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When you decide to build an app using Bubble, one of the first things you'll need to figure out is pricing. How much will it cost to get your app up and running? And more importantly, will that cost change over time? Understanding how Bubble pricing works is crucial for keeping your project within budget while making the most of the platform.
Bubble's pricing model can seem confusing at first, especially with terms like "workload units" and various plan tiers. But don't worry—I’ll break it down into simple, easy-to-understand terms so you can confidently move forward with your project.
How Bubble Pricing Works: An Overview
Bubble's pricing is based on a combination of a base subscription plan and something called workload units. Workload units measure how much work your app does in a given month. The more users interact with your app or the more tasks it performs (like saving data, loading files, or making API calls), the more workload units you'll use.
You’ll start by choosing a base plan. Every plan gives you a certain number of workload units per month, and once you use them up, you may need to pay for extra workload units or move up to a higher plan.
Here’s a look at the main Bubble plans (if you choose a monthly subscription) and what they offer:
Plan | Monthly Cost | Workload Units |
Free Plan | $0 | 50,000 |
Starter Plan | $32 | 175,000 |
Growth Plan | $134 | 250,000 |
Team Plan | $399 | 500,000 |
Each of these plans includes different features and resources. However, for most new apps, the free or starter plan is sufficient to get started.
What Are Workload Units?
So what exactly are workload units? Workload units are how Bubble measures the effort your app requires from their servers. Every action your app takes—whether it's creating or updating a record, loading files, or connecting to APIs—costs workload units.
Here's a rough idea of how Bubble charges for certain activities:
- Creating or modifying a database record: 0.5 workload units
- Deleting a database record: 0.1 workload units
- Complex database searches or API connections: These might cost more, depending on how much data is being processed.
Throughout the month, Bubble adds up all the workload units your app uses, and if you exceed the number included in your plan, you’ll either pay extra or need to move up to a higher plan.
The Free Plan: What’s Included?
Bubble offers a free plan that includes 50,000 workload units per month. This plan is perfect for testing and small projects that don’t require heavy processing or a large user base.
However, if you’re serious about launching an app that people will use regularly, you'll likely need to upgrade to one of the paid plans pretty quickly. The free plan doesn't include features like custom domains, better performance, or the ability to invite team members to collaborate on your project.
Starter Plan: Best for Small Apps
The Starter Plan is priced at $32 per month and comes with 175,000 workload units. This plan is great if you're building a more complex app or have a small user base.
What you get:
- Custom domain support
- Basic branding features (no white labeling)
- Access to daily recurring workflows
- Basic version control (2-day backup and restore)
- API connector access
- Import/export CSV functionality
- 50 GB of file storage
- SEO tools and features
- Two-factor authentication
This plan is a good fit if you’re launching your first app or running an MVP.
Growth Plan: Scaling Your App
If your app is gaining traction or has a larger user base, the Growth Plan may be your best bet. It costs $134 per month and gives you a generous 250,000 workload units. This plan is designed for apps that are starting to scale, meaning they have more users or require more complex functionality.
What you get:
- Everything in the Starter Plan
- White-label branding (removes Bubble branding)
- Support for more complex workflows
- Better version control with a 14-day backup and restore period
- 100 GB of file storage
- Ability to create sub-apps
For example, if you’re running a SaaS (software as a service) product with multiple users logging in daily to manage their accounts or data, the Growth Plan might be more suitable.
Team Plan: For Larger Projects
The Team Plan is priced at $399 per month and comes with a half million workload units. This plan is ideal for larger projects where collaboration is essential. It allows multiple team members to work on the app simultaneously and gives you access to more advanced features like multiple development environments.
What you get:
- All features from the Growth Plan
- 5 app editors (collaborators)
- Premium version control (20-day backup/restore)
- 1 TB of file storage
- Centralized app and user management
- Static IP address support
- SOC 2 Type II compliance (for better security)
If you're building an enterprise-level application, or you expect significant traffic, this plan is the way to go.
Managing Your Workload Units
One of the key things to understand about Bubble is that your app’s workload can vary from month to month. You may have months where usage spikes, and in that case, you have a couple of options to manage costs.
Workload Tiers
If you know you’re going to exceed your workload limit, you can buy extra workload units through "workload tiers." These tiers give you additional units without needing to upgrade to a more expensive plan.
For example, if you’re on the Starter Plan but occasionally go over the 175,000 units, adding a workload tier could be cheaper than upgrading to the Growth Plan.
Overages
Bubble also offers an overages option, which acts as a pay-as-you-go model for extra workload units. This can be useful if your app has unpredictable usage or could go viral unexpectedly. However, overages can add up, so it’s something you need to monitor carefully to avoid unpleasant surprises at the end of the month.
Choose the Best Plan - Subscription Planner
One of the best tools Bubble offers to help manage your costs is the Subscription Planner. It allows you to input your app’s estimated workload units based on expected usage and provides recommendations for the most suitable plan and additional workload tiers if needed.
Here’s how you can use it:
- Enter your estimated monthly workload usage: The tool lets you estimate the total number of workload units your app will consume each month.
- Get personalized recommendations: Based on your input, the planner suggests the best plan for your needs (Starter, Growth, Team) and whether you should add extra workload tiers to avoid overages. It also provides an expected monthly cost with or without workload overages.
- Optimize for flexibility: As your app grows, the tool helps you adjust your plan to scale, ensuring you don’t exceed the included workload units without preparation.
This is a useful feature, especially for apps that may see unpredictable spikes in activity. The planner helps keep your budget predictable by balancing plan costs and overages.
Tips for Keeping Costs Low
Here are a few tips to help you control your costs when building on Bubble:
- Optimize your app’s logic: The more efficient your app’s workflows and data searches are, the fewer workload units you'll use.
- Avoid unnecessary API calls: If your app makes frequent calls to external services, try to limit them or consolidate requests to save on workload units.
- Test often: Use the extra units for development and testing to catch inefficient processes before they affect your live app.
- Choose the right plan: Start with the plan that best matches your expected usage, but don’t hesitate to adjust as your app grows.
Bubble Pricing Table
Features | Free | Starter | Growth | Team | Enterprise |
Monthly Cost | $0 | $32/month | $134/month | $399/month | Custom |
Annual Cost | N/A | $29/month | $119/month | $349/month | Custom |
Workload Units (WU) | 50,000 | 175,000 | 250,000 | 500,000 | Customizable |
File Storage | 0.5 GB | 50 GB | 100 GB | 1 TB | Customizable |
Backup & Restore | 6 hours | 2 days | 14 days | 20 days | Unlimited |
API Access | API Connector only | API & Bubble API | API & Bubble API | API & Bubble API | API & Bubble API |
Recurring Workflows | Not available | Daily | Daily | Daily | Customizable |
Scheduled Workflows | Not available | Available | Available | Available | Customizable |
Branding | Bubble branding | White-label | White-label | White-label | White-label |
App Editors | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | Customizable |
Version Control | None | Basic (2 days) | Premium (14 days) | Premium (20 days) | Premium (Unlimited) |
Sub-apps | Not available | Not available | Not available | Available | Available |
Direct Database Access | Not available | Not available | Not available | Not available | Available |
SOC 2 Compliance | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available |
SEO Features | Not available | Available | Available | Available | Available |
Static IP Address | Not available | Not available | Not available | Not available | Available |
Custom Cloudflare Settings | Not available | Not available | Not available | Not available | Available |
Technical Success Manager | Not available | Not available | Not available | Not available | Available |
Conclusion
That’s a wrap on Bubble.io’s pricing structure. I know it can seem complicated, especially if you’re new to no-code development. My advice? Start building an app, test its functionality, and monitor how many workload units your app uses before fully launching. This hands-on approach will give you a clear idea of the resources you’ll need.
Also, don’t forget to check out our 720+ Bubble plugins that can extend your app’s capabilities. If you’re a non-technical founder or feeling overwhelmed, consider hiring a professional no-code agency for support.
At Zeroqode, we have a team of experienced Bubble developers and designers who have built over 500 apps. Some of the MVPs we've helped build have even made it to prestigious startup programs like YC 23. If you're looking for expert help, we'd love to assist you in turning your vision into a fully functional app—often within just a few weeks. Take a look at our portfolio and feel free to reach out to us.
