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According to recent data from Gartner, by 2025, 70 percent of new applications developed by organizations will be built using low-code or no-code technologies. With such no-code app makers, one can make their own Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in no time and for free or at a fraction of the traditional development costs.
The catch is, how would you know which app builder to use given so much choice? This guide runs you through the six best free app builders, each serving different needs, so you can make a choice.
The 6 Best Free App Builders For Different Needs
Here is a list of the 6 best free app builders and a quick matchmaker for your specific needs:
| For | Builder | Specific needs |
| Mobile | Simicart | To create mobile apps for eCommerce stores |
| Web | Budibase | To build business data management tools |
| Mobile | FlutterFlow | To develop AI-powered mobile apps |
| Both Web and Mobile | AppGyver | To rapidly prototype of app ideas |
| Mobile | Appstylo | To make extensive customizations to app design |
| Both Web and Mobile | Flipabit | For cross-platform deployment of an app |
If these quick matches are all you need, feel free to jump straight to their websites. Otherwise, if you want to understand our reasoning behind such listings and with some professional insight, then keep reading. We’ll share what to look for and, importantly, the limitations to watch out for.
1. Simicart: Best App Builder for eCommerce Solutions
SimiCart Mobile app builder is a trusted free no-code solution for each eCommerce business that wants to extend into mobile commerce. What differentiates it from others is extensive knowledge of the needs of online retailing, and with this comes seamless integrations with the major eCommerce platforms.
Whether it’s on Shopify, WooCommerce, or Magento, SimiCart will help build a fully integrated mobile app aimed at growing sales through connecting with your customers by sending them targeted push notifications and synchronizing your inventory in real time. This builder fits retailers wanting to connect with customers on mobile and engage them through targeted push notifications while keeping the inventory updated without delving into managing complex code.
Key Features
SimiCart easily integrates with popular platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, which means your existing product listings can be converted into an app in no time. We have found real value in the real-time inventory sync, which will always keep your stock information updated.
Excellent features of push notifications may engage customers by offering new offers, sales, and updates without troublesome configuration.
Pros
SimiCart onboards your mobile application with the fastest setup time. SEO-friendly, the structure helps in better visibility within search engines. Native apps ensure smoothness. Support is responsive and easy to operate by eCommerce owners with no technical background.
Cons
Unfortunately, larger eCommerce stores that deal with a considerable amount of their product catalog find Simicart storage limiting.
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2. Budibase: Best App Builder Free for Business Data Apps
Budibase is specifically valuable in the business application domain with its strong platform for data-driven application development. This best free app builder is particularly suitable for building internal tools, workflows, and automating business processes.
Key Features
Impressive database integrations and REST API make Budibase a strong choice for anyone who wants to create general business applications where data management plays a crucial role. We liked the workflow automation features that cut down on repetitive tasks and keep things running smoothly.
Pros
Budibase offers powerful database functionality and self-hosting for extra control over the data—one very important ingredient in secure business applications. Automation tools save much time by helping teams focus on higher-order and more critical tasks.
Cons
Budibase does indeed have a learning curve, especially among users who aren’t into business data applications. While designed for data management, understanding some of the more advanced features in usage will take quite some time with non-technical users.
The free version, while providing all the core features, is also limited in third-party integrations, and mobile optimization sometimes requires manual tweaks.
3. FlutterFlow: Best Free AI App Builder for Tech-Savvy Developers
FlutterFlow links the Google Flutter framework with AI-enhanced code generation so you can develop highly functional and good-looking applications. It’s the perfect platform for those who need both a degree of drag-and-drop functionality and control of code. With FlutterFlow, you’ll be able to craft professional applications with animations, AI integrations, and high performance.
Key Features
What really stands out with FlutterFlow is its AI-powered code generation feature that makes the addition of complex functionality a breeze. This saved us, as developers, a great deal of time. The Custom Animation Builder does provide ample creative freedom to anyone who wants visually compelling apps.
Also, we enjoyed the real-time preview option. It makes testing the changes smooth and efficient, especially when experimenting with interactive elements. That said, it’s clear that FlutterFlow is designed to work with experienced users in mind, providing deep personalization options that add more quality to the application.
Pros
The code generated by FlutterFlow impressively came clean, which is a fact developers will appreciate for larger projects needing solid maintenance down the line. Another big plus is its real-time preview that allows users to make adjustments while on the go, streamlining the entire development process.
We would also appreciate the active community that FlutterFlow has been able to cultivate. This is filled with resources and support that make all the difference when you need to work your way with complex features.
Cons
While FlutterFlow is accessible, we think that it’s best suited for users with some technical background; for those who have none, advanced options might be overwhelming. Another point to consider is that code export requires a paid upgrade and may constitute a drawback if you’re planning on developing extensively without subscribing.
Read more: Top 8 Drag and Drop Mobile App Builder Reviews
4. AppGyver: Best Free Mobile App Builder for Prototyping and PWAs
AppGyver is great at building Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and prototypes fast, which makes it ideal for startups and businesses looking to quickly test app concepts. It allows both beginners and professional developers to conveniently build app prototypes and lightweight applications in a rather friendly manner due to a very extensive component library and visual logic builder.
Key Features
AppGyver makes prototyping a breeze with its visual logic builder and vast component library. More importantly, we found that its PWA output was one of the smoothest for doing cross-platform testing and enabled us to launch apps on multiple devices without rewriting the code.
The flexibility works particularly well for early-stage testing in giving users a way to experiment with ideas without major commitments.
Pros
The free plan is very generous, enabling users to prototype and build MVPs at no cost upfront-a huge plus for a new project, in our opinion. The PWA output is rock solid and steady; deployment across the platforms went without any issues.
We intuitively thought the same regarding the logical builder of visuals, which is easy even for inexperienced people in app development, keeping the process smooth.
Cons
The free version has somewhat limited deployment options, which could impact scaleability. Additionally, support is community-based, where it is helpful but could leave users wanting immediate help with complex problems.
5. Appstylo: Best Mobile App Builder Free with Customization Options
Appstylo is a very flexible application-building environment with a core focus on the capability of customization and personalization. This is a platform that allows small businesses or personal brands to plan, design, and style their applications in ways that reflect your style and branding, even without any prior technical abilities.
Key Features
Appstylo supports a wide variety of templates and an intuitive drag-and-drop editor that will enable users to create, publish, and manage Progressive Web Apps, iOS, and Android with no coding. This platform provides customization features to personalize the look and functionality of an app according to the particular business requirement.
Along with this, Appstylo has integrations for multiple social pages and login/signup modules for creating a user base.
Pros
We felt that Appstylo’s interface was relatively intuitive; thus, it was quite easy to build an app using it. The best free app builder has a wide variety of design options, so you can tailor-make just about any specific branding need.
Appstylo works well and makes sure the apps run great on all sorts of devices. Regularly updated, hence always on par with novelty features and enhancements. Support is very responsive and helpful if you need some help.
Cons
The free plan has limited features that may not be able to meet the complexity of some app requirements. The analytics are pretty basic; there is much more to be desired for some large businesses.
6. Flipabit: Best Free Mobile App Builder for Cross-Platform Apps
Flipabit brings true cross-platform experiences to iOS and Android devices and is equally perfect for reaching vast audiences—whatever the needs of educators, marketers, and creatives. If you want to present, make a portfolio, or create an interactive project with video, animation, and interactivity, then Flipabit is just what you need.
Key Features
Flipabit has a complete tool suite for creation, editing, and testing. Its fully functional Integrated Development Environment runs on Mac and Windows; thus, one can create applications on both of these platforms.
Along with that, it has a companion app for real-time previewing and sharing of unfinished apps directly on target devices to test and share feedback. Then there are several templates and samples included that would speed up any user’s starting point in their projects.
Pros
We found the Flipabit interface highly intuitive, making it easy to build an app. The design options were really exhaustive on this platform, hence leaving lots of room for customization according to particular branding needs.
Flipabit gives great performance and works seamlessly on any device. With regular updates, the platform stays fresh with new features and enhancements. The support is attentive and responsive, as well.
Cons
The free version is very restrictive to publishing, which limits the options of app distribution, especially for those that have to reach wider circulation. Generally, Flipabit is fairly easy to use, but some technical knowledge will definitely help in realizing full value from the more advanced features available.
Criteria for Choosing the Best Free App Builder
The above six have been selected based on the minimum essentials or criteria to assess any platform for such a task. Below are some of the key criteria used to filter out the best ones:
- Use cases: Every platform should serve one purpose, whether it is for an eCommerce app, a business data app, or multimedia content.
- Completely free core features: Those core tools necessary to build and push an app live (i.e., design customization, testing features, basic analytics, and essential integrations) should be completely free.
- No hidden costs or required add-ons: Platforms that require an upgrade package necessary for any functionality are not considered.
- Multi-platform compatibility on a free plan: iOS, Android, and Web need to be there.
- Generous user and data limits: The platform capacities should be enormous concerning active users and data storage.
- Access to essential integrations: Every builder shall enable the builder to include necessary basic integrations, such as payment gateways or analytics, if applicable.
- Flexible publishing options: The ability to deploy your projects in various ways, from the App Store and Google Play to PWAs.
- Analytics availability, or at least feedback from users, makes for a means of tracking performance and usage of apps.
- Reliable support and resources: Every builder should have customer support and educational resources on hand.
Bottom Line
So, those are the 6 best free app builders for non-developers. Simicart is great for eCommerce; Budibase is ideal for business apps. FlutterFlow is the best free app maker for AI-assisted development; AppGyver for PWAs, Appstylo for customization, or Flipabit for cross-platform development.
Each of the app makers mentioned here is excellent to get started with and could be a great starting point in testing and validation for bringing your dream app to life. However, these app builders are usually launching pads, and what one has to do is think well for the long run.
