I have three apps in the App Store right now that have started on Adalo. One is a simple to do list, one is a meditation app, and one is a social media app. I have a concern about scalability and ability to include features that Adalo currently cannot provide. My initial intent was to create apps using Adalo and eventually transition to fully coded apps when I have funding. Going through the user terms and agreement though, I’m wondering if it’s as simple as simply hiring another company to code it and then removing from Adalo. I did see in the TOU that Adalo let’s you contact their own professionals to create an app, but again, it doesn’t seem like Adalo created anything has the capabilities I need to scale, if that day comes. Does anyone know the process and/or people to talk to regarding eventual transitioning off the Adalo platform, and if that is needed at all?
I could be wrong, but I don’t think you can just take the assets made from adalo. Adalo apps are made via their integrated system (components speaking with servers, etc) and is kind of a “web based” app in a way. If Adalo servers goes down, your app goes down. If you want to leave adalo, you can’t take your app with you, I just think that’s how Adalo is built, not choice.
I could be wrong, but an expert could fill in if they know.
The process/people to talk to would me us, PragmaFlow. Or any real dev house, but we would probably be the cheapest of the expensive option because we know Adalo (we are the people the experts come see when they are stuck) and build large scale full-code apps.
We had a project for a customer that we build in Adalo and the results were this
The chat system was clunky, the navigation bar was off for some reason, and other features were missing that we could not quite get working smoothly, so we rebuilt it to
The conversion from Adalo to AWS Amplify + Expo was about 2 weeks and enabled real-time chat with websockets, unread badges, yada, yada.
So, yes, it is possible and depending on the scale you grow, it will be inevitable. A company like Adalo focuses on small scale to the masses, once you are generating large revenue the sensible thing would be to move off Adalo with the main project, and start MVPing a new project in Adalo.
Thanks Pragmaflow! I’m familiar with your work, especially the location-based services you were trying to turn into a thing.
The problem with an Adalo-based development house, for me, is that all the services I pay for to get things smooth and running the way I want them to, is going to require some significant fees. Some experts charge $150 per hour and it’s all Adalo anyway. In the Instagram-like component of my one app, I have a video player list, but adalo only lets you upload them as files, and small files. AdaloGuy has a video of uploading them to an Amazon bucket, but doing that requires some expertise as well. My concern is that I can pay money to different services and have them work with my Adalo app (like Integromat, Linkpreview, and Adalo experts, etc), or I can pay a developer to build things into the app.
However, in looking at the terms and conditions, it seems that whatever i have already created on Adalo may actually be the property of Adalo, which makes me think I shouldn’t go for test flights and app stores for any of the apps that I want to remain mine or have any real control over. Even my social media app still has to adhere to all the user terms of Adalo, even if i disagree slightly philosophically. I suppose what I’m really going to need to do is talk to an Adalo person about these questions, especially those that relate to my understanding of their user terms, but I thought someone on here might have encountered the same situation as me.
I’d actually love to hear more about your rates though, is this information available at your website?
For the terms and conditions, my interpretation is that you own the app, not Adalo. Adalo owns the Adalo Button that they license to you for use in your app. If you moved off Adalo you would not be able to use the Adalo Button as the license granted to you would no longer be valid. Adalo is pretty clear that they are simply a Data Provider with respect to your app as a way to pass legal liabilities onto you, which means that you are the owner of the app. Now, if the Adalo Button (and other components and text) license gets revoked it is not the end of the world because you can simply use react-native-paper (https://reactnativepaper.com/) to rebuild your app, or mui (https://mui.com/) in the event it was a webapp you built.
In so far as rates are concerned, I am not sure if they are on the website, I don’t often check out website out. PragmaFlow No-Code and PragmaFlow Dev are different divisions and managed differently. Mitch heads up the no-code division and short of building components needed by the no-code division, offering advice and counsel on architecting apps, and poking around the forums as a distraction during my day I stay mostly out of the no-code division. I believe the current rates are $125usd/hr for the dev no-code stuff and something lower for testing services, but I am not 100% sure.
As far as PragmaFlow dev, the nature of the work dictates the price. We can charge up to $350/hr if it is intense security work, but for standard principal developer rates open at $160/hr. If you just need a button on a page we offer junior developers as well for a lower rate. Depending on the size and duration we usually negotiate a lower rate and work within our customers budget to do what we can. Engaging our services for a single person for a single hour is going to be $160/hr, but if you want a team of developers for a 3 month or more body of work you will pay less. If we really like the concept we have also been known to take equity or cash/equity splits on projects.
Super helpful! Thank you so much.
Cash/equity sounds ideal 
Can I setup a Zoom with someone to discuss the apps that I have published / am publishing?
@Mitch-Pragmaflow is the gate keeper, give him the elevator pitch and see where it goes.
Hey @mrentrekin did you want to discuss?
Would love to. I’ve been work from home with kids the last week so my time to schedule and return emails has been limited. Are you available for Zooms or would you prefer a DM or email? Thanks man.