What is a No-Code app builder? - Overview, Examples, and Case Studies

Non-programmers enjoy no-code development because they are simple to use and can help build apps or workflows quickly. No-code is beneficial to both IT and business teams. It is especially beneficial to companies with a stack of development projects requiring the non-IT staff to act like professional programmers. This is why companies are looking for the best no-code app builder ever.

No code application development has captivated companies across a wide range of sectors. There’s no need to depend on substandard off-the-shelf goods or acquire a costly custom solution when you have a way to build software rapidly and easily.

The best-selling feature of the no-code app builder is in the very name–there’s no manual coding needed. The only thing you need is a team member who knows the logic of how the process should flow and the data required for each step in the process. You can build as many no-code apps as you need!

The evolution of no-code apps

Back in 1985, Microsoft released the first version of Excel. The Windows version followed shortly after in 1987. Many people consider Excel the first tool that allowed users to manipulate data without code. In the 80s, visual programming also started to get popular.

In 2003, WordPress came onto the scene and allowed people to build websites without code. To date, approximately 35 percent of the world’s websites are powered by WordPress. A year after WordPress was launched, the search term “no-code development platform” started popping up in Google Trends.

In 2004, entrepreneurs started creating beautiful online stores with Shopify, giving birth to a new era of e-commerce. Today, countless businesses across various industries showcase their products and brands through stunning Shopify store examples.

By 2009, no-code had become the go-to technology for streamlining data analytics and email marketing. It allowed for app development platform without coding. People could create solutions quickly and easily. Today, the technology has grown in leaps and bounds, and lots of no-code tools are available—from automation tools to classic no-code web app builders. In 2020, the no-code market hit a valuation of $12 billion.

What is a no-code app builder?

A no-code app builder is a development software that allows users to create web apps without the need to know to write code. Originally crafted for teammates without coding experience, this type of development helps anyone create fully functional apps via a simple visual editor.

Hand coding’s got nothing on no-code app development

When most people think of building software, they imagine an engineer in a dark room surrounded by computer monitors and pizza boxes working late into the night. The screens are filled with gibberish as he/she feverishly types more foreign text into the program.

But this model of hand-coding applications has a lot of issues that cannot be overlooked. It’s slow, expensive, requires a skilled programmer, and costs a lot of money. All of these are reasons Ari knows he can’t build a solution on his own.

But a no-code app builder like the one Shireen is testing bypasses all of these limitations. Apps can be built in minutes, not weeks. There’s no hand coding to be punched in and tested for bugs. It’s all pre-built modules and drag-and-drop interfaces to build your applications.

The best-selling feature of no-code app development is in the very name–there’s no manual coding needed. The only thing you need is a team member who knows the logic of how the process should flow and the data required for each step in the process. You can build as many no-code apps as you need!

A real-time example of a no-code app

Vendor payment is common for nearly every company. It is a dance between operations, procurement, and finance to ensure all materials have been received and bills are paid on time.

In a no-code app builder like Kissflow, you can start with a pre-built template to handle your vendor payments. Changing and customizing no-code apps is as easy as dragging and dropping elements and fields around. No coding, just simple editing.

Here’s what Shireen does to make her app in a no-code development tool:

1. She creates a form that includes all the fields needed such as Vendor Name, Goods/Services Received, Cost, Total Amount, and Tax.
2. She creates a common database of vendor information so that most of the details auto populate instead of needing to enter the information every time.
3. She defines a simple workflow that includes approval from the warehouse that the goods were received, finance approval on invoices larger than $5,000, and processing from procurement.
4. She edits the permissions so that certain fields are hidden or read-only for steps that contain sensitive information to prevent tampering.
5. She integrates the workflow with their financial software so that a journal entry is automatically entered and the payment goes out after the last approval happens.

Shireen spends about three hours making the whole thing all by herself with a no-code platform, with a little chat support from the product.

Here is a short video of how simple no-code apps are created in Kissflow.

Interesting case study for app built without coding

Ari heads the procurement team for a fast-growing organization. They’ve experienced a huge increase in the number of vendors who supply materials and products to them. However, Ari’s CEO refuses to hire new people for the added workload, giving the ubiquitous, “Do more with less.”

But Ari is already facing a huge backlog and everyone seems stressed to the max. He knows it’s just a matter of time before someone burns out or quits, which will put them in an even deeper hole.

Ari had looked into using some off-the-shelf software to speed things up, but everything he looked at required a lot of customization and didn’t fit quite right. The IT team at Ari’s company was equally stretched thin and can’t help him make something new.

One of Ari’s team members, Shireen, said she heard that a friend in HR had built her own automated application with a no-code app builder to streamline a process. Ari is skeptical, and doesn’t want Shireen wasting time on a side project when they are already swamped for time. And, Shireen doesn’t have a technical background as well. So he allows her to take just a few hours to experiment on it, but if it doesn’t work immediately, they need to consider a new plan.

Why does IT love No-Code app development?

There are many benefits of using a no-code development platform such as Kissflow because of the following reasons:

1. Enhanced user experience: Your employees’ productivity, efficiency, and motivation can be harmed by a bad user experience. As a result, strong no-code platforms will give you complete control over the user experience. With the Kissflow work platform, organizations may swiftly react to market changes or consumer demands. An improved customer experience is one of the downstream consequences of higher speed.
2. High speed: No-Code allows you to speed up the development process and create apps in a matter of hours or days rather than months. No-Code systems are also adaptable, which means app development procedures may be changed quickly. Digital transformation may proceed without hiccups or delays, and solutions can be implemented more quickly than before.
3. Brings IT and Business leaders together: No-Code has a lot of advantages when it comes to IT-business alignment. Everyone in a company can cooperate to produce the best solutions using no-code. Visual development is possible with no-code platforms like the Kissflow work platform. This meets the majority of the requirements for novice developers and business users with a technical background. Citizen developers, or those without an appropriate expertise, may utilize the pre-built features to create basic apps. As a result, no-code allows these users to build a large portion of what they require. However, to support and create more sophisticated apps, they’ll still require the IT team or their no-code partner.
4. Value for Money: No-code app builder enables you to keep your running costs as low as possible. You decrease the strain on your internal IT staff by enabling speedier development. Furthermore, when comparing the Kissflow No-Code to preparatory solutions, you may save much more.
5. Exponential increase in productivity: You can simply modify applications. Thanks to the adaptability of no-code platforms. As a result, digital transformation may proceed without hindrances or delays, and solutions can be delivered more quickly than before. No-Code allows business users and software developers without a solid background to build programs as if they were full-stack developers due to its speed and development flexibility. It also allows expert developers to work more effectively, allowing them to concentrate on more complicated and less tedious areas of programming. This allows businesses of all sizes to make the most of their existing resources while still delivering the solutions they need to stay competitive.

Summary

Now, Ari is excited about how much faster his team can handle vendor payments. He’s got a quick solution that he can implement immediately and Shireen shows him how to make quick edits to the form and workflow.

No more worries about additional stress, or spending more money to hire someone new or building custom software. A no-code app builder alleviates all these issues, without having to make a major investment.

Shireen is also in a good place to grow and makes more apps that help her team. The whole process is a huge win for everyone.

Building the application you need doesn’t have to be difficult. With no-code app development, everyone can code, regardless of what their role is. No-code app builders like Kissflow make building no-code apps easy and simple. As we’ve shown above, you can build your no-code apps in minutes. If you’re ever stuck, call our experts and they’ll be more than happy to help out.

FAQs

Can I build an app using Kissflow's low-code platform?

Kissflow is a low-code app builder for workflow automation and process optimization that aims to help organizations increase their productivity and efficiency. Kissflow is popular among businesses due to its no-code platform.
It gives business users the ability to build their own apps without relying on IT or consultants. It includes a WYSIWYG editor, a form builder, a third-party interface for all of your favorite tools, and comprehensive training materials to assist you in getting started.

What are the advantages of a no-code app builder?

Low-code app development platforms have a number of practical and real-world advantages. Here are a few examples. Helps boost productivity: One of the most significant benefits of low-code app development platforms is their ability to increase productivity for all users, whether they are business or IT. Business customers aren’t obliged to rely on IT to satisfy their software needs when they adopt low-code app development.
Lower costs: Low-code platforms are cloud-based, which means that businesses don’t have to acquire and operate their own hardware to operate them. Because these platforms are cloud-based, they may be scaled up to meet the company’s demands.

Why is Kissflow the best app builder?

Kissflow is a platform for automating business operations that lets you build an endless number of automated business apps. You may utilize a drag and drop built-in components or design your own according to your needs. You have absolute control over the layout using Kissflow work platform. You can add interface and database configuration easily without coding.

Now, you don’t have to rely on developers and designers because with Kissflow, it has become easy to crack the nuts by designing an app, utilizing logic, creating pre-populated fields, adding tables, arranging related data into sections, and creating pre-populated fields.

Businesses can conduct their operations more smoothly using low-code app development platforms like Kissflow than they could with manual procedures and paper forms. If you want to give it a go, you may do so for free to determine if it’s suitable for your company.