The rise of no and low code development tools has given creatives and entrepreneurs new ways to bring their digital ideas to life without coding.
People are saying goodbye to late-night courses in HTML or CSS and hello to simplicity. And with integrations with other tools, SEO benefits, and live support to help when things get tricky, today’s no and low code providers have got you covered when it comes to building a successful website or application.
In this guide, we’ll be focusing on two of the industry leaders — Webflow and Bubble — to compare the costs of each platform and their respective capabilities to decide which one is best for you.
So read on for our comparison of Bubble and Webflow, cost and capabilities pitched side-by-side.
What is Webflow?
Webflow is a no code website and application builder. With its powerful design tool, you can build your dream web app without long dev times or stressful coding courses. Webflow believes that ‘your website should be a marketing asset, not an engineering challenge.’
Webflow is currently powering 3,500,000+ designers and teams who use the platform to create and collaborate on stunning digital apps within Webflow’s visual canvas. Even though Webflow is a no code tool, you aren’t limited to generic designs and basic functionality. It gives you the full force of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript using a visual interface instead of lines of code.
Webflow also comes with a CMS, meaning you can create and manage content on your website or app with ease. This is a game-changer in particular for those who run eCommerce stores or blogs.
Within weeks, Webflow lets you bring an idea straight to the development stage and swiftly out to market. That’s about the same time to master the very basics of one coding language — so which sounds like a better use of time?!
What is Bubble?
Much like Webflow, Bubble was developed to help non-technical startup founders build their ideas without the need for coding knowledge. The ability to build a fully functional and complex app without code has seen Bubble become a popular platform in web app development.
Over 500,000 people are currently using Bubble to build and launch web apps and start new businesses. Like Webflow, Bubble’s visually-driven drag-and-drop UI editor and powerful built-in workflow tools make building apps easy and intuitive. All you have to do is select, drag, and drop elements from the database into place.
Bubble also supports low-code, which lets developers add code to build anything from basic prototypes to complex online stores, SaaS products, and more. The possibilities are endless.
Bubble vs Webflow: Cost
Bubble and Webflow both come with multiple pricing plans meaning there’s something for everyone.
Bubble pricing
Bubble has four subscription levels including a free version that has all the core platform features to get you started on building your app.
Bubble’s price plans are as follows:
- Personal - $25/month
- Professional - $115/month
- Production - $475/month
Webflow pricing
Webflow’s pricing is more complicated. Webflow costs consist of two premium pricing options, one for your main account and one for each website/app that you build. There’s also a free-forever option that lets you build an app, but you’ll have to host it under a Webflow domain name.
The pricing for a web app starts at $12/month. This gives you all the basic features plus your own custom domain name. For $16/month you get Webflow’s CMS which lets you add and manage content for greater potential. At $36/month, the Business package is the best option if you’re scaling up and driving more traffic. These prices are billed annually — but for a few dollars extra you can opt to pay monthly and not be tied down.
Each account plan lets you manage and host a set number of web apps. For example, the free version lets you work on two web apps on a private server. The Lite package at $16/month increases to ten projects and adds code exporting to any platform, while the Pro plan at $35/month adds white labeling and website password security. To get a better understanding, you can read more here on Webflow costs.
Again, these prices are annually billed, you can pay a few dollars more for monthly billing instead.
Determining which out of Bubble vs Webflow is best for pricing depends on your individual needs. For example, Bubble doesn’t offer code exporting, so if you need this you might choose Webflow regardless of price differences, and vice-versa.
But overall, Bubble’s pricing packages are easier to understand and might sway your final decision if either platform works for you.
Bubble vs Webflow: Capabilities
Bubble and Webflow are fully-fledged, no code app-building tools that bring creative ideas to life through simple and intuitive design tools. While each platform offers similar benefits, there are some differences.
Let’s compare the feature-set of Bubble and Webflow head to head.
What are the main features of Bubble?
Bubble’s packed-out feature list gets you building no code apps right away.
UI building tool
Bubble’s UI building tool lets you easily drag and drop visual elements into the canvas to design your page. Elements have responsive design too so they’ll look great across multiple devices.
Hosting
Bubble saves you money and time by deploying and hosting your app for you. This streamlines your whole project into one place.
Plugins
Bubble gives you greater functionality and customization with plugins. Want to let users log in to Facebook through your Bubble app, for example? Simply use the Facebook plugin to include the option on your page. You can also build your own, custom plugins.
Collaboration
Bubble lets 40 team members collaborate on a single project with easy access through your browser. Simply log in and pick up where your coworkers left off.
What are the main features of Webflow?
UI building tool
Webflow also uses a drag-and-drop UI editor to let you add visual elements to the canvas. You can drag in unstyled HTML elements for full control or use pre-built for more complex elements.
Design with real content
Webflow’s content management system (CMS) lets you build content-rich websites like eCommerce stores and blogs. The interactions and animations tool lets you bring ideas to life without needing to code.
Hosting
Webflow’s hosting is powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) who provide infrastructure to millions of sites. You’re in good hands. Websites built on Webflow are also HTTP/2 ready, meaning they’ll benefit from faster load times.
SEO optimization
Your shiny new website will benefit from Webflow’s integrated SEO tools. From page titles to meta descriptions, URLs to Open Graph settings — it’s easy to optimize every page of your site for search.
Collaboration
Webflow lets teams work on content together and access the same projects via cloud-based servers. Users will be able to track changes and see who’s changed what since they were last online.
Who has the best features: Bubble or Webflow?
It’s hard to say. Both platforms are no code champions in their own right.
Webflow is more suited to building visually-rich blog sites and eCommerce stores with exciting content thanks to the in-built CMS. It could be seen as a rival to WordPress or Shopify.
Bubble is more suited to building complex web apps and software thanks to its more advanced workflows and the ability to add custom plugins.
Both platforms include hosting on their paid subscriptions and plenty of live support if help is needed.
It seems each platform does similar things, slightly differently, but very well. Bubble is arguably better for building more complex applications while Webflow is ideal for content-heavy websites.
Let’s take a look at some reviews to see what other people think.
Bubble vs Webflow: Reviews
What do users think of Bubble?
As of August 2022, Bubble has:
- A rating of 4.5/5 stars from 87 reviews on G2.com.
- A rating of 4.6/5 stars from 92 reviews on Capterra.com and GetApp.com.
What do users think of Webflow?
Strangely, the reviews for Webflow are exactly the same:
- A rating of 4.5/5 stars from 368 reviews on G2.com.
- A rating of 4.6/5 stars from 174 reviews on Capterra.com and GetApp.com.
The reviews for both platforms are favorable and users gave high scores for value for money, customer support, likelihood to recommend, and features.
Bubble vs Webflow: What else can it do?
Tutorials
Both platforms offer great learning features to get you started.
Webflow learning resources
Webflow University offers fun and engaging training for all aspects of the no-code platform, including:
- Webflow 101 crash course.
- Freelance website design bootcamp.
- 21-day design portfolio course.
- Figma to Webflow.
These are just a few, there are dozens of courses available on Webflow University. And best of all, it’s completely free if you have an account.
Bubble learning resources
When you use Bubble, you gain access to a training package that includes interactive lessons, video courses, and ‘How To Build’ tutorials. These show you how to make no code clones of popular platforms, including:
- How to build an Instagram clone with no code.
- How to build a budget app like Mint with no code.
- How to build a Discord clone with no code.
These handy tutorials will guide you through all aspects of the Bubble platform to get you designing powerful apps within weeks.
User communities/forums
Both platforms have forums filled with like-minded users looking for tips and help for their projects.
Both the Bubble and Webflow forums are very active and see numerous posts per day. Administrators often join forum posts to provide solutions to unsolved issues. Generally speaking, both forums look well put together and well received by users.
Use low code in your projects
Bubble also lets you run custom code. This is ideal for times when you need to go beyond Bubble’s visual elements to add custom features of your choosing. This could be a deciding factor over other no-code alternatives like Webflow.
Bubble vs Webflow: The final verdict
So where do we end up? If we’re honest, there isn’t too much separating these two no code platforms — both allow for easy and enjoyable website/app development without the need to code.
If we had to pick sides, though, we’d say:
- Webflow is best for making content-rich websites with its powerful UI editor and CMS.
- Bubble is best for more complex apps and software that require low code and custom plugins.
Visit the rest of our resource hub for more no code and low code insights.