Glide vs Adalo | 10 Factors Compared (2026)

Quick Comparison Table - Glide vs Adalo

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1. What Type of Apps Can You Actually Build?

This is the first and most critical filter in Glide vs Adalo because these platforms serve different distribution needs despite both being mobile-focused.

What Can You Build with Glide?

Glide builds Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) that install on devices and function like apps, but run through browser technology. The platform cannot publish to iOS App Store or Google Play Store.

This web-first approach works well for internal business tools, operational dashboards, employee directories, and team collaboration apps where users access through web browsers or PWA installation.

For companies wanting to deploy tools quickly without app store approval processes, Glide's browser-based distribution removes friction. However, consumer-facing apps requiring app marketplace presence cannot use Glide.

You can explore real implementations in our detailed breakdown of Glide app examples.

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Glide App Development

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As the largest Glide agency, we help businesses transform spreadsheets into powerful internal tools, CRMs, and mobile apps

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What Can You Build with Adalo?

Adalo specializes in native mobile apps that publish directly to iOS App Store and Google Play Store. Starting from the Starter plan ($36-45/month), you can submit apps for official app store distribution.

This native publishing capability makes Adalo suitable for consumer apps, mobile SaaS products, and applications requiring true app marketplace presence. The platform generates actual native apps rather than web wrappers.

However, many users report that Adalo apps work better as internal tools than consumer products competing in crowded app marketplaces. Performance limitations and design constraints can affect consumer app competitiveness.

For teams wanting official app store presence and mobile-first architecture, Adalo provides capabilities that Glide fundamentally cannot offer.

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2. Mobile App Store Distribution vs Web Access

This is where the fundamental architectural difference between Glide vs Adalo becomes non-negotiable for certain use cases.

Why Glide Cannot Publish to App Stores

Glide builds Progressive Web Apps that users access through web browsers or install as PWAs from websites. There is no path to iOS App Store or Google Play Store distribution.

For internal business tools, client portals, and operational apps, this web-based distribution works effectively. Users receive URL links and can install PWAs on their devices with app-like icons.

However, consumer apps requiring app marketplace visibility, app store search discoverability, and official marketplace credibility cannot achieve these through Glide's architecture.

The platform explicitly focuses on internal and business tools rather than consumer app marketplace distribution. We've explained this web-first distribution model in depth in our guide to how Glide mobile apps actually work.

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How Adalo Enables App Store Publishing

Adalo provides guided app store submission workflows for both iOS App Store (requires $99/year Apple Developer account) and Google Play Store (requires $25 one-time Google Play Developer account).

The platform generates native mobile apps that meet app store technical requirements. Initial submissions typically take 3-5 days for review, with Adalo providing step-by-step publishing documentation.

This app store capability makes Adalo viable for consumer mobile products, though success in competitive app marketplaces depends heavily on app quality, marketing, and product-market fit beyond the platform itself.

For teams requiring legitimate app marketplace presence, Adalo's native publishing capability is its core strategic advantage over web-only platforms.

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3. Database Reliability and Data Management

This is where user experience reports reveal concerning patterns that affect platform selection.

How Glide Handles Data Storage

Glide increasingly pushes users toward Glide Tables (native database) for better performance and reliability. Google Sheets and Excel connections remain possible but with reduced features.

Platform reliability with Glide Tables has been generally stable, with users reporting consistent data persistence. The spreadsheet-style interface makes data management intuitive for business users.

However, migrating into Glide Tables creates vendor lock-in since data lives within Glide's ecosystem. For teams with existing spreadsheet workflows, this migration decision requires strategic consideration. Before committing your data layer, review the full analysis of Glide advantages and disadvantages.

Overall, Glide's data reliability receives fewer negative reports compared to some competing platforms. For teams integrating enterprise systems, here’s how production databases like Salesforce connect securely in our guide to connecting Salesforce to Glide.

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Database Concerns with Adalo

Adalo's built-in database has faced significant user criticism regarding reliability. Multiple verified user reviews report unexpected data loss incidents where 70% or more of database records suddenly disappeared.

One documented case from October 2024 led to Adalo acknowledging "a noisy tenant that created an exponentially increasing number of server calls against a huge database that depleted the server of memory."

Many experienced users recommend using external databases (Airtable, Google Sheets, Xano) rather than Adalo's native database for critical production data. This external database approach adds architectural complexity but reduces data loss risk.

User reviews consistently mention database instability as Adalo's most serious limitation. For production applications with valuable business data, this reliability concern requires careful evaluation and external backup strategies.

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4. Customer Support Quality and Responsiveness

User reviews reveal dramatically different support experiences that affect long-term platform satisfaction.

Support Experience with Glide

Glide provides standard support across all pricing tiers through documentation, community forums, and support tickets. Response times are generally reasonable without significant tier-based prioritization.

The platform maintains active community engagement and comprehensive documentation covering common use cases. For typical operational questions, resources are adequate.

However, Glide does not offer priority support tiers or dedicated account management even on higher-priced plans. All users receive similar support access levels.

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Support Concerns with Adalo

Adalo receives consistently negative reviews regarding customer support quality and responsiveness. Multiple verified users on expensive plans (including Business tier) report multi-day response times with generic, unhelpful solutions.

Common user complaints include:

• Support responses suggesting users "look in Adalo Academy" or "hire an Adalo expert" rather than addressing technical issues
• Days-long delays even for paying customers on priority support plans
• Generic responses that don't address specific technical problems
• Lack of meaningful help even for platform-caused database failures

One verified reviewer on the most expensive plan stated: "I pay the most expensive plan, which include special service, and they only give you generic un-usable solutions and ask you to wait patiently."

For teams requiring reliable support when technical issues arise, Adalo's support reputation creates significant concerns about production app maintenance and problem resolution.

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5. Pricing Models and Cost Scaling

This reveals how costs grow as you build more apps and add more capabilities.

How Glide Pricing Works

Glide uses combined user limits and monthly update counts. Free plans exist but with heavy restrictions. Paid plans start around $25 per month for Maker (10 users), $99 per month for Team (40 users), and $249+ per month for Business (unlimited users).

Pricing scales based on both user seats and row updates (data changes). High-activity applications with frequent data modifications can experience cost increases beyond base subscription fees.

For teams building multiple internal tools, Glide allows unlimited apps within subscription tiers. You pay for platform access rather than per-app costs.

This multi-app capability makes Glide economical for organizations deploying numerous internal tools across departments. Many agencies use structured Glide app templates to standardize builds across clients.

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How Adalo Pricing Works

Adalo uses per-published-app pricing that multiplies costs as you manage multiple projects. Plans range from $36-45/month for Starter (1 published app), $65/month for Professional (2 apps), $200/month for Team (5 apps), to $250/month for Business (10 apps).

This per-app cost structure becomes expensive for agencies or businesses managing multiple client projects. If you need 3 active apps, costs jump to $200/month for Team plan.

Additionally, Adalo charges $25/month per additional published app and $15/month per additional app editor beyond plan limits.

For single-app businesses, Adalo's pricing is reasonable. For agencies building 5-10 client apps simultaneously, costs escalate quickly compared to platforms with unlimited app allowances.

Notably, Adalo removed action-based pricing limits in recent updates, providing unlimited actions on all paid plans for more predictable costs.

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6. Design Flexibility and Visual Customization

Both platforms aim for mobile-friendly design but with different component systems and constraints.

Design Approach in Glide

Glide provides mobile-optimized component libraries with template-driven layouts. The platform guides users toward proven mobile interface patterns through structured design systems.

Customization exists through component configuration, color schemes, and layout choices, but stays within Glide's design framework. This constraint ensures apps look professional even without design expertise.

For internal operational tools where functional clarity matters more than visual uniqueness, Glide's design constraints accelerate development. Apps have a recognizable Glide aesthetic. A common example is building a structured Glide inventory app for internal stock management.

However, highly custom branded experiences or unique interface patterns require working within Glide's component boundaries rather than pixel-level freedom.

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Design Approach in Adalo

Adalo offers a drag-and-drop interface with native mobile component libraries. The design environment feels similar to Figma or Canva, making visual editing intuitive.

Components include standard mobile elements like lists, forms, buttons, navigation bars, and modals. Customization includes fonts, colors, spacing, and component behavior.

However, users report that layout control becomes complex when building custom designs beyond templates. Layers, groups, and component hierarchy require careful management.

Design freedom exists but within Adalo's component system constraints. Achieving pixel-perfect custom layouts requires significant effort and understanding of Adalo's design structure.

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7. Template Libraries and Starting Points

Both platforms provide templates, but quantity and focus differ significantly.

Glide's Extensive Template Collection

Glide offers 400+ templates spanning internal tools, dashboards, directories, operational apps, and business workflows. The large library covers diverse organizational needs.

Templates include inventory systems, employee directories, project trackers, CRMs, team collaboration tools, and departmental dashboards. For internal use cases, Glide likely has relevant starting templates.

This extensive collection accelerates development by providing proven structures. Teams can customize templates faster than building from scratch.

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Adalo's Mobile-Focused Templates

Adalo provides 100+ templates concentrated on mobile app patterns like e-commerce, social media, booking systems, directories, and community apps.

Templates are designed specifically for mobile-first experiences and app store publishing. While fewer than Glide's collection, templates align with Adalo's consumer mobile app positioning.

For mobile marketplace apps, Adalo's templates provide better starting points than general business tool templates. However, the smaller library means less variety for specialized use cases.

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8. Integration Capabilities and External Connections

Both platforms support external integrations but with different ecosystems and capabilities.

How Glide Handles Integrations

Glide integrates with Google Sheets, Excel, Glide Tables, and various APIs through Zapier or custom API configurations. The platform focuses on data source connections rather than extensive third-party integrations.

For business automation workflows, Glide works adequately with tools like Zapier, Make, and webhook connections. However, native integration library is smaller than some competing platforms.

The platform prioritizes simplicity over integration breadth, which aligns with its internal tool positioning. For teams adding automation layers, see real-world Glide AI features in action.

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How Adalo Handles Integrations

Adalo supports integrations with Airtable, Google Sheets, Stripe (payments), Zapier (automation), and custom APIs through their Professional plan and higher.

The platform includes a component marketplace with specialized elements for features like in-app purchases (IAPHUB integration), authentication services, and data connections.

However, many marketplace components require additional paid subscriptions beyond Adalo costs. Users report that even basic functionalities sometimes require expensive marketplace add-ons.

Integration access requires Professional plan minimum ($65/month), adding cost barriers for starter-tier users.

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9. Performance and Scalability Concerns

User reviews reveal important performance characteristics that affect production readiness.

How Glide Performs at Scale

Glide apps remain lightweight and responsive for typical internal tool use cases. Performance is generally adequate for operational dashboards, directories, and team collaboration tools.

However, highly complex workflows or apps with thousands of users may experience limitations. The platform works best for internal tools with defined user groups rather than massive public-facing applications.

We've covered long-term growth constraints in our breakdown of Glide scalability.

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Performance Concerns with Adalo

Multiple user reviews mention performance degradation as apps gain users and data. One verified review stated: "For my use case, there were a lot of lists and searches done by users, and their experience got worse with each new user."

Adalo's infrastructure underwent a 3.0 overhaul in late 2026 claiming 3-4x faster performance. However, earlier user experiences indicate scalability challenges existed historically.

The platform markets ability to scale beyond 1 million monthly active users with proper architecture, but user reviews suggest significant performance concerns appear well before reaching such scale.

For high-traffic consumer apps with complex data operations, performance limitations may constrain product growth.

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10. Which Platform Fits Different Scenarios?

This section provides practical clarity by mapping Glide vs Adalo to real-world product needs and organizational contexts.

Best for Internal Operational Tools

Glide excels for internal business applications like employee directories, project tracking, inventory management, and departmental dashboards where users are team members accessing tools daily.

Adalo can build internal tools but its native app publishing capability is unnecessary overhead for internal use. Glide's simpler deployment through web links works better for internal scenarios.

If you're unsure whether your project fits this profile, review practical Glide use cases to validate alignment.

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Best for Consumer Mobile Apps Requiring App Store Presence

Adalo is the only viable option between these two platforms when apps must appear in iOS App Store or Google Play Store for consumer discovery and marketplace credibility.

Glide fundamentally cannot publish to app stores, making it unsuitable for consumer mobile products requiring marketplace visibility. If marketplace distribution is mandatory, you may also want to explore broader Glide alternatives before committing.

However, Adalo's database reliability concerns and performance limitations require careful evaluation for consumer apps with serious growth ambitions.

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Best for Quick MVP Validation

Glide provides faster initial deployment for simple operational MVPs, especially when data already exists in Google Sheets. Non-technical users can launch functional tools in hours.

Adalo works well for mobile app MVP validation when app store presence matters for user testing. However, database reliability concerns suggest using external databases (Airtable) even for MVPs.

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Best for Agencies Managing Multiple Client Projects

Glide's unlimited apps within subscription tiers makes it more economical for agencies building numerous client tools simultaneously.

Adalo's per-app pricing becomes expensive quickly. Managing 5 client apps requires $200/month Team plan. For 10 apps, the $250/month Business plan is necessary.

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Best for Teams Prioritizing Data Security

Glide's database stability receives fewer negative reports, making it relatively safer for business-critical data when using Glide Tables.

Adalo's documented data loss incidents and user warnings about database reliability create serious concerns for production applications with valuable data. External database usage is recommended.

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Best for Non-Technical Founders

Both platforms target non-technical users, but Glide's spreadsheet-first model feels more intuitive for business users already comfortable with Google Sheets or Excel.

Adalo requires understanding mobile app architecture concepts (screens, navigation, component relationships) that may feel less familiar to pure business users.

If you’re evaluating operational ROI, review the measurable benefits of Glide AI-powered apps.

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Final Decision Guide – When to Choose Each

This final comparison addresses not just features, but reliability concerns and strategic fit.

Choose Glide If…

Choose Glide if you're building internal operational tools for your team where web-based access is sufficient and app store publishing is unnecessary. It is the right platform when quick deployment from spreadsheet data and stable database reliability matter most.

Select Glide when you need to build multiple internal tools economically without per-app costs. The platform fits teams creating employee directories, project dashboards, inventory systems, and departmental tools.

It works best when users are internal team members, PWA distribution is adequate, and database stability matters more than native app marketplace presence. If you'd rather work with experienced specialists, review our curated list of top Glide experts before starting development.

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Choose Adalo If…

Choose Adalo only when native iOS and Android app store publishing is absolutely required for your product strategy. It is the right platform when consumer mobile apps need official app marketplace presence.

However, be aware of significant limitations: documented database reliability issues, weak customer support, per-app pricing that scales expensive, and performance concerns at scale.

If choosing Adalo, strongly consider using external databases (Airtable, Xano) rather than Adalo's native database for production data, and budget for potential support challenges.

The platform works best for simple mobile apps with modest user counts where app store presence provides strategic value despite platform limitations.

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Strategic Warning About Adalo

User reviews consistently mention database instability, poor customer support, and unexpected data loss as serious concerns. For business-critical applications, these reliability issues create substantial risk.

Multiple verified users recommend avoiding Adalo's native database entirely and using external databases instead, which adds complexity that undermines the platform's no-code simplicity promise.

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Glide App Development

Turn Sheets Into Apps

As the largest Glide agency, we help businesses transform spreadsheets into powerful internal tools, CRMs, and mobile apps

Let's talk

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Want Help Building with Glide or Adalo?

Glide and Adalo both simplify app development, but they serve different distribution needs and have significantly different reliability profiles. One builds stable internal tools through web distribution. The other enables app store publishing but with concerning reliability issues. Choosing wrong creates either insufficient distribution capability or production stability risk.

LowCode Agency is a strategic product team that builds scalable applications using the right platform for your distribution needs and reliability requirements.

• We evaluate platform reliability beyond marketing claims
  Database stability, support quality, and documented user experiences inform our platform recommendations. We help teams avoid platforms with concerning reliability patterns.
• We validate distribution requirements before committing
  Internal tools may not need app store publishing, while consumer apps require marketplace presence. We match platform capabilities to actual distribution strategy.
• We design proper data architecture from the start
  For platforms with database concerns, we implement external database strategies and backup systems that protect business data regardless of platform issues.
• We build for operational reliability
  Internal tools and consumer apps both require data persistence, consistent performance, and reliable support when issues arise. We structure applications to minimize platform-specific risks.
• We operate as a full product team
  Product strategy, UX design, no-code engineering, data architecture, and QA move together in structured sprints.

We've built 350+ custom Gldie apps, SaaS platforms, and internal systems across industries. If you want to build with Glide or Adalo correctly and understand platform reliability trade-offs, let's discuss your requirements and structure it properly from the start with LowCode Agency.