Migrating From Bubble: The Complete Playbook

Phase 1: Audit and Document Everything

Before writing any code, we need a complete picture of what your Bubble app does. This sounds obvious, but Bubble apps accumulate features, workarounds, and hidden logic that founders sometimes forget about.

Phase 2: Prioritize Ruthlessly

Not everything in your Bubble app should be rebuilt. Some features were experiments that didn't work. Some are workarounds for Bubble limitations that won't exist in custom code. The rebuild is an opportunity to cut dead weight.

We categorize every feature as Must Have (core product), Should Have (important but not launch-blocking), or Won't Rebuild (deprecated, unused, or no longer relevant). The first version of the custom app includes only Must Have features.

Phase 3: Choose the Right Tech Stack

The tech stack should match your product's needs, your team's future hiring plans, and your infrastructure requirements.

Phase 4: Build in Parallel

Your Bubble app keeps running and serving users throughout the entire rebuild. Users don't know anything is changing. We build the custom version in a separate environment, with weekly demos so you can track progress and provide feedback.

This parallel development approach means zero risk to your existing users and business. If the timeline slips, your Bubble app keeps working. There's no pressure to rush.

Phase 5: Data Migration

Bubble allows CSV export of all data types. We build migration scripts that transform Bubble's data format into your new database schema. This includes handling Bubble-specific quirks like their unique ID format, file references, and geographic data.

For apps with active users, we run the migration in stages: historical data first (during the build), then a final delta migration at switchover time to capture any data created between the initial export and the go-live.

Phase 6: Testing and Switchover

Before going live, we run the custom app through comprehensive testing: automated tests for business logic, manual QA for user flows, and performance testing under load. We also do a "shadow period" where both systems run simultaneously to verify results match.

Switchover is typically a DNS change — your domain points to the new application. We keep the Bubble app available at a subdomain as a fallback for 2-4 weeks, then decommission it.

Common Questions About the Process

What about my Bubble plugins? Every plugin gets replaced with native code. Payment processing becomes Stripe SDK directly. Maps become Google Maps or Mapbox. Charts become D3.js or Chart.js. The native versions are always more performant and reliable than Bubble plugins.

What about my Bubble workflows? Workflows translate to backend API endpoints and frontend event handlers. Complex scheduled workflows become background jobs. The logic is the same — only the implementation changes.