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No-Code · head to head

Appian vs Bubble

Appian logo

Appian

No-Code

Low-code process automation platform priced per user, per app, per month, with tier limits on data and AI volume

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bubble logo

Bubble

No-Code

No-code platform for building web and mobile applications visually

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bubble has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Appian cost multiplies on three axes at once, users, apps and month, so deploying several apps to overlapping user populations produces a bill that is not obvious from any single per-user headline figure.; Bubble apps are tied to Bubble's proprietary runtime, making migration to another stack difficult if the platform is later outgrown.
  • They diverge on capability: Appian covers Low-code process designer, Bubble covers Visual app editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Appian and Bubble actually diverge.

Attributes where Appian and Bubble differ
AttributeAppianBubble
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer user, per app, per month, escalating across Standard, Advanced and Premium tiersfreemium
Free tierNoYes

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Appian

  • Low-code process designer
  • Robotic process automation
  • AI process automation
  • Data fabric
  • Portals
  • Process mining

Only in Bubble

  • Visual app editor
  • Built-in database
  • Visual workflow logic
  • Plugin marketplace
  • Responsive design engine
  • Custom domains

What people use each for

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

Appian

  • A regulated enterprise (financial services, government, insurance) automating case management processes that need a full audit trailnot Bubble
  • A company deploying RPA bots alongside low-code apps and wanting both in one licensed platformnot Bubble
  • An organisation whose process data volume is large enough that the Standard tier's 4 million row cap is a real constraint worth planning fornot Bubble
  • A business wanting embedded AI actions inside workflow steps rather than bolted on separatelynot Bubble

Bubble

  • Building MVPs and startup web apps without a dev teamnot Appian
  • Internal business apps with custom database logicnot Appian
  • Marketplace and SaaS prototypesnot Appian
  • Mobile app wrappers around a Bubble web appnot Appian

Where each one falls short

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

Appian

  • Cost multiplies on three axes at once, users, apps and month, so deploying several apps to overlapping user populations produces a bill that is not obvious from any single per-user headline figure.
  • Each tier has hard caps on data rows, RPA bots and monthly AI actions, so a workload can force a tier upgrade purely from data or automation volume growth, independent of user count.
  • No dollar figures are published anywhere on Appian's own site; every real price point comes from a sales negotiation, making early-stage budget comparison against OutSystems or Mendix difficult.
  • The platform's strength in process orchestration and case management is less useful for teams that mainly want simple departmental data apps, where the pricing and capability are overkill.
  • Exceeding the 200,000 (Standard) or 1,000,000 (Premium) monthly AI action allowance requires a renegotiation, so AI-heavy workflows carry real usage risk beyond the base subscription.

Bubble

  • Apps are tied to Bubble's proprietary runtime, making migration to another stack difficult if the platform is later outgrown.
  • Complex apps can hit performance limits compared to hand-coded applications as data and workflow complexity grows.
  • The visual workflow editor has a steep learning curve for genuinely complex business logic.
  • Free tier cannot host apps on a custom domain, limiting it to prototyping rather than production launches.

Pricing, plan by plan

Appian

On request
  • Standard$undefined/month
    • Per user, per app, per month
    • 4 million data row capacity
    • 5 RPA bots included
  • Advanced$undefined/month
    • Per user, per app, per month
    • Higher data row capacity than Standard
    • More RPA bots than Standard
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Per user, per app, per month
    • 50 million data row capacity
    • Unlimited RPA bots

Bubble

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Bubble review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Appian if

  • You need low-code process designer.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want robotic process automation.
Appian review

Choose Bubble if

  • You need visual app editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, ios, android.
  • You also want built-in database.
Bubble review

Questions people ask

Is Appian or Bubble better?
Neither clearly leads. Appian starts at On request and Bubble at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Appian or Bubble?
Bubble has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Appian and Free for Bubble.
Does Appian or Bubble run on more platforms?
Appian runs on Web, iOS, Android. Bubble runs on web, ios, android.
Can I use Bubble for free?
Yes. Bubble has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Appian starts at On request.
What is Appian best used for?
Appian is most often used for a regulated enterprise (financial services, government, insurance) automating case management processes that need a full audit trail, a company deploying rpa bots alongside low-code apps and wanting both in one licensed platform, an organisation whose process data volume is large enough that the standard tier's 4 million row cap is a real constraint worth planning for, a business wanting embedded ai actions inside workflow steps rather than bolted on separately. Of those, a regulated enterprise (financial services, government, insurance) automating case management processes that need a full audit trail and a company deploying rpa bots alongside low-code apps and wanting both in one licensed platform are not what Bubble is typically brought in for.
What can Appian do that Bubble cannot?
Appian covers Low-code process designer, Robotic process automation, AI process automation, Data fabric. Bubble covers Visual app editor, Built-in database, Visual workflow logic, Plugin marketplace.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Appian: Does Appian publish its prices?

No dollar figures are public. It discloses the pricing mechanism, per user per app per month across three tiers, but actual rates are negotiated.

Bubble: Does Bubble publish pricing information on their main website?

Bubble's pricing details are not available on the main homepage. Detailed pricing information would need to be found on their dedicated pricing page or terms of service.

Source
Appian: What happens if we exceed the data row cap?

Exceeding a tier's data row, RPA bot or AI action cap requires upgrading to the next tier or negotiating an add-on, regardless of user count.

Appian: Is Appian a general app builder like OutSystems?

It can build general apps but is oriented more toward process automation and case management, with RPA and AI embedded as core features.

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