Softr vs Glide (2026): the full app layer or the fastest mobile app?
Softr is the no-code app builder for complete business systems: client portals, internal tools and dashboards built over Airtable, Google Sheets or its own database, with a free plan and Basic from $19 a month. Glide is the spreadsheet-to-app builder for fast, polished mobile apps: turn a Google Sheet, Airtable or Excel table into an app in minutes, with a free plan and Explorer from $19 a month on Glide Classic.
| Softr | Glide | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Free plan with unlimited app visitors, 5 app users and Softr branding | Free plan with unlimited draft apps, 1 editor and up to 25,000 rows — but apps cannot be published |
| Paid tier | Basic $19 a month for unlimited apps, 5 team + 5 client users and 50,000 records; Pro $99 a month for 10 team + 50 client users; Business $329 a month | Glide Classic Explorer $19 a month for 1 published app and 100 personal users; Maker $49 a month for 3 apps and unlimited personal users; Business $199 a month for 30 users |
| Best for | Teams building client portals, internal tools and dashboards with permissions and user groups | Anyone turning a spreadsheet into a polished mobile app fast, especially for field teams |
| Standout strength | Unlimited apps on every paid plan, 42-plus integrations, and proper client/team user roles with custom user groups from Pro | The fastest path from a table to a beautiful mobile app, with Glide Tables and Big Tables, plus GlideOS — a separate AI-first platform from $25 a month |
| Watch out for | Basic covers only 5 team users, so a 10-person team needs Pro at $99 a month, and pricing is user-based, so it grows with headcount | Classic plans meter updates at $0.02 each, business users need the $199-a-month Business plan, and GlideOS is a separate subscription from Classic |
Softr wins when the app is a system: a client portal with logins and permissions, an internal tool with different roles for team and clients, a dashboard over a real database. Unlimited apps on every paid plan means the second and third app cost nothing extra, and its user model — team users plus client users — fits the way small businesses actually work. Glide wins when the app is a mobile experience: a field team scanning, updating and checking data on their phones, where the polish of the interface matters more than the depth of the permissions.
The pricing trap is the user type. Glide's cheaper plans are built for personal users — people signing in with a Gmail address — and a team on company email needs Business at $199 a month billed annually. Softr's Basic at $19 a month covers 5 team users, so a small team is genuinely cheap, but a 10-person team needs Pro at $99 a month. For a small client portal, Softr is the better buy. For a mobile app your field team will actually enjoy using, Glide is worth the premium.
Sources: official pricing pages and 2026 comparison coverage. Softr listing · Glide listing