Yes, you can create an app without coding for free, but on most platforms "free" means free to build and test, not free to launch. Base44 and Softr let you put a working app on their own subdomain at $0. Bubble, Adalo and Glide let you build for free and charge when you publish a live app. Greta.sh gives you 5 credits a day to build and read your code, and deployment starts on Starter ($5/month welcome offer, normally $20/month). Publishing a native app to the Apple App Store or Google Play also carries the stores' own fees. Prices below are as of October 2026.
Every app builder has a free plan. Very few have a free launch. This guide spells out the gap, tool by tool.
What "free" actually means across no-code and AI app builders
The pattern is consistent: the builder is free, the audience costs money. You can design screens, wire up a database, prompt an AI and test on your own phone without paying. The paywall shows up at one of four moments:
- Going live. Some free plans only run a development or preview version that the public can't use.
- Your own domain. A custom domain is a paid feature on every tool below.
- Branding. Free apps often carry the vendor's badge or watermark.
- Usage. Credits, workload units, records or app users run out, and the free allowance is small by design.
None of that is a trick; hosting a live app costs the vendor money. The honest question isn't "is it free?" It's "how far does free get me?"
How we compared
We asked three questions of six builders a non-technical founder is likely to try first: what you can do at $0, which feature forces an upgrade, and the cheapest plan that removes it. Plans and prices were checked on each vendor's own pricing page on October 12, 2026, and are stated as of October 2026 with the billing basis each vendor gives. App-store fees come from Apple's and Google's own developer pages.
At a glance
| Tool | What's free | Where the paywall hits | Entry paid price (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base44 | Up to 5 apps, 25 message credits/month, auth and database | Custom domain, more credits | Starter $16/month, billed annually |
| Softr | Unlimited apps, 5 app users, 5K records, Softr subdomain | Custom domain (Basic), removing branding (Pro) | Basic $19/month, billed yearly |
| Bubble | Build web and native mobile apps, 50K workload units/month | Live website, custom domain, app-store builds | Web Starter $29/month billed annually ($32 monthly) |
| Adalo | Unlimited test apps, 500 records per app, preview on your phone | Any published app | Starter $36/month billed annually ($45 monthly) |
| Glide | Limited credits, 10 projects | Any published app (free plan allows 0) | Basic $25/month |
| Greta.sh | 5 credits a day, code viewer | Deployment and custom domain | Starter $5/month welcome offer (normally $20/month) |
Got an idea? Build it now!
Just start with a simple prompt. No coding required: Greta.sh turns your idea into a working app in minutes.
6 ways to create an app without coding for free
1. Base44 – the most you can ship at $0
Base44 is an AI app builder: you describe the app in plain language and it generates the frontend, backend, database and user login. Its Free plan includes up to 5 apps, 25 message credits and 100 integration credits a month, plus authentication, database functionality and analytics, and Base44's own FAQ says you can ship complete apps on it. Connecting your own domain starts on Starter at $16 a month billed annually; Base44 says yearly billing saves 20% on every paid plan. The site footer shows Base44 is part of Wix.
Who it's for: anyone who wants a real, shareable app without paying anything yet. Limits: 25 message credits a month goes quickly once you start iterating, so plan your prompts.
2. Softr – a free portal on a Softr subdomain
Softr builds business apps (portals, internal tools, directories) on top of its own database or your existing data. The Free plan covers unlimited apps, up to 3 builders, 5 app users, 5,000 database records and 500 workflow actions a month. Apps publish to a Softr subdomain. A custom domain needs Basic, $19 a month billed yearly, and removing Softr branding needs Pro, $99 a month billed yearly.
Who it's for: a small team or a handful of clients logging into one tool. Limits: 5 app users is a pilot, not a launch.
3. Bubble – free to build web and native mobile, paid to go live
Bubble is the deepest visual builder here and now covers web, iOS and Android apps in one project. The Free plan gives you 50K workload units a month, 500 AI credits and the development version of your app. A live website and custom domain start on the Web Starter plan, $29 a month billed annually or $32 month to month. For mobile, Bubble's FAQ says a paid plan is needed to deploy a live version, which is required for TestFlight and Google Play testing and for store publishing; the Mobile Starter plan is $42 a month billed annually or $49 month to month.
Who it's for: founders willing to learn a real tool for a complex app. Limits: Bubble's own manual says apps only run on Bubble and can't be exported as code.
4. Adalo – free to build and preview
Adalo is a drag-and-drop builder for native iOS, Android and web apps with a hosted Postgres database included. Free gets you unlimited test apps, 500 records per app and preview on a mobile device, but zero published apps. Starter, $36 a month billed annually or $45 billed monthly, adds one published app, a custom domain, web publishing, automated App Store publishing and no Adalo branding.
Who it's for: someone testing a mobile idea on their own phone before paying. Limits: nothing goes public on the free plan.
5. Glide – free to try GlideOS
Glide now sells GlideOS, an AI platform for building internal business apps from a spreadsheet, a prompt or a file; Glide says it's a separate product from Glide Classic with its own plans. Free includes limited credits, 2 team members and 10 projects, but 0 published apps. Basic is $25 a month and allows 2 published apps for personal and team use; publishing public apps starts on Plus at $50 a month. Glide notes annual plans are coming soon.
Who it's for: ops teams turning a spreadsheet into an internal tool. Limits: you can't publish anything on Free.
6. Greta.sh – free to build and read the code, Starter to deploy
Greta.sh builds websites, full-stack apps, dashboards and internal tools from a plain-English description, with the backend (database, auth and payments) built in. The pricing page lists Free at 5 credits a day with the code viewer, 3 design systems and community support. There's no deployment on Free. Starter is $5 a month on the welcome offer (normally $20 a month) and adds 100 credits a month, the code editor, deployment, custom domain setup and no watermark.
Who it's for: founders who want to see a full-stack version of their idea, read the code, then pay a small amount to put it live. Limits: Free is for building, not launching, and Greta.sh builds web apps, not App Store or Google Play apps.
The real cost of staying live: domain, hosting and app-store fees
If you want a native app in the stores, the stores charge too:
- Apple: the Apple Developer Program is a $99 annual membership, and Apple presents joining it as the way to reach customers on the App Store.
- Google: a Google Play developer account has a US$25 one-time registration fee. Google also says new personal accounts must meet testing requirements before publishing.
- Domain: your own .com or similar is a yearly registrar charge on top of the builder's custom-domain plan. Prices vary by extension and registrar, so check the renewal price, not just the first year.
- Hosting: included in the builder plans above, but metered. Bubble meters workload units; Base44, Glide and Greta.sh meter credits; Adalo and Softr cap records.
A web app sidesteps the store fees entirely, which is one reason many first apps are web apps. Our piece on the new economics of building apps for under $10 covers where the cost really sits once a build is cheap.
Can you suggest an AI builder for full-stack projects with a free tier?
Base44 and Greta.sh both generate the backend for you. Base44's free tier goes further, since you can ship on it. Greta.sh's free tier is a daily building allowance with the code visible, and you pay to deploy. Bubble is the visual alternative: its FAQ says app generation doesn't currently use AI credits, but going live needs a paid plan. If you're a bootstrapped founder weighing these, the guide to how bootstrapped founders use AI builders to stay lean is a useful next read.
Got an idea? Build it now!
Just start with a simple prompt. No coding required: Greta.sh turns your idea into a working app in minutes.
What is the most affordable AI app builder for small businesses?
By the first plan that launches on your own domain, as of October 2026: Greta.sh Starter at $5 a month on the welcome offer (normally $20 a month), then Base44 Starter at $16 a month billed annually. Among visual builders, Softr Basic is $19 a month billed yearly. Compare the allowance too: a cheap plan with too few credits or users isn't cheap for long.
Which tools support fast deployment under $50 a month?
For a web app, all six entry tiers listed above sit under $50 a month. Native mobile changes the math: Bubble's Mobile Starter is $42 a month billed annually, and the Apple and Google fees sit on top.
When free is genuinely enough (and when it isn't)
Free is enough to answer one question: does this idea work? That's the whole job of an MVP, and a free plan can carry it. Build the core flow, show it to ten people on a preview link or your phone, and watch what they do.
Free stops being enough the moment strangers need to find and trust the app: a live URL, your own domain, no vendor badge, room for a busy afternoon. Pay at that point, not before.
Got an idea? Build it now!
Just start with a simple prompt. No coding required: Greta.sh turns your idea into a working app in minutes.
How to choose
- Want a public app at $0? Start with Base44, or Softr if your users are a small known group.
- Building a complex web app and willing to learn? Bubble, budgeting for Web Starter at launch.
- Testing a native mobile idea on your own phone? Adalo or Bubble's free plans.
- Turning a spreadsheet into a team tool? Glide.
- Want a full-stack web app with the code visible, and a cheap first paid step? Greta.sh.
For a step-by-step build once you're past the free tier, follow the beginner's guide to your first full-stack app. If you're still choosing a platform, see our best no-code app builder roundup, or the best mobile app creator guide if your app has to live in the stores.
Frequently asked questions
Can you create an app without coding for free?
Yes. Base44, Softr, Bubble, Adalo, Glide and Greta.sh all let you build without code at $0. Base44 and Softr also let you publish on their own subdomain for free. The others charge when you publish a live app, connect your own domain or deploy.
How do I make an app without coding for free?
Pick a builder whose free plan matches your goal, build the core flow, and test it on a preview link or your own phone. Upgrade only when real users need a live URL or your own domain.
Is there an app builder with no paywall at all?
Not for a live app on your own domain. Every tool in this comparison charges for a custom domain, and most charge to publish, remove branding or add capacity. Free plans are for building and testing.
Do you have to pay Apple or Google to publish an app?
Yes, for their stores. Apple's Developer Program is a $99 annual membership, and Google Play charges a US$25 one-time registration fee. A web app doesn't need either. You can build and test a native app for free on Bubble or Adalo, but publishing it needs their paid plans too.
Build free, pay when it's real
Use the free tier to prove the idea, not to run the business. When people outside your circle need the app, a $5 to $50 monthly plan is the cheapest part of launching it. Compare the Greta.sh plans with the others above and pick the one whose paywall you'll hit last.
