Webflow vs. Bubble – Which no-code platform is right for your startup?

Introduction

No-code tools like Webflow and Bubble have made it possible for non-technical founders to launch digital products without writing a single line of code. These no-code app builders use drag and drop tools and prebuilt templates, enabling most people to create apps quickly without traditional coding. But picking the wrong platform can waste weeks of time and money.

Here’s the short answer:

• Use Webflow if you need a website or marketing site with beautiful design and strong SEO.
• Use Bubble if you’re building a product with user accounts, logic, or workflows.

In this article, we’ll expand on this answer with real examples and key differences to help you make the right decision before building.

What is Webflow?

Webflow is a no-code platform that lets you build websites visually, with full control over layout, animations, and responsive design. It’s often described as “Figma meets WordPress.” Using drag and drop tools, you can create sophisticated workflows for content management with no code required.

You can build static or CMS-driven websites, manage content, and even deploy apps with Webflow’s built-in hosting. Many startups use it for marketing sites, blogs, or landing pages before they start product development.

Webflow is ideal if:

• You need a beautiful front-end, fast
• Your site doesn’t require user logins or complex logic
• You want to control SEO and performance

It’s not a full app builder, but for anything that looks like a website, it’s one of the best no-code tools available.

What is Bubble?

Bubble is a no-code app builder for building full web applications, not just websites. It lets you design interfaces, build complex workflows with advanced logic, store data in a custom data model, and connect to APIs, all without writing code.

Bubble is ideal if:

• You’re building a web app that needs user accounts, permissions, and dynamic content
• You want to connect to APIs like OpenAI, Stripe, SendGrid, or Google Sheets
• You need logic-based features like filters, searches, or automations with sophisticated workflows
• You want the ability to create a web app and a native mobile app within the same project, sharing costs and effort
• You plan to leverage Bubble’s native mobile app builder to reach iOS and Android users

You can build SaaS platforms, marketplaces, dashboards, and even AI tools using Bubble. Unlike Webflow, Bubble handles both front-end and back-end logic in one place, reducing technical debt and manual work.

Website vs web apps vs. native mobile apps

Before choosing a platform, it’s important to know the difference:

• Websites are mostly static pages that anyone can visit through a browser. They are perfect for sharing information, attracting visitors, and ranking on Google. Typical examples are landing pages, blogs, and company sites. They don’t require user logins or complex features like dashboards or workflows.
• Web apps run in a browser and work on any device. They are easy to update and deploy but cannot access all phone features.
• Native mobile apps are installed from the App Store or Google Play, can use phone features like push notifications or offline mode, and typically provide a faster user experience.

Bubble focuses on web apps first, but with its native mobile app builder, you can publish mobile apps from the same Bubble project without rebuilding everything. Webflow does not support true native apps.

Webflow vs Bubble: Key differences

Webflow and Bubble are both no-code development platforms, but they solve different problems.

• Webflow is a visual website builder focused on front-end design. You can create responsive, pixel-perfect websites and CMS-driven pages like blogs or marketing sites. But it doesn’t support user logins, databases, or complex logic.
• Bubble is a full-stack app builder. It handles both front-end and back-end logic. You can build dashboards, user permissions, connect to APIs, and run workflows based on user actions.

In short:

• Webflow = For websites and landing pages, great design, limited backend functionality.
• Bubble = For web apps and native mobile apps, full functionality, more complex to use.

When to use Webflow

Webflow is the right choice when your startup needs a fast, professional website — but not a full application.

Common use cases include:

• Landing pages for ads or email campaigns
• Company websites or personal portfolios
• Blogs or content-driven sites with a CMS
• Simple product showcase pages

It’s especially useful for early-stage startups that need:

• A clean front-end for investors or beta signups
• Full control over SEO and site performance
• Easy collaboration with designers and the dev team

But Webflow has real limits. You can’t build user accounts, dashboards, or workflows natively. Trying to force those features into Webflow usually ends up being more painful than helpful.

Use Webflow when your startup needs visibility — not complex work or functionality.

When to use Bubble

Bubble is the better choice when you're building a product — not just a website.

It’s ideal for:

• SaaS platforms with user accounts
• Marketplaces with dynamic listings and payments
• Internal tools that automate business workflows with sophisticated workflows and advanced logic
• MVPs for validating startup ideas
• AI apps that rely on API calls to tools like OpenAI

If your idea needs users to log in, update data, interact with each other, or trigger workflows — Bubble can handle it all without writing code.

It’s also flexible when it comes to integrating external services. You can use Bubble’s native API connector to talk to Stripe, SendGrid, Airtable, OpenAI, Google Sheets, or anything else with an API.

However, Bubble does have downsides:

• The design experience isn’t as smooth as Webflow
• Performance can be slow if the app is poorly built
• There’s a learning curve — especially if you’ve never built software before

Still, for actual app development, no other no code app builder comes close to what Bubble offers.

Web apps, native apps, and AI apps

Choosing between Webflow and Bubble depends heavily on what you’re building:

Web apps

• Bubble is the clear winner. It supports user accounts, databases, logic, and dynamic content out of the box.
• Webflow can’t build true web apps without third-party hacks.

Native apps

• Bubble supports native mobile apps through its native builder and wrappers, letting you publish to app stores from the same project.
• Webflow does not offer native functionality like push notifications or offline access.

AI apps

• Bubble allows API integrations with OpenAI, Claude, and other AI services to build AI-powered apps.
• Webflow does not natively support this.

Ecosystem, support, and scalability

Webflow is easier to learn, especially for founders with a design background. Its community, template marketplace, and design-first approach make it perfect for marketing and landing pages.

Bubble has a larger development ecosystem:

• Agencies and freelancers specialise in Bubble apps.
• Learning platforms like Buildcamp.
• Plugins and templates to accelerate development.

Scalability:

• Bubble apps can handle hundreds of thousands of users, especially for business tools and SaaS platforms.
• Performance can struggle for apps with constant real-time activity, like social media platforms.
• Bubble uses Workload Units (WU) to scale. Hitting limits is a good problem to have because it means your app is growing. You can simply buy more capacity as you scale.

Pricing comparison

Webflow has simple, predictable pricing based on the number of sites and CMS items. Plans range from free to $14–$39/month for most startups.

Bubble charges based on Workload Units, which measure app activity like workflows and database searches.

• Early MVPs usually stay within the starter plan (~$29/month)
• Costs rise with scale, but that’s a sign of real usage and growth

Which is the best no-code platform for your startup?

It depends on what you’re building.

Choose Webflow if:

• You need a landing page, company site, or blog
• You care about design, SEO, and fast performance
• You don’t need user logins, databases, or dynamic content
• You want to launch quickly without a developer

Choose Bubble if:

• You’re building a SaaS product, marketplace, or internal tool
• Your app needs user accounts, logic, and workflows
• You want web and native mobile apps in one project
• You’re okay with a short learning curve or plan to hire an agency

If your product looks and feels like a website, use Webflow.
If it functions like software, use Bubble.

Conclusion: Don’t build on the wrong platform

Choosing between Webflow and Bubble isn’t about which tool is “better” — it’s about what you're building.

Still not sure which one fits your idea?

Book a free strategy call with Minimum Code — we’ll help you figure it out before you spend a cent on development.
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