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No-Code · head to head

Adalo vs Directual

Adalo logo

Adalo

No-Code

Build Anything & Publish Everywhere. With Scale.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Directual logo

Directual

No-Code

No-code backend with a visual workflow engine, used behind other tools rather than instead of them

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Adalo free plan does not allow publishing apps, maximum 500 records storage; Directual the front-end builder is basic, so any project needing a designed interface means learning and paying for a second tool, and time to launch is closer to a two-system build than a one-tool build.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adalo and Directual actually diverge.

Attributes where Adalo and Directual differ
AttributeAdaloDirectual
Pricing modelfreemiumquote

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (No-Code).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adalo

Nothing recorded that Directual does not also cover.

Only in Directual

  • Visual database designer
  • Scenario builder
  • Generated API endpoints
  • Event-driven triggers
  • Role and permission model
  • Scheduled jobs
  • Basic web page builder
  • Self-hosted deployment

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adalo

  • No-code mobile app developmentnot Directual
  • Web app creation without codingnot Directual
  • Founder and entrepreneur MVPsnot Directual
  • Agency app deliverynot Directual

Directual

  • Providing the backend for a Webflow or FlutterFlow front end that needs real data, authentication and logicnot Adalo
  • Replacing an Airtable base that has outgrown its row limits without hiring a backend developernot Adalo
  • Event-driven workflows such as order processing or scheduled billing runs that must run without a person triggering themnot Adalo
  • Organisations with a data residency requirement that rules out most no-code platforms, using the self-hosted tiernot Adalo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adalo

  • Free plan does not allow publishing apps, maximum 500 records storage
  • Starter plan limited to 1 published app and 1 editor
  • No usage-based charges across all plans, but storage limits enforced

Directual

  • The front-end builder is basic, so any project needing a designed interface means learning and paying for a second tool, and time to launch is closer to a two-system build than a one-tool build.
  • Visual scenarios become unreadable once the logic is non-trivial; a workflow that would be forty lines of code sprawls across a canvas, and reviewing what a colleague built is slow.
  • Debugging asynchronous, event-triggered scenarios is harder than debugging code, because failures surface as records left in an unexpected state rather than as a stack trace at the point of failure.
  • Self-hosting is confined to the top commercial tier, so the ownership advantage is available only to buyers already spending at the high end.
  • The pool of agencies and freelancers who know Directual is small next to Bubble or Airtable, so handing a finished system to someone else to maintain is harder and more expensive.

Pricing, plan by plan

Adalo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 0 published apps
    • 1 app editor
    • 500 records per app storage
  • Starter$36/month
    • 1 published app
    • 1 app editor
    • 5GB storage per team
  • Professional$52/month
    • 2 published apps
    • 5 app editors
    • 25GB storage per team
  • Team$160/month
    • 5 published apps
    • 10 app editors
    • 125GB storage per team

Directual

Free
  • Directual$undefined/month
    • Free tier with capped records and API calls
    • Paid tiers priced by database rows, API calls and scenario runs
    • Self-hosted deployment on the top tier only

Which should you pick?

Choose Adalo if

  • You want to start without paying.
Adalo review

Choose Directual if

  • You need visual database designer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want scenario builder.
Directual review

Questions people ask

Is Adalo or Directual better?
Neither clearly leads. Adalo starts at Free and Directual at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adalo or Directual?
Adalo starts at Free and Directual at Free.
Does Adalo or Directual run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Adalo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Adalo best used for?
Adalo is most often used for no-code mobile app development, web app creation without coding, founder and entrepreneur mvps, agency app delivery. Of those, no-code mobile app development and web app creation without coding are not what Directual is typically brought in for.
What can Adalo do that Directual cannot?
Directual covers Visual database designer, Scenario builder, Generated API endpoints, Event-driven triggers.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Adalo: How many app editors are included in each Adalo plan?

Free and Starter plans include 1 editor. Professional tier adds 5 editors total, and Team tier provides 10 editors for collaborative development.

Source
Directual: Is Directual a replacement for Bubble?

Not directly. Bubble builds the whole application; Directual builds the backend and expects you to bring a front end such as Webflow or FlutterFlow.

Adalo: What are Adalo pricing terms and what is included in annual billing?

All Adalo pricing is billed annually. Starter costs 36 USD per month (annual), Professional costs 52 USD per month (annual), and Team tier costs 160 USD per month (annual). No monthly billing option available.

Source
Directual: Can I host it myself?

Yes, on the top commercial tier. That is unusual in no-code and it is the main reason regulated buyers look at it at all.

Adalo: How much storage does each Adalo plan provide?

Free plan provides 500 records per app, Starter offers 5GB per team, Professional includes 25GB per team, and Team tier provides 125GB per team storage.

Source
Directual: How does it cope with large data volumes?

It is built on a real database with indexing rather than a spreadsheet abstraction, so record counts that break Airtable-class tools are within its normal range.

Adalo: What is the maximum number of published apps on the Professional plan?

The Professional plan (52 USD per month) allows 2 published apps. The Team plan (160 USD per month) extends this to 5 published apps.

Source
Directual: What happens to my logic if I leave?

The data exports and the API is documented, but scenarios are platform-specific and have to be reimplemented, unless you are already on the self-hosted tier.

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