Remember when you needed to know how to code to make an app? We depart from this world:Code-free tools are here to stay, and they're powerful enough that you can create almost anything you can imagine without having to type.Function().
I've been working with no-code apps for a while now, and as a die-hard tinkerer, I have a soft spot for it. For this article, I researched and considered around 60 different platforms, explored each one, and did extensive testing.
After spending a lot of time fiddling with settings and building no-code apps, here are my picks for the top five no-code app builders - whether you're developing your personal project or a new SaaS product you want to create.
The best no-code app creation software
Softerfor absolute beginners
blaséfor a balance between performance and ease of use
Google AppSheetfor the use of AI and automation
Slideto create simple mobile apps
Backendlosfor advanced control over your data and infrastructure
Building an app without code: the requirements
How we evaluate and test apps
All of our best app roundups are written by people who have spent a large portion of their careers using, testing, and writing about software. We spent dozens of hours researching and testing apps, using each app the way it was meant to be used, and judging them against the criteria we defined for the category. We are never paid for placing our articles in an app or linking to a website - we appreciate the trust readers place in us to provide authentic reviews of the categories and apps we review. For more details on our process, see the full summary ofhow we select apps to feature on the Zapier blog.
Most tools that allow you to create apps without code break the process into three parts:
structure database, which contains all the information your users enter and request when using the app.
User Interface Structure, where you create the screens, buttons, and input fields that your users interact with.
App logic structure, which simply determines what happens when an event is raised; For example: "When the user clicks the "Open" button... the popup opens."
The best platforms create a visual programming experience that lets you build an application exactly how you want it, without having to code or understand how computers work. Not only do these app builders make coding more accessible for non-professionals, they also help professional developers save time building core functionality, giving them more time to tackle bigger programming issues.
Here is what I was looking for when testing all codeless app builders.
It's reallyno code.No HTML, no CSS, no JavaScript. All of the tools on this list don't require you to type a single line of code from start to finish if you don't want to.
Ease of use.Visual programming concepts should be easy to understand. The UI of all these apps is user-friendly and intuitive, and the platforms work without major performance issues or weird bugs. Remember, while the simpler app builders on this list may perform well, they can't match the performance of those with a more challenging learning curve. If you're developing a unique product, you should invest the extra time and effort to have as much freedom as possible.
help and documentation.A good knowledge base is just the beginning. I've also prioritized platforms that have good introductory articles, interactive guides, videos, and other resources to speed up your learning curve and help you solve building problems.
Flexibility.Personal project? enterprise application? No matter what you want to build, these platforms are flexible enough for you to build the functionality you want.
community.The documentation only takes you so far, and it's helpful to have an active forum with more experienced developers. These apps have active forums and independent online content creators, so you can sit in front of YouTube and learn over your coffee.
After signing up for each platform, I opened the suggested getting started article and started building a very simple CRM application. I created functionality to add contacts and deals and a simple dashboard to keep it all together. I messed around a lot and when I got stuck I googled the problem and clicked to find the solution in forum threads, knowledge base or youtube. Finally, I visited each platform's storefront and searched online for apps made with it to gauge how flexible they were and how successful users were with them.
One last thing before I get to apps: as a founder ofCoaching-Apps ohne Codesaid: "No code means no work." Be prepared to develop new skills and get into the programmer mindset when using these no-code app builders.
Just want to create an in-house tool based on your spreadsheets?A no-code app builder can be too advanced if you're just looking for a productivity boost. Check out Zapier's list ofbest database based app builder, where you can connect your existing spreadsheets and create the productivity system that's right for you and your team.
Best no-code app builder for absolute beginners
Don't be fooled by how easy it is.Softervisual. It might not have the complex feel we associate with powerful apps, but the range of things you can create - and the customization options at your disposal - is surprisingly good.
The UI makes a lot of sense. You don't need to go through the documentation to assemble the first prototype of your app:
On the left side of the screen you'll find the app's large settings, a section for adding pages, user management controls, and visual themes.
(Video) 7 Best No Code App Builders in 2023 [Updated]In the center is the screen where you stack blocks to create your page. These can be static blocks (with information that stays the same, useful for creating landing pages and functional sections) or dynamic blocks (where you can display data from the database or embed a simple checkout form).
After clicking on any block, the block settings will open on the right side of the screen. Here you can edit the content, layout and interactivity of each block.
Finally, at the top, you can change the screen width to target desktop, tablet, or smartphone, and access controls for previewing or publishing your app.
Softr is still working on its own data infrastructure. You need to connect your Airtable account (free plan available) or your Google Sheets (free) for it to work as a database. It's easy to integrate the two, but for some reason most models I've tried forced me to use Airtable. However, you can change the datasource later in settings, so this isn't a big deal.
I started with the existing CRM template and was impressed with how complete it was - it didn't take me long to implement the features I wanted and create an application without code. There are tons of other templates, from project management apps to job listing sites, and each one offers the basic pages, design, and functionality to get you up to speed. Even so, I advise you to click on thosevideo tutorialssection and jump into one of the recorded workshops to learn the basics from scratch. An hour or two should be enough to give you a complete understanding of how everything works from top to bottom.
Softr's greatest strength is that it offers most of the features of an advanced application builder without the difficulty. If this is the first app you create, Softr will introduce you to all the concepts and still give you a great result in the end.
soft price:Free plan available; Paid plans start at $29/month.
Best no-code app builder for performance and ease of use
blaséhas its own visual programming language that allows beginners to create an application without code, offering the freedom and flexibility of a platform on theLow-CodeSpectrum. You control your app's appearance, its data structure, and overall performance. For this reason, Bubble is ideal for assembling prototypes and full-scale products. It's so robust that some code-free agencies only use it to build apps for their clients.
A typical day in front of the editor consists of building the UI with Canva-like controls, working with data on a canvas that looks like Excel, and setting up step-by-step logic using workflows. The learning curve is steeper than usual, but in a fun way: the basics are easy to pick up and give you enough confidence to start building. A few hours later, you'll hit a big hurdle that sends you to forums or YouTube. After experimenting and researching, you may be able to solve the problem and feel a burst of skills that will renew your confidence and speed up the building process.
How I know? Full disclosure: I've been using Bubble for two years now, I've written about them in the past, and they're part of my client list. I've made six apps with Bubble and every time I start a new one I get a little better. I wrote an article for the Zapier bloghow to make a simple to-do list appUse Bubble, so you can definitely start there if you like.
One of the biggest advantages of Bubble is that the community is active, there's lots of help to get you started, and plenty of content creators offering detailed step-by-step videos, introductory courses, and written guides. And if you want to learn faster, you can also book training or enroll in one of the development boot camps.
If you're looking for a flexible app builder that lets you configure all the advanced logic you need to bring your digital product to life, Bubble can help. It won't be an entirely smooth journey if you're a complete beginner, but you'll come out the other side with a strong app and the skills to keep improving.
Bubble price:Free plan available; Paid plans start at $29/month.
Best no-code app builder to leverage AI and automation
AppSheetit's different from the other app builders on this list. Instead of being presented with an open canvas to design your app and a spreadsheet to create your data structure, you only need one of your existing spreadsheets to get started. After uploading your data, AppSheet's artificial intelligence engine automatically builds an application based on the columns and rows in the uploaded file, adding screens to display that data and input forms to add new inputs.
This focuses the build process more on the app's functionality, not so much the UI: the AppSheet enforces the user experience that Google has for all of its apps. Still, that basic look and feel is great and fully responsive, meaning it works great on all devices and screen sizes.
There's more AI functionality here than just translating your spreadsheet into an app. You can set up a method to train a machine learning model with your own data to make predictions based on past events. For example, if you have a lot of data about project costs, you can input that data into the model and it will start predicting the price of future projects. You can use this data in the app to perform calculations, visualize it in a dashboard or add it to the main budget.
Once you've figured out your application, you can add automation to the mix, too. There are several triggers to choose from and you can choose what happens next step by step. This is great for processing data as users interact with your app, and for completing repetitive tasks to increase productivity. And if you want to extend automation to your other apps besides AppSheet, you can do thisConnection with Zapier.
It can be difficult to create a digital product or SaaS application with AppSheet, but it is an obvious choice for enterprise use cases. In addition to the features we've talked about, there are a number of security and governance features that allow your IT department to set the rules for building applications. Then let the non-technical team members build the solutions they need while the developers focus on the most important coding issues. All without security holes or hidden risks.
AppSheet accelerates development by taking a spreadsheet and turning it into an app. If you want to get a head start and focus on building advanced features, give it a try. You won't be disappointed.
Google AppSheet Pricing:Free to learn; Pricing for launching apps starts at $5/user/month.
Best no code mobile app maker
AlthoughSlideworks well on the desktop, the way it structures the layout and functionality of its apps makes it much more suitable if mobile is your target. And the best part is, you don't have to refine the look - it's ready to use right out of the box.
Glide calls each page a tab. These tabs can have one of eight available layouts, for example B. Slide, checklist or cards which determine their overall look and functionality. The detailed layout allows you to fully customize the structure of the tab and add components such as a date picker, buttons and other input fields.
One thing I found particularly useful is the fact that you can install the apps you create onto your computer or phone with just a few clicks. This will place an icon that, when clicked, will launch a progressive web app - an app that works over the internet, not natively on your device. This is great for easily testing, sharing and distributing your application. If you want to add it to the App Store or Google Play, a service is available to help you get everything ready for the approval process.
Because Glide does so much for you in terms of design, it can limit your UI freedom. The same goes for the logic you can build on top of your application: the range of actions and triggers available is wide, but it can be difficult to configure advanced functionality. But you can use Zapier to take care of that:Glide integrates with Zapier, so you can trigger workflows directly from the app you're building. here are some examples:
Log Bountyblok Tasks of New Zapier Actions for Glide
Log Bountyblok Tasks of New Zapier Actions for Glide
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Glitter, reward block
Planar + Reward Block
Email via Gmail for new Zapier promotions on Glide
Email via Gmail for new Zapier promotions on Glide
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Deslize, Gmail
Deslize + Gmail
Create Google Sheets Rows for New Zapier Actions in Glide
Create Google Sheets Rows for New Zapier Actions in Glide
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Swipe, Google Sheets
Swipe + Google Sheets
If you're new to code-free app building, Glide University is one of the best learning resources I've found in this category, with a diverse collection of high-quality videos focused on starter content. They show you how to use the app effectively, and also teach you some app building basics that will help you find best practices faster.
From what I've seen in Communities, Glide seems best suited for creating marketplaces and directories. I particularly liked Telesomm, where sommeliers list themselves and their services so enthusiasts can buy sessions from them. It is optimized for mobile devices andyou watch here(all built in Glide).
sliding price:Free plan available to individuals; Paid plans start at $25/month.
Best code-free app builder for advanced control over your data and infrastructure
Backendlosis for brave and tech-savvy people. Ease of use is poor (compared to the other apps that made this list).fastfailed "Is it really codeless?" test. So why is it on this list? Because of its flexibility, documentation and community.
Let's add some context. The applications we use today can be divided into two main parts: a front-end (the user interface, buttons and input fields that we interact with) and the back-end (the set of connected servers and services used to store data and process the application - Logic). ). Backendless started as a backend platform as a service, helping developers bring together all the databases and services to get a website, application or cloud service up and running.
Recently, Backendless added a UI builder that you can use to create a UI that can be connected to your databases. You can do it with or without code: The platform takes a no-code approach, which means you don't have to write any code, but the logic and terminology are close to real coding. This makes the process of building the logic a little more accessible, and it also serves as a stepping stone to pick up some programming skills later on, if you so desire.
If you want to keep things on the no-code side, you canConnect Backendless and Zapierto move data in and out of your application's databases. Here are some examples:
Send emails from Gmail when new items are created in Backendless
Send emails from Gmail when new items are created in Backendless
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Backendlos, Gmail
Backendlos + Gmail
Create or update Mailchimp subscribers from new user registrations in Backendless
Create or update Mailchimp subscribers from new user registrations in Backendless
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Backendlos, Mailchimp
Backendlos + Mailchimp
Create database rows without backend for Google Sheets new rows
Create database rows without backend for Google Sheets new rows
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Google Sheets, Ohne Backend
Google+ Sheets No Backend
The learning curve is daunting, but the endless quests make it interesting. You complete a series of tasks that explain how the platform works, how to set up the backend, and how to wire things up on the frontend. And that's the biggest benefit of starting with Backendless as a beginner: you'll get closer to the actual structure and terminology of building apps, which will come in handy when you need to scale, implement a new UI, or add additional services to your app. .
Backendless took me longer to go from zero to completion on my simple CRM due to the learning curve, but I came away with a better understanding of how the apps work in general. If you want to develop new skills and build apps without code, doing both is your best bet.
Price without backend:Free plan available; Pricing information available upon request.
Create an app without coding
Honestly, creating an app without code should be fun. And now you should have a rough idea of which platform is best for your specific project. All the apps on this list have a free plan or a free to learn/pay to launch model, so you can create your account and start experimenting.
A quick tip before you do this: createtwoprojects at the beginning. One for the app you want to build and one for testing and learning. Whenever you hit a roadblock in your main application, go to the test project to brainstorm ideas and implement potential solutions. This will increase your app builder skills while keeping your main project clean while you learn.
Happy building!
Related reading:
Workflow Automation: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How You Can Use It
How I Launched an App with No-Code Tools
How to Create a No-Code App Using Popular Tools and Zapier
(Video) Start a No Code SaaS Business Using These ToolsStop paying for software you can build yourself