Today, businesses have a lot of choices when it comes to choosing a platform to build custom mobile and web apps. Building no-code and low-code applications to meet your business needs has truly never been easier. But that doesn't mean that every app builder is a perfect fit for what your business needs. You've likely come across Appy Pie, a popular and powerful app builder with a loyal customer base. But is it the right app builder for you, or will an Appy Pie alternative be a better fit?
Appy Pie is one of the leading app builders for a reason — it offers a wealth of tools and features that make it easy for businesses to create the custom apps they need. But before you commit to one app builder, consider these 6 Appy Pie alternatives — including some of the most powerful and easiest-to-use app builders available today.
What is Appy Pie?
Appy Pie is a no-code app builder that can help businesses create mobile apps, websites, and workflow automations, all without any code. It uses drag-and-drop design tools to provide the most user-friendly interface possible.
Appy Pie is part of the no-code movement, a rise in tools that allow citizen developers to create complex and powerful tools without knowing any code. The no-code movement has democratized software development, and made custom apps and tools more accessible than they've ever been before.
Appy Pie Pros and Cons
Appy Pie has many pros and cons, but for the purposes of this article, we'll focus on just a few of the most prominent.
Appy Pie Pros
User-friendly and easy to learn. Appy Pie users love that the interface is intuitive, and they can typically start creating apps as soon as they start using the platform.
Integrations with other business tools. Users also point to this as one of their favorite features, saying it's easy to connect their Appy Pie creations to other tools they use — especially ecommerce tools like Shopify.
Live chat for immediate help. Users who have questions while building their apps say they love that Appy Pie offers a live chat feature, and that they can often get their app-building questions resolved very quickly.
Appy Pie Cons
Fewer templates than other offerings. Some users say the Appy Pie template library is limited, and they wish the platform had more app templates they could use to get started.
Tutorial videos can be outdated. Users also report that some of Appy Pie's tutorial videos are based on older versions of the platform, making them less helpful now. They say it can be difficult to follow along because the platform shown in the videos is not the same version as the platform that's currently available.
Customer support can be lacking. Users say that sometimes it takes a lot of time and effort to get a response from Appy Pie's customer support. Based on G2 reviews, it seems like this problem is most common for users who are trying to resolve billing issues.
Appy Pie Pricing
Appy Pie plans range from $16 to $60 per app per month.
Top 5 Appy Pie Alternatives in 2023
When your business needs a custom application or piece of software, you have a lot of choices. Appy Pie might be the best fit for your needs — but then again, it might not.
The 5 no-code app builders below all have pros and cons of their own — but they're all worth considering as the top 5 Appy Pie alternatives for building custom, no-code apps.
#1: Glide
When businesses need to create powerful and beautiful apps from spreadsheets in just minutes, Glide is the natural choice.
Glide stands apart from other app builders for a few reasons: First, how incredibly easy it is to use. With fun, user-friendly interfaces, drag-and-drop design components, and real-time data syncing whenever you make changes to your data either in the app or in the back end, anyone can learn and start using Glide in a matter of minutes. Plus, with its extensive catalog of templates, there's sure to be a ready-made Glide app that will suit your needs.
The other reason Glide stands out among other no-code tools is because of how beautiful Glide apps are. You don't need a designer (or any design experience). Glide apps are naturally polished on the front end, no matter how you customize them.
With Glide, any spreadsheet can become an app in just minutes. Google Sheets and Airtable integrations mean you can store your app-powering data in the cloud — making it a single source of truth accessible by anyone in your organization.
Use Glide to make mobile apps for both smartphones and tablets, or Glide Pages to make custom web apps. With Glide, the possibilities are only limited by your own imagination.
Glide pros:
Incredibly easy and fun to learn and use.
Polished, professional app design no matter how you customize it.
Extensive library of app templates, including many created by real Glide users.
Glide cons:
Limitations for accommodating extremely customized app designs.
Glide pricing:
It’s free to get started with Glide. After that, there are pricing plans for every business size, including a personalizable enterprise package.
#2: Bubble
Bubble is popular because of how powerful it is. This app maker can accommodate complex use cases with interactive elements like news feeds, plugins, and chats. It can also support a wide variety of third-party APIs, so your Bubble app can be connected to many other business tools you may use.
But Bubble's power is also a drawback — it creates a steep learning curve for users. Bubble is a low-code platform, so it may be difficult to use if you have no coding knowledge whatsoever. It can also be tough to create a polished and professional-looking app on Bubble without any prior design experience.
Bubble pros:
Can create extremely complex apps.
Supports a wide variety of plugins and integrations.
Has an extensive library of templates that may help new users get started.
Bubble cons:
Steep learning curve requires both design and coding knowledge. It can take users months (if not longer) to fully master this platform.
Bubble pricing:
Limited free plan available, then plans range from $25 to $475 per month.
#3: AppSheet
AppSheet was one of the first app builders to come from the no-code movement, and it's continued to pioneer the space.
One of AppSheet's biggest draws is that it allows users to power their apps with data from just about any source: Sheets, Dropbox, Drive, Excel, Zapier, SQL, AWS, and more. AppSheet's built-in process automation tools also make it attractive to businesses looking to create software that will streamline their workflows.
But while AppSheet created a great foundation for other no-code tools, it also has some drawbacks.
AppSheet pros:
Data that powers your app can live virtually anywhere.
Integrations, features, and functionality are varied and powerful.
AppSheet cons:
App users must download a host app to use software built on AppSheet.
Users report that data syncing is often slow, and can even be unresponsive at times.
AppSheet pricing:
Plans go from $5 to $10 per user per month, and enterprise plans can be personalized.
#4: Kintone
Most popular app builders work great when just one person is working on an app at a time. Kintone is made for when teams need to collaborate, and build their app with multiple people working simultaneously.
Kintone offers an intuitive building interface, but its real draw is its collaborative editing features. Multiple users can work on the same app at the same time, using a built-in chat feature to stay in communication, and using workflow tools to delegate and assign tasks to others.
Kintone pros:
Collaborative app building across teams, with tools for delegating and working together.
Large library of content, including tutorials and templates.
Kintone cons:
Only limited, select types of data can be imported to power users' apps.
Front-end customization is more limited than some other app builders.
Kintone pricing:
Kintone offers packages for educational institutions, government organizations, nonprofits, and professional businesses.
#5: Softr
Softr may be a newer arrival to the no-code landscape, but that hasn't stopped it from making a splash as a fast, intuitive option for businesses that need custom software.
In addition to an intuitive user experience, Softr supports plenty of integrations with other tools, and offers a wide variety of ready-to-use templates to help app makers get their software up and running much faster.
But while there's plenty that users love about Softr, it also has drawbacks — one of the most significant being that backend data can only live in Airtable. This limitation might make some potential users think twice about building their app on Softr.
Softr pros:
Fast, easy, and intuitive, with plenty of built-in integrations and ready-to-use templates.
Good customer support.
Softr cons:
Newer and less feature-rich than some competitors.
Data can only live in Airtable, which can be limiting and also creates a learning curve for users who aren't familiar with Airtable.
Softr pricing:
Softr is free for up to 200 Airtable records, and business plans start at $165 per month.
Start Creating Custom Business Apps Today with Glide
When your business needs a custom app that can be up and running in just minutes, it's clear which app builder can help you make it: Glide. Start from a template, or upload any spreadsheet, and see your app come to life almost immediately with an intuitive back end, helpful features and integrations, and sleek, professional design on the front end.
Start creating with Glide today — we can't wait to see what you build.
