6 Best AI App Builders for Agencies in 2026: Client Handoff, Portals and Pricing

By Isha, Greta.sh Team · Published August 18, 2026 · Updated November 5, 2026

6 Best AI App Builders for Agencies in 2026: Client Handoff, Portals and Pricing

The best agency app builder lets you build once, hand the app to the client and keep billing for changes, and which one that is depends on what you hand over: Retool for permission-heavy client portals, Softr for fast branded portals, Bubble for a dedicated agency plan with in-platform transfer, and Lovable, Base44 or Greta.sh when the client should also get the code in GitHub. No single tool wins every part of agency work. Bubble's apps can't be exported as code, Retool's external apps stay inside your Retool organization, and Lovable and Base44 both document ownership transfer. Greta.sh builds the full stack from a description and syncs code to your GitHub on its Pro plan. The comparison below is ranked on handoff, multi-client permissions and how pricing scales across clients.

Want an agency to build the app for you instead of choosing a tool? Greta.sh is a self-serve builder, not an agency. For done-for-you work, talk to Greta Agency.

Who this is for

If you run a dev, design, or no-code agency and need to stand up client-facing portals, internal tools, or MVPs for multiple clients, each with its own branding, data, and access, this comparison is ranked on what actually matters for that: portability of the finished product, per-client permission boundaries, and pricing that scales with client count rather than just your own team's seats.

How we evaluated these for agency use specifically

Agencies have different needs than a single founder building one product: they need to stand up client portals quickly, keep each client's data and branding separate, and hand off something the client can actually own and maintain afterward. We ranked each platform on handoff and ownership, client-portal and permission depth, and how pricing scales across multiple client projects, not just raw build speed. Plans, prices and features below come from each vendor's own pricing page and documentation, re-checked on November 2, 2026. Where a vendor's page didn't show a price we could confirm, we describe the plan without one.

Can an agency hand off a finished app to a client who isn't technical?

Yes, but the mechanism differs a lot by platform, and it is the question to settle before you quote the job. There are two kinds of handoff: transferring the hosted app inside the platform (the client gets the account and the bill, nothing to install), and handing over the code (the client, or their next developer, can host it anywhere). A non-technical client usually wants the first; a client who might switch vendors later wants the second as well.

The practical pattern for a non-technical client: build in an account the client will own (or transfer at the end), and keep the code in a GitHub repository the client controls, so the handoff does not depend on your agency's subscription.

Which AI development platforms are best for agencies building multiple client apps?

Retool and Softr for permission-scoped client portals, Lovable when you'd rather pay by credits than per seat, and Bubble when you want one agency plan that moves each app to the client's account at launch. Three things decide it once you have more than one client: whether each client's users and data are separated, whether you pay per client or per builder, and whether the client can sign in with their own identity provider. Retool prices builders, internal users and external users separately, which scales well across portals. Softr counts "Team" and "Client" users per plan. Lovable prices by credits rather than seats and allows unlimited workspace members. Bubble's agency plan charges per agency seat and moves each app to the client's account at launch. For an enterprise client portal with SSO and role-based access, check the plan carefully: SAML or OpenID SSO is Enterprise-only on Softr and Retool, Lovable puts workspace SSO on Business, and Base44 offers OIDC app SSO on Business or Enterprise.

Best AI app builders for agencies, ranked

1. Retool – the strongest choice for permission-heavy client portals

Retool's external apps (which its docs say are "sometimes referred to as custom portals or Retool Portals") are built for users outside your organization, and its permission controls are mature enough for agencies serving regulated or enterprise clients:

• External users priced separately from builders: the Business plan includes metered external users and Enterprise includes unlimited external users, so portal users don't cost the same as builder seats. Check Retool's pricing page for the current external-user rates.
• Data-level and role-based permission controls from the Business plan, with SAML or OpenID SSO, granular roles and full white-labeling on Enterprise. The pricing page lists branding customization on Business; hiding the Retool user menu needs Enterprise.
• AI app generation: Retool's newer builder generates a working app from a prompt, connected to your data (Retool calls it AppGen), alongside the drag-and-drop editor.
• Retool hosts the app in your organization, so it suits retained, ongoing client work better than a build-and-transfer engagement.

Pricing (as of November 2026, billed annually): Free (no external users), Team ($10 per builder and $5 per internal user a month), Business ($50 per builder and $15 per internal user a month, plus metered external users), Enterprise (custom).

Sources: retool.com/pricing, Retool external apps docs

2. Softr – the fastest way to spin up a branded client portal

Softr is built around client portals, and its plans count client users directly:

• Team and Client users per plan: Pro includes 10 Team users and 50 Client users, Business 30 and 100. Anyone who doesn't share a builder's business email domain, including every Gmail address, counts as a Client user.
• User groups and role-based permissions from Pro (3 custom user groups on Pro, 10 on Business), for keeping each client's view scoped to their own data.
• Custom domains from Basic, so a portal can live on the client's own domain.
• Branding: the free plan shows a Softr badge and Basic keeps light branding; removing Softr branding entirely starts on Pro. For an agency pitching under its own brand, Pro is the realistic minimum.
• Handoff: project transfer is included from Pro, and Softr's docs list handing workspace ownership to a client as a use case. Softr also runs a partner program for agencies and freelancers.
• SSO (SAML or OpenID), SCIM and audit logs are Enterprise-only.

Plans (as of November 2026): Free, Basic, Pro, Business and Enterprise. We couldn't confirm Softr's current prices on its pricing page on November 2, so check softr.io/pricing for today's figures.

Sources: softr.io/pricing, Softr workspace ownership docs

3. Bubble – a dedicated agency plan, with a real export tradeoff

Bubble has more agency infrastructure than most no-code platforms: an Agency account priced per seat, a one-click app transfer, and granular privacy rules for per-client data separation.

• Agency account: Bubble offers a separate Agency account, priced per seat. Agency apps are for development; they can't go live until you transfer them to the client.
• Transfer: Bubble's manual describes moving app ownership to another Bubble user immediately, with an option to stay on as a collaborator.
• Editors: the Free and Starter plans don't support collaborators; Growth includes 2 editors and Team 5.

Here's the tradeoff that matters more for agencies than for solo founders. Bubble's own manual says apps "can only be run on the Bubble platform; there's no way of exporting your application as code", and that "Bubble retains ownership of the underlying code that powers your app." Data can be exported as CSV. If your engagement includes handing the client something they can take to another developer or host themselves, Bubble can't do that; the client's app stays on Bubble.

Pricing (as of November 2026, Web plans billed annually): Free (development version only, 50K workload units), Starter ($32/month, 175K workload units), Growth ($119/month, 250K workload units, 2 app editors), Team ($349/month, 500K workload units, 5 app editors), Enterprise (custom). Mobile and combined Web and Mobile plans are priced separately.

Sources: bubble.io/pricing, Bubble manual on app ownership

4. Lovable – real code handoff, priced by credits rather than seats

Lovable is a strong middle ground for agencies that want generated code the client can keep:

• Unlimited workspace members on every plan: plans are priced by credits, not seats, so adding people to a client project doesn't add seat fees.
• Two-way GitHub sync on all plans, so the finished app's code lives in a repository a client (or their next developer) can take over. Downloading the codebase without Git is a paid-plan feature.
• Workspace ownership transfer: the primary owner can hand the whole workspace to another account on every plan. Moving a single project to someone else's account is done by remixing, and the copy leaves database records, secrets, custom domains and collaborators behind.

The tradeoffs: credit-based pricing makes total cost across several concurrent client projects harder to predict than a flat tier, and per Lovable's plan comparison, workspace SSO and role-based access sit on Business, with SCIM and audit logs on Enterprise.

Pricing (as of November 2026): Free, Pro ($25/month for 100 credits), Business ($50/month for 100 credits, adds SSO), Enterprise (custom). Lovable's free plan grants daily build credits; check its pricing page for the current allowance.

Sources: lovable.dev/pricing, Lovable GitHub docs

5. Greta.sh – full-stack builds from a description, with GitHub on Pro

Greta.sh builds a full-stack app (frontend, backend, database and deployment) from a plain-English description, which makes it fast for producing a working client deliverable rather than a UI mockup. What an agency should know before building a client workflow around it:

• Code access by plan: you can read the code on every plan, edit it from Starter, and sync the project to your own GitHub repository on Pro. GitHub is the cleanest handoff path: keep the code in a repository the client controls.
• Team roles: Pro adds team management. A project has one Owner plus Editors and Viewers; only one person edits at a time (the Owner hands control to an Editor and can take it back), all credits are charged to the Owner's account, and only the Owner connects GitHub repositories.
• Deployment and domains: deployment, custom domain setup and no watermark start on Starter.
• Positioning: Greta.sh is a self-serve builder, and its MVP agency alternative page is written for founders. That doesn't stop an agency from using it, but it is worth knowing.
• Database: Database and Flows are on Pro. Greta.sh builds its own database for each app and doesn't sit on top of a client's existing production database, so plan a data migration if the client already has one.

Pricing (as of November 2026): Free (5 credits a day, no deployment), Starter ($5/month welcome offer, normally $20/month, 100 credits), Pro ($20/month welcome offer, normally $50/month, 250 credits, database, GitHub version control, team management), Business ($200/month, 1,000 credits), Enterprise (custom, SSO).

Sources: greta.sh/pricing, Greta.sh Team feature docs

6. Base44 – fast, collaborative client builds with a partner transfer path

Base44's speed makes it useful for turning a client's requirements into a working prototype, and its collaboration and transfer features make it practical beyond the pitch:

• Canvas: Base44's docs describe a canvas where several people work at once, each with a named cursor, alongside notes, drawings and images across all app pages.
• GitHub two-way sync from the Builder plan, which Base44's docs describe as "for version control, local development, and collaboration".
• Handoff: app ownership can be transferred by email invitation. Sending an app to someone outside your workspace needs an Enterprise workspace or approved partner status, and Base44's partner program lists "App transfer" to a client workspace as a benefit.
• Client SSO: app SSO (OIDC) is on the Business or Enterprise plans.

Pricing (as of November 2026, billed annually): Free, Starter ($16/month, 100 message credits), Builder ($40/month, 250), Pro ($80/month, 500), Elite ($160/month, 1,200). Base44 says yearly billing saves 20%.

Sources: base44.com/pricing, Base44 GitHub docs

App platforms for agencies: white-label and client portals

If you're choosing an app platform for agencies, two questions matter more than build speed: can you put your own brand on it, and can each client get its own portal with its own users? Full white-labeling is mostly an Enterprise feature. Softr removes its branding from Pro. Retool lists branding customization on Business and full white-labeling on Enterprise. Lovable removes its badge on Pro, and Greta.sh removes its watermark from Starter. For separating clients, the common pattern is one workspace (or organization) per client, which also makes the eventual transfer cleaner: Softr, Lovable and Base44 each document moving ownership of a workspace or app, and Bubble's agency plan is built around moving each app to the client's own account.

How to choose

• You need branded, permission-scoped client portals as your core deliverable → Softr (simpler) or Retool (deeper permissions, Business plan for external users).
• You want a dedicated agency plan and in-platform transfer → Bubble (confirm the no-code-export limitation is acceptable to your engagement model first).
• You want real code handoff and no per-seat fees → Lovable.
• You want a full-stack app from a description with GitHub sync on Pro → Greta.sh.
• You need something fast for a pitch, with a partner transfer path later → Base44.
• You want the broader picture beyond agency use specifically → see the full best AI app builders roundup, or run through our vendor lock-in and data ownership checklist before you put a client on any platform.

For how an agency can structure client delivery on an AI builder, see how agencies use Greta.sh to deliver client apps.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best AI app builder for agencies? It depends on what the agency is optimizing for. Retool and Softr are strongest for client-facing portals with real permission systems. Bubble has a dedicated agency plan, though its lack of code export is a real handoff limitation. Lovable, Base44 and Greta.sh all sync code to GitHub, with different collaboration and pricing tradeoffs.

Which AI development platforms are best for agencies building multiple client apps? Pick on how each platform separates clients and charges for them. Retool prices external users separately from builders, Softr counts Team and Client users per plan, Lovable charges by credits with unlimited members, and Bubble's agency plan charges per agency seat and moves each app to the client's account at launch.

What AI app builders let an agency hand off a finished app to a client who isn't technical? Softr (workspace ownership transfer, with client handoff as a documented use case), Bubble (one-click app ownership transfer), Lovable (workspace ownership transfer on every plan) and Base44 (app ownership transfer, which needs partner or Enterprise status for clients outside your workspace). For code ownership as well, Lovable, Base44 and Greta.sh sync to GitHub; Bubble does not export code.

What's the best enterprise client portal builder with SSO and role-based access? Retool and Softr both reserve SAML or OpenID SSO for their Enterprise plans; Retool adds role-based permission controls on Business, and Softr adds user groups from Pro. Lovable offers workspace SSO and role-based access on Business, and Base44 offers OIDC app SSO on Business or Enterprise.

What is an application builder? An application builder is a platform that lets you create a working software application (a website, internal tool, or client portal) by describing or visually assembling it, rather than writing all the code by hand. AI application builders like Greta.sh, Lovable, and Base44 generate the app from a plain-language description; platforms like Retool, Softr and Bubble give you pre-built components and visual logic tools to assemble it yourself.

Which app-building platforms are popular with agencies? There's no reliable public ranking, so treat any claim of popularity with caution. The tools most often considered for agency work are the ones on this page: Retool and Softr for portals, Bubble for its dedicated agency account, and Lovable, Base44 and Greta.sh for builds generated from a description.

Which AI app builder is cheapest for an agency? On entry price, Greta.sh Starter is a $5/month welcome offer (normally $20/month), and Base44 Starter is $16/month billed annually. Neither figure tells the full story for agency work: GitHub on Greta.sh needs Pro (a $20/month welcome offer, normally $50/month), and GitHub on Base44 starts on Builder at $40/month billed annually. Compare what one client project needs, not the lowest plan.

Can I hire an agency to build my app instead? Yes. The tools here are for teams who build themselves. Greta.sh is self-serve, so for done-for-you work, contact Greta Agency.

Can agencies white-label these tools under their own brand? Partly, and it varies by plan. Softr removes its branding on Pro. Retool lists branding customization on Business and full white-labeling on Enterprise. Lovable removes its badge on Pro, and Greta.sh removes its watermark from Starter.

Bottom line

There's no single best AI app builder for every agency. The right pick depends on whether the deliverable is a client portal (Retool or Softr), needs a dedicated agency plan and in-platform transfer (Bubble, with the export tradeoff in mind), needs real code handoff without seat fees (Lovable), or needs fast full-stack builds with code in GitHub (Greta.sh). Try Greta.sh free or see Greta.sh's pricing to compare plans directly.

Last updated: November 3, 2026. Prices and features re-checked on each vendor's own site on November 2, 2026.