Softr 2023: Year In Review
Mariam Hakobyan
CEO & FounderAs we reflect on another year of no-code and Softr, we feel grateful for all the amazing things we have achieved together. We shipped 50+ big and medium features, added 30+ portal and internal tools templates, hired great people, and grew our passionate user community from 100,000 to 300,000.
What inspired and excited us the most was seeing thousands of companies and operators adopt no-code tools, particularly Softr, for their work. From managing internal processes to client relationships, they were able to turn manual, siloed workflows into entire software systems!
Before we dive into what’s coming in 2024, let's take a brief moment to see what we managed to accomplish in 2023.
Want a full recap of 2023 and a deep dive into the upcoming year? Check out our webinar to learn it all.
More data sources
In addition to Airtable, Softr now also works with:
- Google Sheets
- SmartSuite (popular Airtable alternative)
In Q1 2024, we’ll open early access for Hubspot and BigQuery.
Softr Universe
The launch of Softr Universe was a big step toward our long-term mission: Building the largest no-code ecosystem.
Softr Universe is a place for everyone to discover and share Softr templates. You can showcase your Softr skills, generate new leads for your services, and be recognized as a top no-coder!
For this launch, we were honored to feature 10 Softr template creators and their unique creations. We are accepting applications on a rolling basis and plan on expanding beyond templates in 2024.
Softr AI App Generator
With the advancement of AI, we’ve always been on the lookout to harness the value it could bring to our users. Back in December 2022, we were the first no-code platform to introduce AI features, enabling builders to generate app copy and images with AI as well as create their own AI apps.
Fast forward to Oct 2023, we unveiled Softr AI App Generator.
Softr AI App Generator is a giant leap toward the next level of software building with nothing more than a simple prompt.
From client portals to internal tools (project tracker, intranet, CRM, etc), you can now generate full-fledged applications that include business logic, design, copywriting, user roles, permissions and data with just a simple prompt. Try it for yourself!
Action Buttons
We completely rebuilt how actions are performed in Softr. Buttons have long existed in Softr, but previously, you could only set up navigation actions, such as open URL, page, or modal. With the new action buttons, you can perform CRUD operations (add, edit, delete and one-click update) with the underlying data.
As a builder, you can set visibility rules based on logged-in state, user group, and item fields. You can read more about this launch here.
Charts revamped
Our charts got a makeover this year! Although they may look the same (for now), the way to set them up was completely changed with new functionalities added. Our new charts support aggregation, grouping, sorting, empty value handling, and more. To understand why we made these changes, check out our blog post.
Airtable OAuth + Workspace-level data sources
We have moved data source management to the workspace level.
This means that within the same workspace, any collaborator can:
- Add a data source to one app, and use it in other apps without re-connecting.
- Remove / re-authenticate a data source (except guest collaborators), and the change will take effect across all apps.
In addition, we have officially introduced OAuth as the new Airtable authentication method. Check out this blog post for more details.
Education
To help more people master Softr, we launched a series of video tutorials to showcase our core features and what you can build with them — portals, CRMs, inventory management, employee directories, and more!
Make sure to check out the rich library on our Youtube channel if you hit a roadblock or want to discover new use cases!
No-Code Summit 2023 in Paris
For the second consecutive year, we proudly sponsored and participated in the No-Code Summit, Europe's largest no-code conference. This was an amazing chance to connect with the no-code community and meet some long-time Softr fans.
The highlight of our summit experience was our big reveal of Softr's AI App Generator to the no-code world! The response was heartwarming, and it was a blast watching the community generate an app quicker than a coffee break.
What’s coming in 2024?
We couldn't be more excited for 2024 and can’t wait to announce the next big milestones and product updates we are working on!
Our main goals for the year are to…
- Make Softr more powerful for advanced business use cases — so you can cut your bills for other SaaS tools.
- Support a broader range of data sources, e.g. CRM, SQL databases, and more.
- Continue lowering the entry barrier of no-code.
And here’s how we’ll make them happen:
Fully re-built, upgraded blocks
We’re re-building all the blocks as a scalable system. The new version of blocks will…
- Have a modern design that looks amazing on all devices.
- Let you easily apply consistent colors, font, and other styling options throughout the app.
- Include long-waited features on certain layouts (e.g. Table, Calendar).
- Unlock the ability for blocks to auto-update.
Most importantly, the re-built blocks will serve as a good foundation for future improvements to be added a lot faster!
Flexible layouts for internal tools and portals
To allow Softr apps to match the experience and look and feel of typical internal tools and portals, we’ll be offering more layout options:
- Side-by-side blocks — great for dashboards and reporting.
- Navigation — top, side, or both!
Conditional forms
With our new multi-step conditional form, you’ll say good-bye to all other form builders. 😏
More actions & workflows
In 2024, more actions will be coming to your Softr apps:
- Trigger Webhook, Zapier, Make
- Print, download, duplicate, etc
- Bulk actions
- Inline editing
- Multi-step actions
User management 2.0
Managing users in Softr will be easier than ever with the addition of:
- Global data restriction
- Filtered user sync
- User invite flow automation
Security
We’re in the process of getting SOC2 certified. This will help Softr get adopted by your organization or clients more easily and ensure your operations and customer data are safe and secure.
AI as a tool for no-code development
AI is getting more powerful every day. We’ll continue leveraging AI to help you build better and more powerful business apps!
---------------------
These are just a few examples of what’s coming!
We look forward to having another exciting year with you!
New to Softr?
Build and launch your app in 30 minutes — no coding needed
