Courses for
building an
app with AI,
compared
You can now learn to build an app with AI in half an hour, or over three months in a live cohort. This guide compares the main options as of October 2026, what each one is good for, and who should pick which. We run one of these programs, Element Education, so we have tried to be fair about where another option suits you better.
- Written by
- Nick McInnis
- Checked
- Oct 24, 2026
- Reading time
- 5 min
- Options
- 8
Which one fits you
- 01
You are curious but not sure yet
Start with a short self-paced course such as Build with Andrew on DeepLearning.AI, which takes under 30 minutes. You will find out whether you enjoy building before you commit to anything bigger.
- 02
You have already chosen a tool
Use that tool's own learning. Bubble Academy, for example, is free and teaches Bubble from its first quickstart.
- 03
You want a fast sprint
A three to four week live cohort on Maven, such as The AI Builder Bootcamp, gets you building quickly alongside other people.
- 04
You want lots of material and can keep yourself going
A membership such as No Code MBA covers many tools and projects for a monthly fee, at your own pace.
- 05
You have one specific app idea and want it finished
If you want that app designed, built and submitted to the App Store over twelve weeks, with a live workshop and feedback every week, that is what Element Education is built for.
How the main options compare
Details as listed on each provider's own website on October 24, 2026. Prices and dates change, so check before you buy.
| Option | Format | Length | Price, as listed | Design taught | You finish with |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Element Education | Live remote cohort: weekly workshop, peer review, office hours | 12 weeks, about 10 hours a week | By application. Pay in full, in payments, or apply for a scholarship | Yes, in Figma, through to a design system | An app submitted to the App Store, plus a landing page and launch plan |
| The AI Builder Bootcamp, on Maven | Live cohort, sessions recorded | 3 weeks | US$1,175 | Not listed | A certificate and your own projects |
| Idea to iOS & Android App, on Maven | Mostly building on your own, with live sessions and 2 hours of 1:1 engineering help | About 1 month | Not shown while the current cohort is sold out | Not taught. Aimed at people who already have their screens and flows | Native iOS and Android apps ready to submit to the stores |
| No Code MBA | Membership of project-based video courses | Open-ended | From $29.99 a month | Screen design is part of the projects | Follow-along projects taken to a live web app |
| Bubble Academy | Free self-paced courses from Bubble | Short courses, starting with a quickstart | Free | Not listed | Working knowledge of Bubble |
| Build Anything with AI: No Code Required, Vanderbilt on Coursera | Self-paced series of 4 courses | About 4 weeks | Coursera Plus: CA$81 a month or CA$552 a year | Not listed | A certificate |
| Build with Andrew, on DeepLearning.AI | Self-paced video course | Under 30 minutes | Certificate needs a Pro plan | Not listed | Your first small app |
| YouTube tutorials | Free videos, self-paced | Varies | Free | Varies by channel | Whatever the tutorial builds, usually in one tool |
Five questions to ask any course
Design, or only building
AI will build whatever you describe. Deciding what the app should do and how it should look is where most people get stuck, and several of the courses above do not list design at all.
A live app, or a certificate
Ask what you will have at the end. A certificate says you finished. A working app that people can download or visit shows it.
Feedback from a person
A video cannot tell you that your sign-up screen is confusing. Check whether anyone reviews your work, how often, and whether that is a person or a forum.
One tool, or several
A course built around one tool teaches that tool well, but ties you to it. That is fine if you have already chosen it.
Time per week, and for how long
Three weeks at full speed and twelve weeks at ten hours a week suit different lives. Pick the one you can actually keep up.
When Element is the better choice,
and when it is not
Choose Element if
- You have one specific app idea and want that app, not a general skill set
- You want to learn design as well as building, in Figma, through to a design system
- You want to finish with an app submitted to the App Store, a landing page and a launch plan
- You want a live workshop every Tuesday and a partner reviewing your work every Friday
- You can give it about ten hours a week for twelve weeks
Choose something else if
- You want to be finished within a month. A short Maven cohort is built for that
- You want to spend little or nothing for now. Start with a free self-paced course
- You want to master one no-code tool. Go to that tool's own academy
- You want to become a software engineer. A coding bootcamp or a degree teaches programming in the depth that job needs, and we do not
Questions, answered straight
What is the best course for building an app with AI
It depends on what you want at the end. For a quick taste, a short self-paced course. For one tool, that tool's own academy. For a fast sprint with other people, a short live cohort. For one specific app designed, built and submitted to the App Store with feedback every week, a longer live program such as Element Education.
Can I learn to build an app with AI without paying
Yes. Free tool academies such as Bubble Academy and free tutorials on YouTube will teach you the basics. What they rarely include is feedback on your work, design teaching, or help getting your app launched.
How much does Element Education cost
Payment is flexible: pay in full, make payments, or apply for a scholarship, which takes $1,000 CAD off tuition. A free planning session covers the full terms for your situation.
Do I need to know how to code
Not for Element, and not for most of the courses compared here. Element uses AI as your building partner and is built for people with no engineering background.