Adalo alternative
An Adalo alternative that writes native Swift
Adalo is a no-code builder with an AI helper that publishes to the App Store from its $65-a-month Builder plan. Borel is the alternative when you want the app written for the iPhone in Swift and SwiftUI, built entirely from a chat, tested in the iOS Simulator in your browser, and published on Pro, from $20 a month.
Updated
Apps built by Borel, in the iOS Simulator.
Adalo
Who is Adalo for?
Adalo is a no-code app builder for iPhone, Android and the web. Its AI, Ada, drafts the screens, database and logic from a description, and a drag-and-drop canvas lets you shape the rest by hand. Every project comes with a hosted database.
It handles the store builds for you too, with no Xcode or command line, which makes it a common first choice for small businesses and first-time founders.
The iPhone question
Where does Adalo stop for an iPhone app?
Price is where it adds up. Publishing to the App Store starts on Adalo's Builder plan, $65 a month or $52 a month billed yearly, and the free plan gives Ada 5 prompts a month.
And to hold the iPhone build in your hand before you submit, Adalo points you to TestFlight, which needs Apple's paid Developer Program first.
Borel
What Borel does differently
Native Swift you can read
Borel writes the app in Swift with SwiftUI, compiled by Xcode, and you can download the project on any plan.
All of it from a chat
Describe the app and ask for every change in plain words. No canvas to arrange by hand.
Your iPhone without TestFlight
On Pro, Borel Companion installs the app on your iPhone with your Apple ID, a free one included.
Publishing for less
App Store publishing comes with Pro, from $20 a month, or $16 a month billed yearly.
At a glance
How do Adalo and Borel compare?
From Adalo's own site, as of October 2026. The full comparison has every row.
| Borel | Adalo | |
|---|---|---|
| App Store from | $20 a month, or $16 a month billed yearly | $65 a month, or $52 billed yearly |
| Your iPhone before you publish | Companion, with a free Apple ID | TestFlight |
| Free AI building | 5 free credits a day, up to 30 a month | 5 prompts a month |
| Database built in | Yes | Yes |
Switching
How to switch from Adalo to Borel
- 1
List your screens
Tell Borel what each Adalo screen shows and does. Borel plans the app with you before it writes it.
- 2
Describe your data
Name the things the app keeps, like orders or members. Borel's cloud database stores them per account.
- 3
Try it, then publish
Tap through it in the iOS Simulator, put it on your iPhone with Companion, and publish on Pro.
Choose Borel if…
- You want App Store publishing on a cheaper plan.
- You want native Swift code you can download.
- You'd rather describe changes than drag components around.
Frequently asked questions
No. Borel builds a new SwiftUI app from your description of the screens and data. Records in Adalo's database don't move over by themselves.
No. You describe everything in plain words. The Swift is there if you, or a developer later, want to read it in Xcode.
Yes. Each app comes with sign-in, a cloud database and file storage that Borel runs, so bookings, orders or member lists live in the app without a separate service. Apple's in-app purchases handle subscriptions and one-off unlocks.
No. Borel makes native iPhone apps, and the same app runs on iPad.
Yes. Instead of a monthly prompt count, the free plan gives 5 free credits a day, up to 30 a month, and the iOS Simulator costs nothing.
Describe your app instead
Tell Borel what it does and watch the native version run.