 extra WUs.
WU Overage Pricing at a Glance
Real-World Example: Why WU Costs Add Up
A marketplace app with 10,000 monthly active users can easily consume 500K+ WUs per month. At the Starter plan level (175K WUs included), that means an additional $97.50 in overage fees — nearly tripling your effective monthly cost. Multiple Bubble forum users have called this "financially unsustainable" for data-intensive apps.
Natively Alternative
Full native app building starts at $5/month. Includes AI generation, code export, APK building, and unlimited preview. No hidden usage fees. View our transparent pricing.
Bubble vs. Natively
A feature-by-feature comparison to help you choose the right tool for building mobile apps in 2026.
Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | Bubble | Natively |
|---|---|---|
| Building Method | Visual drag-and-drop editor | AI natural language prompts |
| Time to MVP | 2–6 weeks (rebuild required) | 2–10 minutes |
| Mobile Output | Native (React Native, beta) | Native (React Native + Expo) |
| App Store Ready | Yes (with caveats) | Yes (APK + Expo Launch) |
| Source Code Export | No | Yes — full ownership (ZIP + GitHub) |
| Starting Price (Mobile) | ~$42/month | $5/month |
| Learning Curve | Steep (weeks to learn) | Zero (just describe your app) |
| Device Features | Camera, GPS, push, in-app purchases | Camera, GPS, push, Bluetooth, biometrics, NFC, and more |
| Database | Built-in Bubble database | Liquid Backend or Supabase |
| Backend Shared with Web | Yes (same Bubble backend) | Yes (via Supabase) |
| Web-to-Mobile Conversion | No — manual rebuild required | N/A — mobile-first by design |
| Vendor Lock-In | High (no code export) | None (full code ownership) |
Key Differences Explained
Speed Gap
Bubble requires manually rebuilding every screen and workflow for mobile. Natively generates the entire app from a text prompt in minutes.
Ownership Gap
Bubble keeps your code. Natively gives you full React Native source code that any developer can work with, modify, or deploy independently.
Price Gap
Bubble mobile starts at ~$42/mo before WU overages. Natively starts at $5/mo with no hidden usage fees for the same core capability.
5 Critical Limitations of
Bubble for Mobile Apps
Bubble is a powerful web platform, but its mobile offering has real constraints. Here are the five you need to understand before committing.
No Web-to-Mobile Conversion
If you already have a Bubble web app, you cannot automatically convert it to a native mobile app. Every screen, every workflow, every piece of UI logic must be rebuilt from scratch within the mobile builder. The only thing shared is the database. For complex web apps, this can take weeks of additional work.
Still in Public Beta
The native mobile builder has been in public beta since June 2025. Beta means features may be incomplete, behavior may change without notice, and there are known bugs. For production business-critical apps, building on beta infrastructure introduces risk that dedicated native tools do not have.
Performance Concerns at Scale
Multiple users on the Bubble community forum report performance issues with mobile apps in the live environment compared to the development preview. Forum posts describe "very slow live app performance" as a persistent issue spanning months. For apps with large datasets or heavy workflows, Bubble can become sluggish.
Complete Vendor Lock-In
Bubble does not allow you to export your source code — not for web, not for mobile. If you outgrow Bubble, want to switch platforms, or if Bubble changes pricing or shuts down a feature, you must rebuild your entire application from scratch on another platform. This is arguably the biggest risk for any serious business.
Limited Hardware Access
While Bubble supports camera, GPS, push notifications, and in-app purchases, it does not expose deeper device capabilities. Bluetooth, NFC, Face ID and Touch ID, ARKit, accelerometer, gyroscope, and haptic feedback are all unavailable. If your app needs any of these, Bubble is not an option.
Sources: Bubble Mobile Beta Launch, Bubble Forum: Performance Issues, Bubble Docs: Mobile
Which Tool Is Right for You?
Answer five quick questions and get a personalized recommendation based on your specific needs, budget, and priorities.
What is your primary goal?
How Natively Builds
Native Apps in Minutes
Instead of weeks of dragging and dropping, Natively uses an AI agent that understands natural language to generate complete React Native applications — ready for the App Store and Play Store.
Describe Your App
Tell the AI what you want to build in plain English. No learning curve, no widget configuration, no visual logic wiring. Just describe your idea.
Preview on Your Phone
Scan a QR code to see your app running on your real device instantly via Expo Go. Feel the native touch response and navigation. Iterate with follow-up prompts.
Deploy Everywhere
Download an Android APK with one click. Deploy to iOS via Expo Launch — no Mac required. Your app is ready for both stores.
Building your food delivery app with React Native and Expo...
Why Native Code Beats
No-Code Wrappers
Whether you use Bubble's native builder or a traditional wrapper, there are fundamental reasons why purpose-built native code (like what Natively generates) provides a better foundation for your mobile app.
App Store Compliance
Apple's Guideline 4.2 rejects apps that are "not useful, unique, or app-like." WebView wrappers are a common target. Even Bubble's native builder produces apps that must pass Apple's review, which can be unpredictable for no-code outputs.
Natively generates standard React Native code — the same framework used by Fortune 500 companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Shopify. This produces apps that are indistinguishable from hand-coded native apps during review.
Performance Benchmarks
The 60fps Standard
Smooth mobile apps render at 60 frames per second. React Native achieves this consistently because it communicates directly with native platform APIs. No-code platforms that add abstraction layers inevitably introduce overhead.
What Users Actually Feel
The difference shows up in scroll jank, animation stutters, and touch response delays. These micro-interactions are what separate an app that feels "professional" from one that feels "off." Users may not know why, but they notice.
The Bottom Line
For consumer-facing apps where first impressions matter, native performance is not optional — it is the baseline expectation your users already have from every other app on their phone.
Code You Own
Natively exports standard React Native + TypeScript code. Download it, sync to GitHub, or hand it to any developer. Zero vendor lock-in.
Unlimited Customization
With full source code access, you can customize anything — add custom native modules, integrate third-party SDKs, or implement complex animations.
Future-Proof Stack
React Native powers apps at Meta, Microsoft, Shopify, and thousands of startups. Natively uses Expo SDK 54 — the most modern and well-supported version.
When to Use Each Tool
Bubble Might Be Right If...
- You already have a complex Bubble web app and want to add a mobile companion with a shared database
- You are comfortable with the Bubble visual editor and willing to learn the mobile-specific patterns
- Your app is relatively simple and does not need advanced device features
- You are okay with no code export and plan to stay on Bubble long-term
- Your budget is $42/month or more and you understand WU overage costs
Natively Is Right If...
- You want to build a mobile app as fast as possible — in minutes, not weeks
- You value code ownership and the ability to export, modify, or hand off your code at any time
- You need advanced device features like Bluetooth, biometrics, or NFC
- You want an affordable starting point ($5/month) without hidden usage fees
- You prefer describing your app in plain English rather than learning a visual editor
- You need full App Store and Google Play compliance without beta-stage risk
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about using Bubble for mobile apps and how Natively compares.
Can Bubble make native mobile apps?
Yes, as of June 2025 Bubble offers a native mobile builder in public beta. It uses React Native under the hood and can produce iOS and Android apps. However, it is still in beta with notable limitations — including no code export, no web-to-mobile conversion, and limited hardware access compared to purpose-built native tools like Natively.
Is the Bubble mobile app builder free?
No. Bubble mobile-only plans start at approximately $42 per month. Combined web-plus-mobile plans start at around $59 per month. Natively, by comparison, starts at $5 per month with full native app building capabilities.
Can I convert my Bubble web app to a mobile app?
No. There is no automated conversion from a Bubble web app to a native mobile app. You must rebuild all screens, workflows, and UI elements from scratch within the mobile builder, even though the two versions can share the same database.
Does Bubble let you export source code?
No. Bubble does not offer source code export for either web or mobile apps. If you stop paying or outgrow the platform, you cannot take your code with you. You would need to rebuild entirely on another platform. Natively gives you 100% code ownership with full React Native and TypeScript source code export at any time.
What is the best Bubble alternative for mobile apps?
For teams that want real native mobile apps with code ownership, AI-powered development, and affordable pricing, Natively is the strongest alternative. It generates production-ready React Native apps from natural language prompts, starting at just $5 per month. Other alternatives include FlutterFlow for low-code visual building and Adalo for simple app store deployment.
Other Bubble Alternatives for Mobile
Natively is not the only option. Here is how the broader landscape looks for building mobile apps without traditional code.
| Platform | Approach | Starting Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| NativelyRecommended | AI + React Native | $5/mo | Fastest path to a native app with code ownership |
| FlutterFlow | Low-code + Flutter | ~$30/mo | Teams with some technical ability who want visual building |
| Adalo | No-code native builder | $36/mo | Simple apps with unlimited usage and no record limits |
| Glide | Spreadsheet to app | Free tier | Non-technical teams turning existing data into apps |
| Thunkable | Drag-and-drop native | Free tier | Beginners and educational use cases |
See also: Anything for Mobile Apps | Bolt.new for Mobile Apps | Softgen for Mobile Apps | Firebase Studio for Mobile Apps | Emergent for Mobile Apps | APK Builder
You made it to the end
Here's a reward for reading the whole thing
Use this code to get $5 off any plan $25/month or higher for your first month.
5OFFNATIVELYSkip the Limitations.
Build Native.
Bubble is great for web. But for mobile apps that feel native, pass App Store review, and give you full code ownership — there's a better way.