Before we begin, let's put no-code tools into context and understand what no-code is and get an overall picture of today's no-code landscape.
To put it simply, "no-code" or "no-code development" is the process of creating all sorts of digital products (e.g. web apps, mobile apps, automation, etc.) without writing any development code.
Nowadays, you can often hear about the "no-code movement" supported by people who evangelize the usage of no-code platforms and tools.
A big community has been formed around no-code, consisting of no-code platform founders, creators (the ones who use those tools), no-code advisors, no-code agencies, and others. We have already discussed different aspects of the no-code movement in other articles of our No-Code Learning Hub, and here we'd like to focus on the actual technology that enables people to create software without coding.
The number of no-code solutions we have today has been growing considerably over the past 3 years, and new tools are introduced almost every day.
However, there are only a few dozen of platforms that stand out among the competition in their categories.
The idea behind this post was to create a curated list of web app builders to assist you in the process of selecting a tool to adopt for your particular external, internal, or personal project.
The no-code landscape is really dynamic, therefore we regularly revisit the list to keep it up-to-date according to the latest trends and discoveries.
To get you started, we've pulled the G2, GetApp, Capterra and Product Hunt ratings for every tool here presented and highlighted the best ranked ones.
1. Softr.io
Softr is a no-code web app builder that helps everyone without a technical background, time, or willingness to learn code, build their own solutions, and overcome the lack of access to and availability of development resources in their companies.
With Softr, you start from your own data (in Airtable or Google Sheets) and with a simple drag & drop builder start creating portals, communities, marketplaces, and tools such as content calendars, inventory management systems, ticketing systems, applications trackers, project trackers, amongst others.
All without writing a single line of code.
The starting point for Softr is either an Airtable base or a Google Sheets spreadsheet. It offers over 40 ready templates and more than 100 pre-built blocks that you can drag and drop.
It also lets you convert whatever you create into a Progressive Web App with mobile app capabilities with just one click - immediately made available on both Apple and Android devices (no extra resources needed).
A nice pro is that you can add your custom domain for free and their branding comes out right on the first pricing tier.
Pricing
- Free
- Starter - $24/mo
- Professional - $65/mo
- Business - $165/mo
2. Bubble
Bubble is a no-code app builder which creates products that effectively work on web and mobile browsers.
You can build any feature you want: communication chats, real-time interactivity, news feeds, etc. You can also add dynamic content, which will make the UI of your application more friendly and interactive. As a bonus, Bubble will take care of the deployment and security.
However, Bubble is quite technical and has a really steep learning curve. It's going to take a while before you can actually ship a working web app.
Pricing
- Free
- Personal - $25/mo
- Professional - $115/mo
- Production - $475/mo
3. Retool
Retool is a platform designed to help companies build internal tools with minimal code. Contrary to other no-code options, Retool is specifically targeted at developers and technical teams.
Retool has customized templates for users who have different preferences in UI design and style and those who want to build a specific product.
The platform involves a fair bit of deep tech know-how, including database understanding, SQL, JSON, REST API Coding etc. However, it still helps make the entire process faster for technical teams than developing everything from scratch.
You might want to develop CRM platforms, dashboards, charts, admin panels, etc. Retool will provide you with the ready-made template for all of those and many other categories, enriched with necessary functionalities.
Pricing
- Free
- Startup - $10/mo
- Pro - $50/mo
- Enterprise - Custom
4. Stacker
Stacker is a no-code app builder which aligns with your business data stored in Airtable or Google Sheets and automatically creates a web application based on it. However, the full access of Stacker to your data does not compromise its security. With the tool, you have fully flexible permissions and control over your data, and you can easily edit or control who can access it.
Pricing
- Starter - $59/mo
- Plus - $149/mo
- Pro - $290/mo
- Enterprise - Custom
5. NoLoco
Similar to Softr, NoLoco is a no-code platform for teams to instantly create apps from their data in spreadsheets and tools like Airtable, Google Sheets, Xano, Postgres, and MySql.
It offers a drag & drop editor, workflows, and what you'd expect in a no-code environment although once you start it's not clear what to do next.
Development only started in 2022 which makes it one of the latest players in the market. As expected, at such an early stage, NoLoco is still quite buggy as one can read from the reviews on several independent comparison sites.
Pricing
- Free
- Pro - $9/mo
- Business - $49/mo
- Custom
6. Adalo
Adalo is a quick and convenient mobile app creator, which allows you to automatically add interactions and build an app with your desired design and functionality. Also, the app is friendly in integrating with your API if you have it ready in advance. Most importantly, with Adalo, it's very quick to develop the app versions for iOS and Android so that your users do not have to wait for their versions.
Pricing
- Free
- Pro Plan - $50/mo
- Business Plan - $200/mo
7. Glide
Glide allows you to build any mobile or web app within minutes. If you have the organized data in advance, the better. The tool lets you create a mobile app based on the spreadsheet data you already have.
This also means that your spreadsheet data and app will stay in sync while it operates. Plus, the apps and their data are fully secure and rights are kept exclusive to the authors.
Pricing
- Free
- Pro App - $32/mo
- Private Pro App - $40/mo
- Enterprise - Custom
8. Thunkable
Thunkable ensures that its users unlock the mobile app and tablet device benefits by utilizing all its features. Thunkable offers you many opportunities for no-code development, including creating applications for Android, iOS, and even web apps. There are large opportunities to add customization and advanced functionality. You can benefit from 50+ design components and directly publish your app to App Store, Google Store, or Web.
Pricing
- Free
- Starter - $13/mo
- Pro - $38/mo
- Business - $167
- Enterprise - Custom
9. Draftbit
Draftbit supports its users in all the steps needed to develop and launch a mobile app. You can customize your app according to your brand guidelines, using numerous themes, custom code, and properties. Also, you can empower it with the functionality you want, adding interactions, live data, and navigation. Before you go live, you can test your created app with Apple’s Testflight or Google Play’s Beta program.
Pricing
- No-code - $39/mo
- Low-code - $69/mo
- Pro-code - $149/mo
10. AppSheet
AppSheet is Google’s platform for building and deploying end-to-end apps and automation without writing code. More than 3,7 million mobile apps were already created with AppSheet, which is successfully used for different industries.
It’s an intelligent no-code platform where you will not have to compromise the features or versatility of your app. The templates and instructions for the apps are categorized, and you can find the pre-made template for any direction of the business you want to create an app for.
Pricing
- Starter - $5/mo
- Core - $10/mo
- Enterprise - CUstom
11. AppGyver
Appgyver is one of the most popular low-code platforms. It also has the backing of some major players in business tech.
The design tool inside Appgyver is great. It allows nearly pixel-perfect designs. Basically, anything your design team wants to implement for your app development can be rendered in Appgyver. So you can have a finished product that is visually stunning and professional looking.
It is pretty easy to get up to speed on the tool. They have short walk-through videos on the basic implementation which make it easy to learn. If you are new to the tool, the amount of time it takes to learn it will not be excessive.
A couple of drawbacks thought: Although the forums are a great place to find answers, official documentation is lacking. The community does a good job of filling in the gaps, but we always want to see documentation up to a basic level. Appgyver doesn’t hit that mark.
While you are able to install additional components, there is again a lack of documentation. There is no explanation of how to use them. Again you have to turn to the community for help or brute force to figure it out.
Overall this platform is useful if what you’re building fits within the functionality the platform has built in. If you have a straightforward app with some simple functionality it is likely to be covered by the basics of Appgyver. However, if you have a unique idea, take a close look at what Appgyver offers before getting started. You will likely find that you won’t be able to accomplish some key components of your app and there will be no workaround.
Pricing
- Free for life
12. Flutterflow
Flutter is Google's open-source technology for creating mobile, desktop, and web apps with a single codebase.
FlutterFlow is an online app builder that lets users easily build native cross-platform applications. Founded by two ex-Googlers, FlutterFlow brings a visual builder on top of Flutter technology.
Although it is said to be one of the best in terms of the quality of the apps you can deliver, features available, and the possibility to turn a created app into code, several reviews refer to its' longer learning curve when compared with other solutions.
Pricing
- Free
- Standard $30/month
- Professional $70/month
- Teams $70/month/user
Choosing the right app builder is a trial-and-error game. As you can see there are already a good bunch of alternatives all there, and we just picked the best ones for the list above.
Our advice is to think about what requirements you have beforehand. Are you looking for a mobile exclusive app, or a progressive web app is enough? If you just want to ensure users can access it through their smartphone maybe you don't need to go into the mobile app native business and just have the best of both worlds.
Also, the learning curve is something to think about. Bubble for instance is an incredible web app builder with tons of features and workflow possibilities, but it can take months before you get to a state where you're happy enough with the design and functionality to set it live - quite the opposite of Softr for instance, where you can literally publish a web app in your own domain in 12 minutes.
More recent solutions are typically buggier and have less support and community, while tenured businesses have wider documentation and a vast selection of how-to videos to get you started.
Whatever solution you pick, no-code is the way of the future. Happy no-coding!
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