15 Best Free AI App Builders in 2026 (Tested & Compared)

Every AI app builder claims to be "free." Few of them mean it.

Some offer 3 free generations before demanding a credit card. Others let you build for free but charge for hosting. A few give you a generous sandbox but strip out the features that matter — AI agents, automations, custom domains, databases.

We tested 15 AI app builders and documented what their free tiers actually include. Not the marketing page. Not the pricing FAQ. What you get when you sign up, build something real, and try to ship it.

Here is what we found.

How We Evaluated Free Tiers

Every tool in this guide was tested against the same criteria:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              FREE TIER EVALUATION                │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                  │
│  1. Can you build a complete app for $0?         │
│  2. Is there a generation/token limit?           │
│  3. Does the free tier include hosting?           │
│  4. Can you use a custom domain?                 │
│  5. Are AI features (agents, chat) included?     │
│  6. Is there a data/storage limit?               │
│  7. Does the app show platform branding?         │
│  8. Can you invite collaborators?                │
│                                                  │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

We prioritized real shipping capability — can a solo founder, small team, or non-developer actually launch something useful without paying? Tools that gate essential features behind paywalls scored lower.

Quick Comparison: What "Free" Actually Means

Before diving into individual tools, here is the honest comparison:

The pattern: most tools that call themselves "free" are actually free trials. The ones that offer genuinely functional free tiers tend to limit scale (storage, users, apps) rather than core functionality.

The 15 Best Free AI App Builders

1. Taskade Genesis — Best Overall Free AI App Builder

What it is: A vibe coding platform that generates complete, living applications from natural language prompts. Unlike code-export tools, Genesis apps run on your workspace — connected to your projects, AI agents, and automations.

What the free tier includes:

• Unlimited app generation from text prompts
• Built-in AI agents with 22+ tools (web search, data analysis, code execution)
• Automation workflows with triggers, conditions, and actions
• Instant publishing with shareable URLs
• Real-time multiplayer collaboration
• 8 project views (List, Board, Calendar, Table, Mind Map, Gantt, Org Chart, Timeline)
• Mobile-responsive apps out of the box

What makes it different:

Genesis does not generate code for you to deploy somewhere else. It creates living software — apps that are connected to real data, powered by AI agents, and automated with workflows. When you build a CRM in Genesis, you get a CRM with actual lead tracking, automated follow-up emails, and an AI assistant that can answer questions about your pipeline.

This is what Workspace DNA means in practice: every app inherits the intelligence of your entire workspace. Projects act as the memory layer. Agents provide intelligence. Automations handle execution.

Example prompt:

Build a client onboarding portal with intake form, document checklist,
automated welcome email, and a progress dashboard for my team.

Free tier verdict: The most generous free tier in this list. No generation limits, no artificial caps on apps, no platform branding. The paid upgrade ($8/user/month) adds advanced AI models, more storage, and custom domains.

Try these apps for free:

Create a free app with Genesis →

2. Bolt.new — Best for Quick Frontend Prototypes

What it is: A browser-based AI code generator by StackBlitz. Type a prompt, get a React/Next.js app running in a WebContainer. Export the code or deploy to Netlify.

What the free tier includes:

• ~10 free tokens (roughly 3 full app generations)
• In-browser preview with hot reload
• Code export to GitHub
• Community templates

Free tier limitations:

• Tokens run out fast — complex prompts consume multiple tokens per iteration
• No built-in hosting (export and deploy yourself)
• No database or backend (frontend-only unless you integrate Supabase manually)
• No AI agents or automation
• Single-player only

Free tier verdict: Bolt's free tier is effectively a demo. You get enough tokens to try it, but not enough to build anything substantial. Useful for quick prototypes if you already know how to deploy React apps.

Best for: Developers who want to scaffold frontend projects quickly and handle deployment themselves.

Compare Bolt.new vs Taskade →

3. Lovable — Best for Full-Stack Prototyping (Limited Free)

What it is: An AI app generator that produces full-stack web applications with Supabase backends. Strong on design — apps look polished out of the box.

What the free tier includes:

• 5 free messages to start (roughly 1-2 apps)
• Full-stack generation (React + Supabase)
• Supabase database integration
• GitHub code sync

Free tier limitations:

• 5 messages is extremely limiting — a single app often requires 5+ iterations
• No hosting (deploy to Vercel/Netlify yourself)
• No collaboration features
• No AI agents or automation post-build
• Single-player editing only

Free tier verdict: More of a free trial than a free tier. You can build one app to see how it works, but you will hit the paywall before shipping anything production-ready. The paid plan starts at $25/month.

Best for: Developers who want AI-generated full-stack code with modern design and are willing to pay after trying it.

Compare Lovable vs Taskade →

4. Replit — Best Free Cloud IDE with AI

What it is: A cloud-based IDE with built-in AI coding assistance (Replit Agent) and free hosting for public projects. Supports 50+ languages.

What the free tier includes:

• Unlimited public Repls (projects)
• Basic AI code completion
• Free hosting for public apps (with usage limits)
• Community templates and multiplayer editing
• Mobile app access

Free tier limitations:

• Private Repls require paid plan
• AI Agent mode (full app generation) requires credits
• Free hosting has CPU/RAM limits — apps sleep after inactivity
• Storage capped at 1 GB
• Limited compute for resource-intensive apps

Free tier verdict: One of the more functional free tiers. You can build real apps and host them for free — with the trade-off that everything is public and resources are limited. Great for learning, portfolios, and small tools. Not suitable for business-critical applications.

Best for: Students, learners, and indie developers who want a free cloud development environment with hosting included.

Compare Replit vs Taskade →

5. V0 by Vercel — Best for UI Component Generation

What it is: An AI tool by Vercel that generates React/Next.js UI components from text and image prompts. Think of it as an AI Figma-to-code converter, not a full app builder.

What the free tier includes:

• 200 messages per month
• Component generation from text prompts
• Image-to-code conversion
• Preview in browser
• Code copy-paste to your project

Free tier limitations:

• Generates components, not complete apps
• No hosting, deployment, or backend
• No database integration
• You need an existing Next.js project to use the output
• No automation or AI agents

Free tier verdict: V0 is genuinely useful for what it does — generating UI components fast. But it is not an app builder. You need developer skills to integrate the output into a working application. The 200 messages/month is generous for component work.

Best for: Frontend developers who want AI-generated React components to integrate into existing projects.

6. Cursor — Best Free AI Code Editor

What it is: An AI-powered code editor (VS Code fork) with inline AI completions, chat, and multi-file editing. Not an app builder — a development tool.

What the free tier includes:

• 2,000 AI completions per month
• 50 slow premium model requests
• Multi-file editing with Composer
• All VS Code extensions supported
• Local file access

Free tier limitations:

• Not an app builder at all — you still write code
• No hosting, deployment, or preview
• No database, no backend generation
• Premium models (GPT-4o, Claude) severely limited on free tier
• Requires coding knowledge

Free tier verdict: Cursor is the best free AI coding assistant, but it is not an app builder. If you know how to code and want AI help, the free tier is functional. If you want to build an app without code, look elsewhere.

Best for: Developers who want AI-assisted coding in a familiar VS Code environment.

Compare Cursor vs Taskade →

7. Bubble — Best Free Visual No-Code Builder

What it is: The original visual no-code app builder. Drag-and-drop interface with a built-in database, workflows, and hosting. No AI generation — you build everything manually with visual tools.

What the free tier includes:

• Unlimited apps (development mode)
• Built-in database
• Visual workflow builder
• Free hosting on Bubble subdomain
• Community plugins
• Responsive design tools

Free tier limitations:

• Bubble branding on all pages
• No custom domain
• No API access on free tier
• Limited storage (50 MB file storage)
• Slow performance on shared infrastructure
• No native AI features — AI requires third-party plugins

Free tier verdict: Bubble offers one of the most feature-complete free tiers, but with a steep learning curve. You can build genuinely complex apps — the trade-off is time. What takes 5 minutes with a prompt in Genesis takes hours of manual configuration in Bubble. No AI generation means you build everything by hand.

Best for: Builders who want maximum visual control over every element and are willing to invest time learning the platform.

Compare Bubble vs Taskade →

8. Glide — Best for Spreadsheet-to-App Conversion

What it is: Converts Google Sheets and Excel data into mobile-friendly apps. Strong for data-driven internal tools, inventories, and directories.

What the free tier includes:

• 3 free apps
• Google Sheets / Excel as database
• Basic app templates
• Free hosting with Glide subdomain
• Mobile-responsive output

Free tier limitations:

• 3 apps maximum
• 100 rows per data source
• Glide branding
• Limited integrations
• No AI features on free tier
• No custom domain

Free tier verdict: Good for simple data-driven apps — inventories, directories, team tools. The 100-row limit means you cannot handle serious data volume. Upgrade required for anything beyond basic internal tools.

Best for: Teams that already live in Google Sheets and want to turn spreadsheets into simple apps without code.

Compare Glide vs Taskade →

9. Google AppSheet — Best for Google Workspace Teams

What it is: Google's no-code app builder, tightly integrated with Google Workspace. Generates apps from spreadsheet data with built-in automation.

What the free tier includes:

• Unlimited apps (for up to 10 users per app)
• Google Sheets, Drive, and Calendar integration
• Basic automation workflows
• Free hosting through Google
• Mobile app generation (Android + iOS via PWA)

Free tier limitations:

• 10 users per app maximum
• No AI generation — manual visual builder
• Limited compute quotas
• Google Workspace dependency (less useful without it)
• Complex logic requires formula expressions

Free tier verdict: If your team lives in Google Workspace, AppSheet's free tier is surprisingly capable. You can build internal tools, approval workflows, and data-entry apps for up to 10 users at no cost. The limitation is that it is not AI-powered — you build everything manually.

Best for: Small teams on Google Workspace who need internal tools without paying for additional software.

10. Softr — Best for Airtable-Powered Apps

What it is: Builds web apps and client portals from Airtable or Google Sheets data. Pre-built blocks for lists, forms, charts, and user authentication.

What the free tier includes:

• 1 free app
• Airtable and Google Sheets integration
• Pre-built UI blocks
• User authentication (up to 5 external users)
• Free hosting with Softr subdomain

Free tier limitations:

• 1 app only
• 5 external users maximum
• Softr branding
• Limited blocks and integrations
• No AI features
• No custom domain

Free tier verdict: Useful for building a single client portal or membership site connected to Airtable. The 5-user limit makes it suitable for early-stage MVPs only. You will outgrow the free tier quickly.

Best for: Solo founders who use Airtable and want to create a simple client-facing app quickly.

11. Base44 — Best for Business App Prototyping

What it is: An AI-powered no-code platform that generates business applications from text prompts. Focuses on internal tools, dashboards, and CRUD apps.

What the free tier includes:

• 3 free apps
• AI app generation from prompts
• Built-in database
• Basic hosting
• Template library

Free tier limitations:

• 3 apps maximum
• Limited AI generation credits
• Base44 branding
• Limited integrations
• No custom domains
• No AI agents or automation

Free tier verdict: Decent for prototyping business apps. The AI generation quality is reasonable for simple CRUD applications. Runs out of utility fast — the 3-app limit and credit system push you to paid plans quickly.

Best for: Business users who want to prototype internal tools with AI and evaluate before committing to a paid plan.

Compare Base44 vs Taskade →

12. Retool — Best Free Internal Tool Builder

What it is: A developer-focused platform for building internal tools. Connects to databases, APIs, and services. Drag-and-drop UI with code-level control.

What the free tier includes:

• 5 free apps
• Unlimited users (internal only)
• Database connections (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB)
• REST/GraphQL API integration
• Pre-built components (tables, forms, charts)

Free tier limitations:

• 5 apps maximum
• Cloud-hosted only (self-hosted requires paid)
• Limited audit logs and version history
• No SSO or advanced access controls
• No AI generation (manual builder)
• Community support only

Free tier verdict: Retool's free tier is one of the best for developer-oriented internal tools. If you have a database and want to build admin panels, dashboards, or operations tools, the free tier is genuinely functional. Just do not expect any AI generation — you build with visual components and write queries.

Best for: Developers building internal tools who want SQL-level control over data with a visual interface.

13. FlutterFlow — Best for Mobile App Prototyping

What it is: A visual app builder that generates Flutter code for cross-platform mobile apps (iOS + Android). Drag-and-drop interface with AI assist features.

What the free tier includes:

• 2 free projects
• Visual app builder with AI-assisted features
• Flutter code generation
• In-browser preview
• Community templates

Free tier limitations:

• 2 projects maximum
• No code export (requires paid plan to download Flutter code)
• No deployment — preview only
• No custom integrations on free tier
• Firebase integration requires paid plan for full features

Free tier verdict: You can design and preview mobile apps for free, but you cannot export or deploy them. The free tier is a design sandbox — useful for prototyping concepts but not for shipping. Paid plans start at $30/month.

Best for: Mobile developers who want to prototype Flutter apps visually before writing code.

Compare FlutterFlow vs Taskade →

14. Figma AI (Figma Sites) — Best for Design-to-Web

What it is: Figma's AI features (Make Designs, Figma Sites) allow designers to generate UI from prompts and publish designs as live websites. Still in beta for some features.

What the free tier includes:

• 3 Figma files
• AI-powered design generation (Make Designs)
• Figma Sites publishing (limited)
• Collaboration on free tier
• Prototype sharing

Free tier limitations:

• 3 files maximum
• Figma Sites has limited functionality compared to full web builders
• No database or backend
• No AI agents or automation
• Limited hosting options
• Not a true app builder — generates design, not functional software

Free tier verdict: Figma AI is excellent for generating designs and publishing simple marketing pages. It is not an app builder — there is no database, no logic, no automation. If you need a landing page that looks beautiful, Figma delivers. If you need software that does things, look elsewhere.

Best for: Designers who want to prototype and publish simple web pages directly from Figma.

15. Appy Pie — Best for Simple Mobile Apps

What it is: A no-code platform for building mobile apps, websites, and chatbots. Offers a visual drag-and-drop builder with pre-built industry templates.

What the free tier includes:

• Limited app building with ads
• Basic templates for restaurants, churches, real estate
• Chatbot builder (basic)
• Website builder (basic)

Free tier limitations:

• Appy Pie branding and ads in your app
• Very limited customization
• No AI generation (traditional drag-and-drop only)
• Dated design quality compared to modern tools
• App store publishing requires paid plan
• Limited integrations

Free tier verdict: Appy Pie's free tier produces functional but low-quality apps with intrusive branding. The templates feel dated compared to AI-generated alternatives. Suitable for extremely simple apps where design quality does not matter. Most users will find modern AI builders produce better results faster.

Best for: Absolute beginners who need the simplest possible mobile app with no quality requirements.

Decision Framework: Which Free Builder Should You Use?

Choosing depends on three factors: your technical skill, what you are building, and whether "free" means "free to try" or "free to ship."

                    ┌─────────────────────────┐
                    │  What are you building?  │
                    └─────────┬───────────────┘
                              │
                 ┌────────────┼─────────────┐
                 │            │             │
           ┌─────▼──────┐ ┌──▼──────┐ ┌────▼───────┐
           │ Complete    │ │ Website │ │ Internal   │
           │ Business App│ │ or Page │ │ Tool       │
           └─────┬──────┘ └──┬──────┘ └────┬───────┘
                 │            │             │
          ┌──────▼──────┐   ┌▼────────┐  ┌─▼──────────┐
          │ Can you      │   │ Figma   │  │ Can you     │
          │ code?        │   │ Sites   │  │ write SQL?  │
          └──┬───────┬──┘   │ or      │  └──┬──────┬──┘
             │       │      │ Genesis │     │      │
          ┌──▼──┐ ┌──▼──┐   └────────┘  ┌──▼──┐ ┌─▼────┐
          │ Yes │ │ No  │               │ Yes │ │ No   │
          └──┬──┘ └──┬──┘               └──┬──┘ └──┬───┘
             │       │                     │       │
        ┌────▼───┐ ┌─▼──────────┐    ┌────▼───┐ ┌─▼──────────┐
        │Replit / │ │  Taskade   │    │Retool  │ │  Taskade   │
        │Bolt.new │ │  Genesis   │    │        │ │  Genesis   │
        └────────┘ └────────────┘    └────────┘ └────────────┘

The honest summary: If you can code, you have more options. If you cannot code, your best free options are Taskade Genesis (AI-generated complete apps) or Bubble (manually built visual apps). Everything else either requires coding skills or limits you to prototyping without deployment.

Free vs Paid: When to Upgrade

Free tiers are sufficient for:

• Prototyping ideas before committing resources
• Internal tools used by small teams (under 10 people)
• Learning how different platforms work
• Portfolio projects and side projects
• MVPs to validate concepts with early users

You will need a paid plan when:

• You need a custom domain (nearly all free tiers restrict this)
• Your app serves more than 10-50 users
• You need private/secure data handling
• You want to remove platform branding
• You need API access or advanced integrations
• You require SSO, RBAC, or enterprise security features

For reference, here is what an upgrade path looks like:

What No One Tells You About "Free" AI App Builders

After testing all 15 platforms, here are the patterns we noticed:

1. Token/credit-based pricing obscures real costs. Bolt.new and Lovable count "messages" and "tokens" — but a single complex prompt can consume 3-5 credits. Your 10 free tokens might only produce 2 working apps.

2. "Free hosting" often means "sleeping apps." Replit's free tier spins down apps after inactivity. Users visiting your app wait 10-30 seconds for it to wake up. That is not production hosting.

3. Code export is not the same as a working app. V0, Bolt.new, and Lovable generate code — but you still need to set up hosting, databases, authentication, and deployment. The gap between "I have code" and "I have a working app" is significant.

4. Visual no-code tools have the steepest learning curve. Paradoxically, Bubble's "no-code" platform takes longer to learn than describing what you want to an AI. The shift from drag-and-drop to prompt-based building is the biggest change in the no-code space.

5. Post-build intelligence is the real differentiator. Most builders stop at deployment. Genesis is the only platform where your app continues to improve — AI agents learn from interactions, automations evolve with your workflows, and the workspace memory grows over time.

Existing vs AI-Generated: The Real Comparison

The AI app builder landscape breaks into three generations:

Gen 3 platforms do not just generate code — they create systems that include data, intelligence, and execution from day one. This is the Workspace DNA model: Memory (your data in projects), Intelligence (AI agents that understand context), and Execution (automations that act on triggers).

The practical difference: when you build a CRM in a Gen 2 tool, you get code for a CRM interface. When you build a CRM in Genesis, you get a CRM that is already connected to your contacts, can send automated follow-ups, and has an AI agent that can answer questions about your pipeline.

How to Build Your First Free App in 5 Minutes

If you want to test the prompt-based approach right now, here is a quick start:

Step 1: Go to taskade.com/ai/apps and sign up for free.

Step 2: Describe what you want to build. Be specific about the purpose, the users, and the key features. For example:

Build a project intake form for my freelance design agency.
Include fields for client name, project type, budget range,
timeline, and design references. When a form is submitted,
create a new project in my workspace and send me a notification.

Step 3: Review the generated app. Iterate by chatting — "add a progress tracker," "change the color scheme to dark mode," "add a client portal view."

Step 4: Publish with one click. Share the URL with clients or embed it on your website.

Step 5: Add AI agents. Attach an agent to your app that can answer client questions, summarize project status, or draft proposals based on the intake data.

That last step — adding AI agents — is what separates living software from static apps. Your app does not just collect data. It acts on it.

What to Build First

Not sure what to create? Here are the most popular categories on Taskade Genesis, based on what 500,000+ users have built:

For inspiration, browse the Taskade community where 130,000+ apps are available to clone and customize.

Further Reading

Dive deeper into the AI app builder landscape:

• 17 Best AI App Builders in 2026 — comprehensive comparison of all major platforms
• Best Vibe Coding Tools 2026 — head-to-head comparison of Cursor, Bolt, Genesis, and more
• AI App Builder vs Website Builder vs Agent Builder — understand the three types of builders
• What Is Vibe Coding? — the philosophy behind prompt-based app building
• The App Builder Revolution — from idea to working software in 5 minutes
• Anatomy of a Genesis App — how Workspace DNA powers living software
• The End of the App Store — why apps are becoming living systems

Final Verdict

The "best free AI app builder" depends on what "free" means to you.

If free means free to try before buying — Bolt.new, Lovable, and FlutterFlow offer limited trials that show you what the paid product can do.

If free means free to build and ship — Taskade Genesis, Replit, and Bubble offer functional free tiers where you can create, host, and share real applications without paying.

If free means free with no compromises — only Genesis delivers unlimited app generation, built-in AI agents, automation workflows, and instant hosting on the free tier with no branding and no generation caps.

The AI app builder market is moving fast. Tools that charged $50/month two years ago now have free tiers. Tools that required coding six months ago now accept plain English. The barrier to building software has never been lower.

The question is no longer "can I afford to build an app?" It is "what should I build first?"

Start building for free →