My most popular video since
getting back into Youtube is a recommendation of no code app
builders for non tech founders. This is the TL:DR version of what I said: Everyone was cool, and we
all lived happily ever after. And then the bubble burst. On May 1st 2023, Bubble introduced an
abrupt change to its pricing method. It’s been…fairly unpopular. It’s a big change, and it was
implemented atom bomb style. But has it made me change my mind about
recommending Bubble to non-tech founders? No, not really. But also, yes, kind of. A quick look at Bubble’s atom bomb Bubble now charges based on
what it calls ‘Workload Units’. Essentially, how much your
app makes their servers work. And every little thing now has a price. User taps a button - workload units. User goes back? - more workload units. Problem is this was never a
metric for charging before, so users didn’t pay attention
to it when building their apps. Why would they? Well, now they have to - the new plan
catapults many into Tier 5 pricing. That nukes your business model
into dust because it now costs more to run your app than you
could ever charge your users. On top of that, Bubble doesn’t let you export
source code - you’re locked into the platform. For many users like Jordan Ryan, George Carlin
sums up their situation pretty accurately: Why am I still kind of OK with Bubble? Existing users are suffering -
that sucks, but it’s not the point. To a new user who signs up today
it’s not a ‘new’ pricing system. It’s just ‘the pricing system’. Aside from this, Bubble is still Bubble
- a no code app builder that is class leading in terms of flexibility
and customization for web apps. New founders will build apps within
the new limitations - people adapt. I predict that apps with subscriptions in the hundreds of dollars will
still be ok running on Bubble. The lack of transparency with workload
unit calculation is a big issue. But I can’t imagine the Bubble team will leave us
hanging - they’ll explain how it works in time. Or they won’t - and they implode from their
own greed - wouldn’t be the first time. You gotta remember this is a
risk that comes with no code. You…are kind of at their mercy. You can use alternative no code builders, but they could pull a Bubble too - if it
means more revenue, why wouldn't they? Why am I not OK with Bubble? If it means more revenue, why wouldn't they? Because it’s possible to balance additional
revenue with not screwing over existing users. Bubble knew what the change meant
for their customers, and they went If you’re gonna implement changes this drastic, I think more transparency
would have gone a long way. AKA, how the f**k do you rack up
those ridiculous Workflow Units? While in theory any no code app builder
could do this - Bubble actually did it. And you never realize how exposed you are to vendor lock-in until you realize how
small and cramped that black box is. I understand how that makes some
never want to go anywhere near Bubble. So, if you’re one of those, here are
3 alternatives to bubble.io that you can use to build robust and complex web apps. 1. First use case: you want to own your
code and keep developer options open For the first use case, we have the non-tech
founder that wants to go solo for as long as possible and might want to hire a developer
later on - so they want to keep options open. They’ve also seen the dangers of being locked
into a platform like Bubble and they’re like f**k that. They prioritize function and freedom
over user-friendliness and quick results, and they’re prepared to put in the work. For them, I’d recommend Wappler. Wappler is a low code platform
that still allows people with no coding knowledge to build complex
workflows like you’d find on Bubble. They have the usual: visual front end and logic builders, and
visual API connector Here are key differences: You can access your source code and files any
time, and it’s all in HTML and CSS - so if they pull a Bubble, you can tell them to get
f**ked and take your project somewhere else. There’s no hosting option like on
Bubble, so you set up and connect your own external hosting - good thing
if you want long term sustainability. Having a low code option makes hiring
a developer down the line much more feasible - as long as you’ve done
a decent job up to that point, someone like me can just take over and
start coding on the platform itself. To be fair, I think the learning curve to fully utilize Wappler is steeper
than Bubble, for a reason. I’ve always thought Bubble
allowed non tech founders to reach the limits of no code development. I still do - as long as they can
afford to pay for the workflow units. But I think Wappler bridges the gap between no
code and conventional development much better. I recommend going through their tutorial at least once and keeping it open as
you navigate your first project. Take a look at their pricing keeping
in mind this is a Bubble alternative. I think it’s very reasonably priced. 3. WeWeb + a backend of your choice For the second use case, we have the
non tech founder that wants to go solo for as long as possible and has no
plans to hire a developer - the app doesn’t have to be easily portable
and can stay no code forever. That saves you the trouble of learning Wappler. For your front end, you’ll be using WeWeb. WeWeb is a no code front end
web app builder that offers most of the functionality of Bubble with a
refreshingly modern and easy-to-use interface. You can: Build complex workflows. Connect to all the usual third party APIs And upload your own elements if you want to. WeWeb also lets you export your source
code - not as easily as Wappler, but it can be done which is
more than we can say for Bubble. Just like Wappler, WeWeb doesn’t host or provide
any native backend - you’re supposed to decide which you want to use - the most common stack I’ve
seen is Xano, but really, you can use anything. I suggest taking a look at WeWeb’s
showcase to see the kinds of apps that have been built with it - some
fairly cool and complex stuff there. Their pricing is pretty comparable to Wappler
- to me it’s not a deciding factor here. With Wappler, it’s going to be easier to
shift the project to custom code if and when the time comes. If you’re sure that
time is ‘never’, WeWeb is an easier front end builder to master, and Wappler’s
learning curve becomes a bit overkill. 3. If you want a web app with
a (common) specific function The last use case is a founder that
has a specific type of app in mind. Instead of using a generalist no code builder, choose a platform that specializes
in the kind of app you want to build. If it’s a common app type, there will be. And specialized boilerplates are more complete
than what a WeWeb or Wappler will provide. Also, their support team can serve you better since they’re specifically trained
to deal with your type of questions. One super common example - a marketplace app. You have a few platforms to choose
from, I’m just going to point out one. Sharetribe. They handle technical parts of
a marketplace app, including: user management
payment processing listing management
legal compliance They’ve helped over 1000 marketplaces
all over the world set up shop. If you’ve got a new idea to
validate, start with Sharetribe Go, where they’ve got existing templates that
come with common features in a marketplace. As you grow and want to further customize
your marketplace, move to Sharetribe Flex, where a developer can add third party integrations
and build custom features for the UI and UX. You’d never get this level of specialized
features from the likes of Bubble or Wappler. There are other specialty
web app builders out there. Say you want an ecommerce app - go with Shopify. Say you want to build an internal tool for
businesses - go with Retool or Stacker. I don’t think I can cover all the specific
use cases in this video, and honestly… I don’t want to. Because inevitably, whatever I recommend, ten people will come along asking
me “What about this other one?”. I don’t believe in giving someone a
fish when… someone else already has. Check out No-Code.Tech, a no code tool aggregator
that incidentally, was acquired by Stacker. They’ve got a curated database
of no code tools that cover… tentatively every use case you can think of. At least, I’ve never had a moment
where I thought of a use case and No Code Tech didn’t have some suggestions for me. So if you think you have a common use case,
check it out - link is in the description, along with everything else
I’ve recommended in the video. So, after looking at all these options… What would I suggest for the
average non tech founder? I’m going to put myself in
your shoes for a moment. If I understand you correctly, I’m not sure what I want to build
I have little to no coding knowledge I want to keep costs low in case I fail, and
Honestly, I don’t know whether I want to hire a developer down the line, I don’t
even know if this idea will take off First, understand that the whole
point of no code is to keep costs low - the alternative is hiring a
developer like this con man here. When you compare it that way, suddenly the
priciest no code platforms become dirt cheap. And if you’re already going to
enjoy significant cost-savings, do you really need to penny pinch even more? Why not go for the most robust option? It’s like when companies outsource
their software projects overseas. They’re already getting it for dirt cheap. Some directors get blinded by that
bottom line and hire the cheapest of the cheap - and even if the project succeeds
- I’m just joking the project always fails. Don’t be that director. So with that said, I’d go with Wappler. You’ll need to learn how to use the platform
before you can really get things going, but once you get things going, you
can take it as far as it can go. And because it’s in HTML and CSS, once you’ve taken it as far as you
can, you can just tag a developer in. At that point, you already know you have
a profitable idea, so I’d argue that speed becomes something worth paying for, since
it’s now an investment rather than a gamble. Now, I take it when you start development, you’ll
be working on an MVP or Minimum Viable Product. I’d like to introduce you to the
concept of a Minimum Lovable Product. The difference between the two is that an MLP
is not just supposed to work like an MVP is, it’s supposed to trigger a positive
emotional response from your users. It means more work, but being smart about it. So just a bit more work, gets
you a lot more love from users. If that sounds good, check out my video
covering MLP complete with use cases. If you’d like to get a refresher on MVP
first, check out the second video first. I hope you found these recommendations
useful - if you did, subscribe, leave a like and comment below - what questions about
app development would you like to have answered?
