business resources
Best AI App Builder for Agencies: 8 Options for 2026, by Business Model
09 Nov 2026
Should your agency be in the app business at all? The question tends to arrive the first time a client asks if you could "just build us a little portal," usually a few minutes after you finished explaining what the retainer covers.
Probably yes, if the app makes the service you already sell harder to cancel (and if you can avoid becoming its unpaid help desk). The best AI app builder for agencies depends on how your agency makes money, so the eight options below are grouped by business model.
If you're in a hurry, here's the TL;DR:
For agencies that sell an ongoing client experience, the best AI app builder is Assembly: you describe a client app, approve the plan, and it publishes with sign-in, permissions, and your branding in place, on one CRM, inside the client experience you already sell.
Softr sells well as a portal layer over client data, and GoHighLevel suits agencies reselling marketing software. Bubble handles complex custom builds with native mobile, Lovable ships quick MVP projects, and Replit fits code-heavy dev shops.
Bolt.new covers build-and-handoff deliverables, while Glide turns client spreadsheets into working apps on desktop and phone.
| Builder | Agency model it fits | White label | Paid from (as of Nov. 2026) |
| Assembly | Branded client experience | Custom domain on Professional | $49/mo |
| Softr | Portals on client data | Branding removed on Pro | $25/mo |
| GoHighLevel | Reselling software (SaaS mode) | Desktop app from $297 | $97/mo |
| Bubble | Custom builds, handed over | Custom domain on Starter | $39/mo |
| Lovable | MVP and web app projects | Badge removal on Pro | $25/mo |
| Replit | Dev shops and resellers | Branded login via Clerk | $20/mo |
| Bolt.new | Build-and-handoff projects | Badge removal on paid plans | $25/mo |
| Glide | Spreadsheet-based ops apps | Branding on Classic Maker | $25/mo |
Three ways agencies make money with apps
Retainer add-on. The app rides along with a retainer you already sell (a reporting dashboard, an approval flow, an onboarding wizard), and its job is to make that retainer more valuable and harder to walk away from.
Productized portal. You package a branded client experience as its own product with a monthly price, so every new client gets the same portal on day one. White label and per-client permissions decide your margin here.
One-off build. A client pays for a custom app as a project, you hand it over, and the relationship either ends or turns into a support contract. Ownership, code, and handoff terms matter most in this model.
You can mix two of these, as long as you know which one pays the bills.
If you sell a branded client experience
These two put clients behind a login with your logo on it, and the app becomes part of what you charge for every month.
1. Assembly: best for agencies selling a branded client experience
Business model: The platform suits agencies and other service firms that sell an ongoing relationship, whether as a retainer add-on or a productized portal. Clients log into one branded experience for onboarding, files, contracts, billing, and the custom apps you build for them.
What it does well: You describe an app (or remix one of 30+ ready-made apps for intake, onboarding, proposals, payments, and project tracking), answer a few clarifying questions, and approve a one-page plan.
The builder publishes it with sign-in, permissions, and branding supplied by the platform.
Every app sits on one shared CRM, so a new app already knows your clients. Custom fields decide which apps each client sees, which is how you'd tier a product: top-tier clients get a strategy-session booking app, and everyone gets the monthly report.
Clients pay invoices inside the same experience, and Figma, Canva, Looker Studio, ClickUp, and Calendly can be embedded right next to your apps.
Durrick Designs, a boutique web design and development agency, runs its portal on founder Mallory Durrick's custom domain and resells it to clients as a branded service called uSPACES. It now spans 50+ clients and 100+ projects.
What it costs: Free is $0 for 5 active contacts, 1 internal user, 75 build credits a month, and 3 apps. Starter is $49/mo, Professional $139/mo (where custom domains and badge removal begin), Advanced $599/mo, and Enterprise from $2,000/mo.
There are no per-client charges and no setup or hosting fees, and hosting, storage, and AI usage for included apps come with the plan. Extra apps beyond the five on paid plans cost $5/month each.
Trade-offs: It's built around your agency's own client experience and CRM. If you want to launch a standalone SaaS product for the public, a general-purpose builder fits better.
2. Softr: a fit for agencies selling portals on client data
Softr is a fit when the product you sell is a clean portal on top of data the client already keeps in Airtable, Notion, or Google Sheets.
Business model: Productized portals and internal tools for business operations, especially for clients with an established data source and no appetite for migrating it.
What it does well: You can start with the AI Co-Builder, a template, or a blank canvas, and whatever the AI builds stays editable in visual controls. Every plan includes unlimited apps, databases, workflows, agents, and forms, so adding another client's portal doesn't add an app fee.
It connects to 21+ external data sources, with SQL, HubSpot, BigQuery, and Excel on Business. User groups (3 on Pro, 10 on Business) and Business-tier global data restrictions keep each client inside its own records.
The agency touches add up. Pro removes Softr branding and adds a custom email sender, e-signature, and project transfers to another workspace.
Business adds a per-user logo that Softr calls "Great for client portals," and there's also a certified partner directory with Certified, Premium, and Enterprise tiers.
What it costs: As of November 2026, Free covers 5 app users. Basic is $25/mo (5 client users), Pro $119/mo (50 client users), and Business $395/mo (100 client users), and extra custom domains run $15/mo each.
Trade-offs: No reseller or white-label plan is listed, and client users count against your tier, so margins shrink as a client's user list grows. There's no code export, and SSO is Enterprise-only.
If you resell software and marketing services
This group is for agencies whose real product is a stack of marketing tools with their name on it.
3. GoHighLevel: built for agencies reselling marketing software
GoHighLevel (HighLevel) is built around one business model in particular: reselling software to small businesses under your own brand.
Business model: Marketing agencies that sell funnels, automations, and campaigns per client, plus agencies that resell the whole platform as their own product.
What it does well: It's primarily a CRM, funnel, and automation platform, with a sub-account for each client that bundles pipelines, websites and funnels, workflows, SMS and email, calendars, and payments. Snapshots give you a library of pre-built account setups by industry.
SaaS mode on the $497 Founder plan "transforms HighLevel into your own sellable software product," with automatic sub-account creation, Stripe-based plans you price yourself, dunning, and Twilio rebilling. On Unlimited and up, usage can be rebilled to clients with a markup.
App building is the newer, less settled layer. AI Studio builds websites and landing pages from prompts, the Client App Builder makes branded web portals and Android apps under Labs, and the AI App Builder for client portal apps is in private beta.
What it costs: As of November 2026, Starter is $97/mo with 3 sub-accounts, Unlimited $297/mo, and Founder $497/mo, with a 14-day free trial. Add-ons include a Branded Client Portal App at $49/mo per sub-account and a white-label mobile app at $497/mo.
Trade-offs: The app builders are Labs or beta features, and mobile output from Client App Builder is Android-only. Phone, SMS, email, and AI usage is metered, and sub-account users pay per use for AI unless they're on an AI Employee plan.
If you build custom apps as projects
These four suit agencies that quote a build, deliver it, and then either hand it over or sell support.
4. Bubble: the pick for agencies billing complex custom builds
Bubble is the pick when the project fee is big because the logic is big, and the client wants to see every rule spelled out visually.
Business model: Agencies that bill custom apps as projects and hand ownership to the client at launch, using Bubble's dedicated agency account.
What it does well: One prompt generates the UI, logic, and database, and the AI Agent (in beta) helps add features and troubleshoot. The visual editor covers frontend and backend, with a built-in database, privacy rules, and user authentication.
Web plus native iOS and Android apps come from one editor, with store publishing and over-the-air updates. A security dashboard flags exposed API keys and privacy rule gaps before you deploy.
The agency account bundles unlimited apps with Growth-plan features in development, paid plugins free in development, two editors per app (agency and client), and agency user roles.
Tiered agencies also get a directory listing and "Hire a Developer" lead matching, which is basically a new-business channel.
What it costs: As of November 2026, the agency account is $85 per seat a month. The client then buys an app plan, from $39/mo (Web Starter) through $134 and $399, or $69 to $649 a month for web and mobile.
Trade-offs: Agency apps can't go live until ownership transfers to the client, and you lose access afterward unless they invite you back. There's no code export, and workload units meter server activity.
5. Lovable: a fit for studios selling fast MVP projects
Business model: Product studios and dev shops that sell MVPs and web apps as fixed projects. Lovable's partner program has Experts and Solution partners tracks, and its public "Hire a Lovable partner" directory sends clients toward listed agencies.
What it does well: Plan mode writes a structured plan you approve before any code exists, then Build mode implements it.
The built-in Cloud backend handles the database, storage, authentication, and functions, and payments run through a built-in Paddle or Stripe integration, which matters for client MVPs that need to charge someone.
Code ownership is easy to promise in a contract. Two-way Git sync covers GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, and paid plans can download the codebase.
On Business, design templates let you reuse a past project as a starting point, which is how a one-off build slowly becomes a productized offer. Workspaces allow unlimited members on every plan, and Lovable's trust center lists SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001:2022.
What it costs: As of November 2026, Free includes 5 build credits a day (up to 30 a month). Pro is $25/mo for 100 credits with custom domains and badge removal, and Business is $50/mo for 100 credits plus SSO and role-based access.
Trade-offs: Credits are pooled per workspace, Business credits cost more than Pro credits, and credits aren't refundable. Apps with significant traffic may also cost more than the included grant, so build hosting into the quote.
6. Replit: built for dev shops that sell and support code
Business model: Development shops that sell custom builds plus ongoing support. Replit's Solution Partners track covers consulting, implementation, and reseller services, with certified partner status, lead referrals, and reselling, at no cost to join.
What it does well: You chat with Replit Agent, which can build web apps, websites, and native mobile apps backed by fully managed PostgreSQL, object storage, built-in auth, and hosting.
Agent can open pull requests on a connected GitHub or GitLab repo, so your developers review work the usual way.
Client branding is workable. Clerk Auth gives each client app its own name, icon, and colors on the login screen, and Enterprise lets you bring your own OAuth app for connectors when you want your own branding there too.
Native iOS apps go to App Store Connect through Expo and the Launch feature, using the client's Apple Developer account. Replit holds SOC 2 Type II certification, and every customer gets an isolated Google Cloud project, even on the free tier.
What it costs: As of November 2026, Core is $20/mo and Pro is tiered from $100 to $2,050 a month for up to 15 collaborators. Enterprise is custom, with unlimited seats and no per-seat costs.
Trade-offs: Effort-based pricing means complex requests cost more, which makes fixed-bid projects riskier to quote. There's no Teams plan, SSO and audit logs are Enterprise-only, and the Replit Auth login page shows Replit's branding if you skip Clerk.
7. Bolt.new: the pick for agencies that sell build-and-handoff projects
Business model: Agencies that sell client deliverables on a brief, build, and handoff cycle, which is the exact pitch on Bolt's agencies page ("Brief it. Build it. Hand it off.").
What it does well: You can start from a prompt, a Figma frame, a Google Stitch design, a GitHub repo, or a template, and import a client's design system from a repo, an NPM package, Storybook, or their website.
Bolt Cloud covers hosting, domains, a database with authentication, file storage, and server functions.
Bolt pitches client portals "White-labeled to their brand, with no third-party logo in the corner," and a finished project can transfer to another workspace or a different user. Native mobile comes via Expo, and Pro adds SEO boosting for marketing-site work.
Teams brings centralized billing and team-level access management, and Bolt says it's SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
What it costs: As of November 2026, Free includes 1M tokens a month with Bolt branding. Pro is $25/mo starting at 10M tokens with a custom domain, and Teams is $30 per member a month. Pro hosting covers up to 30 GB of bandwidth and 1 million requests, with pay-as-you-go overage beyond that.
Trade-offs: Tokens aren't shared between Teams members, so one heavy user can stall while others sit on unused tokens. Free sites stop serving at their monthly data limit, and web projects don't easily switch to mobile later.
If your clients live in spreadsheets
Some clients run their whole operation out of a workbook, and the agency job is turning it into something people can use from a phone.
8. Glide: a fit for agencies whose clients run on spreadsheets
Glide is the right call when the client's business already runs on a spreadsheet that one person understands and everyone else fears.
Business model: Operations-minded agencies and consultants that turn clients' Excel files and Google Sheets into internal business apps. The Glide for Agencies program pays a 20% revenue share on referred clients.
What it does well: GlideOS builds apps with an AI agent from a spreadsheet, a prompt, a PDF, or a screenshot. Its SheetSense system reads sheets, formulas, and lookups, so the logic your client built over years doesn't get lost.
Apps work on desktop and phone, and Glide's footer lists SOC II Type 2, GDPR, and CCPA, with a security pack offered on Enterprise.
Basic includes unlimited guests, Plus adds public apps and a custom login screen, and Pro adds unlimited published apps plus MCP access for building with your own agent.
What it costs: As of November 2026, GlideOS Free can't publish apps. Basic is $25/mo, Plus $50/mo, and Pro $125/mo, while the older Glide Classic sells a Maker plan at $60/mo with custom branding and custom domains.
Trade-offs: There's no GlideOS agency or white-label plan, and code access is Enterprise-only. Classic apps can't migrate to GlideOS, the expert directory centers on Classic, and the Glide for iPhone app is still marked coming soon.
Match the builder to your business model
If you sell an ongoing client experience as a retainer add-on or a productized portal, start with the #1 pick, then compare Softr if your clients' data already lives in Airtable or Sheets.
If you resell marketing software, GoHighLevel's SaaS mode was built for that business. If you sell custom builds, Bubble suits large logic-heavy projects, Lovable and Bolt.new suit quick web projects with clean handoff, and Replit suits shops with developers who want pull requests.
If your clients run on spreadsheets, Glide gets you there with the least rebuilding. Before you commit, I'd price one real client project on two of these, because the cheapest plan on paper isn't always the cheapest per client.
How should you price app work?
Charge a setup fee when the first build takes real discovery work. It covers the plan, the clarifying questions, and the testing, and it filters out clients who only wanted to see a demo.
Add a retainer line item when the app keeps running. Platform costs, credits for changes, and the hours you spend on updates belong in a monthly number the client sees on every invoice.
Sell a productized tier once you've built the same app three times. A fixed monthly price for "portal plus reporting" is easier to sell than custom quotes, and it scales with your client list.
Whichever you choose, price the outcome. If an approval app saves a client's team hours of email every week, that's the number to anchor on (your platform bill is your business, and nobody wants to see it itemized).
FAQ
Is GoHighLevel an app builder?
Partly: GoHighLevel is mainly a CRM, funnel, and automation platform for marketing agencies, and its app builders are still in Labs or private beta. AI Studio builds sites and landing pages, while the Client App Builder for portals and Android apps sits under Labs.
What's the difference between a client portal and a custom app?
A client portal is the shared space where clients log in for messages, files, and invoices, and a custom app does one specific job inside or next to it. In practice you'll often want both, since the portal keeps the relationship in one place and the custom apps give clients a reason to log in.
Can an agency resell an AI app builder under its own brand?
Yes, a few platforms support reselling directly, and GoHighLevel's SaaS mode is the clearest example. On the $497 Founder plan it creates sub-accounts automatically and bills clients on Stripe-based plans you price, and Replit's Solution Partners track covers reselling too.
