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Bubble.io vs Lovable.dev - A Developer's Perspective

Bubble.io vs Lovable.dev — DevInsights
Tech Review

Bubble.io vs Lovable.dev: Why I Made the Switch

A developer's view on flexibility, pricing, and long-term ownership

Bubble.io has been a pillar of the no-code movement, enabling non-technical founders to create web apps without writing code. Recently, AI-driven platforms like Lovable.dev have introduced a different model: generate real source code from natural language prompts.

From my hands-on experience, Lovable.dev felt easier to start with and more flexible for growing products. Below I summarize the key differences and practical recommendations.

"Lovable.dev feels like conversing with a senior dev who writes clean code — whereas Bubble is a visual suite you must master."

Flexibility & Code Ownership

Bubble locks you into its visual environment. Exporting a working codebase is not supported, which can make migrating away difficult. Lovable.dev generates standard code (React/Node/etc.), so you retain full ownership and can deploy anywhere.

Ease of Use: Visual vs Verbal

Bubble.io

Powerful visual editor but a steep learning curve. Complex logic often becomes visually tangled and styling responsive layouts requires time.

Lovable.dev

Describe features in plain language and receive a working codebase. Iteration is conversational and changes are fast to apply.

Use Cases & Practical Differences

If you need third-party JS libraries, advanced algorithms, or unusual integrations, Lovable.dev usually adapts faster because it's not constrained by built-in plugins. Bubble is strong for classic CRUD apps and for teams that prefer purely visual tooling.

Plans & Pricing

Bubble's pricing can grow with app usage and needs (hosting, capacity), which sometimes makes scaling unpredictable. Lovable.dev's value is in exporting usable code and reducing long-term vendor cost by avoiding lock-in.

The Verdict

For quick MVPs where platform lock-in is acceptable, Bubble remains useful. For projects that need flexibility, ownership, and easier handoff to developers, Lovable.dev is my preferred choice.

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