How to Whitelabel your Bubble app with custom domains and separate databases

Building a Bubble app for multiple clients often requires a whitelabel solution. This means customizing the app to make it look like each client’s own product. To achieve this, you’ll need two key elements: multiple custom domains and an isolated database for each client. Here's how you can set it up.

What is Whitelabeling?

Whitelabeling lets you sell your app under another brand. Clients can add their logo, colors, and domain name to make it theirs. This is common in SaaS platforms where businesses want a seamless, branded experience for their users.

The two critical pieces of whitelabeling in Bubble are:

1. Setting up multiple custom domains for each client
2. Ensuring each client’s data is stored in a separate database.

Step 1: Setting up multiple custom domains

To assign multiple custom domains, you can use one of two methods:

• Use Bubble Sub-Apps: Each client gets their own sub-app, which allows them to have a completely unique custom domain. This is the most robust option for managing distinct client setups.some text
  • Go to the Settings tab in Bubble and create sub-apps.
  • Assign unique custom domains to each sub-app.
  • Important: this feature is only available in the Team plan

Use a tool like CoAlias if you’re working within a single Bubble app but still want clients to have unique domains. CoAlias enables multiple domains to point to the same app while displaying client-specific content.

Step 2: Setting up a separate database

Client data needs to stay isolated for security and organizational reasons. Bubble offers several ways to handle this:

• Sub-Apps: These are independent copies of your Bubble app, each with its own database. Perfect if you want complete isolation between clients. Each sub-app can be customized and linked to a unique custom domain (see above)
• External Databases: Use a backend service like Xano to manage client data. Each client gets their own isolated database, ensuring data isn’t shared.some text
  • Connect Bubble to the external database using the APIs Connector
  • This approach provides flexibility and is great for advanced use cases.

Multi-Tenant Databases: Store all data in one Bubble database but tag records with a unique ClientID. Use Bubble’s privacy rules to ensure clients can only access their data. This is cost-effective and simpler for smaller-scale apps.

Benefits of custom domains and isolated databases

Setting up a custom domain and separate database for each client offers several advantages:

• Professional branding for your clients.
• Enhanced data security with isolated storage.
• Easier scalability as each client’s app operates independently.

Our recommendations

1. If having separate database isn’t critical:some text
   1. Use CoAlias to create separate domains per user 
   2. Stick to a regular Bubble app (not Sub-Apps) with a Multi-Tenant Database
2. For complex use cases, but scale per user is limited:some text
   1. Use Bubble Sub-Apps, this is easy to setup and cost is reasonable
3. For complex uses cases, with significant scale per usersome text
   1. Use CoAlias to create separate domains per user
   2. Use Xano as external database with a separate Xano instance per client
   3. Major drawback of this approach is cost AND it’s hard to maintain multiple Xano instances

Whitelabeling your Bubble app with multiple custom domains and isolated databases doesn’t have to be complex. By using the right tools and strategies, you can deliver a polished, client-specific solution every time. Whether you opt for sub-apps, CoAlias, or external databases, the result is a professional, branded experience tailored to your clients’ needs.

We hope this was helpful and don’t hesitate to contact us if you need help building a whitelabel Bubble app!