Building with Bubble - the no-code app builder

What is Bubble?

Bubble is a no-code app builder that allows non-technical founders to build fully-functional web and mobile applications without code.

The no-code platform provides a drag-and-drop interface and easy-to-use workflows, making it accessible for anyone to create complex applications. With Bubble, you can create anything from simple landing pages to SAAS or CRMs. No coding experience is required!

And according to Bubble's website, over 500,000 apps have been built using the platform.

Is it easy to use Bubble for a non-technical person?

While Bubble is for non-technical users, there is still a learning curve.

As with any new technology or tool, there will be a period of adjustment. And a need to learn the platform's terminology, features, and functionality. And some users may need help understanding Bubble. Bubble is no exception.

However, despite the learning curve, Bubble remains a powerful no-code app builder for building custom web and mobile applications without knowing how to code. You can create sophisticated applications with various features and functionalities, including user authentication, data management, e-commerce, etc.

Additionally, Bubble offers extensive documentation and tutorials to help users get started. The community forum is valuable for beginners to connect with other Bubble users, ask questions, and receive support.

So, while it may not be completely "easy" for a non-technical person, it is undoubtedly a better option than learning to code.

Where should you begin learning Bubble.io?

• Bubble's guided tutorials: If you're new to Bubble.io, the best place to start is the Bubble guided tutorial. Every new user who signs up has to complete a series of guided tutorials. And while they may not teach you everything you need, they'll get you started.
• YouTube: Once you're through, you should explore YouTube. You can follow Bubble's official channel and get started with the introductory and crash course. A few good Bubble educators to follow are Buildcamp and Coaching No Code Apps.
• Udemy: If you're open to paid courses, Udemy has good Bubble courses. It would help if you went through the free content available on YouTube before purchasing a course to get the maximum value.
• Blogs: Some educators prefer written content over videos. So you can rely on blogs as well. Some blogs you should check are NocodeAssistant (we also have tutorials), Amlie Solutions, AirDev, Makerpad and No Code Germany.
• How to Build by Bubble: A series of tutorials to clone popular apps like Amazon, Airbnb and eBay.
• Bubble forum: There's also a community of Bubble users where you can ask questions, get advice, and connect with other entrepreneurs.

Why should you build a business with Bubble?

Apart from the fact that even someone without a coding background can build software, there are a few more benefits.

1. Cost-effective: Building software from scratch can be expensive. You'd need to hire developers, and even if you find one in your budget, building a no-code solution takes 90% less time than it takes with no-code platforms. Source - McKinsey
2. Faster deployment of software: The rapid prototyping that Bubble allows can help you validate your business idea and iterate quickly based on user feedback. According to McKinsey, there is a 2x increase in deployment speed with no-code tools like Bubble.
3. Flexibility: No-code tools can be augmented using code. With Bubble, you can connect an external database or a third-party tool using APIs. You are not limited to native features when building with Bubble.
4. Scalability: As your business scales, your resource usage will also increase. With the ability to increase your server capacity and get dedicated resources, there is no limit to how far you can scale. It does not mean you can run a Facebook-level business with Bubble, but you can scale to a point where you have hundreds of thousands of customers.
5. Affordability: Hosting your Bubble app is cheap. The Personal plan of $29/month is sufficient for most people. Although at NocodeAssistant, we recommend opting for the Professional plan, the Personal plan is good enough for market validation.

It does not mean there are no limitations when using Bubble. There are. However, only some users will reach those limitations.

What can you build with Bubble?

You can build practically anything with Bubble — marketplaces, CRMs, SAAS, internal tools, job boards, review sites, food delivery apps, etc. It is not the complete list, as the flexibility of Bubble is endless. 

However, Bubble is not the right tool if you're looking to build a game, social media platform or video conferencing app like Zoom. Theoretically, you can still make them with Bubble. But they'll not be scalable as these apps consume many server resources. 

For everything else, Bubble can help you. 

Read more on 5 ways you can use Bubble to grow your business.

What kind of design flexibility does Bubble offer?

As a no-code app builder, Bubble offers excellent design flexibility to business owners.

You can choose from various pre-built templates or custom designs from scratch. Add to that the platform's intuitive drag-and-drop interface, and the result is an easy-to-use system that allows for a high degree of creativity and originality.

While it is true it was difficult to create good UI in Bubble at some point, Bubble upgraded its core architecture to Flexbox, vastly improving the design capabilities. You now have pixel-perfect control, and even beginners can design good UI. 

If you'd like to review some Bubble apps with good UI, check out Incomee, goodgigs or our Dribbble page, where we upload designs of apps we built.

Ways to use Bubble to build your business app

Ideally, you'd have three options to use Bubble for your business.

1. Learn Bubble and build it yourself from scratch.
2. Learn Bubble just enough to tweak a template. 
3. Hire an expert to create it while you focus on running your business.

While in most cases, options 1 and 3 make the most sense, option two should not be discounted if your solution doesn't require much customization. 

Tweaking a template for your needs can be the fastest way to use Bubble. Many templates are available that target different business types. These templates have standard features, making it easy to get started. If you cannot find the features you want, you can tweak them to meet your requirements. 

Scaling Your Business with Bubble

As your business grows, wanting to scale your no-code app makes sense. The current narrative is that no-code is excellent for prototyping and early market validation but not for scaling. 

Scaling your Bubble app may be difficult, but these problems are not unique. They are more due to people needing more experience. And creating a new app and scaling require two different mindsets. 

Before you decide how to scale your business with Bubble, you must understand what you want to grow. It could be making your app feature-rich, improving performance or handling more concurrent users. Trying to scale without understanding the goal isn't possible — you'll spend energy moving in the wrong direction.

And before you add any features, you should optimize your existing ones. There will be instances where something is working but can be improved.

If you'd like to add more features or something not natively available, you can use APIs to integrate third-party tools. Anything and everything with an API can integrate with Bubble, even AI.

The changes you make depend on your goal with your business and your Bubble app. It dictates your direction and the choices you make. 

Can Bubble integrate with your other business tools?

Yes. Bubble can integrate with other business tools via APIs or third-party plugins.

For instance, integrations with Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat) allow you to connect Bubble with hundreds of other apps, including Google Sheets, Mailchimp, and Trello. This unlocks a huge advantage for your Bubble app as you're no longer limited to the features offered by Bubble. And both Zapier and Make have an intuitive UI, making it easy for non-coders to work with them.

What are the costs associated with using Bubble?

Bubble offers different tiers with different features. However, it would help if you upgraded to the Personal plan to put your app on a custom domain ($29/month). Check pricing

The Personal plan is good enough to get the ball rolling. If you have the budget, consider upgrading to the Professional plan. It will give you greater control of your app and more server resources. 

The Production and the Dedicated plans are for startups with Product Market Fit or Enterprises. 

How secure is the data stored on Bubble?

Bubble takes the security of your data very seriously. 

Bubble encrypts all your data with AES-256 encryption. This means that your data is protected from unauthorized access, both when it is at rest and when it is in transit.

Bubble also uses SSL encryption to secure all communications between your browser and its servers. This means that your data is protected from interception by third parties. Read more

Are there any limitations or drawbacks to using Bubble.io for building a business?

Despite its user-friendly interface, using Bubble for business has some potential limitations you must be aware of.

1. Limited control over the backend: Bubble abstracts away the backend to enable a no-code development process, which means users may have limited control over the customization and optimization of backend processes.
2. Scalability challenges: Bubble's data storage and server configuration require careful consideration, and poorly designed applications can have scalability challenges as the number of users increases.
3. No native mobile support: Bubble is a no-code app builder. It focuses solely on web apps. And if a mobile app is core to your business, there are better platforms than Bubble. And while you can use a third-party wrapper to convert your web app to a mobile app, there will be tradeoffs.

Understanding these potential limitations can help you make informed decisions for your business.

Why Bubble is a game-changer for entrepreneurs

When building a business, having the right tools and resources can make all the difference. With the rise of no-code app builders, entrepreneurs no longer need extensive technical skills or a large development team to create functional software.

Bubble empowers entrepreneurs with no coding experience to create complex web applications without writing a single line of code. With Bubble, you can bring your ideas to life faster than ever before, allowing you to quickly test, iterate and refine your products before investing significant time and money into development.

It's flexible, affordable, scalable and user-friendly.

The role of Bubble in the future of business development

The role of Bubble in the future of business development is clear: it'll allow entrepreneurs and developers to bring their ideas to market quickly with cost-effective solutions, creating new opportunities for growth across industries.

Gartner estimates that the share of new application development that will leverage low-code/nocode by 2025 will reach 70%. Source

And ignoring a no-code app builder like Bubble can be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful business.

Further reading - Bubble vs Webflow