Webflow vs. Bubble: which app to choose.

Webflow is for websites and Bubble is for web apps and websites.

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Webflow is best for websites and Bubble is best for web apps. Webflow helps you manage content like an article for a blog or a product for a store. They call it a content management system (CMS). Bubble helps you manage user access like a team of people who buy your software. Bubble is a no-code app builder.

Let’s dive into a more detailed breakout to help you compare the two.

Comparison list

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Webflow

Best for Websites & Ecommerce
“Apple” of No-code
Content Management System (CMS)
Complex Visual Builder
Weak Plugins
Visual Excellence
Templates
Zapier integration
Free and Paid

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Bubble

Best for Web Applications
“Microsoft” of No-code
App Builder with User MGMT
(More) Complex Visual Builder
Strong Plugins
Workflows like an App
Templates
Zapier integration
Free and Paid

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Jobs to be Done

The easiest way to choose between Webflow and Bubble is to look at your end goal and go with the tool that works best for the job at hand. Here’s a list showing ten different jobs to be done and the best corresponding tool:

Webflow

Blog
Ecommerce Store
Landing Page
Company/Individual Website
Event Site

Bubble

Software (user sign-up)
Internal tool
Minimal Viable Product (MVP)
Marketplace
App/Website with heavy use of third party integrations

Key Distinguishing Factors

The key differences between Webflow and Bubble are that Webflow has a best-in-class no-code visual builder that allows for robust animations and responsiveness. On the other hand, Bubble has a powerful workflow functionality that allows you to chain together actions to produce app-like behaviors. Bubble also has built-in user management whereas Webflow does not.

Here’s a gif showing some of Webflow’s design and animation features in action:

It is in the workflow and user management features that make Bubble such a powerful no-code app builder. Some people say that if Webflow were to introduce workflow or user management functionality like Bubble then Webflow would easily rank number one as the go-to app for no-code websites and apps.

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Ease of Use

Webflow and Bubble both have areas that are difficult to use and easy to use. There are much simpler alternatives out there but with simplicity comes less functionality. Webflow and Bubble push no-code to the limits and are leaders in both no-code website and app development.

That being said, since Bubble has more advanced features (workflows and user management) than Webflow it is inherently more difficult to use. Bubble is to Microsoft as Webflow is to Apple. Both have a significant learning curve. But we can’t forget that these are no-code apps – learning HTML, CSS, and programming languages have a much steeper and longer learning curve!

Webflow has excellent (and sometimes hilarious in the best way) in-house education via their Webflow University.

Bubble has various education communities that you can check out like Buildcamp.

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Plugins and Extensibility

Webflow and Bubble both have lots of features available out-of-the-box but all us users demand more! For that, we have plugins and other creative ways to infuse more power into each tool. Bubble has a powerful plugin builder and an ever-growing plugin marketplace. Webflow does not have traditional plugins but instead has a list of what they call “Integrations” which are a bit hacky to set up. Webflow’s integrations don’t necessarily add functionality but instead take existing functionality and make them work with other apps. Let’s be honest, no-code can be hacky sometimes.

Bubble actually provides a robust plugin builder (code required) that allows people to develop extensions of the product and even sell them in the Bubble marketplace. Because of this, you get many more options to make Bubble do that extra thing you need for your app. The possibilities are nearly endless.

Zapier Integrations

Webflow and Bubble both have Zapier integrations. Webflow is a bit more limited with only three triggers that work with form submissions and new or updated orders for eCommerce stores. Bubble, on the other hand, only needs one trigger because it is based on its powerful Workflow feature. Just add a step in a Bubble workflow to trigger a Zap and you’re good - works for anything you can imagine!

Here is the list of Webflow triggers and actions on Zapier:

Webflows list of triggers and actions in Zapier

Here is the list of Bubble trigger and actions on Zapier:

List of Bubble triggers and actions in Zapier

Bubble’s integration is a bit complicated to set up but I’ve provided detailed instructions on how to do this in my post: Here’s how to integrate Zapier and Bubble (step-by-step with pictures)

Pricing

You can build and launch in both Webflow and Bubble for free via their hosted domains (something like yoursite.weblfow.com or yoursite.bubble.io). Pricing for Webflow is a bit more straightforward but it and Bubble’s pricing can be a bit complicated.

Webflow has 12 different combinations of pricing. Bubble has four with the option to buy more storage at intervals.

Bubble’s pricing is a combination of features plus capacity. Capacity for the app is hard to define and monitor, but is more or less how large your app is plus how many users are interacting with your app.

Here’s a screenshot of Bubble's current pricing (subject to change! Always refer to their website for up-to-date pricing):

Webflow has divides its plans into three main categories:

Site (or Website) - hosting provided
Ecommerce - special pricing for Ecommerce stores
Workspace - made for teams, only design in Webflow. Host somewhere else (or buy a Site plan)

Within each category there are a few options. I suggest going to the Webflow pricing page as it provides some more guidance!

I hope you have a better idea of which no-code app to choose for your project! I love both Webflow and Bubble for different reasons. Webflow’s editor and design capabilities are hard to beat whereas Bubble’s workflow feature opens up a whole world of possibilities which pushes no-code to its outer limits!