Everything You Need to Know About a No-Code App Development Platform

Everything You Need to Know About a No-Code App Development Platform
Published

28 Nov 2022

Content

Laxmi Hari Nepal

In 2020, there were more than 218 billion app downloads worldwide.

In recent years, mobile apps have taken the world by storm. People use apps on smartphones, tablets, and computers for all kinds of tasks, and apps are getting better every year.

Plenty of people have great ideas for mobile apps but are unable to make them a reality – developing an app is no small task. Fortunately, there are now ways to develop apps without being able to code, making it much easier for people to bring their ideas to life.

For a rundown of everything you need to know about a no-code app development platform, keep reading.

What Is No-Code App Development Platform?

No-code app development involves using a specially designed platform to create an app without the need to produce any code. These platforms use a visual environment that you can interact with to build an app the way you want it.

Most people don’t know much (if anything) about coding but can use such a platform to make their idea a reality.

Benefits of No-Code App Development Platform

No-code app development platforms can be ideal for individuals as well as businesses. For those who have expansive coding knowledge, these benefits may not be so important. For the majority of people without any coding experience, the benefits of no-code app development can be huge.

Open to Anyone

Perhaps the biggest benefit of no-code mobile app development is that anyone can do it. In the past, any kind of software development took a high degree of technical knowledge. Now some platforms make it possible for people to quickly and easily create functional applications.

People are often worried that using no-code app development can be very limiting. It may not offer the same flexibility as custom app development, but there is still plenty of freedom.

You can build an app from scratch or modify existing templates. These can be edited so that you can create a unique app that looks fully professional with ease.

Cost-Effective

Due to the high level of skill involved with traditional app development, it tends to cost more than the no-code route. App developers can charge high amounts, and depending on your situation, this may not be in your budget.

No-code app development doesn’t require any coding, so you don’t have to worry about these high rates. It’s also much quicker, so you can save a lot of man-hours.

Despite that, it’s worth noting that when hiring developers, you tend to get what you pay for. Trying to cut corners and using the cheapest option will often yield the worst results.

Other resources may come with custom development, which can add to the overall cost of a project. You may need to get licences from third-party services, and there can be hosting costs.

Faster Prototyping

Being able to get things done faster is always a benefit. The overall amount of time it takes will vary depending on the app you’re building.

As you can work and get through any prototyping faster, your final product will be completed much sooner than it would be if you developed it using traditional methods.

Better Agility

Whether it’s building or testing, no-code development can automate various processes. This can allow your team to take care of simple, repetitive tasks with ease. They’ll then have more time available to work on more important elements of the application.

There are likely to be aspects that need to be changed throughout development. This can also be much quicker.

Improved Innovation

No-code development opens up mobile app development to a much larger number of people. As such, there can be more creativity, originality, and innovation in the app development space.

With more people turning their ideas into functional apps, users will have a much wider selection of apps to choose from. More people will also be inspired by the creations of others, leading to further innovation.

Business Alignment

Having a larger portion of your workforce taking part in app development will get people working across more departments. This will give everyone a better idea of how others are working and what they should be producing.  When people work like this, it increases productivity and gets everyone on the same page.

Better Collaboration

As members from different teams will be working together, it will be easier for them to collaborate. People can bounce ideas off each other to come up with better solutions.

Anyone can jump in and contribute suggestions. There’s no waiting around for anyone to finish writing code, so it’s easier for your team members to ask others for help when they need it.

Rogue IT Risk Alleviation

Rogue IT (also known as shadow IT) is when people within an organization use unsanctioned IT resources. Using a no-code app development platform can ensure more structure and accountability within an IT team. This can reduce rogue IT activities and ensure better regulation throughout your company.

Development Through Iterations

While developing a mobile app, you’re likely to want to make changes and updates. This is easily done with a no-code app development platform. It’s incredibly useful during the development stage, as you can easily implement new ideas and improvements as they come.

What Can You Build Without Code?

Coding allows a developer to build whatever app they want from the ground up. Despite that, no-code app development platforms are far from limited.

In most cases, you’ll be able to build the exact app you want just as well as you would if it was coded. The fact that you can do it faster and at a much lower cost make these platforms the better choice in many situations.

Some common types of business applications that people create using these platforms include:

  • CRM (customer relationship management)
  • Help desk management
  • Asset management
  • Project management
  • Task management
  • HRMS (human resource management system)
  • Employee self-service

E-commerce apps are a common choice. It’s easy to add a cart app that allows for inventory control, payment processing, product catalogues, and more. There’s a range of other possibilities with no-code development such as websites, back-end software, and IoT integration.

Why Use EB Pearls?

No-code app development platforms have been one of the biggest tech trends in recent years. More organizations are opting for no-code platforms over traditional coding.

When looking at mobile app development companies, there are plenty of options. EB Pearls offers various benefits that make it one of the best choices available.

Initial Consultation

You can book a free 1-hour consultation to discuss your app idea. We’ll look at the value of your proposition as well as the market potential to see how viable it is. We’ll also provide a proposal with details of the work and efforts needed for the project.

Multi-Platform Development

If you want to create an app for a specific platform, the team at EB Pearls has been developing both iPhone and Android apps for years. We also offer hybrid app development if you want to create something that works on both operating systems.

UX/UI Design

UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) are two of the most important elements of any app. With our years of experience in app development, we can produce a solid foundation from which to build your application.

DevOps

While no-code app development presents a lot of potential, you still might require the help of professional developers. Our team are some of the most skilled developers around. We’ll ensure your project is completed in good time and to your exact specifications.

Hiring a Team

You may have a project ready, but you won’t get far without a team. We can help find the perfect developers to make up a team that can see your project through.

Team Augmentation

It’s possible that you already have a team, but you’re just missing a few pieces. If you don’t want to take on any new team members, but need some additional support for a specific project, team augmentation can be the best solution.

We’ll help find workers with the exact skills you need. This can be one of the most efficient ways of enhancing your team to get things done effectively.

Alternatives

No-code development is becoming more popular with time. Despite this, there are some other options that have their own advantages.

Custom Development

The main advantage of custom development is that it’s highly flexible when compared to other options. It does, however, come with some disadvantages.

It’s a more complex process, and therefore takes a lot longer. This also leads to higher costs, and there can be more complications throughout development.

COTS

COTS (commercial-off-the-shelf) solutions are readily available, and there are plenty of options. Many work well for user needs, but they can also come with limitations and a lack of flexibility.

With no-code development, these issues can be avoided. You can develop with a lot more freedom, building an app that meets your specific needs.

Low-Code Development

Organizations often mix up no-code development and low-code development. As the names suggest, no-code development requires no coding at all, while there is a small amount present in low-code development.

This means that at least some coding knowledge is necessary for low-code development. It’s therefore more complicated and can take longer. The main advantage is that it provides more flexibility – though not as much as custom development.

Is No-Code App Development Ideal for Your Business?

If your business needs to build an app, you can opt for any of the options available. Leveraging no-code development may be the best of these, depending on your resources as well as your needs.

If you want to avoid coding, this is the way to go. It’s also the best choice if you’re working on a tight timeline.

It’s important to remember that you won’t have as much flexibility with no-code app development, so if this is a major concern, you might be better off exploring other options. Custom app development will give you the most flexibility but will also require more time and money.

For a midground between these, low-code app development can be ideal. You’ll have a good degree of flexibility, but it will still be a lot more cost-effective and faster than custom app development.

There are several no-code app development platforms available. Each one has its own pros and cons, which can help someone decide which platform to use.

Bubble

This is one of the most popular choices for web apps. You can build, test, and share apps without any code, and Bubble will host and deploy them for you. It’s mobile-friendly and doesn’t place a limit on the number of users, data storage, or traffic volume.

One of the only drawbacks is that it’s more focused on consumer app building rather than adding to existing projects. It can also become quite expensive as your app scales up.

Appy Pie

Appy Pie gives users various templates and colour themes that they can use to build apps. They also provide a range of courses on building applications for all skill levels. You can even use Appy Pie offline.

Several users have noted bugs that they’ve experienced on the platform. Some also suggest that their customer support isn’t as good as it could be.

Airtable

Airtable is ideal for large organizations to create apps to the exact specification required. It’s got a very intuitive design, making it easy to use. There are also plenty of pre-built apps that you can use to help build yours.

Unfortunately, it isn’t quite as comprehensive as some other options around. It could also be seen as more of a project management tool rather than a full app-building platform.

AppSheet

AppSheet allows for full app building with a range of features such as barcode scanning, report generation, email communication, and more. They have a how-to guide and various videos to help you through the process.

Due to how much the platform offers, it can be difficult to figure out at first. There’s a fairly steep learning curve compared to the other options, but the results are top tier once you know what you’re doing.

Finding the Right App Development Platform

When looking for an app development platform, you need to pick one based on what it offers in comparison to your needs. If you need more flexibility, you may want to consider opting for low-code or customer app development.

EB Pearls is a leading software design and development company based in Sydney. Our team of trained professionals can provide whatever you need to create your app quickly and efficiently. To find out more about our services, click here to contact us today.

Laxmihari Nepal

Laxmi Hari leads the Agile transformation in our organisation, creating a culture that embraces agile practices. He trains and coaches our employees to adopt agile methodologies, instill agile values, and develop an agile mindset, resulting in improved performance.

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“We’re very happy with the results of EB Pearls’ work. Since its launch, the app has had over 7,000 downloads, with around 6,000 users completing the signup process in the first 6 weeks. ”

Giuseppe Saffioti
Giuseppe Saffioti

— Founder at Intro Dating