Adalo Review (2023): Is this the best no code app builder?

Adalo is one of the leading no code platforms on the market. It's easy-to-use interface makes it a popular choice with people looking to build an app without having to code.

In this Adalo review, we’re going to take a close look at the platform, its features, pricing and other alternative no code platforms to help you decide if it's the right no code solution for you.

What is Adalo?

Adalo is a no code platform, founded in 2018 by David Adkin, that enables anyone to build native mobile apps and progressive web apps without a single line of code. With Adalo, you can create most types of app you can imagine. The platform comes with a drag and drop interface that makes it easy to design and build your app without any technical expertise.

Interested in trying Adalo? Sign up today.

Adalo features

Adalo also offers a wide range of features and integrations that will enable you to create a fully functioning app without any coding. These include:

Drag and drop UI components

Using Adalo is as easy as dragging and dropping UI components to design your app. The platform comes with over 50 UI components for you to use. These include components most apps require such as buttons, tex, lists, images, forms and navigation bars.

Adalo also has a component marketplace which offers components for more niche requirements. Some of the more interesting components we found in the marketplace included a QR code generator, audio player and an in app purchase widget. It seems like the component marketplace is constantly growing and you can even contribute your own components if you are a developer.

Interested in trying Adalo? Sign up today.

Dynamic logic and integrations

To bring your app to life, you’ll need to add dynamic actions. These are essentially events that happen when a user interacts with your app. For example, you might want to add an action that opens a signup form when a user clicks on a button.

Adalo has a wide range of prebuilt actions for you to use. These include actions for opening pages, making HTTP requests, sending emails and push notifications and accessing device features such as the camera.

You can also add custom actions if you know how to code. This enables you to extend the functionality of your app beyond what’s possible with the prebuilt actions such as use external API services.

Adalo also has a Zapier integration which lets you connect your Adalo app with over 1,500 other services and platforms such as Google sheets, Airtable, WordPress, Slack, Trello and a whole lot more.

Interested in trying Adalo? Sign up today.

Database and user management

Adalo comes with a built-in database that makes it easy to store and manage your app’s data. You can easily create collection, set relationships and add security rules to control who can read, write and delete data.

Adalo also offers API integration with existing databases which means you can simply use Adalo as the front end of your app if you prefer.

Adalo also has a user management system which lets you easily add authentication to your app. This is useful if you want to add features such as login, signup, password reset and email verification. You can also use social login through Apple or Google by using components available in the marketplace.

Interested in trying Adalo? Sign up today.

Push notifications

Adalo offers push notifications as a built-in feature. This means you can send notifications to your users without having to write any code. You can easily segment your audience and send targeted notifications based on user behavior.

Version history

Adalo offers a version history feature which keeps track of all the changes you make to your app. This is useful for tracking your progress and reverting back to previous versions if you make a mistake.

Geolocation

Adalo offers geolocation features through a Google Maps API native integration which let you track the location of your users. This is useful for adding features such as location-based search, check-ins and nearby places.

Templates

If you need some inspiration or want to save time, Adalo also has a wide range of templates and themes available. These can be easily customized to fit your specific needs.

Templates are prebuilt apps that you can use as a starting point for your own app. For example, there’s a template for an ecommerce app, a news app and a task manager app.

Interested in trying Adalo? Sign up today.

Analytics

Adalo comes with built-in analytics so you can track how users are using your app. This is useful for understanding what features are being used and which ones need improvement.

You can also integrate Adalo with external analytics platforms such as Google Analytics, Mixpanel and Amplitude.

App publishing

Adalo lets you easily publish your app to the Apple App Store, Google Pay or web. Adalo will generate the necessary files for you and all you need to do is submit it to the respective store. You can also publish your app as a Progress Web App (PWA).

Interested in trying Adalo? Sign up today.

Adalo app examples

To give you a better idea of what's possible to build with Adalo, below are some app examples we found in the Adalo's App Showcase section of their website.

Booking app

Peculiar Yoga is a great example of a simple booking app that was built using Adalo. It allows users to find and book yoga classes.

The app has a very clean and simple design which makes it easy to use. It also utilises some of the more advanced features to offer the ability to book classes, buy class credits and leave testimonials for instructors.

To-do app

Daily Tasker is a simple and minimal to-do app that was built using Adalo. It allows users to add and manage tasks with ease.

The app utilises some of the more advanced Adalo features to offer users the ability to create to-dos and view their schedule in the app's calendar screen.

Internal tools

Beyond Boundaries is an app to help Washington University students who are part of the Beyond Boundaries program find events and other students to connect with while in the program.

The app utilities features such as photo upload, multiple collections of data and more.

Interested in trying Adalo? Sign up today.

Adalo pros and cons

Adalo is a powerful no code platform that offers a wide range of features and integrations. However, there are some small drawbacks that you should be aware of before you sign up for the service.

Adalo pros

• Easy-to-use drag and drop interface.
• Offers the ability to build both mobile and desktop apps.
• Simple data and user management.
• Publish app easily across the web or app stores.
• Well designed templates to help you get started.
• Advanced integrations and APIs.

Interested in trying Adalo? Sign up today.

Adalo cons

• Limited control over the design of your app.
• More advanced custom actions require coding knowledge to build.

Adalo pricing

Adalo offers a tiered pricing model with a Free plan to start if you'd like to  explore the platform and its features. If you need more than what the Free plan offers, there are 4 paid plans based on the features and support you need.

Free plan

Adalo's Free plan is perfect for those who want to explore the platform and its features. With the Free plan, you can:

• Create an unlimited number of test apps.
• Create databases and collections with 200 records per app.
• Create 1,000 monthly app actions.
• 1 app editor.

Starter plan

Adalo's Starter plan is $45 USD per month and is great for founders and entrepreneurs who need to create simple apps. With the Starter plan, you get access to all Free plan features plus:

• Access to custom fonts.
• Access to your own custom domains.
• 10,000 monthly app actions.
• 1 published app.

Professional plan

Adalo's Professional plan is $65 USD per month and is the most popular plan according to Adalo. It's great for small businesses who need to create more complex apps. With the Professional plan, you get access to all Starter plan features plus:

• Custom integrations.
• Design versions.
• Geolocation features.
• 30,000 monthly app actions.
• 2 published apps.
• 5 app editors.

Team plan

Adalo's Team plan is $200 USD per month and is perfect for freelancers and agencies  who need to create apps for multiple clients. With the Team plan, you get access to all Professional plan features plus:

• Priority support.
• 100,000 monthly app actions.
• 5 published apps.
• 10 app editors.

Business plan

Adalo's Business plan is $250 USD per month and is targeted towards larger businesses who need enterprise-level features. With the Business plan, you get access to all Team plan features plus:

• Special add-on pricing.
• 1,000,000 monthly app actions.
• 10 published apps.
• Unlimited app editors.

Interested in trying Adalo? Sign up today.

Adalo alternatives and competitors

The no code market is a relatively new one, but there are already a number of companies offering similar solutions to Adalo. Below are some of the most popular Adalo alternatives and competitors.

Adalo vs Bubble

Bubble is one of the most popular no code platforms and offers a wide range of features similar to Adalo. However, Bubble is more focused on web applications while Adalo offers the ability to build both mobile and desktop apps.

We found Bubble has a steeper learning curve than Adalo which offers a really simple UI that is perfect for those who are new to no code development. However, Bubble does offer more advanced features for those who need to build more complex apps.

Both platforms offer a free plan to get started, however Bubble offers paid plan starts at only $29 USD per month compared to $45 USD per month for Adalo.

Adalo vs Glide

Glide is another popular no code platform that offers similar features to Adalo.

Like Adalo, Glide offers both mobile and desktop app development.

We found Glide was best for simple apps that only required showing data from a spreadsheet. For example, if you want to build a simple directory app, Glide is a great option. Adalo on the other hand is better suited for more complex apps that require more customization and logic.

Both Adalo and Glide offer a free plan to get started, with paid plans starting at $25 USD per month for Glide and $45 USD per month for Adalo.

Adalo vs Flutterflow

Flutterflow is another popular no code platform that offers a similar solution to Adalo. Both platforms allow you to build and launch mobile apps, however Flutterflow doesn't offer web apps.

We found Flutterflow to have some more advanced features such as the ability to integrate your app with a Firebase database natively. A paid plan also lets you download your code base and you can even integrate your app with Github to store your code. Flutterflow also has a desktop app available so you don't need to work on your app via the browser. These are some of the more advanced features we found Flutterflow offered which Adalo doesn't.

That being said, Adalo does feel more user friendly for those new to app building. The clone-able kits available make it really easy to get started fast with Adalo.

Both Adalo and Flutterflow offer a free plan to get started, with plans starting at $30 USD per month for Adalo and $45 per month for Adalo.

Our verdict

Overall, we really liked Adalo and thought it was a great platform for those who want to build simple without the need for code.

Whilst it might not be the most suitable app for more complex apps, it offers a really simple UI that is perfect for those who are new to no code development.

We also liked that it offers the ability to build both mobile and desktop apps which gives you more flexibility than some of the other no code platforms on the market.

If you're looking for an easy to use platform to build simple apps, then Adalo is definitely worth checking out.

Interested in trying Adalo? Sign up today.