Android apps · 10 tools compared
10 best Android app builders (2026): no-code, AI and free tools compared
Draftbit, FlutterFlow, Adalo, Thunkable, Bubble, Appy Pie, Rork, Kodular, MIT App Inventor and Android Studio compared on the cheapest plan that publishes to Google Play, free plans and the catches.
You don’t need to be a programmer to put an app on Google Play any more. No-code builders let you drag and drop screens, AI builders make an app from a chat, and Google’s own tools are free if you (or a developer) write code.
What differs is what you pay to actually publish. Most builders lock Google Play publishing behind a paid plan, and Google itself charges a one-time $25 to open a developer account. New personal accounts also have to run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before the app can go public.
So we compared ten tools on what matters for an Android app: the cheapest plan that can publish to Google Play, what the free plan allows, whether you can export the code, and the catches. Every price comes from each tool’s own pricing page, in US dollars, checked on October 18, 2026.
At a glance
| # | Tool | Paid from | Free | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DraftbitOur pick | $12/month billed yearly (Standard); $15 monthly | Free plan: 3 projects, web publishing only (no app store publishing or code export) | Building an app and keeping its code |
| 2 | FlutterFlow | $29.25/month billed yearly (Basic); $39 monthly | Free plan: 2 projects, web publishing; no code download, APK or store deployment | Custom apps you can take into code later |
| 3 | Adalo | $36/month billed yearly (Starter); $45 monthly | Free plan: unlimited test apps, 500 records per app; cannot publish to the stores | A first native app, drag and drop |
| 4 | Thunkable | $37/month billed yearly (Builder); $59 monthly | Free plan: 3 public projects, 5 screens each; no live published apps | Beginners building simple native apps |
| 5 | Bubble | $42/month billed yearly (Mobile Starter); $49 monthly | Free plan: build and test the app on your device; store publishing needs a paid plan | Web and mobile apps on one backend |
| 6 | Appy Pie | $16/app/month (Basic, Google Play only) | 7-day free trial for personal, non-commercial use; no free plan listed | Simple Android apps from templates |
| 7 | Rork | $20/month (Rork Pro, 100 credits a month) | Free plan is design-only; building working apps needs Rork Pro | Making an app from a chat prompt |
| 8 | Kodular | See site | Free plan: 10 projects, 10 MB of assets, 5 extensions per project | No-code Android beginners |
| 9 | MIT App Inventor | Free | Completely free and browser-based | Students and first-time builders |
| 10 | Android Studio | Free | Free for Windows, Mac, Linux and ChromeOS; Gemini in Android Studio has a free edition | Developers writing native Android code |
Prices are the cheapest paid plan in US dollars as each tool shows it, checked Oct 18, 2026.
1 DraftbitOur pick
- Paid from
- $12/month billed yearly (Standard); $15 monthly
- Free
- Free plan: 3 projects, web publishing only (no app store publishing or code export)
- Best for
- Building an app and keeping its code
Draftbit builds native mobile apps, web apps and websites with an AI agent and a visual editor, and lets you edit and export the full code. The Standard plan, $12 a month on yearly billing, includes 1-click publishing to Google Play, the App Store and the web.
You can connect your own Claude or ChatGPT subscription or API key instead of using Draftbit's AI credits. Simulators, testing builds and GitHub export are on Pro.
What's good
- Standard includes 1-click publishing for Android, iOS and web
- Full code editing and export from the Standard plan
- Works with your own Claude or ChatGPT subscription or API key
Watch out for
- Simulators, testing builds and GitHub export are Pro-only ($24/month billed yearly)
- AI agent work uses credits unless you connect your own AI subscription or key
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on draftbit.com, draftbit.com
2 FlutterFlow
- Paid from
- $29.25/month billed yearly (Basic); $39 monthly
- Free
- Free plan: 2 projects, web publishing; no code download, APK or store deployment
- Best for
- Custom apps you can take into code later
FlutterFlow is a visual builder for mobile, web and desktop apps, built on Google's Flutter. From the Basic plan you can deploy to the stores, download an APK and download your project's source code, so you can hand it to a developer later.
Google Play needs one manual step: the first release has to be uploaded to Google's Internal Testing track by hand, and FlutterFlow handles releases after that.
What's good
- Basic adds store deployment, code download and APK download
- Docs cover deploying to Google Play and the App Store from inside the builder
- One-click code export, with no vendor lock-in
Watch out for
- The free plan has no code download, APK download or store deployment
- The first Google Play release needs a manual upload to the Internal Testing track
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on flutterflow.io, docs.flutterflow.io
3 Adalo
- Paid from
- $36/month billed yearly (Starter); $45 monthly
- Free
- Free plan: unlimited test apps, 500 records per app; cannot publish to the stores
- Best for
- A first native app, drag and drop
Adalo is a drag-and-drop builder with its own database. One app publishes as a web app, a native Android app and a native iOS app, and Starter includes publishing to both Google Play and the App Store.
Starter allows one published app, and push notifications and geolocation start on Professional ($52 a month billed yearly). There are no usage-based charges on any plan.
What's good
- Starter includes publishing to Google Play and the App Store
- One version publishes as a web app, a native Android app and a native iOS app
- Unlimited app actions and no usage-based charges
Watch out for
- Starter allows 1 published app (Professional 2, Team 5)
- Push notifications and geolocation start on Professional ($52/month billed yearly)
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on adalo.com
4 Thunkable
- Paid from
- $37/month billed yearly (Builder); $59 monthly
- Free
- Free plan: 3 public projects, 5 screens each; no live published apps
- Best for
- Beginners building simple native apps
Thunkable builds native Android and iOS apps with drag-and-drop design and logic blocks, and you can test live on your own phone as you build. Builder is the cheapest plan with a live published app.
Keep paying to keep the app: if the subscription ends, projects go read-only and published apps stop working for users.
What's good
- Build one app for Android and iOS and publish it through both stores
- Live testing on your own phone while you build
- Share builds outside the stores while your paid plan is active
Watch out for
- Builder allows 1 live published app; unlimited needs Advanced ($99/month billed yearly)
- If the subscription expires, published apps become unavailable to users
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on thunkable.com, docs.thunkable.com
5 Bubble
- Paid from
- $42/month billed yearly (Mobile Starter); $49 monthly
- Free
- Free plan: build and test the app on your device; store publishing needs a paid plan
- Best for
- Web and mobile apps on one backend
Bubble is a no-code platform for web apps that now builds native iOS and Android apps (on React Native) from the same project. A Web & Mobile plan ($59 a month billed yearly) shares one backend, database and workflows across all three.
Mobile Starter allows 5 build submissions a month, and usage is metered in workload units, with more costing extra.
What's good
- Native apps publish to Google Play and the App Store
- The free plan includes the mobile editor, on-device testing and over-the-air updates
- Web & Mobile plans share one backend across web, iOS and Android
Watch out for
- Mobile Starter allows 5 build submissions a month and 3 live app versions
- Usage is metered in workload units (175K a month on Starter)
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on bubble.io
6 Appy Pie
- Paid from
- $16/app/month (Basic, Google Play only)
- Free
- 7-day free trial for personal, non-commercial use; no free plan listed
- Best for
- Simple Android apps from templates
Appy Pie builds apps from templates, and its Basic plan publishes to Google Play under your own developer account, with help on the first submission. It's the cheapest Android-only option here at $16 per app a month.
Each app needs its own subscription, Basic caps downloads at 500 a month, and the App Store needs the Platinum plan ($60 per app a month).
What's good
- Basic publishes to Google Play, with an ad-free web app included
- First app store submission support is included
- Unlimited bandwidth, hosting and app editing
Watch out for
- Each app needs its own subscription, and the app is locked if you cancel
- Basic caps downloads at 500 a month ($0.009 each after); the App Store needs Platinum ($60/app/month)
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on appypie.com
7 Rork
- Paid from
- $20/month (Rork Pro, 100 credits a month)
- Free
- Free plan is design-only; building working apps needs Rork Pro
- Best for
- Making an app from a chat prompt
Rork is an AI builder: describe the app in a chat and it builds native iPhone, Android and web apps. Its pricing page lists a signed Android App Bundle for Google Play and code export to GitHub on paid plans.
Rork's pages disagree on some details (its FAQ gives a different starting price and tech stack), so confirm the plan before you buy. Credits can't be topped up: you upgrade or wait for the monthly reset.
What's good
- Builds a signed Android App Bundle for Google Play
- Code export to GitHub on paid plans
- Built-in in-app purchases through RevenueCat
Watch out for
- Rork Max ($200/month) apps are iOS-only; Rork's pages disagree on some plan details
- No way to buy extra credits: upgrade or wait for the monthly reset
8 Kodular
- Paid from
- See site
- Free
- Free plan: 10 projects, 10 MB of assets, 5 extensions per project
- Best for
- No-code Android beginners
Kodular is a free, browser-based builder for Android apps using drag-and-drop components and visual blocks, with no code. It exports an APK, or the App Bundle Google Play needs, and its apps target Android 16 as Google Play requires.
It's Android-only, and its Premium plan is priced only in euros on its site, so we've left the price out.
What's good
- 175+ components and visual blocks instead of code
- Exports an APK or the App Bundle (AAB) for Google Play
- Apps target Android 16 (API 36), as Google Play requires
Watch out for
- Android only: no iOS apps
- The free plan caps projects (10), assets (10 MB) and extensions (5 per project)
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on kodular.io, kodular.io
9 MIT App Inventor
- Paid from
- Free
- Free
- Completely free and browser-based
- Best for
- Students and first-time builders
MIT App Inventor is a free, block-based tool from MIT for building apps in the browser, aimed at learning. You test on your phone with its free Companion app and build the App Bundle Google Play needs.
It also builds for iPhone now, but MIT labels that beta, and some features (charts, NFC, Bluetooth) don't work on iOS yet.
What's good
- Runs in the browser on Mac, Windows or Chromebook; nothing to install
- Live-test on your phone with the free Companion app
- Builds Android App Bundles (AAB) for Google Play
Watch out for
- iOS builds for the App Store are beta and need an Apple Developer account
- Some features (Charts, NFC, Bluetooth) don't work on iOS yet
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on appinventor.mit.edu, appinventor.mit.edu
10 Android Studio
- Paid from
- Free
- Free
- Free for Windows, Mac, Linux and ChromeOS; Gemini in Android Studio has a free edition
- Best for
- Developers writing native Android code
Android Studio is Google's official tool for building Android apps in Kotlin or Java, free on Windows, Mac, Linux and ChromeOS. It's the right choice if you or a developer will write the code, with an AI assistant (Gemini) included free.
It needs a capable computer, 16 GB of RAM to run the phone emulator, and it builds for Android only.
What's good
- Code completion for Kotlin, Java and C/C++, with live editing for Jetpack Compose
- Gemini in Android Studio has a free edition
- APK Analyzer checks your app bundle before publishing
Watch out for
- Needs 8 GB of RAM, 16 GB with the emulator (32 GB recommended)
- Android only: it does not build iOS apps
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on developer.android.com, developer.android.com
Our pick
Draftbit
For most people, Draftbit is the best value: its Standard plan ($12 a month billed yearly) includes 1-click publishing to Google Play, the App Store and the web, plus full code export, so you're never locked in.
If you want the simplest drag-and-drop route to both stores, Adalo includes store publishing from its $36 Starter plan. If your budget is zero, MIT App Inventor is free and builds the App Bundle Google Play needs; you only pay Google's one-time $25 fee.
Questions
How much does it cost to publish an Android app on Google Play?
Google charges a one-time US$25 to register a Google Play Console developer account. Personal accounts opened after November 13, 2023 must also run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before the app can go public. Then add the builder's plan, if you use one.
Can I build an Android app for free?
Yes. MIT App Inventor and Android Studio are free, and Kodular has a free plan; all three can produce the App Bundle Google Play needs. You still pay the $25 Google Play fee to publish. The free plans of Draftbit, FlutterFlow, Adalo and Thunkable cannot publish to Google Play.
Can one tool make both an Android and an iPhone app?
Yes: Draftbit, FlutterFlow, Adalo, Thunkable, Bubble and Rork build for both from one project. Appy Pie publishes to the App Store only on its $60 plan, and Kodular and Android Studio are Android-only. Our iOS app builders page covers Apple's side, including the $99 a year developer fee.
How we compare: we read each tool's own pricing and documentation and note the date. We haven't run these tools hands-on for this article, so we don't score them. See our editorial policy.
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