Xano
A no-code backend — database, API and business logic — that gives a no-code app builder like Bubble or FlutterFlow somewhere real to store and process data.
What you'd use it for
Giving a no-code app built in Bubble, Webflow or FlutterFlow a real database and API to run on, once the app's own built-in data layer stops being enough.
- Build a relational database with tables, relationships and indexes without writing SQL
- Describe an app idea in plain English and get starter database tables and API endpoints generated for you
- Write backend logic in a visual builder that compiles to a real function you can still inspect and edit by hand
- Publish a REST API that a separate frontend tool reads from and writes to
- Self-host the whole backend on your own AWS, Azure or GCP account instead of Xano's cloud
The verdict
Xano is a serious backend for people who are not developers but need one — a real database, real logic and an API worth building a product on, without standing up a server. The free tier is a genuine prototype, not a crippled demo, but the moment real users show up you are paying at least $85 a month for the rate limit and record cap to go away, on top of whatever the frontend builder already costs. It suits an operator who has committed to Bubble, Webflow or FlutterFlow and has outgrown the app's built-in database. It does not suit someone hoping for a finished app with nobody ever thinking about a data model.
What it costs
| Tier | Price | For | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Learning the tool and building a first prototype. | Natural-language prompting, visual logic builder, unlimited serverless functions, database up to 100K records, 1GB watermarked image storage, 1 workspace. |
| Essential | $85/month, billed annually | A real app in production with one team. | Dedicated infrastructure, 3 workspaces, 5 team seats, no API rate limit, unlimited records, 100GB storage, GDPR/ISO/SOC 2 compliance, 7-day rolling backup, static frontend hosting. |
| Pro | $224/month, billed annually | A growing app that needs higher availability and more hands on it. | Everything in Essential, plus 5 workspaces, 10 seats, managed load balancer, role and permissions manager, optional HIPAA add-on, 14-day rolling backup, 99.99% SLA. |
| Custom | Flexible pricing, contact sales | Organisations that need to self-host or run multiple tenants. | Unlimited scalability, self-hosting on AWS, Azure, GCP or on-prem, multiple tenants, Docker containers, dedicated IP, SSO, 24/7 monitoring. |
Read from Xano's own pricing page on 25 Sep 2026. Vendors change prices without notice.
What you need to start
- A free Xano account, no credit card needed for the free tier
- A separate frontend or no-code app builder to actually put in front of users, since Xano is backend only
- Node.js 18+, VS Code and Git, but only if you use the CLI/AI-coding workflow instead of the visual editor
A free account takes minutes with no card required, and Xano's own walkthrough builds a working, authenticated API with a database behind it in about ten minutes using the visual editor.
Your first run The first real result is a published API endpoint backed by a real database table, not a mockup; Xano's own tutorial takes a new signup to a live, authenticated task-management API in about ten minutes.
Where it breaks
Entirely browser-based visual builder; the API it generates is what your frontend (Bubble, Webflow, FlutterFlow, or custom code) actually talks to.
First entry in this reference. There is no previous check to compare it against.
When not to use it
Not for someone who wants a working app without designing a data model — Xano is the backend, not the interface, and someone still has to think through the tables and logic before anything user-facing exists. Not worth it for a small app with a handful of screens and few users, where a frontend builder's own database, or a flat table in Airtable or Baserow, does the job without the $85-a-month jump.
No-code app builders solve the screen. They are consistently weaker at what happens behind the screen — a real database, business logic that isn’t trivial, and an API stable enough to build a real product against. Xano is the tool built specifically for that gap, and it is why Bubble, Webflow and FlutterFlow apps commonly reach for it once the app needs to do more than display static content.
The free tier is a genuine prototype environment, not a crippled demo — a working database and unlimited serverless functions, capped at 100K records and rate-limited APIs. The jump to Essential at $85 a month removes the rate limit and the record cap, which is the point at which a prototype becomes something you would actually put in front of paying users.
What you are buying, concretely
- A real database, not a spreadsheet pretending to be one — with indexes, relationships and the query performance an app under real load needs.
- Visual logic that compiles to an actual backend. The natural-language prompting on the free tier drafts the logic; you still own and can edit the underlying function.
- An escape hatch. The Custom tier’s self-hosting option matters specifically because it means you are not permanently locked to Xano’s cloud if the relationship sours later.
Where it sits
Xano is infrastructure, not a product a non-technical founder configures alone end to end — someone still needs to design the data model and the logic, even without writing code. Pair it with a frontend builder and treat it as the backend you would otherwise need a developer to stand up with a real database and API layer.
Alternatives
Websites & appsHarnessSupabase
The database and login system most AI app builders create behind the scenes when you ask them to add "user accounts" — you can also use it directly and own the data.
Websites & appsHarnessBubble
A visual builder for real web and mobile apps — databases, logic and all — with AI generating a working first version from a plain-English description.
Websites & appsAppsNoloco
A no-code builder for client portals and internal tools that reads directly from Airtable, Google Sheets or a database, with AI generating the first layout for you.
Websites & appsHarnessRetool
Assembles internal admin tools and dashboards directly over your existing databases, with AI able to generate the interface from a description instead of you dragging every component by hand.
Get Xano
Buying the tool is not the hard part.
The ebook is about what to hand over, in what order, and how you find out when it goes wrong. One payment, no subscription.