If you’re building on Bubble, the pricing makes more sense once you decode three things people usually overthink. First: web vs mobile. Here, at Minimum Code we detangle the tricky details for you.
Most products only need web at the start. Mobile becomes relevant when you’re shipping native features or app-store distribution. Web + mobile is there when you’re ready, not a default tax. From there, the tiers scale cleanly.
Free ($0) is for building in public without consequences: dev version only, one editor, API connector, and 50K workload units to prototype freely.
Starter ($59/month, billed annually) is launch territory: live website, custom domain, recurring workflows, basic version control, 175K workload units, and mobile builds that let you test real distribution.
Growth ($209/month) is the collaboration upgrade: premium version control, 2 editors, 10 branches, 2FA, 250K workload units, longer server logs, and higher mobile build limits.
Team ($549/month) is structured scale with 5 editors, sub-apps, 25 branches, 500K workload units, and deeper operational visibility.
Enterprise removes ceilings entirely with custom infrastructure, hosting control, dedicated support, and flexible billing. And if traction hits faster than expected, Bubble lets you scale horizontally with workload add-ons, so performance grows without forcing a plan jump.
Understanding Bubble's Current Pricing Structure
If you’re building on Bubble, pricing works like a staircase. You start Free, like sketching on napkins without anyone watching. When the idea survives contact with reality,
If you’re building on Bubble, the pricing reads less like SaaS noise and more like a coming-of-age arc for your product.
Free ($0) is pure experimentation: one editor, dev version only, API connector, 50K workload units, and just enough tooling to break things safely.
Starter ($59/month, billed annually) is launch mode: live website, custom domain, recurring workflows, basic version control, 175K workload units, and mobile builds that reach users.
Growth ($209/month) is where things get serious and slightly adult: premium version control, 2 app editors, 10 branches, 2FA, 250K workload units, longer server logs, and more mobile builds, perfect for teams that argue in Git-adjacent ways.
Team ($549/month) scales the chaos gracefully with 5 editors, sub-apps, 25 branches, 500K workload units, and deeper logs.
Enterprise skips the price tag and hands you the keys: custom workload units, hosting location control, dedicated support, invoice billing, and infrastructure that bends instead of breaking.
Unsure if you’re still sketching or already scaling? Let’s read the signals before you overpay or underbuild. Talk to a Bubble expert and match your plan to the product you’re offering.
Bubble's Pricing: The Model That Changed Everything
The shift toward workload-based pricing fundamentally changed how we think about no-code development costs. Your costs directly correlate with your app's success and user engagement. Heavy database queries, complex workflows, and high user activity will drive up your monthly bills faster than you might expect.
When evaluating Bubble costs remember that optimization is the key for keeping costs manageable.
Breaking Down the Tier Structure
Each pricing tier unlocks specific capabilities while imposing certain limitations. The free tier serves as a testing ground, development plans bridge the gap to professional deployment, and production plans handle real user traffic with varying levels of performance and features.
What catches most builders off guard is how quickly you'll outgrow each tier. I've seen apps that seemed perfect for the Starter plan suddenly need Growth tier features within weeks of launching.
Free Plans vs Development Plans
The foundation tiers serve different purposes in your development journey. Free plans excel at concept validation, while development plans provide the professional features needed for serious testing and presentations.
The Free Plan
Bubble's free plan is perfect for testing ideas, but don't kid yourself - you'll outgrow it fast. You get the full builder, but your app will look like a prototype with "bubbleapps.io" in the URL and Bubble branding everywhere.
Use it to validate your concept, then upgrade before showing it to anyone who matters. Nobody takes an app seriously when it screams "I haven't invested in this yet."
A Free Plan That Works
Free plans shine during the initial concept validation phase. This aligns perfectly with building an MVP app where you need to test core functionality without financial commitment. You can test user flows, validate your data structure, and even conduct limited user testing.
The key is knowing when to graduate. If you're showing your app to potential customers or investors, the Bubble branding and subdomain immediately signal "prototype" rather than "professional product."
Consider a startup founder testing a marketplace concept. The free plan allows building core functionality - user registration, product listings, basic search - to validate demand. However, when presenting to potential investors, the "bubbleapps.io" domain and visible Bubble branding undermines credibility.
Development Plans
Development plans remove the amateur hour stuff - custom domain, no branding, more team members. This is where your app starts looking professional.
Pro tip: Use this phase to optimize everything. It's way cheaper to fix performance issues now than after you have real users and data.
Optimization During Development
Database design decisions made during development directly impact your future workload consumption and scaling costs. Clean up your workflows, optimize database queries, and remove unnecessary features before moving to production.
This strategic preparation pays dividends when you start serving real users and processing actual transactions.
Production Plans and Their Cost
Production plans are where Bubble makes their money - these tiers handle real users with professional requirements. Each tier offers different performance levels and feature sets, but the real costs often surprise new users.
Starter Plan Economics
The Starter plan targets small businesses launching their first professional applications. You get SSL certificates, custom domains, basic API access, and professional support at what seems like an accessible price point.
What's not immediately obvious: you'll hit the workload limits faster than you think. User behavior patterns significantly impact consumption - power users who frequently access complex features drive costs higher than casual users performing simple actions.
Growth Threshold Management
Monitor your workload consumption obsessively during the Starter phase. Exceeding limits triggers automatic upgrades or service restrictions, often at the worst possible moment for your cash flow.
Plan your user acquisition strategy around these thresholds. Gradual growth gives you time to optimize and prepare for upgrades, while viral growth can force expensive emergency plan changes.
Growth and Professional Plan Realities
Mid-tier plans accommodate scaling applications with increased user bases and advanced feature requirements. The performance improvements become noticeable immediately - faster response times, better handling of concurrent users, and more reliable service during traffic spikes.
Professional plans include enterprise-grade security, advanced integrations, and custom plugin capabilities. These features often require additional development time and expertise to implement effectively.
When implementing advanced features, consider hiring a Bubble development agency to ensure optimal implementation and avoid costly mistakes.
Budget for professional development support when accessing these advanced capabilities. The features exist, but using them optimally often requires specialized knowledge.
Hidden Expenses That Might Catch You Off Guard
Your Bubble subscription is just the start. Most professional applications require additional investments that can significantly impact your total cost of ownership.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Tells You About
Most apps need:
- Payment processing (Stripe takes 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction)
- Email services (SendGrid, Mailgun, etc.)
- Analytics tools
- File storage
- API integrations
I've seen apps where these "extras" cost 3x more than the Bubble plan itself. A $29/month Starter plan can easily become $150+/month once you add everything else.
API Usage Escalation
Many integrations charge based on usage volume, creating variable costs that scale with your success. A successful app can see integration costs grow exponentially while Bubble costs increase linearly.
The key is monitoring these costs. They creep up as your app grows, and suddenly your "affordable" no-code solution isn't so affordable anymore.
A SaaS application using Stripe for payments, SendGrid for emails, and Mixpanel for analytics might pay $29/month for Bubble's Starter plan, but rack up $150/month in integration costs: $50 in Stripe fees, $60 for SendGrid, and $40 for Mixpanel. The "affordable" no-code solution suddenly costs $179/month, with the majority going to third-party services.
Development and Maintenance Investment
Complex Bubble applications often require ongoing development support, especially as complexity increases and new features become necessary. Professional Bubble developers command significant hourly rates, and optimization work can be time-intensive.
This ongoing maintenance represents a significant hidden cost that many builders underestimate during initial planning. Budget for these professional services as your application grows beyond your internal capabilities.
Hidden Cost Checklist:
- Third-party API costs (payment, email, analytics)
- Custom domain and SSL certificate fees
- Professional development support hours
- Database optimization and maintenance
- Security audits and compliance requirements
- Backup and disaster recovery solutions
- Performance monitoring tools
- User support and help desk systems
Workload-Based Pricing: What Costs You Money
Every action in your app "costs" workload units - think of them like tokens at an arcade. Simple stuff like loading a user profile costs a few tokens. Complex database searches or file uploads can burn through hundreds.
The tricky part? You won't know your real costs until you have actual users doing real things. That marketplace app that seemed cheap during testing might get expensive fast when users start uploading tons of photos.
The Big Workload Killers
Different actions consume varying amounts of workload units, making cost prediction challenging without usage data. Here's what really drives up costs:
- Searching through large databases (optimize these first)
- Real-time features that constantly update
- Poorly designed workflows that do too much at once
Fix these during development, not after launch. Trust me on this one.
To minimize these costs, focus on optimizing workload units in Bubble during the development phase rather than after launch.
Scaling Cost Projections
Accurately projecting costs requires understanding user behavior patterns and workload consumption trends. Different user types create vastly different cost profiles.
Power users who frequently access complex features drive costs higher than casual users performing simple actions. Feature complexity directly impacts per-user workload consumption, so analyze how different user segments interact with your application before building expensive features.
Workload Optimization Checklist:
- Audit database queries for efficiency
- Implement caching for frequently accessed data
- Optimize file upload processes
- Review API call frequency and necessity
- Monitor real-time feature usage patterns
- Set up workload consumption alerts
- Regular performance testing and optimization
Pick Your Plan Like You Mean It
Plan selection should align with your current business stage while considering near-term growth projections and feature requirements.
Starting Out?
Free plan for building, Starter plan ($29/month) for anything you show to real people. Don't cheap out on the custom domain - "bubbleapps.io" makes you look like you're not serious.
Investor Presentation Requirements
Remove Bubble branding and ensure professional appearance for investor demonstrations. The visual credibility impact often justifies plan upgrades even before technical requirements demand them.
A fintech startup building an expense tracking app starts on the free plan for initial development. Before their Series A pitch, they upgrade to the Starter plan ($29/month) to remove Bubble branding and add their custom domain. The professional appearance helps secure $500K in funding, making the $29 monthly cost insignificant compared to the credibility gained.
Growing Fast?
Growth plan when you hit workload limits or need better performance. Don't wait until your app is crawling - users notice slow apps immediately.
Plan for user growth by understanding how your application's workload consumption scales with user activity. This preparation helps avoid emergency plan upgrades during growth spurts.
Getting Big?
Professional plans when you need enterprise features or have compliance requirements. These aren't just "nice to have" features - they're often legal requirements for certain industries.
Advanced billing features, subscription management, and payment processing capabilities often require higher-tier plans to function optimally.
Technical Requirements That Influence Your Decision
Technical requirements often dictate plan selection more than business considerations. Database complexity, API integration needs, security requirements, and performance expectations all influence which tier provides adequate capabilities.
Database and Performance Assessment
Database complexity, expected data volume, and performance requirements significantly impact plan selection. Higher plans provide better database performance and larger storage allocations.
Complex relational data structures, frequent searches, and large datasets require enhanced database capabilities available only in higher tiers.
API Integration Planning
Complex integrations require higher API call limits and advanced features available in professional plans. Assess integration needs early to avoid hitting limitations during development.
External service dependencies often drive plan requirements more than internal application complexity.
Technical Requirements Checklist:
- Database size and complexity assessment
- API integration requirements and call volumes
- Security and compliance needs
- Performance and response time expectations
- File storage and processing requirements
- Custom domain and SSL certificate needs
- User collaboration and access control
- Backup and disaster recovery requirements
Security and Compliance Considerations
Professional applications often require enhanced security features and compliance capabilities available only in higher-tier plans.
GDPR compliance, data encryption, audit logs, and backup features vary significantly by plan tier. Regulatory requirements can force plan upgrades regardless of other considerations.
Data protection requirements frequently drive plan selection for B2B applications serving enterprise customers.
Upgrading Without Breaking Everything
Plan upgrades during slow periods (like Sunday mornings). Back everything up first - I can't stress this enough.
Don't turn on every new feature at once. Upgrade the plan, make sure everything still works, then gradually enable new features. This way , if something breaks, you know exactly what caused it.
Before You Upgrade
Application audits and optimization before upgrading maximize your investment return. Clean applications perform better and cost less on higher plans.
To-Do List:
- Clean up your database
- Remove unused workflows
- Test everything twice
- Warn your users about potential downtime
Pre-Migration Checklist:
- Complete application performance audit
- Optimize database queries and structure
- Remove unused workflows and features
- Test all integrations and dependencies
- Backup application and data
- Prepare team training materials
- Schedule migration during low-traffic periods
- Set up monitoring and rollback procedures
Migration Execution Process
Execute plan migrations during low-traffic periods with proper backup and rollback procedures in place. Communication with users becomes important for significant upgrades.
Gradual feature activation reduces risk compared to implementing everything simultaneously. This staged approach allows for proper testing and adjustment periods.
Feature Activation Timeline
Systematically activate new features rather than enabling everything at once. This staged approach helps identify issues early and prevents overwhelming your team or users.
Monitor performance and costs closely during the initial weeks after migration to ensure the upgrade delivers expected benefits.
Keep Your Costs Under Control
Set up alerts before you hit workload limits. Bubble will automatically upgrade you if you go over, which is great for uptime but terrible for your wallet.
Performance Monitoring Implementation
Establish monitoring systems to track workload consumption patterns and identify optimization opportunities. Bubble's analytics tools combined with external monitoring provide comprehensive tracking capabilities.
Daily and monthly consumption pattern analysis helps identify trends and predict when plan upgrades become necessary.
User Behavior Analysis
Analyze user behavior patterns to identify high-consumption activities and optimize accordingly. Focus optimization efforts on the most impactful areas for maximum cost reduction.
Different user segments create different cost profiles - understanding these patterns helps optimize for your most valuable users.
Database and Workflow Optimization
Regular database query optimization reduces workload consumption significantly. Implement caching strategies and minimize unnecessary database calls for immediate cost benefits.
Feature usage analysis identifies underutilized capabilities consuming resources unnecessarily. Remove or optimize unused features to reduce ongoing costs.
Monthly Cost Review Checklist:
- Check which features use the most workload
- Look for database queries that could be cached
- Review third-party integration costs
- Remove features nobody uses
Budget Monitoring Systems
Set up alerts for workload consumption thresholds to avoid unexpected plan upgrades. Monitor trends to predict when upgrades become necessary and plan accordingly.
Spending threshold alerts provide early warning systems for cost escalation, allowing proactive optimization rather than reactive emergency measures.
Cost Optimization Action Plan:
- Implement workload monitoring dashboards
- Set up consumption threshold alerts
- Schedule monthly optimization reviews
- Audit database queries quarterly
- Monitor third-party integration costs
- Track feature usage and ROI
- Optimize high-consumption workflows
- Regular performance testing cycles
Planning for the Future
Bubble keeps adding features and changing pricing. Generally, existing apps keep their current pricing (grandfathered), but new features often require plan upgrades.
Anticipated 2026 Pricing Evolution
Bubble's pricing evolution reflects platform maturation and increasing enterprise adoption. Changes expected in 2026 will likely affect both new and existing applications through new tier structures and feature premiums.
Advanced AI integration, enhanced security features, and enterprise-grade performance capabilities are expected to command premium pricing, potentially creating new tiers above current Professional plans.
Smart Strategy: Build efficiently now so you can stay on lower plans longer. A well-optimized app on the Growth plan often performs better than a messy app on Professional.
Don't upgrade "just in case" - upgrade when you really need the features or hit real limits.
Grandfathered Plan Strategy
Existing applications may retain current pricing structures, but new features will likely require plan upgrades or additional fees. Strategic upgrade timing maximizes grandfathered benefits while accessing essential new capabilities.
Legacy plan migration strategies should balance cost savings with feature access requirements for optimal long-term value.
ROI Calculation Framework
Calculate return on investment by comparing total Bubble costs against alternative development approaches, considering both initial development and ongoing maintenance expenses.
Bubble's rapid development capabilities often justify higher subscription costs through faster time-to-market and reduced development resource requirements.
Break-Even Analysis
Establish clear metrics for when Bubble costs become justified by business value, considering both direct revenue and operational efficiency gains.
Revenue attribution modeling helps track how Bubble-built features directly contribute to business success, justifying ongoing subscription costs and plan upgrades.
Why We Do This Differently
I've seen too many founders blow their budgets on Bubble because they built inefficiently from day one. They start with grand plans, create overcomplicated workflows, then wonder why their bills are so high.
We take a different approach. Start simple, build smart, optimize early. Most apps can run happily on Starter plans for months if they're built right.
Our Process:
- Figure out what users truly need (not what you think they want)
- Build the simplest version that works
- Optimize for low workload consumption from the start
- Scale strategically based on real usage data
Our approach aligns perfectly with smart Bubble pricing strategy. We start by understanding your problem through user interviews, avoiding expensive feature bloat that drives up workload consumption. Then we build optimized MVPs that perform well on lower-tier plans while structuring databases and workflows for efficient scaling.
This means you can start confidently on Bubble's Starter plan, knowing your application is built to handle growth without unnecessary workload consumption. We've seen too many apps forced into expensive emergency upgrades due to inefficient initial builds.
Before committing to higher-tier Bubble plans, validate your concept and optimize your build strategy. Book a free discovery call to get a project assessment and learn how we can help you build efficiently on Bubble - potentially saving thousands in unnecessary plan upgrades while creating a better product for your users.
Before you commit to expensive plans or complex builds, let's talk. We could save you thousands in unnecessary costs while building something better.
Pop the Bubble
Not sure if you need web only, mobile, or both yet? That’s ok. Let’s align your product stage with the right plan and add-ons before complexity creeps in. Talk to a Bubble expert and choose with clarity.
Build smart, not expensive.
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