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Top 4 AppSheet Alternatives for No-Code App Building in 2024

September 6, 2024
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AppSheet has helped countless businesses create apps and automate processes. It offers features like barcode scanning, signature collection, and report generation. 

But it isn't the only no-code tool on the market.

Several great AppSheet alternatives are worth considering, whether you seek a better user experience or more advanced capabilities. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top AppSheet competitors, including unique features, use cases, and pricing options. 

Why People Switch to AppSheet Alternatives

There are plenty of AppSheet competitors on the market, so here are some main reasons people switch to an alternative.

  • Difficult to use interface: AppSheet's interface presents a steep learning curve for many users. It has many elements to choose from and many customization options, which can overwhelm people who are new to no-code.

    Even those with some app-building experience will usually need to invest significant time in tutorial videos before feeling comfortable with them. This complexity makes it challenging to start building apps quickly and efficiently.

  • No database: AppSheet requires integration with an external database, such as Google Sheets, Excel, or SQL databases, which can be an additional step for users. This works well if you know your way around a database. However, this requirement will mean even more effort for those unfamiliar with building or using a database.

  • Not great for public-facing apps: AppSheet is primarily made to create apps that improve business processes like customer relationship management (CRM) and project management.

    While it does have options to create customer-facing apps, it isn’t the best tool for that purpose. AppSheet’s pricing is also suited to building internal business apps because it charges a monthly fee per user.

Top 4 AppSheet Alternatives in 2024

  1. Blaze.tech: Best Overall
  2. Glide
  3. Airtable
  4. Noloco

#1 Blaze.tech: Best Overall

Blaze.tech stands out as the top AppSheet alternative. It prioritizes ease of use and features an intuitive interface that makes app creation accessible to users of all technical backgrounds.

What truly sets Blaze apart is its commitment to user support. Unlike many competitors, Blaze doesn't leave you to figure things out alone. Instead, we provide dedicated assistance, including hands-on help with building the first version of your app.

Another key advantage is Blaze's built-in database functionality. This integrated approach eliminates the need to manage external databases, streamlining the development process. With data storage and management handled within the platform, users can focus more on app functionality and less on backend complexities.

Perhaps most importantly, Blaze excels where AppSheet falls short: building public-facing applications. While AppSheet primarily caters to internal business apps, Blaze offers versatility in creating internal tools and customer-facing applications.

Advantages Over AppSheet

  • Ease of use: With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, Blaze makes it easy for anyone to build custom applications, regardless of their technical expertise. The user-friendly design speeds up the development process, allowing you to create powerful applications quickly without the steep learning curve.

  • All-in-one builder: Blaze's intuitive drag-and-drop interface lets you build and connect multiple applications seamlessly. This, combined with its powerful backend capabilities, significantly reduces development time and complexity.

  • Dedicated support: With Blaze, you get a dedicated team that provides hands-on assistance, including collaboration, to build your application's initial version. Imagine you're trying to build an app and Blaze's support team is like having a tech-savvy friend guiding you through every step.

  • Built-in database: Blaze has a built-in database that allows you to manage and store your data within the platform. This integrated approach eliminates the need for external databases and simplifies data management, making your development process more efficient and streamlined, eliminating your need to spend on external database tools.

  • Powerful integrations: Blaze supports many integrations, including REST APIs, so you can easily connect it with your existing tools and systems. This flexibility ensures your applications work well with other software, improving functionality and scalability.

Ideal Users

  • Large enterprises building customer-facing apps: Blaze’s robust feature set and scalability allow you to create complex customer portals, e-commerce platforms, or interactive service interfaces. The platform's ability to handle high volumes of data and users makes it ideal for enterprises serving large customer bases.

  • Organizations that need support in app development: Those without extensive in-house development teams or those new to custom app creation will find Blaze invaluable. The platform's dedicated support team assists with initial app development, providing guidance and expertise.

  • Data-intensive industries: Industries dealing with large amounts of data, such as finance, healthcare, or logistics, can leverage Blaze's integrated database and powerful data processing capabilities. The platform's ability to handle complex data structures and workflows makes it ideal for creating apps that require sophisticated data management and analysis.

  • Startups and scale-ups: Fast-growing companies that need to develop and iterate on their applications quickly will benefit from Blaze's flexibility and ease of use. The platform's scalability ensures that its applications can evolve and expand as the business grows without needing a complete overhaul.

Pricing

Blaze offers tiered pricing plans to fit your business needs:

  • Internal Plan ($400/month): This plan is ideal for internal use cases. It allows unlimited internal users, apps, data storage, and features like multi-source data syncing, robust data security, and role-based permissions. However, it does not include access for external users.

  • Enterprise Plan (Custom Pricing): Designed for organizations with complex security requirements and external user needs, this plan offers all the features of the Internal Plan, plus additional functionalities like custom APIs, branding, advanced user management, public web applications, and HIPAA compliance.

The Bottom Line

Blaze.tech stands out as the best AppSheet alternative by offering a balance of user-friendliness and advanced features.

Its ability to handle internal and public-facing applications, with dedicated support and an integrated database, makes it a versatile choice for businesses of various sizes and industries.

While it may require a higher initial investment than some alternatives, Blaze's comprehensive feature set and scalability could provide long-term value for organizations looking to streamline their app development process.

#2 Glide

Glide is another user-friendly alternative to AppSheet. It makes app creation easy through a three-step process: 

  1. You start by connecting your data from Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. 
  2. Then, you customize your app using one of Glide's many pre-built templates. 
  3. Finally, you publish and share your app with a unique link.

Glide allows you to build internal business tools like portals, dashboards, and directories without writing a single line of code.

Advantages Over AppSheet

  • Visual appeal: Glide takes care of the aesthetics for you. Your app looks polished from the get-go, and you can easily customize it further with drag-and-drop elements.

  • Integrates with spreadsheets: Glide works seamlessly with spreadsheets as your data source. This makes data management much easier, especially if you're already comfortable with tools like Excel or Google Sheets.

  • Rapid prototyping: Glide's user-friendly interface lets you create and launch functional prototypes much faster than AppSheet.

  • Design freedom: Glide offers more design freedom. With its attractive elements and intuitive design tools, you have more control over your app's look and feel.

Ideal Users

  • Those who want to build PWAs: Glide lets you build web apps but you can’t publish those apps on either the Apple App Store or on Google Play Store.

  • Agile startups: Glide provides unmatched speed for building simple apps. You can use Glide to prototype and test MVPs rapidly.

  • Non-technical teams and citizen developers: Because Glide is so easy to use, it allows citizen developers or those without much app-building experience to build simple tools like data entry apps, dashboards, or data collection forms.

Pricing

  • Free: Ideal for exploring and learning Glide’s core features.

  • Maker ($25/month): Ideal for creating apps for personal projects or communities.

  • Team ($99/month): Suitable for turning spreadsheets into tools for your team. Includes unlimited apps, 20 users, 5,000 updates, Glide Basic API, a signature pad, and Glide Support.

  • Business ($249/month): Designed for building powerful software on top of databases. Includes unlimited apps, 20 users, 10,000 updates, call API, and single sign-on (paid add-on). Support includes Glide Priority Support and personalized onboarding.

  • Enterprise (Custom pricing): Offers custom solutions for entire organizations. Features include custom terms, service-level agreements, domain monitoring, an account manager, and unlimited rows on queryable data sources.

The Bottom Line

Glide beats AppSheet with its free plan and easy-to-use platform for building progressive web apps directly from existing spreadsheet tools.

It has a strong, collaborative community and is ideal for building professional-looking apps. However, other options might be a better fit for projects that need extensive UI customization or complex functionalities.

#3 Airtable

Airtable stands out as a powerful AppSheet alternative with a database-centric approach that's both versatile and user-friendly.

While it may not match AppSheet's level of cloud integration, Airtable has unique strengths. It has many design templates, tools, and integrations to make data management easier and more efficient.

Advantages Over AppSheet

  • Intuitive database management: Airtable's core strength lies in its database functionality, making it easier to store, manage, and access data with greater flexibility.

  • Visual project management: Create detailed project views, such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and pivot tables, to effortlessly track tasks, deadlines, and milestones.

  • Customization: Adapt Airtable to your unique workflows with its flexible features and user-friendly interface.

  • Collaboration: Airtable excels at team collaboration, making it easy for multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously.

Ideal Users

  • Small businesses seeking advanced features beyond traditional spreadsheets: If your team is familiar with Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets but needs more capabilities, Airtable has features like custom fields, multiple views, and extensive integrations.

  • Teams that need visual project management: You can create detailed project views with ready-made templates, extensions, and scripts, including Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and pivot tables.

  • Freelancers and consultants tracking projects: Independent professionals can manage client projects, track billable hours, and organize their workload with Airtable.

    Its flexibility allows freelancers and consultants to create personalized systems that enhance business operations and productivity.

Pricing

  • Free: Ideal for individuals or very small teams. It offers unlimited bases, 1,000 records per base, up to 5 editors, and 1 GB of attachments per base.

  • Team ($20 per seat/month billed annually): Suitable for teams building apps with 50,000 records per base, 25,000 automation runs, 20 GB of attachments per base, and standard sync integrations.

  • Business ($45 per seat/month billed annually): For teams needing advanced features with 125,000 records per base, 100,000 automation runs, 100 GB of attachments per base, premium sync integrations, and enhanced security.

  • Enterprise scale (Custom pricing): Providing 500,000 records per base, 500,000 automation runs, 1,000 GB of attachments per base, on-premises sync integrations, and extensive admin controls.

The Bottom Line

Airtable’s intuitive design and powerful features make it a go-to solution for industries ranging from software development to marketing and e-commerce.

Whether tracking inventory, managing tasks, or storing ideas, Airtable's user-friendly approach lets you focus on your data and goals.

While it may not offer the same level of cloud integration as AppSheet, Airtable's database-centric model and flexibility make it a compelling alternative for many users.

#4 Noloco

Noloco is a compelling AppSheet alternative, especially for those looking for simplicity in app development. While it may be a smaller platform with fewer customization options, Noloco stands out for its ease of use.

It's designed for non-developers, making app creation accessible and intuitive. However, like AppSheet, it's not ideal for public-facing apps.

Additionally, it’s not HIPAA compliant, which may be a significant drawback for businesses handling sensitive health information or operating in highly regulated industries.

Advantages Over AppSheet

  • User-friendly: Noloco is designed for non-developers, offering an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy for anyone to build applications without technical expertise.

  • Professional-looking UI: Noloco has a polished user interface and a familiar app navigation sidebar, which provides users with a seamless, application-like experience and enhances both usability and aesthetics.

  • Pre-built components: It includes various pre-built components, such as user roles and permissions, which simplify the development process and allow for the quick creation of functional and visually appealing applications.

Ideal Users

  • Non-developers: Perfect for teams without a dedicated development staff who must build and manage internal tools.

  • Small to medium-sized businesses: Noloco provides features like assigning different levels of access and control to users (roles and permissions), which might be handy for businesses with different levels of security within their app infrastructure.

Pricing

Noloco offers three pricing tiers to suit various business needs:

  • Starter ($39/month): Ideal for small teams building apps and simple client portals. Includes 10 monthly active users, 5,000 rows, 2,500 synced rows, and 1,000 workflow runs.

  • Pro ($119/month): Ideal for growing teams building client portals and internal tools. Adds 50 monthly active users, 50,000 rows, 25,000 synced rows, 3,000 workflow runs, custom domain, record-level permissions, field-level permissions, and custom code capabilities.

  • Business ($255/month): Ideal for businesses needing connected solutions. Adds 100 monthly active users, 150,000 rows, 50,000 synced rows, 10,000 workflow runs, 3 builders, unlimited user roles, and priority syncing.

The Bottom Line

Noloco can improve the quality of internal apps by providing more power and a more intuitive user experience than AppSheet.

Noloco is a strong alternative to AppSheet for businesses seeking an easy-to-use, no-code platform. Its ability to create internal tools and external-facing components expands its use cases, particularly for small businesses.

However, it is limited in functionality compared to more robust platforms and is not HIPAA compliant, which might be a consideration for businesses in highly regulated industries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free version of AppSheet?

Yes, AppSheet offers a free version with basic features. This allows users to create simple apps and explore the platform's capabilities. However, the free version has limitations on the number of app users, rows of data, and available features compared to paid plans.

Does Google own AppSheet?

Yes, Google acquired AppSheet in January 2020. Since then, AppSheet has been integrated into Google Cloud, enhancing its capabilities and providing tighter integration with other Google services like Google Sheets and Google Drive.

Is AppSheet HIPAA compliant?

AppSheet is HIPAA compliant, but users must follow best practices for data security. Properly configuring access controls and data encryption is crucial to maintaining HIPAA compliance.

What's the best AppSheet alternative?

While there are several alternatives to AppSheet, Blaze.tech stands out as the best option for most users. Blaze offers a more user-friendly interface, dedicated support for app development, an integrated database, and the ability to create internal and public-facing apps.

It's particularly well-suited for businesses developing complex, customer-facing applications without extensive coding knowledge.

Next Steps with Blaze

We hope this review of AppSheet alternatives helps you make an informed decision about building an app for your business.Blaze is ideal for healthcare organizations, large enterprises, and startups seeking a secure, scalable, and user-friendly platform for developing internal and customer-facing applications — no coding skills are required.

Some key advantages of Blaze:

  • Intuitive design: Blaze's drag-and-drop interface enables quick and easy app development, even for inexperienced users.

  • Integrated database: Unlike AppSheet, Blaze includes a built-in database, simplifying data management and streamlining development.

  • Flexible workflows: Create and automate complex business processes with Blaze's customizable workflow builder tailored to your needs.

  • Dedicated support: Blaze provides comprehensive assistance, including help with initial app development and accelerating your project timeline.

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