An Insider's Take: Momen vs Bubble - An Honest Look at Features and Performance

Momen is a full-stack web app builder designed for non-technical founders who want to build robust, scalable applications without coding.

We often get compared to Bubble, and for good reason - we're both no-code platforms enabling founders to build web apps. But while we share the same mission, our approaches and strengths are quite different.

TL;DR

• Momen: Performance-focused, developer-friendly, native PostgreSQL

• Bubble: Mature ecosystem, extensive features, larger community

• Key Differentiator: Architecture philosophy and performance trade-offs

The Raw Performance Numbers

Database Performance:

Momen: 5000 rows/sec

Bubble: 100 rows/sec

Page Load Times:

Momen: ~0.8s

Bubble: ~3-4s

Core Philosophical Differences

Bubble's Approach

• Reimagined development concepts

• Custom terminology (e.g., "things" for database rows)

• Prioritizes accessibility over standards

Momen's Approach

• Embraces industry standards

• Native PostgreSQL integration

• Developer-friendly architecture

Feature-by-Feature Breakdown

Database & Backend

            Momen               Bubble

Database    Native PostgreSQL    PostgreSQL (NoSQL-like)

API         GraphQL             Custom API

Performance 5000 rows/sec       100 rows/sec

Development Experience

                Momen               Bubble

Version Control Basic              Advanced (with branching)

Preview        Real-time          Refresh needed

Components     React support      HTML/JS plugins

Reusability    In development     Strong

Best Use Cases

Choose Momen For:

1. Data-intensive applications

2. API-first projects

3. Projects needing developer control

4. Performance-critical applications

Choose Bubble For:

1. Team-based development

2. Mobile-first projects

3. Projects needing extensive plugins

4. Complex workflow requirements

Technical Deep Dive

Architecture Differences

• Momen: Client-rendered SPA by default (can be SSR)

• Bubble: Server-rendered pages

• Momen: True PostgreSQL capabilities

• Bubble: JSONB storage approach

API Capabilities

• Momen: GraphQL with single round-trip data fetching

• Bubble: REST-like APIs with multiple endpoints

Scaling & Costs

Infrastructure Options

Momen:

• Single-tenant: $120/month/instance

• BYOC options available

Bubble:

• Dedicated instances: $3,500/month

• Usage-based pricing

Future Roadmap

Momen (2024-2025):

• Frontend reusability features (EOY 2024)

• Mobile platform development (2025)

• Enhanced collaboration tools

Current Limitations:

1. Less mature ecosystem

2. Fewer plugins

3. Basic version control

Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences about no code tools!