10 Cool Tools To Build Apps Without Code
Building an app doesn't always require skill in software development. All it takes is one of these tools and you too can create effective business-class apps.
Sprightly
We're hitting a point in the history of the web where the line between content creation tools and app development tools can be very blurry, indeed. Sprightly is a case in point. The app comes out of Microsoft Garage. It was built by a small team of developers in Hyderabad, India, who took on the challenge as a "passion project" and brought it to the point where it could be released to the public.
The cool thing about Sprightly is that it runs on iOS and Android devices to create content and coupons for consumption on mobile devices. If you work in a small organization, or in a large enterprise with guerrilla teams, expect to see a lot of Sprightly in the near future.
QuickBase
QuickBase is a database, but if your only experience with database programming is one of the big SQL beasts, you've got a real revelation in store. QuickBase doesn't require you to learn SQL syntax or use tools like Python or PHP to access data from the web. As with several other no-code tools, the database itself is created automatically as you lay out the forms that will be used to enter and display data.
Once the form is defined and laid out on the desktop, the web layout for smartphones and tablets is also created automatically, because QuickBase is a web-only service that generates adaptive pages for whichever devices are accessing the application and data.
QuickBase is one of the fastest ways for business units to get into the application game. If someone who understands the business need is turned loose on QuickBase, applications can happen during an afternoon at the local coffee shop.
FileMaker 15
FileMaker Pro 15 is the latest version of a database application platform that has been around for decades. The reasons for its longevity are simple. It is part of Apple, and it works. FileMaker 15 lets people build applications and create the underlying database with simple drag-and-drop operations. In the latest version, FileMaker adds features such as iBeacon compatibility, TouchID support, responsive web application creation, and a range of security options.
While FileMaker is wholly owned by Apple, the development platform and apps are available on Windows and Apple platforms, with web applications accessible from any device.
Various FileMaker 15 products are available on a subscription basis with different prices, depending on exactly how you're deploying the app and precisely how many users the application will have. FileMaker's licensing assumes you're building internal applications. If you're looking for a way to build apps for your customers, then you need to explore other options.
Form.com
In any given business there are a lot of forms. There are forms for bringing data into processes, forms for getting data out of processes, and forms to make sure that the other forms are completed and handled properly. Many business applications exist for the purpose of automating forms. Form.com takes that work to its logical conclusion.
Form.com has a large number of templates available to customize. The company also has a professional services group if you want more complex functionality than your in-house expertise will support. This is not really a small-business solution. The company is set up to support enterprises with specific needs. If you want to try your hand at custom form-handling, and you don't want to learn advanced programming, Form.com could be a great option to explore.
Salesforce1
Salesforce.com is as close to ubiquitous as enterprise software gets. For many people and organizations, Salesforce defines software-as-a-service (SaaS). With the Salesforce1 platform and its Lightning canvas, business unit employees will be able to do the bulk of the work on their own applications.
Salesforce has recently released a mobile app for Salesforce1, so now business units can work on creating apps for employees to use wherever they happen to be. If the applications take advantage of enterprise databases (and the odds are good this will be the case), you have an opportunity for cooperation between business units and IT, and that's a good thing.
If your company already uses Salesforce.com, Salesforce1 might already be included in your bundle. If so, schedule some time for meetings and introduce your business units to the options they have for writing their own applications.
ViziApps
ViziApps is not a tool for non-programmers. It isn't only for building internal apps. It is, instead, a rapid development tool intended to help professional dev teams knock out commercial mobile apps faster than they could with traditional coding tools. If you're looking for a system that will help you reduce dev costs, ViziApps is a great candidate.
ViziApps really helps cut back the coding and cost on the front end. The company recognizes there is going to be database work required in many cases and leaves the database to the traditional programmers. But since getting the interface right can be time consuming and costly, turning to a tool like ViziApps can help transform your development team into the Justice League of the company. Who doesn't want to be a superhero when it's time to pass out accolades and bonuses?
App Press
App Press lives in the area between Sprightly and Quickbase. It can be used to create full-featured apps, but it has a serious emphasis on content and presentation.
App Press has a number of features to help organizations deploy, host, and manage their apps. Apps can be internal or customer focused, and can be presented to users on your website, the Apple Store, or Google Play. For business units, App Press hosts and manages the apps, so there's no need to involve IT to host and manage a successful campaign.
App Press isn't free. Pricing varies widely, from $30 per month for individuals looking to learn about app creation and publish a single app, to $460 per month per developer for businesses needing multiple high-volume apps.
Alpha Anywhere
Alpha Anywhere stretches the definition of no-code application development. It's best to think of it as low-code, since it's a rapid development environment intended to help professional developers do their jobs quickly. Unlike other systems featured here, this one isn't the sort of package you would hand to someone in marketing to let them dive into building an app.
Alpha Anywhere is a front-end development system. The company recognizes you'll want someone handling the database work on the backend. It is a powerful way to create HTML5 and responsive web apps, though. If you enjoy a sense of history, the CTO is Dan Bricklin. You might remember his name as one of the two individuals (the other was Bob Frankston) who created VisiCalc, the very first PC spreadsheet program.
AppArchitect
AppArchitect is one of the easier ways to explore the idea of no-code development because of its user interface and its pricing. The interface has been described as being most like PowerPoint, and it's fairly obvious this one isn't for programmers. It's for folks out in the business units. And the pricing? It's free.
AppArchitect has a very, very simplistic web-based user interface. This is not a tool to replace your classic enterprise-grade development tools. It's intended to allow business units to solve the straightforward problems they encounter. For the heavy-duty enterprise issues, users will still need to rely on trained programmers.
Canvas
Where other no-code dev systems talk about databases, forms, and apps, Canvas starts out talking about workflow and processes. In many ways, Canvas is all about taking a paper-based workflow and putting it on a screen. All of this happens through a drag-and-drop interface that builds forms to take data in, and then stores them in the cloud until that data is forwarded to devices or systems you designate.
Like many of the no-code app builders, Canvas has a library of pre-built apps to be used either as ready-made solutions for your business or (more likely) as frameworks to be customized for your needs. While Canvas is all about getting rid of paper, the company understands reality. One of the key features of Canvas is the ability to generate custom PDF files of forms to share with you customers and partners. The paperless revolution is a work in progress.
We've come to the end of our tour of no-code development systems. There are platforms and frameworks designed to suit everyone, from Sue in accounting to Marley in software development. Have you worked on any of the platforms featured here? Are there any you've looked at and rejected?
I'd love to know what you think of these -- and whether there are other options that should be on the list. Tell me all about it in the comments section below -- and don't feel obligated to build an app to get the message across.