What no-code tool to choose to help you achieve your business objectives?

No-code tools are still on the rise and there are many interesting platforms on the market which can make it difficult to choose the perfect one.

We have prepared a comparison between two platforms, Bubble and Webflow, that are one of the biggest ones out there, to help you to make an informed decision and familiarise you with their possibilities. 

What is Bubble and Webflow?

Bubble.io is a no-code visual programming platform that enables users to build, host and scale applications. It is based on a drag-and-drop interface with a powerful workflow engine that allows users to assign actions to certain elements on the page. It also comes with a fully featured database.

Webflow is also a no-code website builder based on a drag-and-drop interface and workflows, but the main differences between these two is in the layout control system. Webflow allows users to build and design pages as they wish in terms of responsiveness, animations and aesthetics. It gives users control over the ‘feel’ of an app. 

What can I build using those platforms?

Bubble is an ideal solution for creating more complex applications. It’s due to the high level of customization and connectivity with 3rd party apps via a very robust library of plugins. 

The most popular ones like Twillio, Stripe or Sendgrid enable more advanced features that are not available by default. Apps that can be built using Bubble are: Marketplaces, Social Networks, Booking Apps, Personal Finance Tools, Internal Management Tools, Community and Review Sites, Food Delivery Services, Job Boards, Educational Tools and many many more! 

With the plugins Bubble allows you to build a user verification system with Twillio, a payment system with Stripe or a newsletter feature in Sendgrid. Bubble is definitely a very powerful tool, but in terms of design it’s more suited for solutions with a simple and clean look.

When it comes to Webflow it’s better suited for blogs, portfolios, simple e-commerce shops, information sites, brand websites etc. Generally sites that don’t require that many interactions will be perfect to build using Webflow. It’s a tool with heavily developed animations, and visual effects, which makes it perfect for creating websites with complex designs. 

In terms of customization it’s also possible to connect 3rd party applications using plugins, but it still remains more suited for simpler solutions.

When it comes to the visual aspect of app development, both tools offer the option to choose a template from a library or create the design from scratch.

Database and performance

Both Bubble and Webflow have internal databases that hold all of the information from the created application. Bubble uses PostgreSQL – an open source database management system that is very advanced and allows you to operate with significant data volumes.

When it comes to Webflow, only an internal Content Management System based on collections is available. A more traditional database is not accessible.

Performance is an important aspect of choosing the right platform to host your app. Both Webflow and Bubble are fairly efficient considering their no-code nature. However, when comparing these two, there are some differences that are worth mentioning. 

Due to being used for more complex solutions, Bubble tends to run a bit slower. It’s especially visible while handling large amounts of data or executing complex workflows. Larger traffic on the site would have a similar effect. 

Webflow is clearly faster and smoother when it comes to less complex apps. That again is due to the fact that the level of complexity that some of the Bubble apps have is not possible to be achieved. 

Key aspects relevant for developers

It’s worth mentioning some of the features that might be important for developers or anyone that wishes to try their hand at creating their first app using either of these tools.

The first question that probably comes to mind is ‘How fast can I learn it?’. Well the answer is not that straightforward as it depends on what background you have coming into either Bubble or Webflow. 

Generally speaking, Webflow is easier to grasp and with the help of excellent (and free!) video tutorials and themed courses available on Webflow University you can become proficient in no time. A lot of functionalities are already built-in to the tool and make the creation process very smooth.

For Bubble, the learning curve is a bit steeper. Many features that are ready-made in Webflow require a more creative approach to be created in Bubble. 

A good example would be setting up responsiveness for different displays which is a key element in web development. In Webflow it’s extremely easy to set up: changes are applied to any given break point and only cascade downwards towards smaller displays. 

However, in Bubble the responsive behaviour of a site is based on setting up multiple conditions to particular elements and containers based on the width of a page that needs to be a specific value. 

For some elements like pictures, usually a separate element only visible on mobile is necessary to be created which is both time consuming and challenging especially for developers that are at the beginning of their Bubble journey.

It’s worth mentioning that both platforms allow users to ask for help or to share knowledge on a community forum. If there’s an unclear topic, an issue with a plugin or advanced feature that might be hard to implement, there is a big chance that all of the answers that you seek are already there. Both documentations are well-structured, they cover common and advanced features and they continue to grow. 

The last aspect which may be interesting for developers is how the user interface compares between the two platforms. 

Bubble’s UI seems a bit outdated and can take some time to get used to it. The monochrome colours and general plain look are a bit repelling at the start and make it difficult to notice all of the available options.

The UI design in Webflow is more modern and slick which makes using it very intuitive and enjoyable.

Of course it’s all a question of subjective preferences so take that with a grain of salt and see for yourself!

Cost and amendments to the finished product

One significant thing that has not been brought up yet is the cost. Both platforms offer a very basic free version as well as have several pricing options to choose from. 

Also, if the needs of your business do not match the offered plans there is a possibility to get a custom deal.

When it comes to Bubble, there are 3 paid plans with prices that start at 29$ per month.

Webflow offers a more diverse selection of site plans, the most simple one starts at 14$ per month. However, it’s a plan that doesn’t offer CMS access so the possibilities will be very limited. If you want to launch any other content-driven site, it’s best to try the most elementary plan that offers that at 23$ per month. 

The full pricing offer can be found on the official websites for Bubble and Webflow.

It’s important to also touch upon how easy it is to perform changes to the finished product. Luckily, for both Bubble and Webflow it’s quite easy and straightforward to perform any necessary corrections to apps that were using a custom design. 

If the product is based on a template, then it’s not possible to change the template all together. However, it’s still achievable to adjust selected features.

One key difference between the two tools, which may be a deal-breaker for some, is that for Bubble, it’s not possible to export the code that has been created for the app in the background. That means that to move the created product elsewhere you would need to build it again from scratch. 

For Webflow, you can easily export the code, if you have chosen the pricing plan model that allows that, as well as perform any changes manually as you create the website.

Final thoughts

To summarise, both Bubble and Webflow are powerful tools that enable you to create complete apps. Their features complement each other and it’s best to decide on a project-by-project basis as to which platform to choose. 

When you want to create an application with a lot of powerful functionalities, a rich library of plugins and control over advanced workflows, Bubble should be your choice. 

However, if the application does not need to be so complex or you want to make sure that the site looks beautiful, elegant and modern, and have more control over layout and animations, Webflow will prove to be much better.