Softr is a solution for everyone who wants to build software, web portals, and web apps in minutes without needing a developer’s help. This solution is powered by building blocks so you can create software using your data without needing to write a single line of code.
Of course, Softr is a very useful tool, but it has its cons that might make you want to look for an alternative. Most of these cons are related to limited customizability.
Certain functionality isn’t built in such as the conditional logic. Figuring out things such as junction tables could be a hassle for a beginner.
Down below, I have listed some of the best Softr alternatives that work very similarly to Softr and yet have a different set of features and functionality so stay tuned!
Best Softr Alternatives
Each one of these picks makes a great Softr alternative and it’s up to you to find out which one would suit your needs the best!
1. Glide
Just like Softr, Glide helps you create software and web apps from scratch by using your data without needing a developer’s help.
It is a business-oriented alternative that has integrated building templates useful for building things like delivery planners, customer portals, inventory trackers, application managers, business reports, and much more.
You can still take advantage of your data from various sources such as even CSV and make a customer portal from it with the help of these templates and building blocks.
Other sources you can use to pull your data include Google Drive, Excel, BigQuery, and other similar sources.
Glide is a bit better at introducing conditional logic since it can automatically combine math and logic without you having to deal with codes and formulas.
This is neatly done in comparison to Softr which can be a bit complicated for beginners when it comes down to creating columns from your data and powering it up even if it involves math.
Automation is another strong point of Glide which is another slight advantage over Softr. With Glide, you can automate certain business features by fully customizing columns but also combining actions that come in a drag-and-drop style.
Even when you create an app or software from your data and you customize it to your needs, you can always introduce new data, and your app/software will automatically get refreshed and stay in sync with your database.
Instead of having to worry about manually modifying the apps and software, you only import more data and it should be visible in the existing apps/software.
Even though Glide is more business-oriented, it can also serve individuals thanks to a bunch of features that prove to be useful but also improve versatility.
There are two pricing menus, one is for individuals and the other one is for businesses, and here’s the pricing at the time of writing:
Individuals
- Free – $0
- Starter – $25/month
- Pro – $99/month
Businesses
- Pro – $99/month
- Business – $249/month
- Enterprise – $799/month
2. Noloco
Noloco is a great Softr alternative that is highly focused on businesses that need to make apps and software for their teams.
With the help of internal tools you can build with Noloco, teams can improve the company’s workflow and take advantage of their data, and put it to better use while simplifying the operations.
Noloco comes with pre-designed building blocks that you can drag and drop to create your tools. These building blocks are focused on creating forms, collections, workflows, charts, or even comments and actions that teams can benefit from.
One of the biggest Noloco advantages over Softr is the ability to choose your preferred layout for data after the import.
For example, Noloco features many more styles you can use to shape your data than Softr, so you’ll find Kanban boards, maps, single-record view cards, as well as standard tables, columns, and rows.
Data integration is simple and Noloco can help you pull data from Airtable, and also other sources such as Google Sheets, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and others.
What’s great is that Noloco is constantly introducing more sources you can pull your data which can make a huge difference when choosing an alternative. At the time of writing, Noloco is working on introducing data migration from Xano.
So overall, with such a narrow focus, Noloco helps teams see data differently, simplifies the process, keeps control over the company’s data, and helps build internal tools that the company can use to improve and simplify operations within the company (as well as the collaboration).
When it comes down to pricing, Noloco also has a free plan which is great for starting out, but if you’re looking to upgrade, here are available options:
- Pro – $29/per user/per month
- Business – $49/per user/per month
- Enterprise – Custom quote
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3. Webflow
Webflow is another tool to consider if you’re looking for more versatility when it comes down to building web apps and portals. While Softr slightly focuses on web development, Webflow is all about providing all types of web development without actually needing a developer.
While Webflow features certain templates, its ability expands even further than templates you get to follow so you can expect a lot more customizability to fit your creativity and specific issues you might need a solution for.
Also, with a high focus on marketing, Webflow helps reduce engineering that goes behind the scenes so you can fully focus on creating a web asset that can be anything from a single-page landing page to a full-set website, or even an eCommerce store.
You can also make portals that even feature monetization in place, so you’ll be able to create campaigns, and optimize the site on the go, but also connect your websites and web developments with marketing.
This is something that Softr doesn’t do and it’s Webflow’s biggest advantage for individuals, teams, or companies who are looking to simplify their data, create web assets that can help them, and even tie it in with marketing purposes.
So while Webflow is a lot more powerful since it reaches beyond templates and highly focuses on web assets and marketing, it can be a very great alternative for someone who needs these types of solutions.
When it comes down to pricing, there are two plans, General and eCommerce, and here is the latest pricing at the time of writing:
General
- Starter – Free
- Basic – $14/month
- CMS – $23/month
- Business – $39/month
eCommerce
- Standard – $29/month
- Plus – $74/month
- Advanced – $212/month
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4. Bubble
Bubble is focused on providing a no-code platform where you can build apps, tools, and software easily and quickly without having to hire developers.
In this aspect, it’s very similar to Softr, but where it stands out is the addition that includes additional features such as marketplace and agencies, alongside the improved functionality.
The main reason you might want Bubble is to pull your data and have it create prototypes of various types (depending on your choice) such as web pages, digital assets, and web applications that provide an expandable infrastructure.
This means that you can create a prototype by using your data, and whenever you get more data, you can expand the existing prototype by keeping your data and the work you did with Bubble in sync.
But besides that, Bubble also helps users by introducing forums where you can hang out and get help or inspiration from other Bubble users (who come from all walks of life).
There are also integrations that make versatile and highly functional apps, and a marketplace where you can find templates, plugins, and any type of elements that will help you turn your vision into an app.
This is something that Softr doesn’t feature and that’s why Bubble might be a better alternative pick. And on top of that, Bubble even features an agencies tab where you can find freelancers, developers, or any type of freelancer if you ever decide to outsource certain things that you could fill into your Bubble projects.
Therefore, you can create a prototype using your data, launch a web-based platform/tool when you’re ready, and help your team by taking advantage of your creation, and even expand it as your data or team grows.
Another great thing about Bubble is that it is free to get started and you’ll pay as you grow with the wisely created pricing plans:
- Starter – Free
- Personal – $25/month
- Professional – $115/month
- Production – $475/month
- Custom – Contact for a quote
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5. Ycode
Ycode is all about visually providing you with tools and templates that you can use to transform your data into ideas and as a result get data-driven websites, web projects, tools, or web software.
The biggest advantage of Ycode is that it features a very visual building designer. It’s a lot more versatile and expansive, and it’s easier to use in comparison to Softr’s designer.
It’s packed with features that aren’t usually available in similar tools, and some of these features include animations, the ability to design properties from scratch, and the use of pre-built layouts on top of the existing templates.
On top of that, Ycode also focuses on search engine optimization, marketing, and authentication, and it even provides its hosting so you really get almost everything you need in one place. This is another advantage over Softr because Softr doesn’t pay a lot of attention to marketing the apps and tools you build.
When it comes down to pricing, you can start importing your data and building your projects for free. However, if you decide to upgrade to unlock Ycode’s full functionality, you can choose one of the following pricing plans:
- Basic – $12/month
- Business – $24/month
- Enterprise – Contact for inquiry
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6. AppSheet
AppSheet is a simplified alternative to Softr because it features a very simple interface where you can get started by importing your data.
It allows you to import your data from various cloud-based services such as Google Sheets, Forms, and Excel from Office 365, Dropbox, and Box, but you can even integrate data from Smartsheet and Salesforce.
The whole process of creating a web-based app/tool is simplified to seven steps that guide you from preparing and importing data.
Additionally, you’ll also learn the AppSheet editor and capabilities, decide how you will use your data, customize the look and feel of the app, create automations via bots, and then it’s all about testing and deploying your app.
While it might be way too simple for some companies or users, it is a very detailed and thorough process with all the necessary features that are ideal for individuals, smaller teams, companies, and even enterprises.
From advanced features, you can find machine learning modeling, enhanced application security, and a lot of ways to get help if you get stuck.
When it comes down to pricing, there’s no free membership, but AppSheets is very affordable and you can choose between one of the following pricing plans:
- Starter – $5/user/month
- Core – $10/user/month
- Enterprise Standard – request a quote
- Enterprise Plus – request a quote
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7. Stacker
Stacker is a solid Softr alternative if you’re looking for a solution that focuses on teams and the way teams use a company’s data to make progress.
With Stacker, you get a no-coding solution that helps you create custom software with the help of building elements. With these building elements, you create software for your own needs that your team will be using.
Of course, you can import your data and try creating software from scratch or you can rely on some of the advanced templates that can help create customer portals, workflow tools for your team, flexible CRMs, partner dashboards, communities, and others.
In comparison to Softr, Stacker provides a lot more versatile templates and a wider range of choices to fit more needs whether you’re an individual or a company/enterprise.
So whatever you can imagine, you get to create software from your ideas which also gives you a chance to keep security up to a standard where you’re the only one who decides how and who accesses your data.
Additional advanced features include permissions, action buttons, workflows that can be automated, and automatic data sync from external sources, as well as flexible databases to store all your data in.
You won’t see all of these features in Softr which is why Stacker might be a better fit for teams who require solutions to specific needs when it comes to workflow.
You get to choose Stacker for 30 days for free, and after that, you’ll have to upgrade to one of the pricing plans:
- Starter – $79/month
- Plus – $179/month
- Pro – $349/month
- Enterprise – custom billing
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8. Retool
Retool is all about building tools using your data, learning how to take full potential from your data, and creating internal apps that will help your team’s workflow but also grow the company and optimize it for efficiency.
This tool is based on building blocks where you can find elements that help you create tables, charts, forms, maps, or even wizards.
Everything is drag and drop so you won’t have to code a single line and you’ll be able to create reports, apps, and tools by connecting your data from almost any source out there.
Retool has a big advantage over Softr when it comes down to data entry since it can help import data from all sources right into one app so you can work with all your data in one place. This includes most standard cloud databases, but also even REST, GraphQL, or gRPC languages, frameworks, and more.
Another significant difference between Retool and Softr is that Retool allows you to read and write data with help of queries so you can combine it with various APIs.
And if you’re a developer, Retool is built for you since you decide how invested you want to get into the code. You can create apps via visual builder, or you can use and write JavaScript.
Of course, another significant feature that will keep the whole process simple is the debugging software that’s integrated into Retool so you can quickly debug errors and get on with your app.
Retool can fit anyone from beginners to seasoned and even experienced developers, and you can try it out for free using the free plan. However, if you would like to upgrade to get access to all features, you can choose one of the pricing plans:
- Team – $10/user/month
- Business – $50/user/month
- Enterprise – Flexible pricing upon inquiry
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9. Adalo
Adalo is narrowly focused on designing and building custom apps that don’t require you to write any code but can be used to grow your portfolio or business.
Not only can you create web apps with Adalo, but its biggest strength over Softr is that you also get to create mobile apps too.
The whole process can be done in 4 steps and we’ve noticed that Adalo has a very high standard for flexibility, so even if you use templates, you can adjust them to your branding and your needs so no two apps will ever look and operate the same.
Adalo’s other strength is a fully editable database which is a bit easier to use than Softr’s approach to databases. With Adalo, you can create filters, logic, visibility settings, and integration among other features that deal well with complex data entries.
When you take your ideas to Adalo’s canvas and you turn them into an app, you can easily publish them when it’s ready via the web (setting up a domain name), or turn them into iOS or Android apps.
What’s also significant about Adalo is that it integrates features to help you monetize your app, gain better exposure, and even learn how people use your app which is something that can’t be done in Softr. It’s that marketing aspect that helps you even long after you’ve published your app to the world.
Adalo’s integrations are also up to par with Softr’s integrations (or even slightly better) since you can connect your app with services such as Airtable, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Gmail, Mailchimp, or even Stripe and similar third-party apps.
Price-wise, Adalo has a free start for everyone, but if you ever decide you need more power and upgrade, you can choose one of the following pricing plans:
- Starter – $45/month
- Professional – $65/month
- Team – $200/month
- Business – $250/month
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10. Sheet2Site
If you have a lot of data in sheets and you’d like to make better use of it, put it to work, and even introduce it to your existing website, Sheet2Site is a good way to make a one-page app.
These apps are interactive types of pages that can be used to display data in a visually appealing way and the whole process consists of only three steps.
All you need to do is import your data from Google Sheets, check out the templates and see if you can find one that would be a good fit (or create your own from scratch), and set up your one-page website app that can be accessed via domain name.
In comparison to Softr, this is a simplified version that strictly focuses on data from Sheets, but it can be used for several purposes since there are hundreds of templates that can fit almost any type of data and purpose.
Plus, there’s a way to monetize your website which includes a bit of a marketing aspect into this tool which proves to be a great advantage over Softr in this aspect.
When it comes down to pricing, there are two pricing models:
- Basic – $29/month
- Premium – $49/month
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Final Words
I found Bubble standing out as the best Softr alternative.
It offers the same ability and yet it introduces an easier process, a lot more templates, a slightly more powerful app builder, the ability to integrate APIs, and even an active community which is something that can help along the way.
Price-wise, Bubble also offers free membership but its pricing plans are very affordable considering the features and value it provides to users.
Lastly, it’s suitable for almost everyone, from beginners and individuals to teams, companies, and even larger enterprises.
Scott L. Macarthur is a marketing consultant and an online author. He is mostly engaged in providing his expertise to startups and SMBs. He is also an author on TheNextWeb.