Feel blessed that you’re living in 2024 — because thanks to no-code app builders, no small and medium business (SMB) has to deal with complex codes or write big checks to get any app built. These let you create fully functional and user-friendly apps by simply editing templates, with no coding or costly investment.
And do note — that the no-code app builders of today don’t compromise on features and scalability like in the recent past. With powerful automation and Generative AI upgrades, they are capable of:
- Building tools that fit your unique business needs without requiring any programming skills
- Automating manual and repetitive workflows to scale operations
- Integrating seamlessly with the tools you already use, like Google Sheets!
That’s exciting for any SMB looking to scale — and we have done the legwork by narrowing down the five best free no-code app builders of 2024 based on pricing, features, and integrations.
Now, let’s dive deeper into each of our top no-code app builders:
1. Softr — best free no-code app builder for making internal tools and portals
G2 rating: 4.8/5
Capterra rating: 4.7/5
Softr allows you to build custom apps on top of databases like Google Sheets, Airtable, SmartSuite, BigQuery, and HubSpot. If you’re already familiar with or use these tools for your operations, then you’re just one step away from having a functional app to further streamline and automate business workflows.
From internal tools, client portals, and community hubs, to applicant trackers — Softr helps build these complex apps but without the difficulty of it. The AI app generator and templates cover most of your work and you’re just left to edit them to your liking and business requirements.
Thus, if you need to build a low-maintenance, easy-to-launch app in a few hours, Softr is the best no-code app builder.
Softr pricing:
Free Plan: Softr offers the best free no-code app builder plan ideal for launching fully functional web apps with no investment. You get unlimited app visitors, access to key components, and a custom domain.
Paid Plan: To add custom CSS, build progressive web apps for mobile, use advanced components, and remove the Softr branding — you can opt for its paid plan starting from $49/month (if paid yearly).
Softr features:
- Layouts: custom design your app with 30+ dynamic layouts and 100+ pre-built blocks on the visual builder.
- Memberships: create secure user accounts and member-only content
- Payments: implement free trials, allow coupons, and collect payments via Stripe
- SEO: optimize lists and pages for search engines
- Make it interactive: allow on-page editing and dynamically display or add data
Softr integrations:
Softr offers 20+ integrations with industry-leading apps across analytics tools, payment gateways, email marketing, and more.
2. Bubble — best no-code app builder for making custom full-stack apps
G2 rating: 4.4/5
Capterra rating: 4.6/5
Looking to build the next Facebook or a FinTech application? — Bubble provides flexibility to build any custom web apps across SaaS, marketplaces, social media platforms, etc without code.
It mirrors traditional coding – but uses its visual programming language and interface. This means you can control your app’s appearance, design custom components, or define database structure in a visual editor.
But this flexibility comes with a steep learning curve, often requiring time spent on YouTube tutorials or investing in Bubble experts/freelancers for help. Also, you can export data, but not the code, which means you are tied to the platform.
Bubble pricing:
Free plan: allows full-editor access to launch a basic app on a development version that can consume up to 50k workload units per month.
Paid plan: if you want to make your app live, use a custom domain, design complex workflows, and need more workload units, then you can opt for a paid plan starting at $32/month.
Bubble features:
- Logic drag-and-drop editor: click-by-click control how your user navigates your app and design at the pixel level.
- Build responsive apps: you can customize your app’s responsiveness and control how it adjusts across devices.
- Plugins: offers a marketplace for custom plugins that help enhance functionality and integrate with external apps.
Bubble integrations:
Bubble allows you to integrate with 6,500+ Bubble plugins and 30+ third-party app integrations to enhance your apps’ functionality and seamlessly share or sync data.
3. Flutterflow — best no-code app builder for making mobile apps
G2 rating: 4.4/5
Capterra rating: 4.4/5
Flutterflow can help you build mobile apps without code using its simple drag-and-drop editor. Its best use case is to build apps that require real-time data syncing or sharing — so it is great for chat-based apps, collaborative tools, dashboards that showcase live data, etc.
If you’re looking to quicken your pace to enter the mobile market with your app’s concept, then Flutterflow is a good option. It also allows you to export the code if you require to migrate to other platforms in the future.
Though you can design the Flutterflow app across multiple devices, reviews suggest its ‘web app’ is clunky and lags quite often.
Flutterflow pricing:
Free plan: allows access to visual application builder and components to launch the app under Flutterflow’s subdomain and branding.
Paid plan: if you want to make your app live in a custom domain or download the APK and code, you can explore its paid plans starting at $30 per month. Also, it does offer location-based discounts.
Flutterflow features:
- Cloud functions: direct integration with Firebase allows you to deploy Firebase Cloud Functions directly inside of FlutterFlow.
- Code export: generate Flutter code that can easily run on Android, iOS, desktops, and the web.
- Storyboarding: design apps with a drag-and-drop builder interface, 170+ pre-built components, and 65+ pre-built widgets. Then, visualize and optimize the app’s flow with the storyboard view.
Flutterflow integrations:
Flutterflow integrations include only 10 basic apps like Google Maps, Gemini AI, Google Analytics, etc.
4. Glide — best no-code app builder for building mobile apps
G2 rating: 4.7/5
Capterra rating: 4.5/5
If your business relies on Google Sheets, then Glide can streamline your operations by helping you build mobile apps on top of your formulas and data. You can build portals, CRMs, knowledge bases, etc across marketing, sales, human resources, IT, and more. With its intuitive visual editor and 400+ templates, Glide is quite beginner-friendly and doesn’t require help from external developers.
But Glide’s simplicity is also its major drawback, where you’re limited to simple apps and may be required to use integrations to design advanced workflows.
Glide pricing:
Free plan: Glide’s free plan is suitable for indie makers to build one app using Glide tables or Google Sheets with only 10 users.
Paid Plan: if you’re a business and want to access integrations, custom CSS, AI features, and multiple data sources, then the basic paid plan starts at $125/month.
Glide features:
- Templates: provides 400+ templates and 40+ components that help custom design your mobile app.
- Responsive: Glide is suitable for mobile apps, but you can deploy it to adapt to multiple devices.
- Connect to apps: you can build automated actions by connecting multiple apps to share and sync data.
Glide integrations:
Glide offers 40 third-party integration options across calendar apps, email marketing, payments, messaging, and more.
5. Zapier Interfaces — best no-code app builder for workflow automation
G2 rating: 4.5/5
Capterra rating: 4.7/5
Zapier has expanded its automation platform to help businesses automate their internal processes using landing pages, conditional forms, and automated workflows (or zaps). This adds a visual layer to existing workflows, enabling the creation of basic functional apps without starting from scratch or learning new tools.
With Interfaces, you can build branded portals, and CRMs, design chatbots, tracking systems, AI generators, and more. However, these apps may lack advanced logic and could lead to managing numerous software as you scale.
Zapier Interfaces pricing:
Free plan: Forever free to build two interfaces using basic components.
Paid plan: To add conditional logic, branding, a custom domain, and more interfaces, choose their paid plan starting at $20/month. Note that workflow automation, chatbots, and table features require additional add-on purchases.
Zapier Interfaces features:
- Conditional logic forms: build interactive forms to collect data and trigger specific Zaps based on user input.
- Canvas: visual builder that helps you build and automate processes just like drawing a diagram.
- Analyze data: you can generate reports based on the data collected through interfaces to further improve business processes.
Zapier Interfaces integrations:
Zapier allows you to integrate with 7300+ apps to share and sync data.
More options — explore open source no-code app builders
Open source no-code app builders offer the source code openly. This means you can modify, enhance, and customize the software according to your needs. Here are five best options to explore:
- Budibase: best for building self-hosted no-code business apps
- NocoBase: best for building no-code collaboration platforms and management systems
- Tooljet: best for building no-code internal tools
- Motor Admin: best for launching custom no-code admin panels
- Baserow: best for managing databases without code
Take the first step to build no-code apps with Softr’s forever-free plan
If you’re looking to upgrade from Google Sheets or expensive business software, but still not sure if no-code app builders are your end game, then Softr’s free plan offers a perfect no-strings-attached way to explore its viability.
Build fully functional, custom-branded apps to see how they enhance your business operations — sign up for free to get started.
What is Softr
Softr is the easiest way to turn your data into powerful business apps—no code required. Connect to your spreadsheet or database, customize layout and logic, and share with your team or clients.
Join 700,000+ users worldwide, building client portals, internal tools, CRMs, dashboards, project management systems, inventory management apps, and more—all without code.
Join 700,000+ users worldwide, building client portals, internal tools, CRMs, dashboards, project management systems, inventory management apps, and more—all without code.
Get started free
Harshala Chavan
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