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No-Code · head to head

Draftbit vs Stacker

Draftbit logo

Draftbit

No-Code

Visual builder for React Native apps that exports the source code you keep

From
Free
Rated
-
Stacker logo

Stacker

No-Code

Permissioned portals over data that stays in Airtable, Salesforce or Postgres

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Draftbit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Draftbit export is one way; once a developer edits the exported React Native project those changes cannot be returned to the visual builder, so the team must pick a handover moment and accept that the visual tooling stops applying from then on.; Stacker there is no source export and no self-hosting, so leaving means rebuilding the entire interface and permission model elsewhere, even though the underlying records remain yours.
  • They diverge on capability: Draftbit covers React Native source export, Stacker covers Per-record permissions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Draftbit and Stacker actually diverge.

Attributes where Draftbit and Stacker differ
AttributeDraftbitStacker
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb

Identical on both: pricing model (quote), 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 Draftbit

  • React Native source export
  • Component library
  • Any REST API as a data source
  • Live device preview
  • Custom code blocks
  • Theming
  • Service connectors
  • Team collaboration

Only in Stacker

  • Per-record permissions
  • External user portals
  • Live connection to the source
  • Page and layout builder
  • Workflow actions
  • Custom domains and branding
  • User onboarding
  • Role based navigation

What people use each for

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

Draftbit

  • Shipping a first mobile version quickly with a deliberate plan to hand it to engineers laternot Stacker
  • Agencies building client apps where the contract requires source code as a deliverablenot Stacker
  • Teams that have a designer and a backend but no mobile engineernot Stacker
  • Prototyping a native app against a real API rather than building a clickable mockupnot Stacker

Stacker

  • Giving clients a login that shows only their own records inside an internal Airtable basenot Draftbit
  • Contractor or franchisee portals where each account must see one slice of a shared datasetnot Draftbit
  • Replacing a spreadsheet emailed to partners with a permissioned live view of the same datanot Draftbit
  • Putting a usable interface on a Salesforce or Postgres dataset for users who should never see the underlying systemnot Draftbit

Where each one falls short

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

Draftbit

  • Export is one way; once a developer edits the exported React Native project those changes cannot be returned to the visual builder, so the team must pick a handover moment and accept that the visual tooling stops applying from then on.
  • There is no bundled backend or database, so the real stack is Draftbit plus a service such as Supabase or Xano, and the cost and operational burden of that second system falls on you.
  • The output is mobile only with no web application target, so any product that also needs a browser version needs a second tool and a second build to maintain.
  • It is built on Expo, so native modules outside what Expo supports require ejecting and native build tooling, which is exactly the expertise the tool was meant to remove the need for.
  • App store submission, signing, review responses and release management are entirely yours, and that is where non-technical teams lose the time they saved in the builder.

Stacker

  • There is no source export and no self-hosting, so leaving means rebuilding the entire interface and permission model elsewhere, even though the underlying records remain yours.
  • Performance is bounded by the data source, so an Airtable base near its row limit or an API under rate limiting produces a slow portal that no amount of Stacker configuration will fix.
  • Pricing distinguishes internal editors from external portal users, so a portal that succeeds by adding hundreds of light-touch external users can end up costing more than the internal system it fronts.
  • Custom logic is limited to the actions and conditions the builder exposes, so anything resembling a calculation engine or a branching multi-step approval hits a wall and needs an external automation tool bolted on.
  • It is a portal and CRUD tool by design, with no offline mode, no native mobile application and no real reporting layer, so it will not be the only system a growing operation runs.

Pricing, plan by plan

Draftbit

Free
  • Draftbit$undefined/month
    • Free tier for building and previewing
    • Source export and publishing sit behind paid tiers
    • Priced per project and per collaborator

Stacker

On request
  • Stacker$undefined/month
    • Priced by workspace tier with caps on apps and users
    • External portal users charged differently from internal editors
    • Higher tiers add permission depth and support

Which should you pick?

Choose Draftbit if

  • You need react native source export.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want component library.

Choose Stacker if

  • You need per-record permissions.
  • You also want external user portals.

Questions people ask

Is Draftbit or Stacker better?
Neither clearly leads. Draftbit starts at Free and Stacker at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Draftbit or Stacker?
Draftbit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Draftbit and On request for Stacker.
Does Draftbit or Stacker run on more platforms?
Draftbit runs on Web, iOS, Android. Stacker runs on Web.
Can I use Draftbit for free?
Yes. Draftbit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Stacker starts at On request.
What is Draftbit best used for?
Draftbit is most often used for shipping a first mobile version quickly with a deliberate plan to hand it to engineers later, agencies building client apps where the contract requires source code as a deliverable, teams that have a designer and a backend but no mobile engineer, prototyping a native app against a real api rather than building a clickable mockup. Of those, shipping a first mobile version quickly with a deliberate plan to hand it to engineers later and agencies building client apps where the contract requires source code as a deliverable are not what Stacker is typically brought in for.
What can Draftbit do that Stacker cannot?
Draftbit covers React Native source export, Component library, Any REST API as a data source, Live device preview. Stacker covers Per-record permissions, External user portals, Live connection to the source, Page and layout builder.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Draftbit: Do I own the code?

Yes. Paid plans export a React Native and Expo project you can keep, host and ship without Draftbit involved.

Stacker: Where does my data live?

In the source you connect: Airtable, Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Sheets or your own Postgres. Stacker reads and writes to it rather than becoming the system of record.

Draftbit: Can I import edited code back into the builder?

No. Export is one way, so plan the handover deliberately because after it the visual builder is no longer part of your workflow.

Stacker: Can I export the app if I cancel?

No. The data stays in your source system, but the interface, permissions and workflows are Stacker configuration and do not come with you.

Draftbit: Does it include a database?

No. You connect your own backend, commonly Supabase, Xano, Airtable or a REST API you already run.

Stacker: Is it suitable for hundreds of external users?

Technically yes; check the pricing arithmetic first, because external portal users are charged separately and that is where the bill grows.

Draftbit: Can it build a web app as well?

No. The output is a React Native mobile application for iOS and Android only.

Stacker: Will it replace Airtable?

No, it sits in front of Airtable. If the base itself is at its limits, the fix is moving the data to Postgres rather than changing the portal.

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