Your Guide to No Code Apps

No Code Apps

It's time to build a web app! But how do you get started? In the old days, you'd have to start by learning a programming language — a challenging process that could take weeks, months, or even years. The only alternative was outsourcing: expensive, time-consuming, and not guaranteed to get you everything that you want.

But today, there's a far better alternative: no code apps. A no code app builder makes it possible for anyone to build their own app at their own pace, putting in the features that they need, and supporting their own app into the future. No code apps make it possible to create an application with little to no programming experience at all. You just tell the app how you want it to perform, and like magic, it does it.

There are multiple types of no code app and no code app development platforms. Low-code apps do require some coding knowledge, but not a lot. You'll be able to do most of what you want through an easy-to-use framework, but you'll need to dig into the code under the hood to do anything more advanced. Open-source apps give you features that you need that have already been programmed for you, so you just plug it in—but you'll need some programming knowledge to tie it all together.

Truly no code app development programs like Lumavate don't require programming at all. Instead, you just jump in and tell the app what you want it to do. The best no code app builder is going to free you up to create a complex, responsive application without having to learn any programming. Lumavate has been specifically designed for marketers, so they can develop an app without any additional hassle.

Mobile App Builder

You need to make a mobile app. Where do you start? A mobile app builder. A mobile app builder provides you with a starting point, so you don't have to begin developing an app from scratch.

Throughout 2018 and 2019 there was an emphasis on the development of low code platforms for specific types of application development. Here are some of the best.

• The Best App Builder 2018. Zoho Creator, Kony, Fliplet, GameSalad, and Bizness Apps were all low-code app builders that helped app designers get started. 
• The Best App Builder 2019. AppyPie, Bizness Apps, Shoutem, AppSheet, and Siberian CMS were some of the app development products that topped the market for business applications.

But all these builders had something in common: they were low-code, not no code. Lumavate has become one of the top competitors in the mobile app building space for two reasons. First, it's a truly no code environment. Second, it's developed for marketers, not just businesses. It has an extensive library that includes everything a marketer needs to create an advanced, robust app. Third, every app built on Lumavate is deployed as a Progressive Web App (PWA). PWAs are the future of mobile app development, seamlessly blending the benefits of native apps and web apps together.

Lumavate’s No Code App Builder

Lumavate is the leading no code PWA builder. Lumavate allows marketers to be agile in the app development space because they enable everyone to create no code Progressive Web Apps within days. Contrast that to hiring a company, which would be expensive and not necessarily get the results that the company needed. Otherwise, a marketer would need to learn advanced programming skills, which is not necessarily a skill set traditional to marketing education. The best no code platforms are made for a no code developer to help.

Marketers are able to update and edit their application at their own pace. They don't need to fear that their app won't be supported in the future because they lose connection with their developer. And they won't need to pay for every update. They can update their app based on the results that they're getting, just as marketers need to do, rather than going into an expensive and time-consuming product cycle.

Lumavate deploys PWA apps under its no code development platforms. PWA apps are better than native apps, because they don't require downloads. Despite this, a PWA can live on an individual's device by placing an icon on their home screen, just like a native app. PWAs can be used to create a universal online platform for a business, thereby cutting down on the marketer's management time.

PWAs are also incredible tools for building digital experiences for any step in the customer journey. Want to market an event your company is hosting but don't want to pay thousands for a companion app? You could use Lumavate to cut the cost drastically.

Lumavate isn't just a no code web app builder; it's the best no code web app builder. It's a true software builder without programming. Many no code development platforms actually do require some programming, and Lumavate does not. Through the web application builder, you can create something from nothing in just a few minutes of time. And you can continue to modify and support it as needed.

Free App Builder

Think there's no such thing as a free lunch? Think again. Free app builders are becoming increasingly popular, especially among citizen developers, because they’re cheap and easy to get started.

Here are some of the most popular free web app builder suites and the best free app builder 2018:

• buildfire.js. A robust free app builder service, buildfire.js gives you everything you need in an open source package but with a caveat: you need to know programming.
• Swiftic. Swiftic comes with templates so that marketers are able to create apps quickly, but it still requires programming knowledge for more advanced features.
• GoodBarber. GoodBarber focuses on beautiful apps, and it can create these apps on-the-fly. But again, advanced features need to be hard coded in.

But if you want to know who the best no code platform is that has a free subscription plan, it’s Lumavate. Get started for free here! 

Appy Pie

Appy Pie is one of the best free app builders of 2019, but it's still not going to be what most marketers need to create a robust solution. There are pros to Appy Pie. It's completely free and it gives developers a great starting off point. Most people will be able to create a reasonable app fairly quickly even if they can't tailor it specifically to the features that they need. 

But there are cons, too. You'll be able to build an app without code, but it won't be a PWA. It will be a native app. Native apps need to be distributed through stores, which requires that they be accepted into stores. Native apps have to be downloaded, which cuts down on adoption. And native apps have to be separately maintained from websites.

Appy Pie isn't fully flexible because it is based on templates, and if you use a lot of resources, you are going to have to pay for those resources. So, while the development is completely free, there can also still be some additional costs.

Some of the best free app builder 2019 is not going to have the professional features most marketers need, unlike Lumavate. Lumavate is the best free no code app builder because there are more than 35 app templates and a ton of tutorials and videos to get you building your first no code app! Free no code application development can be a place to start if you need to build an app quickly but don’t have years of coding experience. 

APK Creator

An APK Creator is essentially a generator for very simple web apps. While it's a no code company, it means that the app is going to be extraordinarily simple. Do you want to be an Android app creator? If you want to just create something like a wallpaper for your business, that will work. If you want to create a robust app that has a lot of features, it's not going to be an excellent solution.

APK creators are true no code platforms Gartner, but they aren't advanced platforms. As a marketer, you need to balance what you need, and avoid compromising on the features that are going to be important to your audience.  You might search ‘no code web app builder free’ or a ‘no code game developer program’ if you are wanting to meet your audience on the device they love the most - mobile. Give Lumavate a try if you want to deliver an exceptional user experience.  

At the same time, APK creators can be used if a business wants to release some additional small apps and tools, to further its reach.

Mendix

Mendix is considered to be one of the more commonly known platforms  in low code solutions for the commercial audience. For those who already have some programming and development background and who want to start experimenting with apps, Mendix could be a solution. It does cost money, and Mendix open source is lacking; you're going to need to use the proprietary solution and its own internal low code environment.

The downside of Mendix is that it's low code, not no code. Lumavate allows users to build apps from scratch without touching a single line of code! Lumavate’s platform borrows from the idea of open source development. Open source is particularly important because an open source solution means that you can grab features that have already been programmed and are already quite advanced, rather than having to invent the wheel each time. 

Low code app development Google packages still require some amount of programming knowledge. And while you might have an open source coding platform available, the open source development platform is a low code open source framework, not a no code open source framework.

Open Source No Code App Builder

What about an open source no code app builder? A no code web app builder open source platform can be either commercial for free. But there are marked differences in both features and support.

No code development open source does have some advantages. There are often thriving communities built around the open source no code app builder, providing an assortment of solutions that are plug-and-play. But an open source solution is unlikely to be truly no code. Any open source no code app builder will demand a certain level of programming. Skyve, for instance, is an enterprise solution that's quite robust and involved, and because of that, it's low code rather than no code.

An open source no code platform also doesn't usually have any direct support. With a commercial suite, you have help if you need it.

Try building no code apps today with Lumavate. Getting started is free!