Very confused What to use for mobile app development

[ziadsh1812]

Hello everyone

I am trying to build a mvp for a 2 sided marketplace app. I have very limited coding knowledge which is why I came across bubble which seemed pretty straight forward and I started building the frontend of the app. I realised after that it's not straightforward to make an 'app store' app with bubble. 2 days of constant google searches and scouring the forums i became more confused than ever. i came across Dropsource, Backendless and GoodBarber and am not sure what is the difference between these and why you would need to use a combination of two to make an app even though all of them have their own frontend and backend development. Also, if there is a better way of developing an mvp app with virtually no budget what would it be. Sorry if this seems stupid but i am a newbie and i need an explanation, please assume i am an idiot. Thanks

[andrewgassen]

I’ll try to do a quick explanation, but first, there are a few terms I want to define:

• Frontend: What the user interacts with
• Backend: The logic and such behind the scenes that actually makes the app do stuff
• Native App: An app that uses the direct capabilities of the mobile device. Can run offline
• Hybrid App: A web application that is packaged to look like a Native App. Won’t run offline without a lot of trickery.

If you use Bubble, you are building a web application. If you want to take a Bubble web application and make it look like a mobile phone app, you will need to use a “wrapper.” Examples of this include Jasonelle, Webview Gold, and others. Zeroqode has a service to help do this, as does BDK. In this scenario, Bubble is responsible for your frontend and your backend.

If you want to use a different tool to build your frontend, you are definitely capable of using Bubble to power the backend. Tools like Dropsource and Adalo build native frontends. You would then use the Bubble API to send data back and forth.

The easiest, fastest way is to build everything in Bubble and use a wrapper to make it look like a mobile app.

[SerPounce]

What did you get stuck on using Bubble? I have found the platform able to satisfy all of my needs. If you are concerned about converting your app into native mobile, there are plug ins and other options to address this.

BDK Native Apps - Build before you buy

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Convert your Bubble App into a Native App (iOS & Android)

Hi everyone! I’m announcing the launch of something I’ve been working on for months, a new native app option for Bubble apps via Codeless Academy! I first started using Bubble in 2015, and I’ve always had a passion and a knack for expanding its web capabilities into the realm of native apps. In fact, when I first started Qoins, our native app was a Bubble web app converted into a native app using some of the same concepts we’re using today. I recently had the opportunity to be on a podcast wit…

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[deadpoetnsp]

There is another free and very simple way to build a web wrapper for Bubble: using AppGyver. They even make the APK for you for free. Just make the web app in Bubble, and put it in a webview in AppGyver. I found AppGyver to be much easier than Jasonette/Jasonelle, because you don’t need to download Android studio.

All other solutions need $70-$350. The only place where AppGyver’s wrapper does not work effectively is if you need camera or push notifications. And that might be a very big “if” for some apps, not for others.

[ziadsh1812]

Thanks so much for your reply, so using Bubble for the overall process is better than combining two builders like Bubble and Dropsource, would there be any pros or cons to use one (using only bubble) over the other (using both) in any way.

[ziadsh1812]

thank you very much for your recommendation as am looking for free services cause of right now I have no ‘funding’ per se

[andrewgassen]

If you’re good with your users needing an internet connection to use the app, then going the route of doing it all in Bubble is fine. Check out some of the links that @SerPounce shared and it’ll set you on your way!

[appcluesinfotech]

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