Guides / Comparisons

Softr vs Glide: Which No-Code App Builder Fits Your Team?

Softr vs Glide compared: data sources, user limits, AI building, mobile use and pricing as of September 2026, plus who each tool suits best.

Mythex Team · 2026-09-29 · 7 min read

Softr is usually the better pick for client portals and apps that outside people log in to, because it's built around user groups, permissions and connecting to data you already have in Airtable, Google Sheets or its own database. Glide is usually the better pick for internal team apps that start from a spreadsheet, such as inventory or work-order tracking. Both now lean on AI to get you started. If neither fits because your logic is unusual, an AI app builder can build a simple custom version instead.

Softr vs Glide at a glance

Prices change. Check Softr's pricing and Glide's pricing before you decide.

How we compared

We compared the publicly stated features, plan limits and prices on Softr's and Glide's own websites as of September 2026. We did not do hands-on testing, and we left out anything we couldn't confirm on the vendors' own pages. Glide's individual Classic plans (Explorer and Maker) didn't show their prices on the page we checked, so we don't quote them.

Softr: portals and business apps on your data

Softr describes itself as an AI app builder for business apps. You can start by describing an app to its AI co-builder, then keep editing with the no-code editor. Softr's pricing FAQ makes a point worth noting: if you run out of AI credits, you can keep building by hand.

Plans (as of September 2026, prices billed yearly):

• Free: $0. 5 AI credits a month, up to 3 builders, 5 app users, 5,000 database records, 500 workflow actions a month.
• Basic: $19/month. Custom domain, conditional form logic, 1 builder included, 5 team users plus 5 client users, 50,000 records, 2,500 workflow actions a month.
• Pro: $99/month. Removes Softr branding, adds Google sign-in and one-time passcodes for app users, granular permissions, comments, custom code and API connectors. 2 builders, 10 team plus 50 client users, 500,000 records, 10,000 workflow actions.
• Business: $329/month. Two-factor authentication, domain-restricted signup, an installable mobile app (PWA) with push notifications. 3 builders, 30 team plus 100 client users, 1 million records, 25,000 workflow actions.
• Enterprise: custom, with SSO, SCIM and audit logs.

Monthly billing costs more; Softr advertises "2 months off" for yearly. It also offers a 50% discount for non-profits and education.

How users are counted. Softr splits app users into team users (people on the same business email domain as your builders) and client users (everyone else, including all Gmail addresses). That matters a lot for a client portal: check the client-user allowance, not just the headline price.

Strengths: built for portals and permissions; connects to many existing data sources; a native database if you don't have one; you can keep editing without AI.

Limits: app-user allowances on the lower plans are small, so a portal with many clients pushes you up the plans quickly. The installable mobile app sits on the Business plan.

Glide: team apps from spreadsheets, now with an AI platform

Glide is best known for turning spreadsheets into apps. As of September 2026 it has two products, and Glide says they're separate subscriptions:

• Glide Classic — the original no-code platform. You design screens visually on top of Glide Tables, Google Sheets, Airtable or Excel.
• GlideOS — which Glide describes as an AI software development platform for building internal business apps from a spreadsheet, a prompt or a file.

Glide Classic plans (as of September 2026):

• Free: 1 editor, unlimited drafts, up to 25,000 rows.
• Business: from $199/month billed yearly (Glide says yearly saves 20%). 30 users included, then $5 per extra user on annual billing ($6 monthly). 5,000 updates included, then 2¢ per update. 10 editors, unlimited published apps, Google Sheets, Airtable and Excel sync, workflows, custom domains, custom branding and the Glide API. A 14-day free trial is offered.
• Enterprise: custom, with SSO, backups and more data sources such as SQL.

An "update" is Glide's unit for changing data and syncing external sources. Glide's own tables don't consume updates, so storing data in Glide can be cheaper to run than syncing a large Google Sheet.

GlideOS plans (as of September 2026):

• Free: $0. 2 team members, 10 projects, limited credits, no published apps.
• Basic: $25/month. 100 credits, 2 published apps, 1 enabled workflow.
• Plus: $50/month. 250 credits, 3 team members, 5 published apps, public apps.
• Pro: $125/month. Starts at 5 team members and 500 credits (50 more per extra member), unlimited published apps and workflows, MCP access for your own agent.
• Enterprise: custom.

Strengths: a direct path from a spreadsheet to a working app; Glide's site highlights uses such as inventory, work orders, logistics and field sales; Business includes 30 users in the base price.

Limits: two products with different pricing can be confusing, so make sure you're reading the right page. On Classic, heavy syncing of external data uses updates, which can add cost.

Key differences that matter

1. Who logs in. Softr is designed around external users: clients, members, partners. Its plans count client users separately and add sign-in options and permissions as you go up. Glide Classic's Business plan is priced around a pool of users included in the plan, which suits a known team.

2. Where your data lives. Both can use their own database or connect to Airtable and Google Sheets. Softr's pricing page also lists HubSpot, Notion, Salesforce and SQL databases. Glide Classic lists SQL databases such as PostgreSQL and MySQL for its Enterprise plan.

3. Phones. Softr offers an installable PWA with push notifications on its Business plan. If phone use is central for you, test both on the devices your team actually carries.

4. AI. Both have AI builders. Softr's AI co-builder works inside the same product as the no-code editor. Glide splits AI-first building into GlideOS.

5. Cost shape. Softr's entry price is low but user and record allowances grow with the plan. Glide Classic's Business plan is a larger step in, but includes 30 users.

Who should pick Softr

• You're building a client portal, member area or partner directory where outside people log in.
• Your data already lives in Airtable, HubSpot, Notion or a SQL database.
• You want fine-grained permissions on who sees which records.
• You want AI to get started but a visual editor to finish.

Who should pick Glide

• You're building an internal app for staff: inventory, work orders, field inspections, a team directory.
• Your team works from Google Sheets or Excel and wants an app on top quickly.
• You'd like to try an AI-first approach for internal tools (GlideOS).

When neither is the right fit

Both tools work best when your app fits their building blocks: lists, detail pages, forms, charts and permissions. If you need unusual logic — a custom pricing calculator, a multi-step approval flow with your own rules, or a public product with its own sign-up — you may end up fighting the blocks.

An AI app builder like Mythex takes a different route: you describe the app in chat and an AI agent writes the code, adds a dedicated Postgres database when the app needs one, and publishes it to yourname.mythex.ai. There's no visual drag-and-drop editor, and Mythex doesn't include a built-in end-user login system — the agent wires in the sign-in provider you choose. See Mythex vs Softr for a direct comparison and no-code vs AI app builders for the trade-offs.

For a simple internal app, Softr or Glide will often be quicker to set up and easier for non-technical teammates to edit. A custom build makes more sense when the logic is the product.

Our verdict

• Pick Softr for portals, member areas and business apps where outside users log in and permissions matter.
• Pick Glide Classic for staff-facing apps built on spreadsheets, especially on phones, with a known team size.
• Try GlideOS if you want an AI-first way to build internal tools and are happy with a newer product.
• Consider a custom build when neither tool's building blocks fit your logic.

If you're starting from a spreadsheet, read how to turn a spreadsheet into an app. For portals specifically, see how to build a client portal, and for staff tools, how to build an internal tool. Looking beyond these two? See Glide alternatives.