A Deep-Dive Comparison for No-Code App Development (2025)

As developers, we often need to make strategic decisions about which tools to use for different projects. In the no-code space, three platforms stand out: Bubble, Softr, and Momen. Let's break down their capabilities from a technical perspective.

TL;DR 🚀

• Bubble: Great for complex, customized applications with extensive plugin support
• Softr: Excellent for rapid business tool development, especially with existing data
• Momen: Superior database performance (100k rows/20s) with scalability focus

Database Architecture & Performance 📊

Database Operations

Platform	Database Type	Performance Rating	Import Speed (100k rows)
Bubble	PostgreSQL (Built-in)	⭐⭐⭐⭐	> 60 seconds
Softr	External Only	⭐⭐	Depends on integration
Momen	PostgreSQL (Built-in)	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	~20 seconds

Detailed Database Analysis

Softr's Integration-First Approach

Available Database Integrations

• Spreadsheets: 'Google Sheets', 'Airtable'
• Databases:'MySQL', 'PostgreSQL', 'MS SQL Server','MariaDB', 'BigQuery', 'SupaBase'

Limitations:

• Multiple connections needed for complex operations
• Airtable record limit (125,000 per base)
• Performance depends on external service

Bubble's Built-in Solution

• PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS
• Visual database interface
• No SQL knowledge required
• Performance issues with large datasets:

  // Performance Example
  const bulkUpdate = {
    records: 10000,
    executionTime: '> 60 seconds',
    limitations: ['WU consumption', 'Timeout risks']
  };

Momen's High-Performance Architecture

// Performance Metrics
const momenPerformance = {
  bulkImport: {
    records: 100000,
    time: '20 seconds'
  },
  bulkUpdate: {
    records: 'Large datasets',
    time: '5 seconds'
  },
  relationships: ['one-to-one', 'one-to-many', 'many-to-many']
};

Development Experience 👩‍💻

Component System

Platform	Approach	Learning Curve
Bubble	Drag-and-drop with extensive component library	Steep
Softr	Block-based system	Gentle
Momen	Drag-and-drop with customizable components	Moderate

Key Technical Considerations 🔧

1. Data Scale Requirements

   • Small-scale: Any platform works
   • Medium-scale: Bubble or Momen
   • Large-scale: Momen recommended

2. Integration Needs

   • Softr: Best for existing Airtable/Google Sheets setups
   • Bubble: Extensive plugin marketplace
   • Momen: Strong native capabilities with external integration options

3. Performance Priority

   • High-performance needs: Momen
   • Balanced approach: Bubble
   • Integration-focused: Softr

Conclusion 🎯

• Choose Momen for performance-critical applications with complex data relationships
• Choose Bubble for feature-rich applications where ultimate performance isn't critical
• Choose Softr when working with existing data sources and simpler use cases

Check the full comparison here: https://momen.app/blogs/bubble-vs-softr/