Is Google App Maker Still Available?
As of January 2021, Google officially shut down Google App Maker. Google cited low usage and a focus on other products as the main reasons behind its decision.
Existing App Maker applications continued to work for a certain period, but active development and maintenance ceased. As a result, the platform is no longer available for creating or maintaining applications.
For users who relied on Google App Maker, this has necessitated finding a new platform for their application development needs. There are several alternatives available in the market today, each with its own strengths and areas of focus, one of them being Glide, which stands out due to its ease of use, customizability, and the fact that it requires no coding knowledge.
There’s a series of alternatives available to replace App Maker in 2023, including Google’s own AppSheet and the revolutionary no-code platform Glide. In this article, we take a look at 8 of the best App Maker alternatives to help you decide what’s best for you:
Glide: The Best No-Code Alternative to Google App Maker
Glide is a no-code app development platform for web and mobile. Unlike Google App Maker — which is a low-code platform — Glide lets you build powerful apps for work without any knowledge of code.
Glide is made of two components: Glide Apps for mobile development across desktop and mobile. Together, they let you turn boring spreadsheets into powerful apps using an intuitive drag and drop interface. All of the heavy lifting, including maintenance and updates, is handled internally by the app builder itself: so that you can have a launch-ready app in a matter of moments.
Glide is a no-frills development platform that’s rich in features, perfect for internal use in the workplace or for developing apps for personal use. It’s also extremely beginner-friendly, with a rich collection of community-made templates and features to help you speed things along. Sign up to start building Android and iOS apps with Glide today!
In 2021, Google App Maker bowed out, leaving many businesses scrambling for a worthy alternative. Fast forward to 2023, and several potential contenders have risen to fill the void. Let's take a closer look at eight key options and discover why Glide stands out as the most impressive choice.
How Other No-Code App Builders Compare to Glide
1. AppSheet
Pros: As a Google-owned platform, AppSheet allows users to create mobile, tablet, and web apps directly from data sources like Google Sheets, Excel, and various databases. This makes it a natural choice for businesses heavily invested in the Google ecosystem.
Cons: Despite its feature range, AppSheet can be complex for non-tech users, and it doesn't match the design customizability of other platforms.
2. Zoho Creator
Pros: Zoho Creator provides a robust app-building platform with tools for data collection, automation, analytics, and more. It also supports customization and various integrations.
Cons: Zoho Creator's broad capabilities can be daunting for beginners. Additionally, its cost might be prohibitive for smaller businesses or individual users.
3. Microsoft Power Apps
Pros: Microsoft Power Apps provides a platform to build custom apps that tightly integrate with Microsoft's suite of products, making it suitable for businesses already using Microsoft services.
Cons: Power Apps has a steeper learning curve, particularly for those unfamiliar with Microsoft’s ecosystem. Its design and customization are somewhat rigid compared to other platforms.
4. Airtable
Pros: Airtable is known for its flexibility, combining a spreadsheet interface with database features. It's great for businesses that need a platform to organize and track data.
Cons: Airtable isn’t a dedicated app building platform, and while it’s possible to create an app-like interface, it doesn't offer the same level of functionality or design customizability as more specialized tools.
5. Salesforce Lightning
Pros: Salesforce Lightning is a robust low-code platform that's particularly strong in customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities, making it suitable for businesses needing a sales and customer-service focus.
Cons: Salesforce Lightning can be overly complex and expensive, particularly for smaller businesses or those that don't require its extensive CRM capabilities.
6. Google App Engine
Pros: Google App Engine is a cloud-based platform that allows users to build and host web applications in Google-managed data centers, benefiting from Google's scalability and security.
Cons: Google App Engine isn’t a no-code solution and requires knowledge of coding languages, making it less accessible for non-tech users.
7. Google Forms
Pros: Google Forms is a straightforward tool for creating forms, conducting surveys, and collecting responses, which are then automatically populated into Google Sheets.
Cons: As a form creation tool, Google Forms lacks the breadth of features necessary to create comprehensive, customized apps.
8. Retool
Pros: Retool allows users to build internal tools quickly. It offers an extensive library of pre-built components and connects with any REST, GraphQL, or SQL-based API.
Cons: While powerful, Retool leans towards a code-based approach, making it less user-friendly for non-technical individuals.
Glide enables anyone to create elegant and functional apps directly from Google Sheets or Excel without coding. With its impressive ease of use, deep customizability, built-in design features, powerful data scaling abilities, vast array of templates, and AI-assisted functions, Glide empowers users to create apps tailored to their needs and stands out as the leading choice for Google App Maker replacements in 2023.
How to Choose the Right App Maker Alternative For You
So what’s the best alternative to Google App Maker? The answer depends largely on your individual or company needs. Here are some pointers to help you figure out which App Maker alternative is right for you:
Primary Goals: The first thing to ask yourself when choosing an app builder is what you’re actually going to use it for. What kind of apps are you looking to build? Which platforms will you be launching to? And who is your target audience?
For example, if you’re looking for the perfect app development platform for building workplace apps, Glide is your best bet. On the other hand, if you’ll mostly be dealing with forms, Google Forms is an excellent choice.
Third-party Integrations: It’s also worth considering your current software stack and looking into what you already have in place. Salesforce Lightning is a great option for sales teams who are already using the CRM, whereas Microsoft Power Apps is a good choice for workplaces that rely on the Microsoft 365 productivity suite.
Important Features: It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the number of features your app builder offers, which is why you need to figure out what exactly you need. For example, do you have coding experience? If not, you may want to look into a no-code app development platform like Glide, which lets you build apps using drag and drop. If you’re a professional developer who doesn’t mind writing a lot of code, Google App Engine might be worth considering.
See If Glide Is the Right Google App Maker Alternative for You
Glide is a no-code and no-design platform that uses a huge collection of pre-built components and templates to help you create a launch-ready app in minutes. It’s a great option for companies looking to build apps for internal workplace use as well as personal users without prior coding experience.
From a killer spreadsheet management tool to a standalone web app builder, Glide has a lot to offer beginners and professionals alike. But the best thing about Glide is our community, which serves as a near-endless resource for technical help and pre-build components to help you design and develop your apps with ease.
Want to see if Glide is the best App Maker alternative for you? Sign up today to check out what we have to offer!
