ToolsPublished March 7, 2023

12 WYSIWYG Platforms for Businesses: Website Builders, E-Commerce Plugins, and More

The best WYSIWYG platforms for visual building in 2022, for creating everything from business websites to mobile apps to signup forms, and much more.

12 WYSIWYG Platforms for Businesses: Website Builders, E-Commerce Plugins, and More

WYSIWYG platforms are a type of software that allows creators to preview content as they’re editing it. That means being able to see exactly what your content will look like in its final form while you’re still in the process of creating it. The content itself can be anything — from professional websites to mobile apps to conversion forms and more.

Before WYSIWYG, editing software always required creators to edit their content as raw code or markup language, making it difficult to envision what the final product would actually look like.

In a previous article, Glide covered what we believed to be the best WYSIWYG app makers currently in the market. Of course, WYSIWYG platforms aren’t just restricted to apps or websites, you can also use them to develop business databases, membership forms, email campaigns, and more.

Let’s take a look at some of these tools today.

What Is WYSIWYG?

WYSIWYG is an acronym for What You See Is What You Get.

WYSIWYG platforms are often called drag-and-drop editors and no-code builders, but their purpose remains the same. The goal is to help you create content in a way that’s faster and more efficient, without compromising on build quality.

Think of a website builder, for example. You can either code web pages from scratch using PHP, HTML, and CSS, or you can drag and drop elements into a visual builder like Squarespace or Webflow. The latter is obviously a much faster and less technical way to create content.

WYSIWYG editors come in all shapes and sizes, from beginner-friendly to professional-grade, offering varying levels of creative freedom and software usability. The only thing that remains common is the existence of a visual builder that lets you see the content you’re editing in its finished form, instead of just a string of code.

The Best WYSIWYG Tools for Businesses and Startups

As the no-code movement continues to gain ground, there’s a host of tools and platforms that enable users who don’t come from a technical background to easily create a variety of content for web and mobile, be it blogs, apps, databases, presentations, or something else. Here’s a look at the best WYSIWYG tools currently available, divided by product category and use case:

The Best WYSIWYG Platforms for App Making

One of the most common categories of WYSIWYG platforms, app builders enable non-developers to create mobile and web applications without coding.

Glide: Glide is a data-driven app builder for web and mobile. It enables users to convert their existing data, be it in the form of spreadsheets or databases, into interactive applications.

All you have to do is import your data source from Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, or Airtable. Glide will automatically turn it into a powerful app that you can access no matter what device you’re using.

The apps you build retain full support for third-party integrations and remain in constant synchronization with their data source, making sure that you have access to the most up-to-date information at all times.

There are lots of advantages to building your app with Glide. The apps look good on every screen, be it desktop, tablet, or mobile. Moreover, Glide developers take care of all software and design updates behind the scenes, freeing you from the need for app maintenance.

But the best thing about Glide is that it gives you access to a whole community of fellow creators. You can ask questions when you hit a roadblock in the community forum, or make use of our endless collection of community-made templates.

Backendless: Backendless is the app builder for the advanced user. If you don’t mind a steep learning curve but want complete freedom when developing your web or mobile software, this might be the tool for you!

Backendless calls itself a full-stack visual development platform. It comes with everything you need to create your own software platform, from frontend to back. Features include database building, UI design, user management, and API integration.

But the best feature of this platform is the ability to host your application on your own servers, using a virtual machine or third-party cloud hosting service. However, this feature is locked behind a premium plan with custom pricing.

Stacker: Designed for product management teams at medium-to-large-sized organizations, Stacker is a data-driven tool used to build internal and external-facing business applications. It works by importing data from Google Sheets, Airtable, and Salesforce.

As a no-code platform, Stacker is useful only in a handful of very specific use cases. It’s mostly used for building employee directories, client portals, and CRM. That said, it comes with plenty of niche functionality to make it a great choice for the use cases it serves.

With Stacker, visibility and collaboration take first priority. Users can access data in a visual format and team up with others to edit that data. But, there’s no free plan — and while you can still test the platform without paying anything — launching an app requires a paid subscription.

The Best WYSIWYG Platforms for Website Development

Everybody who’s somebody needs a website in 2022. But not everyone knows how to code. Luckily, no-code editors allow non-developers to build professional websites, online stores, and landing pages with little effort.

Webflow: Used by more than 3,500,000 developers, Webflow is an advanced platform with lots of customization options for web development and website design. It has a steep learning curve but can be very rewarding for no-code professionals to learn thanks to its growing popularity.

While it doesn’t require coding skills to use, Webflow is built around traditional design principles and is therefore a favorite among professional developers and business owners alike. It’s one of the only codeless platforms allowing users to build complex websites without restrictions.

Apart from its design capabilities, Webflow also doubles as a CMS (content management system) such as WordPress. Additional features include SEO optimization for search engines, third-party social media plugins, as well as the ability to insert custom fonts and other assets.

Wix: While not as flexible or as complex as Webflow, Wix is a no-code website builder favored for its ease of use. However, it’s also one of the least restrictive among the best website builders that do not feature a heavy learning curve, making it a truly unique offering unto itself.

Apart from the ability to customize your website using a drag-and-drop editor, Wix also lets you select from a growing collection of responsive templates that’s one of the most expansive in the market. The downside is that many templates are paid, but there are free options too.

Wix also empowers users to integrate a variety of third-party applications to their website using readymade plugins and REST API, whether that’s a payment gateway like PayPal or a calendar app like Calendly. Its ecommerce functionality is one of the best in the entire market.

The Best WYSIWYG Platforms for Email Marketing

Whether you’re a startup, small business, or enterprise organization, email marketing is an integral part of any sales process. Here are the best WYSIWYG tools that can help you create stunning email campaigns through visual building:

MailerLite: MailerLite is an email marketing tool with a focus on simplicity. It provides everything you need to build, design, and launch professional email campaigns — all through its streamlined drag-and-drop interface.

Of course, it doesn’t stop there. There are plenty of email templates to choose from, along with limited support for some popular third-party add-ons. For a platform focused on being user-friendly, MailerLite’s list of advanced features certainly packs a punch.

When compared to other email marketing platforms, MailerLite has one of the most lucrative free plans that enable you to use the tool for as long as you like. All you have to do is limit yourself to less than 1,000 email contacts.

ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign is an email marketing platform with a focus on automation. It allows you to automate everything from follow-up campaigns to contact management. With more than 180,000 customers, it claims to enable users to send fewer but more effective emails.

Unlike other tools which focus only on email marketing, ActiveCampaign aims to be a comprehensive solution for your lead generation campaigns with its own built-in CRM software. There’s even support for third-party integrations, including Microsoft, Shopify, and Salesforce.

Starting at $15/month for just 500 subscribers, ActiveCampaign does fall under the more expensive category of email platforms. Advanced features, such as CRM software, lead scoring, and SMS automation, require an even costlier Plus subscription at $70/month.

The Best WYSIWYG Platforms for Task Management

Productivity apps, especially task management software, are a core part of any business software stack. Here are the best WYSIWYG productivity tools currently available for robust workplace management:

Notion: Notion is a collaborative productivity tool for task management and wiki-like notetaking. Think of it as a one-stop workplace management solution for remote organizations with text-heavy workflows, such as a team of writers or programmers.

As a task management tool, it lets you stay on top of your projects as a freelancer or startup — although larger teams will find it difficult without the advanced features. As a notetaking app, Notion lets you create Wikipedia-like information databases with a classic WYSIWYG editor.

But, Notion is a hybrid tool with a focus on ease of use. Certain features found in other project management tools like Monday.com or Asana are effectively missing from this platform. This included being able to manage multiple projects at once, which is a must-have for larger teams.

Trello: Trello is for project visualization and task management. Like Notion, it struggles to work with larger teams and complex projects, but smaller organizations focused on simplicity will find much to like with this platform.

Trello has the most convenient onboarding process in any task management software. You can easily onboard team members, start new projects, and assign specific tasks without having to spend hours pouring through documentation.

A well-known limitation of this platform, however, is the lack of viewing options for your task management system. There’s also a very limited amount of reporting options available and complex tasks with lots of subtasks have limited support on the platform.

Other WYSIWYG Platforms to Consider

Airtable, The Best WYSIWYG Database Management Tool: Airtable is a hybrid platform that lets you create databases that work like spreadsheets. It’s a low-code application that lets you build full-fledged information databases to support your business without learning PHP or SQL.

The best thing about Airtable is its ability to let you collaborate seamlessly with team members, viewing and editing data in real time with other people in your organization. The user interface is deceptively simple and intuitive to look at, while still hiding powerful functionality under the hood.

Airtable supports a slew of powerful integrations, from Google Workspace to Salesforce. And the best part? You can now easily turn your Airtable database into a full-fledged mobile or web app with Glide. Even better, the process takes a few minutes and requires zero coding skills!

Zendesk, The Best WYSIWYG Customer Support Platform: Zendesk is the ultimate help desk platform for customer support teams. It’s entirely cloud-based, with plenty of powerful features to support an organization of any size.

At the forefront of the offering is a powerful ticketing system that allows customers to raise support requests with the customer satisfaction team. Zendesk further props up the functionality of its support platform with automation capabilities, multilingual support, and third-party add-ons.

Zendesk features a very intuitive WYSIWYG editor that lets you address and answer customer requests per ticket. All communication is fully encrypted, ensuring the security of important customer details such as login credentials. The only real downside is the lack of a free version.

Typeform, The Best WYSIWYG Form Builder Application: Typeform is an excellent no-code tool for data collection and marketing research, allowing you to create conversational forms that make data entry less tedious for the end user.

No one likes filling out application forms. Typeform uses a unique conversational format to make online forms less tedious, encouraging people to interact with your brand more often. While it does follow a specific layout, there are still plenty of opportunities to insert your own branding.

But that’s not all. Typeform provides enterprise-grade security and complete compliance with data regulations like GDPR. You can also use a host of third-party integrations to further enrich your forms and automate vital marketing workflows.

Glide: The Best WYSIWYG App Builder for Web and Mobile

When it comes to WYSIWYG app builders, you want a platform that balances simplicity with an ample amount of creative freedom. Glide is a no-code app development tool that turns databases and spreadsheets into powerful apps for work. It comes with its own built-in template collection and component library, as well as support for third-party and community-made assets.

With Glide, you don’t have to worry about maintaining your app or staying up to date with the latest design and development trends. The developers behind our platform take care of all that for you, leaving you to focus on what matters most — your important business data. The data stays in sync between your app and spreadsheet, making sure everything is always up to date.

Looking for a good WYSIWYG platform to build a mobile app for work? Glide is the data-driven app builder for startups and businesses — sign up for a free account and see it all in action!

See if Glide is the WYSIWYG app builder for you.

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