Our Favorite No Code Tools

WHAT EXACTLY IS NO CODE/LOW CODE?

You’ve probably heard this term being thrown around, and wondering exactly what it means. Don't people use code (lots of code) to make these no-code tools? A no-code platform is a development platform that uses a visual development environment to allow layman users to create apps, through methods such as drag-and-drop, adding application components to create a complete application. With no-code, users don't need prior coding knowledge to create apps, and if they do know how to code, no-code tools serve an even greater purpose.

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IT'S TRENDING.

IDC estimates 2.57 million low-code and no-code developers in the world at the outset of 2019," said Arnal Dayaratna, research director, Software Development at IDC. "In particular, there are 1.76 million low-code developers and 0.81 million no-code developers that represent 7.5% and 3.5% of the world's developer population, respectively. Notably, low-code and no-code developers respectively account for 4.0% and 0.8% of the world's full-time developer population. IDC expects demand for rapid application development to significantly expand both low-code and no-code developer populations within the next three to five years.

Ryan Hover, said it best, "As creating things on the internet becomes more accessible, more people will become makers. It’s no longer limited to the <1% of engineers that can code resulting in an explosion of ideas from all kinds of people."

Things have actually been trending in this direction for some-time-now (MongoDB, AWS, Vue.js, plugins, etc. The trend is your friend, and this trend has wonderful upside. Here are 5 no-code tools that I have personally found to be helpful, and use on a regular basis on top of traditional coding tools.

Let's get started.

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MAKERPAD

The easiest way to learn how to build applications using no-code tools. Makerpad has been a useful tool for us to explore different applications and to see how others have built amazing no-code applications.

WEBFLOW:

If Figma and Gatsby had a baby it would be called Webflow. In my personal opinion, Webflow is the absolute best no-code application on the market. Can't live without it. Gatsby and React been all the buzz lately, and rightfully so, but Webflow takes component and overall UI building to another level. The best part is, you can export your website or mock directly into Netlify for free static hosting. Some no-code tools can actually save you money.

MEMBERSTACK:

MemberStack allows you to build member-only sites, dashboards, web apps, and intranets with your favorite web design tools. A little over a year ago Python and Firebase (a great low code tool Google bought several years ago) were my go-tos. I was stubborn to use MemberStack at first, but once I did it was a game changer, that saved me so, so, so much time. Also, MemberStack has smart, kind and extremely helpful founders, that make it easy to get started. You can also get it touch with us if you need any MemberStack help.

GOOGLE SHEETS:

It's crazy to see the things people have been building with just a spreadsheet (a powerful spreadsheet). Google has even been buying no-code applications (AppSheet: 60M). Sheetsu and Glide are great no-code tools that take advantage of using Google Sheets as-a-database through an API. Is it possible for the next great app to build it's MVP using Google Sheets as-a-backend? Hey, it could happen.

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ZAPIER:

Zapier doesn't need much of an explanation. It provides automation for busy people. Zapier moves info between your web apps automatically, so you can focus on your work. You can build processes faster and get more done—no code required.

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These are just, a few, of the hundreds of no-code tools available. If you have any additional questions or need any help please feel free to reach out to me (jw@orangecattle.com) or contact us here.