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When you consider that only 0.5% of the world knows how to code, it becomes clear why AI app builders have taken off so drastically in recent years.
For many aspiring app creators, whether they’re creative individuals or small business owners, coding has long been the most significant barrier, demanding months or even years of learning before they can even begin to bring their ideas to life. The advent of creating an app with AI has completely transformed its dynamic, offering intuitive platforms that automate everything from coding to backend setup, making app creation more accessible than ever. However, even with these advancements, choosing the right AI app makers remains a critical decision.
Each platform comes with its own unique strengths, features, and target audience, and the best choice will depend on the specific type of app you want to create, as well as your goals and technical comfort level. To help you navigate this landscape, we’ve compiled a list of the five most popular AI app builders, highlighting what sets each one apart and how they can empower you to turn your vision into reality.
AI app builders are democratizing development: With only 0.5% of the world knowing how to code, these tools simplify app creation for everyone.
Base44 excels in speed: It automates design to deployment, making it ideal for entrepreneurs wanting quick results.
Lovable focuses on collaboration: Perfect for teams, it offers customizable features and streamlines the development process.
Bubble provides extensive functionality across platforms but has a steeper learning curve, making it great for complex apps.
Brancher offers unique monetization options, allowing innovative revenue strategies for app creators.
The first one to talk about is Base44, which was acquired by Wix for $80 million earlier this year. Interestingly, the vibe-coding startup was only 6 months old at the time of purchase, but that’s testament to the strength of its technology and the demand we’re seeing for intuitive AI app builders.
So many tech companies are looking to tap into this space, and Wix is one of them, noting the potential in democratising app development and prioritising speed and creativity over traditional coding expertise.
That’s what Base44 does best, allowing users to describe their app in plain language before the AI generates a fully functional user interface handling everything from frontend design to backend integration and deployment. The platform also comes with built-in hosting, so when the app is ready, the only thing left to do is publish and put it to good use.
Lovable is another AI app builder platform that has seen a lot of interest by non-coders. Founded in 2023, Lovable is now one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the world, with the AI app builder gaining attention for its intuitive interface and collaborative features.
Unlike some platforms that focus solely on automation, Lovable emphasises easy customisation and, even more so, team collaboration. Essentially, this allows multiple users to contribute to app design, feature planning, testing, and iteration simultaneously, an approach that not only accelerates the development timeline, but also ensures diverse perspectives are considered to produce a more polished, user-focused final product.
It might not be what everyone is looking for, especially if you’re a solo entrepreneur, but it’s one of the standout features that’s made Lovable a top choice for many.
For those looking for cost-efficiency, Bubble.io is another strong app builder with robust capabilities for both web and mobile. With the ability to just build once and ship to any device, it’s perfect for those who want to maximise resources through scalable, multi-platform apps that are designed to maintain consistent functionality and user experience.
It also offers extensive customisation options, including dynamic content and database management, making it an ideal choice for startups and small businesses that need complex web and mobile applications without hiring a full development team.
Again, this might not be what everyone is looking for, and while the cross-platform capabilities are useful, they do require a steeper learning curve, but for users who have the time to invest in understanding the workflows and database structures, this is a popular choice for those willing to trade some simplicity for functionality.
Another cross-platform app builder is Nowa, which allows you to create Flutter apps through a visual drag-and-drop interface combined with AI-assisted coding. One of the issues that many users have found with Flutter is that, although it is powerful and flexible, it can be intimidating for beginners due to the need to write extensive code for even basic functionality.
Nowa addresses this by letting users visually assemble app components while the AI generates the underlying Flutter code automatically, ensuring you can focus on design and user experience without getting bogged down in the technical details.
You even have an AI partner you can chat to, with the ability to switch instantly between AI chat and visual editing, using whatever method works best for each task. Like Base44, the prompts can be as simple as you like, although it should be noted that the AI is not quite as advanced or intuitive, which means more complex app functionality may still require some familiarity with app logic or workflows.
Brancher.ai stands out as a platform offering quick app development, the ability to combine various AI models, and unique monetization options, allowing users to turn their app ideas into revenue streams. These monetization features include subscription plans for premium content, in-app purchases for digital products or upgrades, access-based monetization that restricts certain tools to paying users, ad revenue integration for income through impressions or clicks, and affiliate partnerships that generate commissions from user purchases or sign-ups.
While the above AI app builders also have their own monetisation avenues, Brancher is certainly seen as one of the most flexible, offering multiple streams all within the same platform. This versatility then allows you to experiment with different business models and essentially optimise your app’s earning potential, scaling your revenue as your user base grows.
These are the top five AI app builders right now, but if you want to choose the right one, it’s important to take into account your comfort zone and the type of app you want to create. These factors include how much creative control you want, the complexity of the app itself, and whether monetisation is a top priority. To make this clear, then, here's a table that provides a tight comparison of the app builders mentioned:
With the above table in mind, the best all-rounder option would have to be Base44 by Wix, but again, it depends on what kind of user experience and creative control you’re looking for. Every platform has its own merits, so take the time to research and experiment, and you’ll be far more likely to come away with an app that perfectly suits your needs.
