Pricing structure

Both Bubble and WeWeb have a tiered pricing structure that packages features into different plans. However, their core pricing models differ:

Bubble follows usage-based pricing, calculating workload units based on how much processing power Bubble uses to keep an app running. Additional charges apply if usage exceeds the limit.
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WeWeb has a more transparent pricing model, charging per app visitor with different plans including a set number of visitors.
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Both platforms have a free tier and allow publishing a live app on their cheapest paid plan, but the pricing differs significantly: WeWeb starts at $49/month
and Bubble starts at $29/month

Permission management and access control

Bubble allows for highly granular, role-based permissions with an unlimited number of custom roles. Access can be granted to edit, load, and delete specific datasets. WeWeb offers similar functionality but allows to control access only to pages.

Bubble also provides workflow permissions, testing, and validation, offering more control and security. Both Bubble and WeWeb allow setting up conditional rules for filtering data. However, these rules operate on the client side, meaning all data is loaded first and then filtered, which can raise data privacy concerns.

Authentication

WeWeb allows for better control over backend resources, authentication providers, and front-end app access. It supports Auth0, OpenID, Xano, and Supabase Auth. While it is possible to use these authentication providers with Bubble, doing so requires additional setup through plugins. As with all plugins, this adds an extra layer of complexity and makes them less reliable than native integrations.

Custom components

Both WeWeb and Bubble allow you to incorporate custom UI components that you can code using popular languages such as React or Vue. Both also support the use of external libraries.

However, WeWeb allows you to run code directly in the editor, making fast previewing more convenient. In Bubble, every component runs in a sandboxed iframe, which, while more secure, is slower and more limiting.

Themes and Styles

Bubble and WeWeb offer style classes to define and apply styles across elements like buttons and text. Bubble provides a user-friendly interface for styling without coding but limits users to predefined attributes, requiring custom CSS for additional modifications.

WeWeb, on the other hand, follows a more CSS-like structure, making it easier for those familiar with CSS. A recent WeWeb update allows users to define typography, colors, spacing, and classes while enabling style sharing across projects, simplifying brand consistency and design reuse.

Custom branding

Both WeWeb and Bubble allow users to create branded apps, whether they are websites, portals, or internal apps. Both platforms provide basic functionality such as uploading a logo to the app’s header, sign-up page branding, favicons, and custom domains.

However, making more advanced branding customizations in WeWeb can be challenging, as it requires using custom components, whereas Bubble allows users to import designs directly into the platform.

Data source integrations

Bubble and WeWeb have somewhat opposite approaches to data. Bubble relies heavily on its built-in SQL database and provides integrations with external data sources through plugins. In contrast, WeWeb separates the front-end and back-end parts of the app, focusing solely on the front-end while integrating with popular back-end systems and databases. WeWeb does not have an internal database, so you must use an external data source, such as Google Sheets.

Having an internal database significantly speeds up the building process since you don’t need to manage a database schema, write SQL queries, or manually bind data to UI components. Bubble’s database integrates seamlessly into the development process and does not require knowledge of technical concepts like foreign keys, relationships, or entities. This also reduces latency since the Bubble app does not need to send data back and forth to an external database.

However, using an internal database comes with scalability risks, which are crucial to consider if you plan to build a large-scale project or grow a SaaS application.

WeWeb’s focus on early-stage SaaS startups is also reflected in its integrations. One of the first native integrations it introduced was with Xano and Supabase—two popular Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) platforms among startups. These allow users to work with a separate back-end while maintaining flexibility to switch data sources as needed.

Responsiveness

Until recently, WeWeb had a significant advantage in responsive design, as it provided built-in responsiveness that worked seamlessly. However, Bubble has since launched a new responsive engine that performs just as well, allowing you to control exactly how elements fold when resizing, making both platforms comparable in this regard.

Public API

Both Bubble and WeWeb provide a public API that third-party services can use to interact with the app you’ve built. However, WeWeb’s API is designed solely to automate and streamline deployment processes for WeWeb projects and does not support standard operations such as accessing lists of records, retrieving individual records, creating new rows, or updating and deleting existing ones.

Bubble, on the other hand, provides a data API, allowing external apps to interact with your Bubble app’s data, and a workflows API, which enables external apps to execute workflows within your Bubble application.

Hosting

Both WeWeb and Bubble provide a cloud hosting option. Bubble does not offer any alternative hosting solutions, while WeWeb allows you to fully export your project and self-host it however you want. This is one of the strongest aspects of WeWeb’s value proposition compared to Bubble.

Release management

Both WeWeb and Bubble provide version control with multiple environments. However, since announcing the feature in 2023, WeWeb has not added branching to its source control. This could be a significant drawback for launching production apps or for teams with multiple developers. In contrast, Bubble offers branching, allowing teams to collaborate and deploy changes without risking the live app.

Debugging

Bubble provides a the issue tracker that can identify errors before they become a bug as well as a visual debugger - an in-app tool that allows you to test your app before launching it in production, acting as a second protective layer before going live.

WeWeb doesn’t have a dedicated debugger but includes a logs window in the workflow builder, which allows you to catch errors in workflows and individual steps.

Security and Data Privacy

Both apps provide an option to use custom SAML-based SSO. However, this is the only authentication feature WeWeb offers, whereas Bubble also provides two-factor authentication (2FA) and is SOC 2 Type II certified. However, some clients have concerns about Bubble’s reliance on third-party plugins, as the Bubble team has limited control over their security and maintenance.

Security and Data Privacy

Bubble owns the code and, to an extent, the app you’ve built. In contrast, WeWeb provides an option to export the code. You can download your WeWeb projects starting from the annual Starter plan subscription ($39/month × 12 months = $469/year). The downloaded ZIP file contains all your project files (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) ready to be hosted anywhere.

This feature could be a deciding factor for many clients in favor of WeWeb, especially those building mission-critical internal applications and SaaS products.

Jet Admin - balance between complexity and ease of use

Both Bubble and WeWeb have significant limitations when it comes to integrating with existing backends. Bubble relies heavily on plugins, while WeWeb lacks support for some widely used resources such as MongoDB and Firebase.

Jet Admin provides a wide range of native integrations (50+) and supports REST and GraphQL APIs, allowing users to connect to virtually any data source. It can be deployed in the cloud, on-premise, or via an on-premise agent that can be hidden within a VPC behind a VPN. This setup enables users to take advantage of cloud hosting while keeping their data on their own servers.

Jet Admin also automatically generates UI elements based on the connected data. It reads the data schema and creates all the CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) actions, along with the structure of the UI elements, eliminating the need to manually configure every column in a table.

Unlike WeWeb, Jet Admin allows users to import Figma designs directly into the platform, making it easier to create pixel-perfect apps.