If you’re anything like the average person, you probably don’t know how to code. But don’t feel bad! With today’s technology, plenty of no-code app builders can help you build amazing app products without needing any coding skills whatsoever.
Forrester reported in 2019 that 84% of firms had used low-code/no-code platforms because it’s proven to reduce strain on IT resources, boost speed-to-market, and engage the company in digital asset creation.
What exactly are these low-code or no-code app builders, anyway?
What is a Low-Code or No-Code Development?
Both low-code and no-code development doesn’t require extensive coding skills. Each of them has particular capabilities:
Low-code development platforms
These types of platforms focus on automating the process of software development. As a result, it requires less code than traditional programming and is more accessible to those who may not have coding experience.
Some low-code platforms can create sophisticated applications with graphical user interfaces and minimal drag-and-drop capabilities.
No-code development platforms
As the name suggests, no-code development platforms don’t require any coding knowledge whatsoever. These platforms allow you to create enterprise-grade applications without writing a single line of code.
Some no-code solutions focus on automating the process of software development, while others let you create your dream web app without any programming.
No-code and low-code platforms are closely related as they both aim to make the app-building process more accessible and faster. So, don’t be surprised when people are using it more and more.
For aspiring startup owners, these no-code platforms are extremely popular. Imagine no longer spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to create mobile apps or any software you need for your business. All you need is a no-code tool!
8 Benefits of Using a No-Code App Builder
You may have a great idea for a startup, but other companies have the same vision. How would you make sure that your product stands out in a sea of competition?
Today’s market is competitive. You’ll be left behind if you’re not fast. That’s where the no-code platform comes in to give you a competitive edge.
Here’s how it can help write code for a swift mobile app development:
1. Building apps is 10x faster
Custom applications are difficult to create since you start from the bottom. If you don’t have a lot of expert-level skilled resources, creating code, building CI/CD pipelines, and setting up infrastructure may cause delays.
Creating a team of people with the required skills is another problem to tackle. The recruitment process may take time for your web or mobile app development because you want to get the best.
These are the problems that a no-code platform can resolve!
Whether you have experienced or novice developers, the simplicity of these platforms can rapidly deliver simple to complex apps half the time and even faster in many situations.
2. Reduce development costs
Conventional and DevOps approaches to creating mobile and web apps are undoubtedly expensive. You have to consider hiring specialists to up the stack, such as front-end and back-end developers.
You don’t need to worry about these when using a no-code platform. They eliminate the intricacies of front-end and back-end programming, but you can still employ developers to create the whole stack.
Using a platform means you don’t need to use many different infrastructure tools. This simplifies things so that you can assign your developers to different tasks across the stack. This reduces costs for things like office rent, benefits, and other employee-related expenses since you can have a smaller team.
3. Pivot without problems
The demands in businesses are constantly evolving. Fortunately, shifting gears is easier with a no-code platform. You may modify the app’s target audience or market at any time after its launch.
With these no-code tools, changing the target audience quickly is easy and won’t cause any problems. This is unlike conventional mobile apps that require costly and time-consuming coding changes from software developers.
Furthermore, you can harness your momentum and start to build apps right now and make necessary changes or redirections later.
4. Empowers businesses
No matter the business size, you no longer have to wait for developers to begin your app idea!
Even if your company has a full team of professional developers, a no-code app builder can still be helpful. Your team can communicate what they need and how to increase productivity by getting rid of unnecessary inefficiencies.
Lastly, since the tools are easy to use, you can quickly train your staff on how to utilize them. They’ll be able to take full advantage of the app’s capabilities, empowering your business as a whole!
5. Prioritizes user experience
A fundamental problem with the DevOps approach is that some teams focus so much on functionality that they forget what their users need. This causes their mobile app to have a poor user experience and not meet expectations.
With a no-code app builder, you don’t have to worry about the functionality of your code. Instead, you can prioritize the design, flow, and other user experience elements that make your app stand out amongst the competition. After all, no one wants to use an app that’s difficult to use!
6. Break structural barriers
If you think about the business framework, the higher-ups provide suggestions, but IT teams usually make them a reality. The result? Under-resourced IT departments and delays.
Many companies have this problem, and breaking this barrier will only take one no-code app builder. It allows everyone to contribute to the development process.
Not only will this save time and money, but it will also lead to better applications! Imagine being able to quickly develop your native mobile app and get it in the hands of your users without any delays.
7. Reduce legacy maintenance
Coding projects can be complex and costly, not just in terms of the developers you need to hire but also in terms of future maintenance. Maintaining legacy systems can drain an IT department’s resources since businesses have to spend significant amounts of money on expensive developers to keep things running as they are.
Whether you run a web or mobile app, using a no-code app platform will reduce these maintenance expenses. You can develop custom apps without writing any code, which means your developers can keep what works and fix what doesn’t.
8. Improve productivity
Web app services emerged because of the demand to complete IT projects without sacrificing internal resources that could compromise regular business operations.
In other words, we want to get things done without disrupting our productivity. This is where no-code application platforms come in since they let you quickly build both mobile and web apps you need without any coding.
The best part? You don’t have to be a tech expert to use these app-building tools!
Our Top Picks for No-Code App Builders for 2023
No-code app development is the future, and it’s starting to revolutionize how we write code.
According to a recent Gartner report, by 2024, 80% of tech products and services will be developed by professionals who are not in technology. So, it’s only time that we start investing in platforms that will enable us to build these products without coding knowledge.
And thankfully, there are quite a few of those! We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 best no-code platforms that will help you create amazing app products without any coding skills.
1. Bubble
With Bubble, you can develop an app quickly and efficiently without writing a single line of code. And if you’re worried about the learning curve, don’t be! This no-code app platform provides excellent YouTube tutorials to ensure that getting started is easy and straightforward.
You will get great control over the design elements of your application with its drag-and-drop interface. When you build apps with Bubble, you can design the visuals for each screen and control what a user sees as they navigate.
Furthermore, Bubble uses workflows to design logic, allowing users to interact with app pages, databases, and external APIs. It’s designed to be more accessible to non-technical users with simplified terminology. Unlike developer-focused tools, Bubble aims to make app creation easier for beginners.
Pricing
Offers a free version
Personal: $25 a month (paid annually) or $29 a month (paid monthly)
Professional: $115 a month (paid annually) or $129 a month (paid monthly)
Production: $475 a month (paid annually) or $529 a month (paid monthly)
2. Quickbase
Trusted by several industry leaders, Quickbase comes second in our picks of no-code app builders. Here, you can create powerful native apps with a wide range of features and functionality to fit all businesses of different sizes.
With Quickbase, you can rest easy knowing that your apps will be easier to maintain and update without depending on legacy systems with a suite of integrated capabilities designed to work together and enhance your applications.
However, it is expensive, making it more suited for enterprise-level users than personal use. So, if you’re building a shopping or a news web app, this might not be the best choice for you.
Pricing
Offers a free 30-day trial
Team: from $600/month for up to 50 custom business apps
Business: from $2000/month for up to 100 custom business apps
Enterprise: custom
3. Appy Pie
Appy Pie is an amazing no-code app builder that offers an easy-to-use and affordable solution for creating mobile apps, websites, chatbots, and workflows. Its drag-and-drop functionality makes it incredibly user-friendly, allowing business users to build apps without relying on developers.
Users love the lego-like blocks of features that can be added, removed, and edited to suit the user’s needs. The workflow automation platform is a game-changer, enabling users to create efficient integrations and develop meaningful workflows. With a variety of configurable app templates, organizations can create games, shopping carts, and customer relationship management apps, among others.
Even better, the applications can be shared on social media platforms and the Appy Pie marketplace. The application analytics feature is a fantastic addition that enables managers to track app performance by measuring parameters such as downloads, page visits, and time spent on the app.
Pricing
Offers a free trial
Basic: $16/app/month
Gold: $36/app/month
Platinum: $60/app/month
Enterprise: custom
4. Adalo
Adalo is a powerful no-code app builder that focuses on the front end, allowing you to create apps that can be published on the web, mobile, and app stores. Its drag-and-drop components make it easy to construct your UI, while the platform’s “Actions” represent on-page logic and can trigger backend events.
This no-code app builder also offers its own spreadsheet-style database for data storage, retrieval, and updates. Although Adalo does not allow for backend logic on its own, it can integrate with other tools and APIs that provide backend functionality.
Adalo is an ideal no-code platform for non-technical developers who want to create robust and customizable apps. This is due to its frontend capabilities, such as drag-and-drop components and page linking actions, as well as its backend capabilities, which include a spreadsheet-style database and API integration.
Pricing
Offers a free version
Starter: $45 per month
Professional: $65 per month
Team: $200 per month
Business: $250 per month
5. Thunkable
Build your native mobile apps without coding at all with Thunkable. With this powerful no-code tool, you can create apps that work on both iOS and Android platforms with its easy-to-use interface!
You can either choose from starting from scratch or remixing it with existing sample projects. Whichever you choose, you don’t need to have any formal knowledge of custom code or building native mobile apps. With Thunkable, publishing your app in the Apple app store and Google Play will only take a few clicks.
Starting with a blank canvas that allows extensive customization options for the app’s look and feel using blocks, modules, and integrations with other platforms. Advanced Logic Modules can be set up to handle app functionality based on user inputs. You can also share it with potential users for feedback before launching it on app stores!
Pricing
Free plan: 200MB of space
Starter: $13/month (personal plan)
Pro: $38/month (personal plan)
Business: $167/month (business plan)
Team: custom (business plan)
Enterprise: custom (business plan)
6. Retool
Retool is a low-code app builder designed to reduce the time it takes to build and deploy a functional app. While it is made for developers, it offers drag-and-drop components and pre-built templates to help speed up the process.
This app-building platform is a suitable choice for developers who aim to design internal-use applications without starting from scratch, although there may be instances where you have to author JavaScript queries and attach custom code.
Retool now includes a Mobile beta feature, which allows users to build mobile apps that can be deployed to the web, iOS, and Android. The no-code platform is used by numerous companies, including Doordash, Peloton, Brex, and FOX, to develop internal tools that enhance business performance and operational efficiency.
Pricing
Free version: $0 for up to 5 users per month
Team: $10/user/month
Business: $50/user/month
Enterprise: flexible pricing customized by you and them
7. FlutterFlow
FlutterFlow is a no-code app builder that utilizes Flutter to create hybrid apps that can be deployed to app stores or the web. With FlutterFlow, users can easily integrate data and APIs, customize widgets and functions, and add complex action flows using a visual action builder.
Unlike other no-code app builders, FlutterFlow allows for code export directly to iOS, Android, and the web and connects to live data via Firebase or APIs. While it doesn’t have built-in backend capabilities, users can add custom code to extend its functionality.
It offers advanced features such as push notifications, payments, and animations. However, there is a learning curve, and more documentation/tutorials with actual no-code apps would be helpful.
Pricing
Offers a free version when you create an account
Standard: $30 per month
Pro: $70 per month
Teams: $70 per month
8. DronaHQ
Geared towards enterprise and internal tool development, DronaHQ is a no-code app builder with an extensive library of Controls (components) for desktop-responsive apps. Its platform offers easy integration with various data sources and uses Actionflows for frontend logic.
DronaHQ also includes enterprise-level features such as SSO, SAML, and on-prem hosting. This no-code platform also includes a drag-and-drop UI builder, Ready connectors, Rule Engine, User Management, pre-built UI components, app templates, and custom script integration.
Pricing
Offers a free version for developers and early-stage startups to experiment and explore building full-stack no-code apps.
Starter: $12/user/month
Business: $28/user/month
Enterprise: Flexible pricing
9. Glide
Glide is a highly user-friendly and reliable no-code platform for building simple mobile and web apps. It leverages spreadsheets (such as Airtable, Google Sheets, or Excel) as your app’s database, which means you only need to update the spreadsheet, and the data displayed in your app will automatically change as well.
Moreover, this no-code app builder offers a variety of pre-built templates so you can launch your mobile or web app quickly. The templates span a wide range of use cases, including CRMs, landing pages, eCommerce apps, delivery apps, and more.
In addition, Glide provides a drag-and-drop editor, which you can use to customize your app even further. While there may be certain limitations compared to more complex app builders, the platform’s intuitive app builder and extensive template library make it a popular choice for building simple mobile or web apps.
Pricing
Pro: $99 per month
Business: $249 per month
Enterprise: $799 per month
10. Backendless
Backendless is a comprehensive visual app development solution that provides all the necessary capabilities for building complex and scalable frontends and backends. In addition to a visual UI Builder that offers a wide array of components, themes, and page templates, Backendless uses Codeless blocks to allow users to build logic and APIs visually without writing any code.
Furthermore, the platform includes a large number of pre-built APIs for interacting with the backend database, file storage, messaging, user authentication, etc. Post-launch tools are also available, such as visual user management, push notifications, email templates, and in-app messaging support.
Pricing
Backendless Cloud: starts at $0 per month to $999 per month for enterprises. Learn here.
Backendless Pro: Pricing upon request
Managed Backendless: Pricing upon request
Develop Your Mobile Apps with Us!
No-code app isn’t a one-time fluke or a passing fancy. These app builders are here to stay, and it’s only getting started!
If you don’t want to be behind the trend, you should start now.
As an experienced software development company, StarTechUP can help you with that. We offer a complete no-code app solution from app design to app store submission.
Our team of developers will take care of the entire process for you while you focus on your business goals.
Contact us now, and let’s get started with your dream mobile or web app!
