Learn what the Bubble Starter Plan includes—pricing for web, mobile, and both; 175k WUs; key features and limits. See if it fits your MVP in 2026—read now.
So you’ve been building your app on Bubble’s free tier, and now you’re getting that exciting feeling: it’s almost time to launch. This is the moment you need to look at the bubble starter plan. It’s the first paid tier, designed specifically to take your project from a development sandbox to a live product that real users can access.
Think of it as the launchpad for your minimum viable product (MVP). It unlocks the essential features you need to go live, like connecting your own domain and running automated workflows, all while keeping costs manageable for an early stage project. Let’s dive into everything the bubble starter plan offers, what it costs, and when it’s the perfect fit for your app.
What is the Bubble Starter Plan? An Overview
The bubble starter plan is the entry level paid subscription that equips your application with production ready features. When Bubble says to upgrade “when you’re ready to launch,” this is the plan they mean. It gives you the power to deploy a live website on your custom domain, remove Bubble’s branding, and run backend workflows on a schedule, which are crucial for any real world app.
Priced for founders and small projects, it provides everything necessary to launch an MVP or a small scale application, including database functionality and API connections. However, it does come with certain limitations on capacity and collaboration, which are designed to be outgrown as your app succeeds.
Bubble Starter Plan Pricing: What to Expect
The cost of the bubble starter plan depends on whether your app is for the web, for mobile, or for both.
For Web Only Apps
If you’re building a browser based web app, this is your most affordable option. The Web only Starter Plan costs $29 per month when you pay for the year upfront. If you prefer to pay month to month, the price is slightly higher at about $32. This plan is perfect if your application is meant to live entirely in a web browser.
For Mobile Only Apps
For those focused on creating a native app for iOS and Android, the Mobile only Starter Plan is the right choice. It’s priced at $42 per month on an annual subscription (or around $49 monthly). You’ll need this plan when you’re ready to deploy your app to the app stores for testing or for a public release.
For Web and Mobile Apps
When your vision includes both a website and a native mobile app sharing the same backend, the Web and Mobile Starter Plan is the way to go. This combined plan costs $59 per month with annual billing (or about $69 on a monthly basis). It’s a cost effective bundle that ensures your users have a seamless experience across platforms, running on the same database and logic.
Monthly vs Annual Billing: The Savings
Bubble offers a significant discount for committing to a yearly plan. You can expect to save up to 20% by paying annually instead of monthly. For example, the Web and Mobile plan drops from $69 to $59 per month, saving you $120 over the year. While monthly billing offers more flexibility, the annual plan is a smart choice if you know your app will be live for the foreseeable future.
Key Features Included in the Starter Plan
Upgrading from the free tier isn’t just about going live; it unlocks a powerful set of tools. The bubble starter plan is packed with features essential for a professional application.
Custom Domain and Branding: You can host your app on your own domain (like yourapp.com) and the “Made with Bubble” branding is completely removed. This gives your product the professional look it deserves.
Recurring Workflows: This fantastic feature lets you schedule automated tasks. Think sending weekly email digests or processing monthly subscriptions without any manual work. This is a paid plan exclusive.
Basic Version Control: You get one main development branch where you can create save points and restore your app to a previous state if something goes wrong. It’s a crucial safety net for any active development project.
Workload Unit Allocation: The plan comes with 175,000 Workload Units (WUs) per month. WUs are the “fuel” your app uses for server actions like database queries and workflows. This amount is designed to be sufficient for most early stage apps.
Live App Deployment: This is the big one. You can officially deploy your app and make it accessible to the public on the internet.
Server Logs: You get access to 2 days of server log retention, which is incredibly helpful for debugging issues that your users might encounter in the live environment.
At Bricks Tech, we frequently use the bubble starter plan to launch MVPs for founders. It has the perfect mix of features to get a product to market quickly and cost effectively. If you’re looking to build an MVP in just a few weeks, get in touch for a free consultation.
Understanding the Starter Plan’s Limits
The Starter Plan is powerful, but it’s important to understand its limitations. These are intentional and encourage you to upgrade only when your app’s growth demands it.
Editor and Collaboration Limit
The bubble starter plan is designed for a solo builder or a very small team where only one person works at a time. It includes only one app editor seat. This means you cannot invite a cofounder or developer to edit the app simultaneously. For true multi user development, you would need to upgrade to the Growth plan—or consider a dedicated development team.
Storage and Bandwidth
You get a generous 50 GB of file storage for user uploads like images and documents. This is a huge amount for most new apps. If you do need more, you can purchase it for a small fee (around $3 per month for an extra 100 GB) without upgrading your entire plan.
Version Control Capabilities
As mentioned, the plan includes basic version control. You can create save points and revert to them. However, it does not support multiple development branches. Advanced features like creating separate branches for new features or bug fixes are reserved for higher tier plans.
Mobile Build and Live Version Allotments
If you have a mobile plan, you get 10 mobile app builds per month for the first 3 months, which then drops to 5 builds per month. This is usually plenty for initial launch and regular updates. You can also have up to 3 live versions of your mobile app active at once, which helps ensure older versions of your app still work for users who haven’t updated yet.
When to Choose (and When to Outgrow) the Starter Plan
The bubble starter plan is the perfect choice for launching MVPs, internal tools, and apps with a small to moderate user base. It’s a stepping stone plan that allows you to validate your idea and gain initial traction without a hefty price tag.
Signs It’s Time to Upgrade from the Starter Plan
You’ll know it’s time to move up to the Growth plan when you start hitting the limits of the Starter plan. Here are the key signals:
Consistently High Workload Usage: If you’re frequently nearing or exceeding your 175,000 WU limit, your app’s performance may suffer. Bubble’s App Metrics dashboard will show you this in real time.
Needing More Developers: The moment you need to bring another person into the editor to work alongside you, you’ve outgrown the single collaborator limit.
Requiring Advanced Features: If you need enhanced security like two factor authentication (2FA) or advanced version control with branching, those are available on the Growth plan.
Longer Log Retention: If two days of server logs isn’t enough to debug complex issues, the 14 day retention on the Growth plan becomes very attractive.
Navigating this upgrade path can be tricky. It’s often a balance between cost and performance. Our team at Bricks Tech helps founders optimize their apps to maximize their current plan and provides clear guidance on when an upgrade is truly necessary. Explore our services to see how we can help you scale.
Managing Your Plan and Budget
Bubble makes it easy to manage your subscription and stay in control of your costs.
How to Upgrade or Downgrade Your Plan
You can change your plan at any time from the “My Plan” section in your app’s settings. Upgrades are prorated and happen instantly. Downgrades take effect at the end of your billing cycle. The process is self serve and designed to be flexible as your needs change.
Planning for Additional Costs
Besides the monthly subscription, there are a few other potential costs to budget for:
Workload Overages: If you go over your WU limit, Bubble charges a small fee. Alternatively, you can buy a “workload tier” add on, like an extra 200,000 WUs for $29 per month, which is often cheaper than upgrading the whole plan.
Paid Plugins: While many Bubble plugins are free, some premium ones require a monthly subscription or a one time payment.
Third Party APIs: Services for sending emails (like SendGrid) or processing payments (like Stripe) have their own fees that are separate from your Bubble plan.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Bubble Starter Plan
1. Is the bubble starter plan good enough for a real business?
Absolutely. It’s designed for launching real businesses, especially MVPs and small scale applications. It has all the core features needed to serve users and even generate revenue.
2. What happens if I go over my 175,000 workload unit limit?
Your app won’t shut down. Bubble will charge you a small overage fee for the extra usage, or you can proactively purchase an additional workload tier to get more WUs at a better rate.
3. Can I collaborate with a developer on the Starter Plan?
No, not simultaneously. The plan is limited to one app editor. If you need another person to work in the editor at the same time, you’ll need to upgrade to the Growth plan.
4. Does the Starter Plan include API access?
Yes, you can connect to external APIs and use Bubble’s own API to build a fully functional application.
5. Can I switch from a Web only plan to a Web and Mobile plan later?
Yes, you can easily change your plan type from your app settings at any time as your product strategy evolves.
The bubble starter plan is an excellent, cost effective choice for getting your application off the ground. It provides the professional features you need to launch successfully while giving you a clear path to scale as you grow.
If you’re planning your launch and want to make sure your app is built for performance and scalability from day one, our team at Bricks Tech is here to help. We specialize in building high quality MVPs on Bubble in just a few weeks. Schedule a free consultation today to discuss your project.