Glide for Mobile Apps: Can It Build Native iOS & Android Apps?

What Is Glide?

Glide is a no-code application builder founded in 2018 and backed by Y Combinator (W19) and Benchmark Capital. The platform enables non-technical users to transform data from Google Sheets, Airtable, Excel, and SQL databases into functional web applications using a visual drag-and-drop builder.

How Glide Works

Glide's core concept is simple: connect a data source (most commonly Google Sheets), choose a layout template, configure your UI components, and publish. The platform offers 40+ UI components including forms, calendars, charts, and maps, along with 100+ pre-made templates for common business use cases like CRM, inventory tracking, and event management.

Key Platform Features

• ✓Visual drag-and-drop app builder with real-time data sync
• ✓Connects to Google Sheets, Airtable, Excel, SQL, BigQuery, Salesforce, and HubSpot
• ✓Built-in AI features including Glide AI for data extraction and content generation
• ✓Workflow automation with triggers for email, scheduling, Slack, and webhooks
• ✓Enterprise integrations with Salesforce, QuickBooks, and SSO (Okta, Azure AD)

Who Uses Glide?

Glide reports over 100,000 companies as customers, including large enterprises like Volkswagen, Airbus, and Coca-Cola. The platform is primarily used for internal business tools — dashboards, inventory trackers, field service apps, and team coordination tools where the app is shared via a link rather than downloaded from an app store.

Glide by the Numbers (2026)

The Critical Distinction

Every Glide app is a Progressive Web App (PWA). This is not a minor technical detail — it defines what Glide can and cannot do for mobile. A PWA runs inside the device's browser (Safari on iOS, Chrome on Android), is shared via URL, and cannot be distributed through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. If you need your app in those stores, Glide is not the right tool.

Can Glide Build Native Mobile Apps?

This is the most common question people ask when researching Glide for mobile development. The answer is straightforward: Glide does not build native mobile apps and does not support publishing to the App Store or Google Play.

What Glide Actually Outputs

When you build an app with Glide, the output is a web application that uses PWA technology. Users access it by visiting a URL in their browser. While PWAs can be "installed" to a device's home screen using the browser's "Add to Home Screen" feature, this is fundamentally different from downloading a native app from the App Store:

PWA vs. Native: The Technical Reality

Glide's Official Position on App Store Publishing

Glide is transparent about this limitation. Their help center explicitly states: "Publishing directly to the App Store or Google Play is not supported. This limitation is due to the inherent nature of PWAs, which operate within web browsers rather than through app installations."

What About Third-Party Wrappers?

Some services offer to "wrap" Glide PWAs into app store-ready packages. Glide does not endorse this approach, and for good reason: Apple frequently rejects wrapped web apps under App Store Review Guideline 4.2, which requires apps to provide functionality beyond what a website could offer. Even if a wrapped PWA passes initial review, it may be rejected in future updates as Apple's review process evolves.

Glide Pricing Breakdown (2026)

Glide's pricing was restructured in November 2025 and includes both individual and business plans. Understanding the full cost picture matters because Glide uses usage-based metering for updates (data operations), which can make monthly costs unpredictable.

Individual Plans

Business Plan

The Business plan costs $249/month (or $199/month billed annually) and includes unlimited published apps, 5,000 updates per month, and 500 GB of storage. However, it limits you to 30 business users with each additional user costing $5–$6 per month. Enterprise pricing is custom.

The Hidden Cost Problem

The most frequently cited complaint in Glide reviews on Capterra is unpredictable pricing. Every data write, calculation, and automation trigger consumes "updates." At $0.02 per overage update, costs can spiral quickly for active applications. A moderately-used business app can easily burn through 5,000 monthly updates and start accumulating significant overage fees.

Pricing Comparison at a Glance

Glide vs Natively: Full Comparison

Glide and Natively serve fundamentally different use cases. Glide excels at turning spreadsheet data into internal business tools. Natively is a purpose-built AI mobile app builder that generates real native apps for the App Store and Google Play. Here is how they compare:

Different Tools, Different Goals

It is important to understand that Glide and Natively are not direct competitors trying to solve the same problem. Glide is optimized for data-driven internal tools where speed of creation from existing spreadsheet data is the priority. Natively is optimized for consumer-facing native mobile apps that need to be in the App Store and Google Play.

The Vendor Lock-In Factor

One of the starkest differences is code ownership. With Glide, there is no source code to export — ever, on any plan. Your app exists only within Glide's proprietary runtime. If Glide raises prices, changes terms, or shuts down, you start over from scratch. With Natively, you get 100% source code ownership. Your React Native code syncs to GitHub, and you can hire any developer to continue building it independently.

Key Glide Limitations for Mobile Apps

If you are evaluating Glide specifically for building a mobile app, here are the limitations you should know about before committing to the platform:

1. No App Store Distribution

This is the most significant limitation. Glide apps cannot be listed on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You are limited to sharing via URL, QR code, or embedding on a website. For consumer-facing apps, this means missing out on the primary discovery channel — the App Store alone serves over 650 million weekly visitors.

2. Restricted Device Access

Because Glide apps run inside a browser sandbox, they cannot access most native device APIs. Features that native apps take for granted are simply not available:

Device Features Unavailable in Glide

• ✗Biometric authentication — no Face ID or Touch ID support
• ✗Bluetooth and NFC — cannot connect to external hardware
• ✗Contacts and calendar — no access to device address book
• ✗Background processing — app stops when browser tab closes
• ✗Haptic feedback — no vibration or touch response control
• ✗Advanced camera controls — limited to basic browser capture

3. iOS Push Notification Gaps

Glide supports push notifications on Android, but push notifications for chat messages and comments are not supported on iOS. Deep links within notifications also do not work on Apple devices. Users must first install the app to their home screen before any notifications function at all — a friction point that significantly reduces engagement.

4. Performance and Scalability Concerns

Browser Engine Overhead

Glide apps run through the browser's rendering engine, which adds a performance layer between your app and the device hardware. Native apps render UI directly through the OS (UIKit on iOS, Jetpack Compose on Android), delivering consistently smoother animations and faster response times.

Google Sheets Backend Limitations

Many Glide apps rely on Google Sheets as the data source. This works well for small datasets but shows noticeable performance degradation at scale. Glide's own Big Tables storage (up to 10 million rows on Enterprise) performs better but lacks features like rollups on computed columns. Each plan limits rows per app to 25,000–100,000 for Glide Tables.

5. Zero Code Export

Complete Vendor Lock-In

Glide does not provide any method for exporting application source code on any plan, including Enterprise. Your application logic, UI configurations, and workflows exist only within Glide's proprietary system. You can export your data from Glide Tables, but there is no code to take with you.

Why This Matters for Businesses

For internal tools, vendor lock-in may be acceptable. But for consumer-facing products or revenue-generating apps, the inability to migrate to another platform is a serious business risk. If you ever outgrow Glide or need capabilities it cannot provide, you rebuild from zero.

Additional Compliance Limitation

Glide's terms explicitly prohibit processing protected health information, meaning it is not HIPAA compliant. If you are building anything for the healthcare industry, Glide is not an option.

When Glide Is the Right Choice

Despite its mobile limitations, Glide is genuinely excellent for specific use cases. It is not the right tool for native apps, but it shines in other areas:

Ideal Glide Use Cases

Internal Business Tools

Glide excels at creating internal dashboards, inventory trackers, CRM tools, and field service apps for your team. If the app only needs to be accessed by employees via a shared link, the PWA limitation is irrelevant.

Spreadsheet-Powered Apps

If your app logic revolves around an existing Google Sheet, Airtable base, or Excel file, Glide's data-first approach makes it incredibly fast to build a usable interface. You can go from spreadsheet to working app in under 90 minutes.

Enterprise Data Workflows

For teams already using Salesforce, HubSpot, or QuickBooks, Glide's direct integrations with these platforms make it a natural choice for building front-end apps on top of existing enterprise data.

Glide Strengths at a Glance

When Natively Is the Better Choice

If your goal is a real native mobile app that lives on the App Store and Google Play, with full device access, native performance, and code you own — Natively is the tool built specifically for that purpose.

Built for Consumer-Facing Mobile Apps

AI-Generated Native Code

Unlike Glide's proprietary runtime, Natively generates real React Native code using Expo SDK 54. Describe your app in plain English and get a production-ready native application — not a web wrapper, not a PWA, but actual compiled mobile code that renders native UI components with Apple's Liquid Glass design system.

One-Click APK Builder

Natively includes a built-in APK builder at no extra cost. Click a button and get an installable Android APK file in minutes. No Android Studio, no Gradle configuration, no signing headaches.

App Store Deployment

For iOS, Natively integrates with Expo Launch to handle builds, code signing, and submission to TestFlight and the App Store. For Android, you get AAB files ready for Google Play. The entire deployment pipeline works from any computer — no Mac required.

Complete Backend Included

Every Natively plan includes a full backend with PostgreSQL database, user authentication (email, Google OAuth), file storage, WebSockets, serverless functions, and email/SMS integration. No additional subscriptions or pay-as-you-go surprises.

Full Native Device Access

Because Natively generates genuine React Native code, your apps have access to the full spectrum of native device capabilities:

• ✓Push notifications via APNs and FCM (full iOS support)
• ✓Camera with full controls, GPS with background location
• ✓Biometric authentication (Face ID, Touch ID, fingerprint)
• ✓Bluetooth, NFC, contacts, calendar, and haptics
• ✓Native navigation with platform-adaptive UI (Expo Router)

No Vendor Lock-In

Every line of code Natively generates is yours. Export to GitHub, download as a ZIP, or continue development locally in VS Code. If you ever decide to stop using Natively, your app keeps running and any React Native developer can pick up where you left off. View pricing plans starting at $5/month.

How to Build a Native Mobile App with Natively

If you have decided that a native mobile app is what you need, here is the step-by-step process with Natively:

Step 1: Describe Your App Idea

Open Natively and tell the AI what you want to build in plain English. Be as specific or general as you want. For example: "Build a fitness tracking app with workout logging, progress charts, and dark mode." The AI understands mobile patterns and generates a complete app from your description.

Step 2: Watch AI Build It

The AI generates your complete application including screens, navigation, backend integration, authentication, and styling. The output is real React Native code using Expo SDK 54 with Apple's Liquid Glass design system. Simple apps take 10–30 AI prompts (under an hour). Feature-rich apps may take 50–100 prompts.

Step 3: Test on Your Device

Preview Options

• 1.Browser preview — instant preview in the Natively dashboard
• 2.QR code — scan with Expo Go to test on your physical phone
• 3.APK download — install directly on any Android device

Step 4: Deploy to App Stores

Android Deployment

Use the built-in APK/AAB builder to generate your Android binary. Upload the AAB file to Google Play Console (one-time $25 fee) and publish.

iOS Deployment

Export your project to GitHub, connect to Expo Launch, and build your IPA in the cloud. Submit to TestFlight for testing, then publish to the App Store. No Mac or Xcode required.

Want to Customize the Code?

Natively includes a built-in code editor for quick tweaks. For deeper modifications, export to GitHub and work locally in VS Code, Cursor, or any editor you prefer. The code is standard React Native and TypeScript — any mobile developer can work with it.

Which Tool Should You Use?

Not sure whether Glide or Natively is the right fit for your project? Take this quick quiz to get a personalized recommendation:

Frequently Asked Questions

Start Building Your Native Mobile App

Glide is an excellent platform for what it does best — turning spreadsheet data into polished internal business tools. But if your goal is a native mobile app on the App Store and Google Play, with real device features, native performance, and source code you own, you need a different tool.

Natively takes you from idea to published native app without coding, without a Mac, and without complex build configurations. Describe what you want, let AI build it, and deploy to both app stores.