Softr vs Custom App Development Dubai 2026: Cost
Softr Basic is US$19/mo billed yearly, Pro US$99, Business US$329; custom apps start at AED 10,000. Client-user limits, PDPL and Arabic RTL in Dubai.
- PUBLISHED
- 16 OCT 2026
- READ TIME
- 08 MIN
- AUTHOR
- AQUARIUS · DUBAI
- UNIT
- REV 2026.09
Short answer: Softr’s pricing page lists Basic at US$19, Pro at US$99 and Business at US$329 a month, billed yearly, plus a free plan and custom Enterprise pricing. That is roughly AED 837 to AED 14,499 a year before extra builders or app users. A custom portal or app from a Dubai studio costs more on day one: Aquarius custom apps start at a fixed AED 10,000. That buys an agreed scope, code you own, a UAE-aware data design, production Arabic right-to-left and local payments.
Softr builds business apps on top of your data, without code. Client portals, vendor portals, company intranets, CRMs and project trackers are the use cases it leads with, and it connects to Airtable, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Notion, Salesforce and SQL databases. Many Dubai service firms try it when they need a client login area fast. The useful question is not whether Softr works. It is when a Softr portal is enough, and when UAE clients, regulators and payment providers need a production build. This guide sets Softr’s published 2026 plans against a fixed-scope custom build.
Key takeaways
- Softr lists Free, Basic, Pro, Business and Enterprise plans. Billed yearly they are US$19, US$99 and US$329 a month. Billed monthly they are US$25, US$119 and US$395.
- Plans are capped by builders, app users, database records and workflow actions, not by the number of apps. Free and paid plans all allow unlimited apps.
- App users are split into Team users (same business email domain as a builder) and Client users. Client-heavy portals hit limits first: 5 on Basic, 50 on Pro, 100 on Business.
- The pricing page lists SOC 2 access, SSO, SCIM and audit logs on Enterprise only. It does not mention code export, a UAE data region or Arabic right-to-left.
- Softr does not do the UAE-specific work for you: PDPL-aware data design, production Arabic RTL, local payment gateways and a security review.
Softr vs custom app: 2026 cost comparison
The Softr figures below come from softr.io/pricing as checked on 16 October 2026. AED amounts use the fixed 3.6725 AED/USD peg and the yearly prices Softr publishes (US$228, US$1,188 and US$3,948). Aquarius prices are from our AED app and website pricing page, with VAT applied as UAE law requires.
| Option | Published price | Approx. AED per year | What the plan lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Softr Free | US$0 | AED 0 | Up to 3 builders, 5 app users, 5K records, 500 workflow actions a month, 5 AI credits |
| Softr Basic | US$19/month yearly (US$25 monthly) | ≈ AED 837 | 1 builder (+US$5/month each), 5 Team + 5 Client users, 50K records, 2.5K workflow actions, custom domain |
| Softr Pro | US$99/month yearly (US$119 monthly) | ≈ AED 4,363 | 2 builders (+US$10/month each), 10 Team + 50 Client users, 500K records, 10K actions, no Softr branding, OTP and Google sign-in, custom code |
| Softr Business | US$329/month yearly (US$395 monthly) | ≈ AED 14,499 | 3 builders (+US$20/month each), 30 Team + 100 Client users, 1M records, 25K actions, 2FA, installable PWA, push notifications |
| Softr Enterprise | Custom | On request | Custom limits, SSO (SAML, OpenID), SCIM, audit logs, custom agreements and SLAs |
| Aquarius Custom App | From AED 10,000, fixed scope | One-off build, then optional support | Custom web or mobile app, AI features, auth, payments, dashboards, API and integrations |
On sticker price Softr wins for small teams. A firm on Basic pays about AED 837 a year. The picture changes for a real client portal: 60 clients already exceeds Pro’s 50 Client users, which pushes you to Business at about AED 14,499 a year, every year. Three years on Business, about AED 43,497, costs more than our AED 24,000 Build tier. We ran the same comparison for a similar spreadsheet builder in Glide vs custom app development in Dubai.
How Softr user limits shape your bill
Softr prices on people, not apps. Every plan allows unlimited apps, databases, workflows, agents and forms. The limits that move you up a tier are these:
- Client users. Softr counts anyone outside your builders’ business email domain as a Client user, and all free email domains such as Gmail count as Client users. A portal for customers, tenants, patients or suppliers burns through this limit first.
- Builders. Basic includes 1 builder, Pro 2 and Business 3. Extra builders cost US$5, US$10 or US$20 a month depending on the plan.
- Records and workflow actions. Softr Databases hold 5K, 50K, 500K or 1M records by plan. Workflow actions run from 500 to 25K a month; triggers and flow controls do not count.
- Features gated by tier. Removing Softr branding, OTP sign-in and custom code start on Pro. Two-factor authentication, push notifications and the installable mobile app start on Business. SSO and audit logs are Enterprise only.
That model suits internal tools where everyone shares a company domain. For a customer-facing portal, the bill grows with your client list. A custom build has no per-user fee, so a portal for 500 clients costs the same to run as one for 50, apart from hosting.
Where a Softr portal stops being enough in the UAE
A no-code portal builder gives you the blocks it ships. It does not know what a UAE regulator, an enterprise client or a payment provider will ask next. Four gaps show up on most Dubai projects we review.
PDPL and data location
The UAE Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021) expects a lawful basis, purpose limits and proper security for personal data. A client portal holds exactly that: names, documents, invoices and messages. Softr’s pricing page does not list a UAE data region on any plan, and it places SOC 2 access on Enterprise. Map where your data lives before launch. Our UAE PDPL compliance checklist for apps lists what to settle.
Code ownership and exit
Softr’s pricing page does not mention exporting your app’s code on any plan. Your data can sit in Airtable, Google Sheets or a SQL database you control, which helps. The portal itself, its screens, permissions and logic, stays on Softr. Leaving means rebuilding the front end.
Arabic and right-to-left
Softr’s pricing page does not mention Arabic or right-to-left layouts. Mirrored navigation, Arabic typography, mixed-direction forms and RTL-aware tables need deliberate design and testing on real phones. A bilingual client portal for Emirati or Saudi customers should be tested in an Arabic locale before you commit.
UAE payments and mobile
Softr’s plans list no payment features, and its installable mobile app is a progressive web app on Business only. A portal that collects AED invoices needs a local gateway, 3-D Secure, VAT-correct invoices carrying your TRN and often WhatsApp or SMS OTP. Those need server-side integration and test cards, and a native app needs App Store and Google Play builds.
When Softr wins, and when custom wins
| Situation | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Internal tool on existing Airtable or Sheets data | Softr | Fastest route from data to app; about AED 837 a year on Basic |
| Staff intranet where everyone shares a company domain | Softr | Team users are counted generously; low setup cost |
| Testing a portal idea with a few clients | Softr | Cheap to change, cheap to drop |
| Client portal for 100+ customers | Custom | No per-user fees; Softr Business caps Client users at 100 |
| Portal that takes AED payments | Custom | Local gateway, VAT invoicing and 3-D Secure need tested server code |
| Health, finance or government-adjacent data | Custom | You need to choose and document where personal data lives |
| Bilingual Arabic/English product | Custom | Production RTL needs design work and device testing |
A path that works for many Dubai firms: run the portal on Softr until the workflow settles, then hand the validated screens, roles and data model to a studio for a fixed-scope build. The Softr portal becomes the specification, which shortens discovery and lowers the quote. If the portal is for staff rather than clients, see our guide to employee intranet and staff portal development in Dubai.
Aquarius custom apps: AI-native delivery, fixed AED price
We use AI in delivery, which is why our prices sit below a traditional Dubai agency. Engineers still own the architecture, review the code, and sign off PDPL data handling, Arabic RTL and payments before launch. You get the repository.
| Aquarius tier | Price | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Business Site | AED 2,500 | Up to 8 pages, CMS, SEO + AEO foundation, AI chat assistant, EN/AR ready |
| Custom App | From AED 10,000 | Custom web or mobile app, AI features, auth, payments, dashboards, API and integrations |
| Build | AED 24,000 | Custom web or mobile app with AI features, auth, payments and dashboards |
Our custom portal and app development services page lists everything we build.
FAQ
How much does Softr cost in the UAE in 2026?
Softr’s pricing page lists Basic at US$19, Pro at US$99 and Business at US$329 a month billed yearly, or US$25, US$119 and US$395 billed monthly. At the 3.6725 peg the yearly plans are roughly AED 837 to AED 14,499 a year. Enterprise is priced on request.
How does Softr count app users?
Softr splits app users into Team users, who share a business email domain with a builder, and Client users, who do not. Free email domains such as Gmail count as Client users. Basic allows 5 Client users, Pro 50 and Business 100.
Can I export my Softr app’s code?
Softr’s pricing page does not list code export on any plan. Your data can live in a source you control, such as Airtable or a SQL database, but moving the portal itself off Softr means rebuilding it.
Does Softr support Arabic right-to-left?
Softr’s pricing page does not mention Arabic or RTL. Test your exact screens in an Arabic locale on real devices before committing a bilingual portal to it.
Is a custom client portal cheaper than Softr in Dubai?
Not in year one for a small team. Softr Basic costs about AED 837 a year, while Aquarius custom apps start at AED 10,000. Once a portal needs more than 50 Client users, Softr Business costs about AED 14,499 a year, and a custom build with no per-user fees can cost less over three years.
Get a fixed quote for a portal you own
Tell us what your Softr portal does, or what you want to build, how many clients will log in and which languages you need. We will send a fixed AED quote and a straight answer on whether to stay on Softr or move to custom. Request your portal quote or compare tiers on Aquarius pricing. Custom apps start at AED 10,000.