An analytical model for heterogeneous bubble growth during nucleate boiling with variable wettability on an ideal smooth surface has been developed. We analyzed the growth of bubbles in terms of the motion of the triple line, and three stages of bubble growth were identified based on the triple line motion. The transition points between these stages were modelled using a free-energy analysis and force-balance of the bubble growth system. We considered two bubble-growth pathways: one with a constant angle between the liquid–vapor interface and the surface, and one with a constant base (i.e., constant triple line), and the two paths are linked during a bubble growth. It is hypothesized that the transition from a regime to another is linked to the less expansive energy path. To confirm this, a bubble growth was experimentally observed on various different wettability surfaces, and the results of these experiments were compared with the analytical model. In general, a larger contact angle (i.e., a more hydrophobic surface) resulted in bubble growth with a larger triple line, and hence a larger base diameter and a larger departing bubble diameter.