The 5 Best AI App Builders for 2026

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AI app builders and vibe coding tools present small businesses with the opportunity to build custom software – without spending thousands of dollars on a developer.

I tested the most popular AI app builders on the market and can confidently recommend these options. I’ll walk you through the features, pricing, and my personal experience of each platform, and provide a recommendation for your needs.

Key Takeaways 🔍

  • Hostinger Horizons ($6.99 per month) is the cheapest and most beginner-friendly AI vibe coding tool
  • With 99 business-focused templates that connect to existing data sources, Softr requires the least editing time
  • Because of Base44’s native database and backend configuration, it’s the best option for building prototypes on a time crunch
  • Adalo’s Magic Text tool creates dynamic AI-powered blocks that adjust to fit the user journey, making it simple to create a complex app without code
  • Lovable provides the most control over database, authentication, and user roles, although this requires a basic technical knowledge
  • When choosing an app building tool, consider the pricing, features, flexibility, and ease of use of each platform

Comparing The Best AI App Builders

Here’s a quick overview of each app-building tool’s key facts:

Tool
Free plan?
Publish for free? Starting price (billed annually)
AI capabilities
App types
Hostinger Horizons
No
No $6.99/mo
Fully AI-powered app building
• Web
Softr
Yes
Yes $49/mo
App generator, vibe code blocks
• Web
• PWA
Base44
Yes
Yes $16/mo
Fully AI-powered app building
• Web
• PWA
Adalo
Yes
No $45/mo
Text generation, automated chatbots, translation
• Web
• iOS
•Android
Lovable
Yes
Yes $25/mo
Fully AI-powered app building
• Web
• PWA

1. Hostinger Horizons: Best All-In-One Tool

Hostinger Horizons uses an AI agent to build any web app you describe. The chatbot interface lets you prompt the app’s features, functions, and appearance in plain english, and the coding is completed behind the scenes.

Hostinger Horizons supports you through building and publishing your app. but requires you to integrate SupaBase if your app needs a database.

Features

  • Beginner-friendly interface
  • Built-in hosting, email, and SEO controls
  • Variety of prompt types, with text, audio, and image support
  • Automatic backups of previous app versions for instant reversions
  • Visual editor for manual design changes
Hostinger Horizons preview for a coffee shop website, titled Roasted Owl Coffee. The AI chat history is to the left of the preview
Hostinger Horizons asked for clarification on certain details of my initial prompt before starting to build. Source: Website Builder Expert

How Much Does Hostinger Horizons Cost?

Hostinger Horizons’ pricing starts at $6.99 and raises to $79.99 per month for the most expensive plan.

  • Explorer: $6.99 per month, billed annually
  • Starter: $13.99 per month, billed annually
  • Hobbyist: $39.99 per month, billed annually
  • Hustler: $79.99 per month, billed annually
  • 7-day free trial

Who Is Hostinger Horizons For? 😄

No-coders on a tight budget looking to build, publish, and run an app from one platform

Who Is Hostinger Horizons Not For? 🤔

Complex projects needing advanced customization and collaboration tools

hostinger logo

Build an app on Hostinger Horizons with no code

Hostinger Horizons has the cheapest plans of all the AI app builders on this list, and its free trial is a risk-free place to start.

2. Softr: Best for Organizing Internal Data

Softr turns business data into organized web apps, such as CRMs, forms, customer portals, and employee intranets. With business-focused templates, instant syncing to popular data sources, and a simple editor, Softr is a quick solution for busy non-technical businesses.

Features

  • Connects to 17 data sources, including Google Sheets, monday.com, HubSpot, SupaBase, and Airtable
  • User-friendly block-based builder 
  • 99 templates, filtered by use case (e.g. CRMs, portals, business operations) and industry (e.g. legal, marketing, non-profit)
  • SEO controls for individual pages and custom domains
  • Advanced user permissions and security controls, such as ending idle sessions and automatic log out
  • Vibe coding block builder with no AI credit burn
white and grey custom block showing how much holiday employees have left and how much they have taken. The prompt and AI chat to the right
Softr's vibe coding tool followed my prompt perfectly and gave me a result matched to my branding. Source: Website Builder Expert

Testing notes...

With a manual sections-based editor and custom vibe coding blocks,  Softr feels like a hybrid between a website builder and a vibe coding tool. While it’s more hands-on than a tool like Hostinger Horizons, users familiar with website builders will find it much easier to pick up.

Softr’s templates are very high quality, and it didn’t take me long to personalize my vacation tracker. To make things easier, I could also add fake data to my preview, which meant I could visualize how my app would look before syncing my staff details.

Smiling headshot of Annie Angus looking at the camera
Annie Angus Writer

How Much Does Softr Cost?

Softr has a free-forever plan and three premium plans, ranging between $49 to $269 per month, when billed annually:

  • Basic: $49 per month, billed annually
  • Professional: $139 per month, billed annually
  • Business: $269 per month, billed annually

Who Is Softr For? 😄

Businesses that need a polished frontend to organize their existing data into portals, directories, and internal tools

Who Is Softr Not For? 🤔

High traffic apps with a high number of user logins, since plans have strict app user limits

3. Base44: Best for Rapid Prototyping

Base44 is a natural language-driven vibe coding tool that can create fully-functional apps in minutes. While Hostinger Horizons requires you to set up a third-party database, Base44 is a true all-in-one app builder with frontend, database, hosting, and SEO controls included.

Features

  • 24 integrations, including Slack, Salesforce, Google Workspace, and social media platforms
  • Iterative discussion mode 
  • Automatic API and database configuration
  • SEO and hosting included 
  • Workspaces for live collaboration
  • Analytics dashboard for performance metrics, such as unique users and most popular app pages
database showing four skincare products, with categories and subcategories
I shared my inventory details in my first prompt, and Base44 instantly created a database filled with my products. Source: Website Builder Expert

How Much Does Base44 Cost?

Base44 has four premium plans ranging between $16 and $160 per month, as well as a free plan:

  • Starter: $16 per month, billed annually
  • Builder: $40 per month, billed annually
  • Pro: $80 per month, billed annually
  • Elite: $160 per month, billed annually

Who Is Base44 For? 😄

Entrepreneurs and small businesses needing to turn around a prototype at speed

Who Is Base44 Not For? 🤔

Users wanting advanced backend controls or who plan to move their app to a another platform in the future

Base44 logo which is an orange circle with three white lines going across the bottom half of the circle

Build your prototype within minutes on Base44

Base44 can build you a fully functional prototype or internal tool, equipped with frontend, backend, and a database, within minutes.

4. Adalo: Best for Native Mobile Apps

Adalo is one of the most user-friendly AI app builders I’ve tested, with a drag-and-drop editor similar to Wix or Canva. A huge selling point is its ability to create native mobile apps.

Features

  • Drag-and-drop editor 
  • Publish your app on the web, or as an iOS or Android native apps
  • Component marketplace for extra functionality
  • Zapier integration which connects your app to over 5,000 external services, such as Slack, Gmail, Hubspot, and Google Sheets
  • Native AI-powered database
Adalo dropdown with options for class name, description, timing, and clinic details on the left and right panels.
I could select a range of properties, such as the price or total time of the correlating class. Source: Website Builder Expert

Testing notes...

When creating a page of bookable workout classes, I could add Magic text boxes to automatically pull the names, images, descriptions, and starting times of my currently available classes straight from my database.

This streamlined my app creation process massively, allowing me to create one screen that adapts to the user’s journey. In comparison, app builders without AI would require me to create a separate screen for each possible app experience.

Smiling headshot of Annie Angus looking at the camera
Annie Angus Writer

How Much Does Adalo Cost?

Adalo has four premium plans which cost between $45 and $250 per month. It also offers a free forever plan to test the tool, but you won’t be able to publish your app on this.

  • Starter plan: $45 per month, billed annually
  • Professional: $65 per month, billed annually
  • Team: $200 per month, billed annually
  • Business: $250 per month, billed annually

Who Is Adalo For? 😄

Users wanting to create MVPs and internal tools quickly with dynamic information blocks

Who Is Adalo Not For? 🤔

Users looking to publish an app for free

5. Lovable: Best for Flexible Controls

Lovable uses AI to build web apps from natural language prompts, complete with a frontend, backend, database, and hosting. Unlike Base44 and Hostinger Horizons, Lovable’s modular setup gives users a huge amount of flexibility in how their app looks and functions.

Features:

  • AI code generation through prompts
  • GitHub integration automatically backs up each version of your app
  • Visual editor to manually adjust design
  • Publish instantly with hosting included 
  • User authentication and access controls
  • A range of integrations, such as Canva, Tenor, Supabase, and Shopify and Stripe for ecommerce
Lovable authentication settings page showing various sign-in methods: Email (enabled), Phone, Google, Apple, and Microsoft (disabled).
Lovable's backend and settings are accessible from the top navigation bar, which made it easy to monitor the changes made. Source: Website Builder Expert

How Much Does Lovable Cost?

Lovable’s pricing consists of two premium plans that cost between $25 and $50 per month, as well as a free-forever plan and a solution for large enterprises.

  • Pro: $25 per month, billed annually
  • Business: $50 per month, billed annually
  • Free plan available
  • 50% student discount on Pro plan

Who Is Lovable For? 😄

Designers and project managers with some technical experience that want to finetune app functionality and configuration

Who Is Lovabe Not For? 🤔

Non-technical users wanting a streamlined, hands-off solution with automated backend configuration

AI App Builders vs. Website Builders: Which Is Right for Your Business?

Website builders are the best choice for creating polished and secure websites, whereas an AI app builder is better for creating custom tools. Here are my recommendations if you’re struggling to decide which is best:

Use a Website Builder If….

  • You want an out-the-box solution with SEO, hosting, security, templates, and maintenance included
  • You don’t want to see or use code
  • You want to create a blog, portfolio, ecommerce store, or business website

Use an AI App Builder If…

  • You need to build a custom tool or web app, such as a CRM or internal employee system
  • You’re experimenting with a new software or workflow optimization and want a fast prototype
  • You want to add custom features to your existing website

What about a hybrid approach?

Using a website builder and vibe coding tools together will give you the best of both worlds, creating a secure website with additional apps and integrations. Here are the easiest approaches to this method:
  • Shopify and Lovable’s integration: Allows users to create a Shopify store entirely on Lovable, or for existing Shopify merchants to add custom apps to their store for extra functionality.
  • Wix Harmony: Launched in January 2026, Wix’s new platform combines its intuitive website builder tools and drag-and-drop editor with vibe coding, meaning users can build a full website with natural language prompts.

How To Choose the Right AI App Builder for You

To know whether an app builder is right for your needs, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Can it create the type of app I want to build? While all the AI app builders on this list can create web apps, Adalo is the only option that can publish to iOS and Android app stores.
  • Is it within my budget? All the app builders here, aside from Hostinger Horizons, offer a free plan. However, it’s important to look at what’s actually included, such as whether you can publish apps, or how many credits you’ll receive.
  • Can it carry out core functions? Whether it’s taking payments, creating reservations, or secure user sign-ons, be sure that your app builder has built in tools or integrations to fulfill your app’s needs.
  • Does it support my creative style? Would you prefer to start from a prompt, template, or a blank canvas?
  • Will it support my future goals? If you’re planning to grow your app in the future, it’s important to look at the capabilities and pricepoint of higher tier plans.

How We Test AI App Tools

I built an app using each of the AI app tools in this list to gain first hand experience. To compare them, I considered:

  • Pricing: What’s included in each plan, and how steep is the price jump between them? Is there a free option or trial available?
  • Ease of use: I tested the interface, navigation, editor, and amount of technical jargon in each.
  • Product capabilities: I considered important factors, such as security, integrations, collaboration tools, and user controls.
  • Customer support: When I came across an issue, how easily could I find an answer online? This included direct support options, community forums, and the quality of internal documents and tutorials.

Our Verdict: The 5 Best AI App Builders

For beginners building simple apps, vibe coding tools are the most beginner-friendly option because they build your app through natural language prompts. Base44 and Hostinger Horizons are the most intuitive, whereas Lovable has more complex controls for creating highly customized apps.

If you’re a busy business owner with a plethora of data, Softr can create polished frontend apps to organize your workflows. Finally, Adalo is the only option on this list that builds for mobile devices, making it the right choice if you need to publish on iOS or Android.

Written by:
Annie Angus is a Writer for Website Builder Expert with a passion for shaping jargon-heavy research into digestible content. She has previously researched and written about industries ranging from tech to fashion, and now, after testing our top website builders such as Wix and Squarespace, she is enthusiastic to share her findings with our readers. With first-hand experience in utilizing social media and online marketplaces to grow a small handmade clothing business, Annie understands the priorities and concerns held by SME owners, and knows precisely what they look for in a website builder. She combines this unique perspective with her knowledge of website builders to produce engaging content spanning all areas of the small business journey, from creating a strong website to growing and maintaining an audience.

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