bubbles new pricing is ABSURD… i just spent 2 years on this app which will cost me based on bubbles change 300 aprox per user, while user subscriptions are 19-65 a month. bubble just wasted 2 years of my life and put me out of business before i can even start
No argument about absurdity…but, maybe the app can be optimized to reduce costs to operate.
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Both of my apps are so complex that I don’t even know how I could do that. I don’t know how bubble can even think this is okay. One of my apps looks to be running at about 600k units per user. Umm so now what? I’m shocked at this realization of how the prices actually are panning out 
it’s crossing into almost evil.
Ryan Humphries
Bubble is in a difficult spot. Wanted to build something that is no-code but when you have no coding experience at all and have no idea how code works or IT in general you will struggle to make something complex. If you do, you can build almost anything with Bubble but then you realize that on certain aspects Bubble had put a markup of thousands per cent on concepts that are very common in normal code but which Bubble tries to avoid or if used wants to see big money for.
So they should have stayed either for users that truly have no experience building something meaning the platform would not have been flexible, or go with people that can code or at least are open to lean basic concepts and provide a flexible tool that can build a lot.
Bubble is now for the people that can or are willing to invest time to learn coding concepts. And with it comes great responsibility.
I think in most cases Bubble is now used by agencies. Building software for clients that have no clue and do not care less how and on which platform their software is build as long as it works. In that space Bubble is golden I think.
Going back to your specific case, look at your logs and see where the workflow usage is coming from. In general, 80% of the load is coming from 20% of workflows. Look for those workflows, pick the top user and focus only on that one. Simply to understand why it eats your workflows and from there ask help in this forum.
Typically, server cost for a saas product are often between 1-5% of total costs. Using Bubble can increase this to perhaps 10-50% but that should still leave enough room to test your product in the market and get traction. Main concern is you do not own the code so make sure you account for this in your go to market strategy and scaling phase.
Lastly, by far the most expensive part of any new product is marketing/sales. Everybody underestimate how much time and therefore money but also out of pocket money it takes to get to a successful product that can provide for your and hopefully many families.
This Bubble issue is a small issue and there will be many more issues, and also much bigger ones for you to solve. (Just to put it in perspective)
Good luck!
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@georgecollier is offering to optimize apps for free
This is part of the reason why every new AI startup is using affiliate marketing to drive their initial growth, and then once they have reached a level they are comfortable with, they stop the affiliate program.
Affiliate marketing can be a lot cheaper than traditional ad spend. If you offer 20-35% commissions, you are still spending less on acquiring new customers than if you were at or above the average spend of 40 cents per dollar on adverts via FB, Google and Amazon as the screen shot above indicates is the average.
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Almost Sure-Fire Solution
- Any Database that wrap with RESTful API
- use Bubble Plugin to connect to that DB via API
- Dont use bubble original SQL Connector, thats has a 200 limit that make it useless.
- Have nearly all your DB workflow on your DB server, not bubble.
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If this is the case I can guarantee you’re built with quite bad practice or you have an app that really should be using a different backend.
No arguments about this pricing update being absurd, it has been awfully executed, countless bugs, and their own system isn’t even optimized for it but I digress.
I will however say what this update has done is make people actually have to learn to develop with best practices in mind. With the old pricing model you could build an app that is as far opposite as optimized as you can get and not see impact outside of speed. Now since $$$ is involved it’s requiring startups and developers to actually do things optimized which is a positive in my mind.
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Great thing you have going there…
I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t take you up on it.
I’m planning on going live with my little app on August 31. It’s just a community-type app. Not a big thing. Not even sure if it will take off. But, I plan on having you take a look at it…then I’ll learn what I don’t really know about Bubble that I thought I did 
Also, about the whole marketing thing…
one of the best things you can do is set up a referral program. Friends trust friends.
Dollar Shave and others have built huge businesses using referral programs.
Yes, you’ll probably have to spend on rewards, but, it’s still better than cold advertising.
You can build the whole referral program using Bubble.
I think the referral program is a highly underrated tool. It really works.
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well when i built everything i had never considered bubbles Workload UNITs as a factor in the build. I had NO IDEA it was going to change things like this AND they did not even have the metrics until recently along with the calculator to price it out. Maybe i missed it BUT yesterday was the first time i got the popup in my accunt showing how many units i was using and the cost. Could have had that 18 months ago when they started threatening this. So i could have understood the real implications VS trusting bubble to be good and do good.
Now a feel my favorite company in the world betrayed me… it feels like i just got cheated on my my girl and she ran out with another man and my only car.
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A little bit melodramatic but we see your point… Both are expensive but I think the similarities stop there 
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I would really love to know how your app is using 600k wu’s per person?
I’m sure you’re smarter at Bubble than I am…
but, seriously, that’s something that seems crazy.
I’ve tested my app with 10,000 users in mind and still haven’t gotten to that figure in a whole month.
Maybe if you share more about your setup someone with more experience can help?
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i have this insanely cmplicated AI app that is like runway on Adobe steriods that runs massive amount of backend processes
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Gotcha…
you may need to reexamine your backend.
We have a team of 18 that can build that for you…but it would cost about 200K minimum.
I don’t think it’s fair to knock Bubble in this case.
You’re trying to run a whole lot using Bubble.
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Just looking at this, I suspect you’re running quite a few SSAs that Bubble marks up a lot.
I’ll also bet that you’re storing huge lists on your User data type which are loaded on every page load and cost a ton of workload.
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yes probably right… :(. i never learned to care on bubbles old method. now i have to learn all this new practice which could be a huge undertaking… maybe the app will be better for it in the end… but UG
true BUT it was allowed on their old plans. AND they did not explain clearly how my apps would get translated to the new pricing until now. I think this is related to the app having been created 2 years ago when i started and still being on a grandfather plan which then end in october
Hopefully, you figure it out.
Bubble is still the best place for someone to build an app and get it to market quickly.
Your app IS complicated.
I don’t think it’s fair to blame Bubble though for your WU costs.
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well what i am saying is that the app works fine under CAPACITY… it wont work fine under WU. and i have been with bubble since the start… so i have had many many years of bubbling under CAPACITY and not WU. So i build that way not their new way.
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