Glide Mobile App Builder

Glide is a no-code tool that allows users to create mobile applications directly from Google Sheets. It simplifies app creation by enabling users to utilize existing data within Google Sheets as the backend for their app.

Key Features

  • Spreadsheet-Based: Glide integrates directly with Google Sheets, providing a simple and familiar database for your app.
  • Rich Media Support: Glide supports images, audio, and video to enhance the app experience.
  • Customizable Templates: Glide offers numerous templates that can be customized to match your app’s requirements.
  • Interactive Components: Glide offers a variety of components such as forms, buttons, and maps.
  • Offline access: Apps made with Glide can work offline, syncing data when a connection is re-established.
  • User access control: Users can be allowed different levels of access and interactivity based on their roles.

Use Cases

  • Businesses: Businesses can use Glide to create internal applications for project management, HR, and more.
  • Educators: Teachers can build interactive educational apps for their students.
  • Personal Use: Individuals can use Glide to build personal apps, such as a custom recipe book or a personal finance tracker.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Glide’s main strength lies in its ease of use, especially for those already comfortable with Google Sheets.
  • It allows for quick prototyping and iterations.

Cons

  • Glide might not be suitable for apps that require advanced functionalities or custom integrations.

Pricing

Glide offers several pricing plans for its users. Here’s a brief overview of their plans:

  • Free: For individuals creating their first apps. $0 per month. 3 private users, 3 apps, 1,000 updates/month, 500 rows.
  • Starter: For professionals and teams building apps for work. Starting at $25 per month. 10 private users, 5 apps, 2,500 updates/month, 5,000 rows, Web Embeds, Custom Domains.
  • Pro: For growing teams building apps and internal tools to streamline workflows. Starting at $99 per month. 50 private users, Unlimited apps, 10,000 updates/month, 25,000 rows, Powerful Integrations, Glide API.
  • Business: For businesses building integrated solutions across their organization. Starting at $249 per month. 100 private users, Unlimited apps, 25,000 updates/month, 100,000 rows, Offline Add-Row, Personalized Onboarding.
  • Enterprise: Deploy enterprise-grade tools for your entire organization with advanced security and controls, enhanced support and greater flexibility to scale with your needs. Contact sales for pricing.

You can check out their pricing page for more information about each plan to make the best decision for your business.

User Experience

Glide has a user-friendly interface, and since it integrates with Google Sheets, it provides an intuitive experience for those familiar with spreadsheets. The drag-and-drop functionality further simplifies the app creation process.

Customer Support

Glide provides support through a comprehensive FAQ and help center, and through their community forum. They also offer priority support for their Pro users.

Community and Learning Resources

Glide provides a wealth of resources such as tutorials, a community forum, and a library of templates to help users get started and continue learning.

Security and Reliability

Glide offers password protection for apps, row owners feature for data privacy, and uses Google’s secure OAuth 2.0 for user sign-in. Glide’s apps are hosted on Google Cloud Platform, providing reliable performance.

Integration

Glide integrates directly with Google Sheets for data management, but other integrations are limited. For further automation, users often need to make use of Google Sheets’ own integrations or tools like Zapier.

Alternatives

Alternatives to Glide include Adalo, AppSheet, and Appy Pie.