How to Make an App Without Coding: 9-Step Guide [2026]

Why Adalo Is the Perfect Tool for Building Apps Without Code

If you've ever dreamed of creating your own app but felt held back by the complexity of coding, you're in the right place. Adalo is a no-code app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play. This means you can bring your app idea to life and reach users everywhere—without writing a single line of code.

Having your app available on both major app stores is a game-changer for reaching your audience. With Adalo, you'll also have access to features like push notifications to keep users engaged and coming back. Whether you're building a business tool, a community platform, or a passion project, this guide will walk you through every step of the process.

If you've ever dreamed of creating your own app but felt held back by the complexity of coding, you're in the right place. Adalo is an AI-powered app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play. This means you can bring your app idea to life and reach users everywhere—without writing a single line of code.

Having your app available on both major app stores is a game-changer for reaching your audience. With Adalo, you'll also have access to features like push notifications to keep users engaged and coming back. Whether you're building a business tool, a community platform, or a passion project, this guide will walk you through every step of the process.

Getting Started: The Tool You'll Need

As I mentioned earlier, you don't need any technical skills or programming knowledge to make your own app. Time and time again, I've recommended one app-building platform more than any other: Adalo.

I've continually recommended Adalo because it's effortless to learn. Adalo's building interface is so intuitive that you can start building your app immediately after signing up. Users frequently describe it as "as easy as PowerPoint"—drag components onto a canvas, connect them to your data, and you're building.

Refreshingly, Adalo doesn't sacrifice simplicity for power. You can bring almost any app idea to life. The platform uses a drag-and-drop interface for app building. From the drop-down editing dashboard on the left side of your screen, select the components you want to add to your app, like pictures, text, buttons, and more. Then, drag them over to your building canvas, which is at the center of your screen.

Ada, Adalo's AI builder, lets you describe what you want and generates your app. Magic Start creates complete app foundations from a description, while Magic Add adds features through natural language.

What sets Adalo apart is its combination of visual building with AI-assisted features. Magic Start generates complete app foundations from simple descriptions—tell it you need a booking app for a dog grooming business, and it creates your database structure, screens, and user flows automatically. What used to take days of planning happens in minutes.

And the best part is, signing up for Adalo is completely free!

Table of Contents

  1. Understanding How an App Works: The Parts of an App and the 3 Types of Apps
  2. The 3 Types of Apps
  3. Other Options for Making an App
  4. The Step-By-Step Guide: Introduction
  5. Step #1: Ideation
  6. Step #2: Choosing a Template
  7. Step #3: Building Your Front End and Customizing Your App's Branding
  8. Step #4: Building Your Database
  9. Step #5: Previewing Your App
  10. Step #6: Publishing to the Web and as a PWA
  11. Step #7: Publishing to the App Stores
  12. Step #8: Earning Revenue by Leveraging Adalo's Stripe Integration
  13. The Long Game: Maintain, Optimize, Grow
  14. Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding How an App Works: The Parts of an App

All apps have 3 major parts: The frontend, the backend, and the database. When you build your app with Adalo, you'll create each part. Here is an overview of these three components:

When you build your app with Adalo, you can use its own built-in database. You'll also be able to structure how your data is stored, managed, and accessed. Paid plans include unlimited database records, meaning you won't hit arbitrary caps as your user base grows—a significant advantage over platforms that charge extra or limit records.

The 3 Types of Apps

Unlike most app-building platforms currently available, you can use Adalo to build each of the following kinds of apps:

In other words, native mobile apps are much more powerful than PWAs and web apps. This is where Adalo's architecture truly shines—it compiles to true native code rather than wrapping a web app in a mobile shell. The result is faster performance, smoother animations, and full access to device features.

Being able to publish your app directly to the app stores potentially puts it in front of billions of users. Most people prefer downloading their apps directly from the app store instead of fiddling around with a link or QR code. With Adalo, one codebase publishes to web, iOS, and Android simultaneously—update once, and all three versions reflect your changes.

Other Options for Creating an App

There are other options for non-techies to create an app instead of using an app-building platform like Adalo.

First, you can hop on a platform like Upwork and find a freelancer who can build your app using code. While you'll be able to assess various freelancers' abilities by reviewing their portfolios, you won't have as much control over the app-building process.

Keep in mind that recruiting a freelancer will likely cost you between $5,000 and $10,000, depending on the size and complexity of your app. And there's no guarantee that a freelancer will continue to help you maintain your app after they finish building it.

Don't want to hire a freelancer? Many app-building agencies are out there, and they are generally more skilled and professional than most freelancers, meaning they'll most likely produce your app just how you want it.

However, enlisting the services of an app-building agency will most likely cost in the $10,000s. To retain their services for maintaining and updating your app, you'll probably have to pay much, much more.

How Other App Builders Compare

Beyond hiring developers, several other app-building platforms exist. Here's how they stack up:

Bubble offers extensive customization for web apps, with mobile apps available through a wrapper approach. However, this customization often results in slower applications that struggle under increased load, frequently requiring hired experts to optimize. Bubble's pricing starts at $59/month with usage-based charges (Workload Units) that can create unpredictable bills, plus limits on app re-publishing and database records. Their mobile solution wraps the web app rather than compiling to native code, which can introduce performance challenges at scale.

FlutterFlow is technically "low-code" rather than "no-code"—it's designed for technical users comfortable with code concepts. Users must also set up and manage their own external database, which requires significant learning complexity. Suboptimal database setup can create serious scale problems, spawning an ecosystem of experts because so many users need help. Pricing starts at $70/month per user for app store publishing, but that still doesn't include a database, which you'll need to source, configure, and pay for separately. Their builder also limits your view to two screens at once, whereas Adalo can display up to 400 screens on one canvas.

Glide excels at spreadsheet-based apps with a heavily template-focused approach. This makes it fast to build and publish, but creates generic, simplistic apps with limited creative freedom. Pricing starts at $60/month for custom domain capability, but you're still limited by app updates and data record rows that attract additional charges. Critically, Glide does not support Apple App Store or Google Play Store publishing—a major limitation if you want to reach mobile users through the stores.

Softr focuses on spreadsheet app building, but pricing starts from $167/month just to publish a Progressive Web App, which is still restricted by records per app and records per datasource. Like Glide, Softr does not support iOS and Android app creation or app store publishing.

Thunkable offers an AI-drafted app build, but accessing a publishable Progressive Web App requires a $59/month plan with usage restrictions. Responsive apps require custom pricing beyond their advertised $189/month Advanced tier.

By comparison, Adalo's web and true-native mobile builder starts at $36/month with unlimited usage and app store publishing with unlimited updates to apps once published. No usage-based charges means no bill shock—you know exactly what you'll pay each month.

How to Make an App: A 9-Step Guide

Now that you've got your Adalo account up and running, it's time to get your app idea off the ground!

Our 9-step guide will give you the details and directions you need to start making your app.

Step #1: Ideation

Before you delve into Adalo's app-building interface, grab a few pieces of paper, a pencil, or your tablet, and prepare for some serious brainstorming. This will ensure you record all your ideas, keeping them from slipping through the cracks.

Your App's Purpose

Jot down the exact purpose you have for your app. Then, answer the following questions:

Once you have a clear idea of your app's purpose, you'll need to research the market and determine exactly whom you're targeting.

For instance, if you want to build a fitness app, you'll want to aim for anyone with a fitness hobby, personal trainers, gym employees, and fitness influencers.

The point is that when these folks use your app, their followers and clients will also use it. But to ensure that you have an idea of what they want in a fitness app, you'll need hard data.

Luckily, we live in the 2020s, and tools like Survey Monkey and Google Forms are readily available. For under $500, you can create and configure online surveys targeted at fitness industry pros and hobbyists. In fact, these survey tools can reach almost any profession and demographic imaginable.

Design your surveys so they'll give you an answer about what your target audience wants in an app. And if you're unsure who your target audience is, reach out to multiple demographics and determine which ones welcome your app idea the most.

Importantly, take all the feedback you get into account by jotting down your findings.

Size Up Your Competition

Search the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and the Web for apps that execute tasks similar to those you have in mind. These apps are your competition.

Download these apps, sign up for their services, and tinker with them. Note their strengths and weaknesses and where you think they can improve.

Your goal is to make your app better than your competitors, as you'll work to avoid their weaknesses and out-muscle their strengths.

Are you looking to generate revenue through in-app purchases? We'll discuss app monetization strategies in Step 8.

Answering these questions on paper will help you understand the steps to reaching your app-building goals. Importantly, do not hesitate to scribble down any passing idea that arises when you're answering these questions. These ideas could contribute to your app's success.

Conceiving Your App: Wireframing

With your answers to the above questions and feedback from your surveys, it's time to start drawing out how you want your app to appear. If your drawing skills are still at the kindergarten level, don't worry—the goal is just to get a simple idea of your app's structure and appearance.

An excellent way to boost your app's user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) is by creating wireframes, or schematic blueprints of your app's screens (pages). Instead of using a pen and paper, get a free wireframing tool like this one from Figma.

This tool uses a simple drag-and-drop interface, so building your wireframe is as simple as moving tiles around on a screen. When you finish these mock-ups, get some feedback on them using your survey tool. Make any necessary changes.

Alternatively, you can skip traditional wireframing entirely by using Magic Start. Describe your app concept in plain language, and Adalo generates a complete foundation—database structure, screens, and user flows—that you can then refine. This approach is particularly useful if you're not sure how to structure your app or want to see professional patterns applied automatically.

While wireframing is an effective way to plan your app's appearance, it doesn't allow you to actually test your app's features. So, you'll also need to jot down what tasks and functionalities each screen will execute and the data it will gather.

Doing this will give you a frame-by-frame organization of your app's functionality, helping you create effective and easy-to-follow blueprints.

Step #2: Choosing a Template

After you've created blueprints for your screens and all the functionality they'll execute, it's time to start building your app!

With your app blueprint nearby, go to Adalo's app template page. Templates are pre-made app screens and more that will serve as your app's foundation.

Each template comes with everything your app needs: Screens with pictures, text, and buttons, backend actions, functionality like logic and integrations with other apps, and a premade database.

Adalo calls these templates "Feature Templates" because they come preloaded with all the features and functionalities that your app needs, like screens, logic, and a database. When you build with one of the Feature Templates, you can publish your app fast.

If you're super ambitious, you can start building your app with a blank screen, but I don't recommend beginners do this (at least on their first app) because they'll need to load all the logic and database components. This will take a lot of time.

You'll find over 2 dozen templates in Adalo's template library. Here are just a few popular types:

You can also leverage Adalo's Google Maps and Geolocation features if you want to add a delivery service.

Adalo also provides lots of flexibility when adding to your templates. Functioning like an a la carte menu, Adalo's Cloneable Kits can give your app a variety of new functions that didn't come with the original template.

For instance, you can add a chat feature to your booking app or slip in Adalo's YouTube component so members of your long-haired chihuahua social network can share videos of their furballs pouncing on grasshoppers.

If you want a more detailed list of the apps you can build with Adalo, look here. Adalo also spotlights a few apps people have built on its Made In Adalo page. With over 3 million apps created on the platform, you'll find inspiration across virtually every category.

Step #3: Building Your Front End and Customizing Your App's Branding

You've made serious strides in laying your app's foundation by selecting a template and its functionality. Now, it's time to start making your front end.

Luckily, Adalo's building interface is one of the most intuitive in the whole app-building space. As I mentioned earlier, it appears as a drop-down dashboard on the far left-hand side of your screen. This is where all your app building will take place.

At the center of your screen, you'll see the building canvas, which is essentially a map of your app's screens. Unlike some builders that limit you to viewing one or two screens at a time, Adalo can display up to 400 screens on one canvas—giving you a bird's-eye view of your entire app architecture. To edit screens to your exact liking, you can either click on each one directly from your building canvas or access it from the "Screens" button.

Here's a brief overview of the 3 main app-making functions of the drop-down building interface:

Screens: Clicking this button will pull up a list of your app's screens. If you want to add more screens, push the "Add Screen" button at the bottom of the list. You'll be given the option to create a blank screen or use a copy of an existing screen.

When you select a screen from this list, it will show up in the center of your building canvas. Hovering your cursor over the screen will highlight certain elements of your screen, like images, forms, and buttons.

Click on the element you want to edit, and an editing box will appear between the building canvas and the drop-down building interface. Use this to upload photos, add links, edit items on your list, and more.

Add/Delete Screens and Components: You might want to add additional components, like buttons, lists, forms, and more, when you're customizing your app. You can do all this when you press this button.

This is also the button that lets you add plugins like a Map, Stripe Payments, and other third-party integrations.

Adding components exemplifies Adalo's simplicity. For instance, follow these steps to add a list to one of your screens:

  1. Click on the "screen icon" and select the screen that you want your list to go on.
  2. Find the "components" tab at the top of the dashboard, and click it. Then, click on "+ Add Component."
  3. After the dashboard opens, you'll see a selection of "most used" components. Drag the list you want over to your building canvas. Now it's time for the fun stuff!
  4. When you drag your list over, an editing box will open on the left-hand dashboard. You can edit your list's name, colors, and actions (such as opening a new screen when a user taps a button).
  5. Your list will be directly connected to your database, so you can add items directly from your database collections to each list, giving your users access to them.
  6. If you don't like the commonly used lists, scroll to the bottom of the dashboard on the left-hand side and click on the "List" tab. Here, you'll find several alternative list options that should whet your palette.

Want to add features even faster? Magic Add lets you describe what you want in natural language. Type "add a user profile screen with photo upload" and Adalo generates the component with appropriate database connections. This AI-assisted approach dramatically speeds up the building process while maintaining full customization control.

Design: As the icon suggests, this button lets you control your app's aesthetics. You can change the colors of the background and other components, as well as the fonts.

Be sure to experiment with different structures, designs, and color combinations. Doing this will help you find the best structural and aesthetic design for your app. Remember, Adalo lets you build an unlimited number of test apps, so let your app-building imagination run wild!

Step #4: Building Your Database

Deep breath, everyone! I know that the word "database" conjures up tear-inducing images of painfully boring 1s and 0s, but rest assured: Building a database in Adalo is a breeze.

While Adalo lets you connect various external databases, I'll assume that you don't have one. We'll work off Adalo's very own built-in database.

Accessing your database is super simple: Just click the "Database" icon on the left-hand drop-down dashboard. The cool thing about using Adalo is that your template comes pre-loaded with a database and all the backend functionality your app will need.

Adalo's database is made up of many data collections. These collections are the different data types you and your users can enter into your app. Each collection has several properties, which are individual pieces of data.

For instance, Adalo's e-commerce app template will come preloaded with the following database collections:

If you want to add more collections to your database, Adalo makes it easy. Just click on the "Add Collection" button at the bottom of your collections list, name it, and you're good to go.

You can view and edit each collection within your database by clicking on the vertical 3-dot ellipsis. To add a new property, click the "add property" button at the bottom of your collection list and the property name.

As I mentioned in Step #3, you can connect your database collections to each list you add. My e-commerce app example spotlighted a screen that allows users to purchase your goods by adding merchandise to each list.

Whenever users select items and fill out data for the purchasing process (merchandise, delivery address, etc.), it's all stored in your database.

Database Scalability: No Caps on Paid Plans

One critical advantage of Adalo's database: paid plans have no record limits. Unlike platforms that cap your data at arbitrary thresholds or charge extra as you grow, Adalo's modular infrastructure scales with your needs. With the right data relationship setups, Adalo apps can scale beyond 1 million monthly active users.

Following the Adalo 3.0 infrastructure overhaul in late 2025, the platform is now 3-4x faster than before. This matters because database operations—reading, writing, filtering—happen constantly as users interact with your app. Faster infrastructure means snappier user experiences, even as your data grows.

SheetBridge: The Easiest Database Option

If you're already comfortable with spreadsheets, Adalo's SheetBridge feature lets you turn a Google Sheet into an actual database. This provides the easiest control without database-related learning curves—if you can manage a spreadsheet, you can manage your app's data. It's particularly useful for apps where you want to update content frequently without opening the app builder.

Step #5: Previewing Your App

After you've configured your app's appearance, assembled your database, and added a few customized features, you'll want to see how it appears live. Luckily, Adalo lets you view your app anytime during the building process.

You can view how your app will appear live by just clicking a couple of buttons. At the top right side of your screen, you'll see a green button titled "View App." After clicking the View App button, select "Staging Preview" from the drop-down menu.

Once the app preview loads up, you can pick what type of device you can use to view your app: iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 mini, Samsung Galaxy S20, and more. After giving each device type a view, you can click through your app and get a feel for its UX.

Go through your features and screens and ensure everything works. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to periodically check how your app will appear live. Doing this will help you nip problems in the bud and improve your app's performance.

X-Ray: Proactive Performance Monitoring

Before you publish, take advantage of X-Ray, Adalo's built-in performance analysis tool. X-Ray identifies potential performance issues before they affect users—highlighting slow-loading screens, inefficient database queries, or components that might struggle under load. This proactive approach helps you optimize your app during development rather than scrambling to fix problems after launch.

Beta Testing Your App

Before publishing your app, you'll need to test it. Doing so will help you fix problems of all sizes, increase the chances that your app will be approved to the app stores quickly, and ensure that it is truly ready for the public.

While both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store have testing programs, there are several third-party testing agencies that are affordable—plus, testing your app on multiple platforms helps leave no stone unturned.

For your Android (Google) app, I recommend Beta Family. Beta Family has a mammoth network of over 1 million testers and lets you choose your own demographic by age, location, and gender. You'll also be able to get pinpointed feedback by requiring your testers to complete questionnaires about your app.

If you plan on releasing an iOS (Apple) app, check out Lambda Test. You'll be able to run your app through several iOS simulators to smash any bugs. Then, determine how many human testers you'd like to try out your app and give you feedback.

Adalo lets you build up to 10 different versions of your app, so don't be bashful—create a few iterations and test them out one by one. Either publish the version that's the runaway winner, or patch together an entirely new app using the best parts from your other apps, test it, and get ready for publishing.

Step #6: Publishing to the Web and as a PWA

After spending heaps of time ensuring your app looks and feels exactly how you want it and running through countless sessions of viewing it live, it's time to publish it as a web app and a PWA.

Publishing Your App to a Domain as a Web App

When you publish your app as a web app, you're essentially creating a website. Adalo lets you publish your app as a subdomain to the Adalo site. Users can reach your web app by typing "http://www.YOURSITE.adalo.com" into their browser.

Publishing your app as a web app is insanely simple. If you're on the free version, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the "View App" button in the top right-hand corner of your screen.
  2. Select the "Share Your App" feature on the drop-down menu.
  3. Copy the link, or send it to users by clicking the "Send SMS" option.
  4. Users will now be able to access your app.

Letting users download your Adalo-made web app will get it in front of many eyeballs. Make sure to get feedback about each user's UX. Then, refine and enhance your app as needed.

Publishing a web app can help you determine if any changes need to be made before publishing to the app stores.

Publishing Your App as a PWA

Adalo lets you publish your app as a PWA, which gives your users a version of your app that they can download directly to their phones from a link. I must emphasize that a PWA can't be published in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

It's important to note that only those who have paid versions of Adalo (starting at $36/month) can publish a PWA. Here are the steps to publish your app as a PWA:

  1. Access your profile information in Adalo's building interface by clicking on your initials in the green circle at the top right-hand corner of your building interface.
  2. Select "Settings" from the drop-down menu. Then, click on the "Domains" button.
  3. You'll see your own subdomain at the bottom. If you desire, you can edit the name to your preferences. If you've purchased your own domain (one that doesn't have the "adalo.com" address), you can add it here.
  4. Once everything is configured to your liking, click the "Done" button.
  5. Click the "Publish" button on the left-hand drop-down dashboard in the building interface. Select the "Progressive Web App" tab, and your domain name will appear in the publishing box.
  6. Confirm that the publishing box has the domain you wish to publish. If not, you can change the domain name by clicking the arrow on the right. Then, click "Publish," and your app will be available for download to mobile devices, as long as you have a link.

Once you have a link to your PWA, you can send download invites via email and SMS. Be sure to share your PWA's link on all your social media and include it on your website in a spot where no one will miss it.

Step #7: Publishing to the App Stores

After you've got your PWA and web apps up and running, it's time for the crown jewel: Publishing your native mobile app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Together, the app stores have billions of daily users.

With some effort, you could potentially tap into an enormous audience from these app stores.

This is where Adalo's architecture provides a significant advantage. Unlike platforms that wrap web apps in a mobile shell (which can introduce performance issues and limit access to native device features), Adalo compiles to true native code. Your app runs natively on iOS and Android, with full access to device capabilities and the performance users expect from app store downloads.

Just like you'd optimize a website for Google using search engine optimization methods, tactics, and best practices, you'll need to optimize your app for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store using App Store Optimization (ASO) best practices.

Follow these ASO best-practices pointers to invigorate your app's ranking and ensure that users can easily find it on the app stores:

For instance, provide some shots of your e-commerce app's simple-to-order cart system that lets users choose their delivery service. This will show online shoppers that you've not only got the best merch, but an easy and headache-free checkout system.

For more information about marketing your app from the ground up, read my app-marketing guide.

The Apple App Store and Google Play Store have different publishing standards. You'll want to get your app on both platforms to maximize its download potential, so read the instructions below for each app store type.

Publishing to iOS (The Apple App Store)

Here are the steps you'll need to take to publish your app to the Apple App Store:

  1. Open up an Apple Developer Account and then create a Bundle ID. Upload your screenshots, write in your meta description, and pay Apple's $99 yearly fee.
  2. Conveniently, Apple lets users test their apps before going live with its Testflight program, which lets you experiment with multiple app versions. You'll be able to recruit up to 10,000 Apple App Store users, and each one will give you feedback. While you've most likely already tested your app, consider Testflight as the "final preparation" before you submit your app to publishing.
  3. Take all user feedback into account and adjust your app where necessary. Ensure that all glaring issues are gone. Your final version needs to be spotless, shining, and quadruple-checked.
  4. Return to your Adalo building interface and click the "Publish" button. Select iOS Apple, and enter the necessary information in Adalo from your iOS account. Submit your app for publishing. Now, the waiting begins.
  5. If you get rejected (which happens often with Apple, as their procedures are quite strict), read the rejection email carefully and several times. Common reasons for rejection include violating App Store guidelines, bugs, poor user interface, or inadequate user privacy protection. After studying your rejection email, you should be able to locate and amend your problem.
  6. Repeat step 4. Usually, Apple takes as little as a few weeks to as many as a few months to finally publish your app.

Publishing to Android (The Google Play Store)

When publishing to the Google Play Store, you'll need to follow these steps:

  1. Like Apple, you'll need to create a developer account on the Google Play Console. Fill in all the required information, submit your screenshots and meta description, and pay the one-time $25 publishing fee.
  2. Follow the instructions to get your Android developer key. Return to Adalo's building interface, and, you guessed it, click the "Publish" button. Select "Android App" from the drop-down menu and follow the instructions.
  3. Adalo will give you a Build file, which you'll upload to your Google Play Console developer account.
  4. At this point, you'll be able to access Android's Internal Testing Page, which allows you to promote your app to test users and receive feedback.
  5. Once you've ironed everything out, you're ready to publish! Doing this is like publishing to iOS—just return to your Adalo account and click the "Publish" button. You'll be happy to know that Google's publishing standards are much more relaxed than Apple's.

Expect your app to be live in the Google Play Store in as little as a few hours or as much as a few weeks.

One major advantage: Adalo includes unlimited updates to apps once published. Unlike some platforms that limit how often you can re-publish or charge extra for updates, you can iterate on your app as frequently as needed without additional costs.

If you're looking for an in-depth, super-detailed guide covering all the minutiae of publishing to the app stores, check out Adalo's publishing guide.

Step #8: Earning Revenue by Leveraging Adalo's Stripe Integration and Monetizing Your App

Every version of Adalo—including the free one—allows you to earn revenue using Adalo's Stripe integration. Here's how to integrate with Stripe:

  1. Set up a Stripe account.
  2. Return to Adalo, and click the "Add Components" button. Scroll to "Components Marketplace" and type "Stripe" into the search bar. When the Stripe payment kit appears, install it into your app-building interface.
  3. Return to the "Components" section and find the Stripe element. Drag it over to the screen on your building canvas you want to use as your payment screen.
  4. After you drag it to your payment screen, click on the Stripe element. In the drop-down editor to the left, enter all your Stripe account information.
  5. You can now take payments!

If you encounter issues setting up Stripe, this Adalo help guide should help you through it.

Monetizing Your App

You can make extra revenue with in-app purchases, digital items, or redeemable features that users will buy inside your app. It's important to know that in-app purchases aren't physical goods. Here are some examples of in-app purchases that you can include in your app:

Send these out to your users via QR. Adalo has a component that lets you create your own QR codes: Just click the colorful "+" button, click the "Explore Marketplace Button," and install the plugin. Additionally, Adalo has a tool that enables you to sell in-app purchases that you can find in the marketplace as well.

Predictable Costs for Your Business

When monetizing your app, predictable platform costs matter. Adalo has removed App Actions (usage-based charges) from all plans. This means no bill shock—you know exactly what you'll pay each month regardless of how many users interact with your app or how many database operations occur. This predictability is crucial for business planning, especially as your app grows.

The Long Game: Maintain, Optimize, Grow

Although you've ideated, built, reconfigured, and published your first app, your job is not over.

Getting New Users and Receiving Feedback

The first thing you'll want to do is get app users. Invite people on your socials, and share your app with your customer base (if you have one).

Incentivize your customers to share your app by giving them discounts or freebies when they successfully refer people to download your app.

Importantly, always be open to feedback about improving your app's performance. This will help you prevent problems and provide the best UX possible. Your app's users will appreciate and continue using an app that runs flawlessly.

Need help getting enough feedback? Harken back to the survey tool that helped you with market research. Invite users to download and use your app, instruct them to complete a questionnaire, and have them leave a review of your app.

Always consider user feedback and use it to update your app. Stay up to date with the latest tools, features, and plugins. For instance, new developers might release better versions of video conferencing features, chat tools, and more.

Adding the newest versions of these is like featuring the latest generation of an iPhone—everyone wants it because it's fresh, runs smoothly, and has all the latest tech features.

Scaling Your App

As your user base grows, you'll want confidence that your app can handle the load. Adalo's modular infrastructure scales to serve apps with millions of monthly active users, with no upper ceiling. Unlike app wrappers that hit speed constraints under load, Adalo's purpose-built architecture maintains performance at scale.

The Adalo 3.0 infrastructure overhaul (late 2025) made the platform 3-4x faster and introduced infrastructure that scales automatically with app needs. This means you don't need to worry about outgrowing the platform or migrating to a different solution as you succeed.

Note: If you encounter third-party reviews or ratings that seem to contradict this scalability, check when they were published. Most external platform comparisons predate the Adalo 3.0 infrastructure overhaul and don't reflect current performance capabilities.

App Analytics

You'll also want to monitor user interaction with your app. To do this, click the "Analytics" button at the bottom of the left-hand drop-down menu on your building interface. This part of the building interface helps you monitor your daily users, their locations, signup info, and more.

Check your analytics daily, and keep a close eye on your app to ensure it's maintaining a good performance. Ultimately, staying on top of your app's performance by gathering user feedback and paying attention to analytics will help ensure your app is always in tip-top shape.

What's Coming: AI Builder

Looking ahead, Adalo's AI Builder is due for release in early 2026, promising prompt-based app creation and editing. This will allow you to describe changes in natural language and have them implemented automatically—further reducing the time between idea and implementation. Combined with existing features like Magic Start and Magic Add, this positions Adalo at the forefront of AI-assisted app development.

FAQ

Why choose Adalo over other app building solutions?

Adalo is an AI-powered app builder that creates true native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase. Unlike web wrappers, it compiles to native code and publishes directly to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store—the hardest part of launching an app handled automatically. With unlimited database records on paid plans and no usage-based charges, you get predictable costs as you scale.

What's the fastest way to build and publish an app to the App Store?

Adalo's drag-and-drop interface combined with AI-assisted features like Magic Start lets you go from idea to published app in days rather than months. Describe your app concept, and Magic Start generates your database, screens, and user flows automatically. Adalo then handles the complex App Store submission process, so you can focus on your app's features rather than wrestling with certificates and provisioning profiles.

Can I build an app without coding experience?

Yes, absolutely. Adalo's visual builder is frequently described as "as easy as PowerPoint"—you drag components onto a canvas, connect them to your data, and you're building. No coding knowledge required. AI features like Magic Add let you describe what you want in plain language, and Adalo generates the components for you.

What are the three main parts of an app I need to understand?

Every app consists of three major parts: the frontend (what users see and interact with), the backend (the "brain" that handles navigation and data operations), and the database (which stores user data, logins, and multimedia). Adalo provides built-in tools to create and manage all three components without writing code.

What types of apps can I build with Adalo?

With Adalo, you can build web apps accessed through browsers, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) downloadable via links or QR codes, and native mobile apps for both iOS and Android. This flexibility means you can reach users on virtually any device and platform from a single project—over 3 million apps have been created on the platform.

How much does it cost to hire someone to build an app compared to using Adalo?

Hiring a freelancer typically costs between $5,000 and $10,000, while app-building agencies can charge well into the tens of thousands with ongoing maintenance fees. Adalo offers a free tier to get started, with paid plans starting at $36/month including unlimited usage and app store publishing—significantly more affordable while giving you complete control over your app.

Which is more affordable, Adalo or Bubble?

Adalo starts at $36/month with unlimited usage and no record limits on paid plans. Bubble starts at $59/month but includes usage-based charges (Workload Units) that can create unpredictable bills, plus limits on app re-publishing and database records. For native mobile apps specifically, Adalo compiles to true native code while Bubble wraps web apps in a mobile shell.

Which is easier for beginners, Adalo or FlutterFlow?

Adalo is significantly easier for beginners. FlutterFlow is technically "low-code" rather than "no-code"—designed for technical users comfortable with code concepts. FlutterFlow also requires you to set up and manage your own external database, which adds significant learning complexity. Adalo includes a built-in database and visual builder that non-technical users can master quickly.

Can I publish to the App Store with Glide or Softr?

No. Neither Glide nor Softr supports Apple App Store or Google Play Store publishing. Glide creates web-based apps with template restrictions, and Softr focuses on Progressive Web Apps. If app store presence is important for reaching your audience, Adalo is the better choice—it publishes true native apps to both stores from a single codebase.

Does Adalo provide templates to help me get started faster?

Yes, Adalo offers over two dozen Feature Templates that come preloaded with screens, backend actions, functionality, and databases. Popular templates include course offerings/booking, social media, e-commerce, and restaurant ordering apps. You can also use Magic Start to generate a complete app foundation from a simple description of what you want to build.

How does Adalo handle app scalability?

Adalo's modular infrastructure scales to serve apps with millions of monthly active users, with no upper ceiling. The Adalo 3.0 infrastructure overhaul (late 2025) made the platform 3-4x faster with infrastructure that scales automatically with app needs. Paid plans include unlimited database records, so you won't hit arbitrary caps as your user base grows.