If you want to allow easy navigation between pages on your Appery.io app, we recommend watching our new Side Menu tutorial. In this video, you will learn how to customize the side menu for different screen sizes.
As more companies jump on the digital transformation bandwagon, the shortage of skilled IT personnel — namely, mobile, web, and cloud developers — is increasingly critical.
One way to solve this problem is to use low-code and no-code application development tools.
The former require at least basic training; the latter are well-suited for business users without prior coding experience.
We studied best app builder ratings compiled by software review websites like G2, analyzed the information provided by vendors, and researched real-world apps created using low-code and no-code platforms.
In this article, we’ll examine how popular low-code and no-code app development platforms stack up against each other and choose the best mobile app builder in each category.
Unlike many of its counterparts, this low-code app builder serves the needs of both business users and professional software engineers looking to build mobile, web, or progressive web apps (PWA) faster.
Appery.io users can build a huge variety of apps, including (but not limited to):
Thanks to robust out-of-the-box functionality and customization options, Appery.io is totally suitable for creating applications with elaborate logic, custom requirements, and a large user base and can fully support digital transformation initiatives.
| Pros | Cons |
| With Appery.io, you can build business-grade, high-performance apps in one-third of the time it would take you for native app development. | To start building your first app, you need at least a basic understanding of the Ionic framework. |
| The team behind Appery.io provides extensive documentation and runs a channel on YouTube, where you can find all sorts of guides and tutorials to build an app yourself. | Compared to most no-code app builders, Appery.io is a high-end solution and can therefore be a little more expensive than its rivals. |
This low-code app builder is available with four plans that can be customized:
AppSheet is a no-code application builder that enables users to create mobile and desktop applications from data stored in cloud databases like DropBox and Google Drive. To get started with AppSheet, you need to prepare your data (there’s a template for that), upload it to AppSheet, and choose what kind of app you want to develop. The supported categories include task management, customer engagement, and education.
| Pros | Cons |
| When it comes to usability and out-of-the-box functionality, no app builder can compare to AppSheet. | Unlike most no-code app builders, AppSheet requires some time to master. |
| AppSheet offers a free trial; in fact, you don’t need to pay for the service until you’re ready to publish your application. Some of the AppSheet features, however, are only available to businesses and enterprises. | Based on customer reviews, we assume there is no easy way to connect AppSheet apps with online payment gateways. |
AppSheet offers four pricing plans:
Zoho Creator is a low-code app development platform whose primary audience is small and medium-sized businesses looking to digitalize and automate workflows. The solution enables companies to create cross-platform mobile, progressive web, and traditional web applications and sync them with other IT systems and services, including Zoho CRM, PayPal, and G-Suite.
| Pros | Cons |
| You literally need no coding skills to build an app with Zoho Creator. | Some users claim third-party integrations can be a little tricky, citing complex website navigation and the lack of educational resources about the platform as barriers to realizing the platform’s full potential. |
| The platform offers a plethora of customization options, thus enabling companies to create a software (mobile apps, web apps, and PWAs) that suit their specific business needs. | If you want to remove Zoho’s branding or publish your applications on major app stores, be prepared to pay an extra fee. |
Zoho offers several plans for individual users and organizations:
Additional features and services, including personalized support and customer portal add-on, are available to corporate users at request.
BuildFire is a rapid mobile app development tool targeting non-technical users. The platform strikes a middle ground between enterprise-grade platforms like Zoho Creator and low-code app builders like Appery.io, which gets a little too technical at times. While many BuildFire features and modules are available out of the box, you can still create custom functionality using the developer SDK.
| Pros | Cons |
| The platform combines an advanced mobile back end as a service (MBaaS) and back-end logic customization options with a convenient click-and-edit interface. | Some reviews indicate that the customer support team can be unresponsive at times, which can be an issue if your application is meant to help your employees perform business-critical operations or handle a large user base. |
| The BuildFire marketplace features a wide selection of free and paid plug-and-play extensions to enhance your application’s functionality without extensive coding. | Certain BuildFire users believe the vendor can be slow at rolling out new features and essential updates. Others cite possible performance issues as one of the reasons they’ve eventually switched to another app builder. |
BuildFire offers three plans targeting non-technical users, white label solution providers, and customers looking to have their app built by a team of professional developers.
Last but not least, there’s Appy Pie — arguably, the most popular mobile app builder on the market. Like BuildFire and AppSheet, the solution targets non-technical users looking to create a business website or mobile app — or integrate a technology module like a live chat or virtual assistant — into an existing IT solution.
| Pros | Cons |
| Appy Pie is a complete ecosystem of no-code app development and design tools that fills every programming and UX/UI need a business might have. | Many users find the Appy Pie design templates dull and lacking customization options. |
| The app builder allows you to pull all the graphics and text from your website and merge it smoothly into a mobile app, which helps reduce time to market. | Trying to simultaneously compete with no-code mobile app builders, website builders, and graphic design tools, Appy Pie’s website loses focus at some points, struggling to convince potential customers of their superiority to Wix and AppSheet. |
Like other app builders in the competitive market, Appy Pie is living off subscriptions. It is by far the most affordable app development platform:
No matter which plan you opt for, you’ll still need to purchase the Add-on Package to remove Appy Pie branding from your application.
We really hate to be a tease, but we’d like to elaborate on our choice criteria a bit further before announcing the grand finalists:
Without further ado, let us introduce the winners:
We’d also like to single out Zoho Creator as the best mobile app builder for large enterprises — especially those who make use of Zoho CRM and seek to ensure anytime, anywhere access to corporate data.
Have you already tried any (or all!) of the app builders that made our list? What is your favorite solution for rapid application development? Reach out to the Appery.io team to tell your story and select the best tool for your future projects!
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