Glide Review 2024: Build Stunning Apps Without Code

In today’s connected world, establishing a powerful online presence is crucial for reaching your audience and making a lasting impression.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, small business owner, or someone with a passion project to share, having a robust online platform is crucial.

Glide is a powerful tool that enables you to create custom mobile apps with ease, transforming your ideas into interactive experiences.

It offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and a wide range of features, making it accessible even if you don’t have a background in app development.

In this article, we’ll delve into how Glide can help you establish a strong online presence and provide practical tips for getting started.

What is Glide?

Glide is a no-code app development platform that allows users to create custom mobile and web apps directly from Google Sheets or Excel data.

Its core functionality revolves around enabling anyone, regardless of technical expertise, to quickly build and deploy functional, interactive apps.

By simplifying the app development process, Glide empowers users to bring their ideas to life through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, focusing on design and user experience without needing to write code.

Begin your Glide journey by checking out our essential guide on how to learn Glide.

What are the main features of Glide?

Glide offers a range of features that make it easy for anyone to create professional and functional apps without needing to code.

These features are designed to streamline the app development process and ensure that your final product is both polished and user-friendly. Below are some of the key features that Glide provides:

• Drag-and-Drop Interface: Glide's intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows you to design your app's layout effortlessly. You can rearrange elements, add new components, and customize the look and feel of your app without any coding knowledge
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• Data Integration: Glide seamlessly integrates with Google Sheets or Excel, automatically syncing data between your app and your spreadsheet. This makes it easy to manage and update content in real time, ensuring your app always has the latest information
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• Customizable Templates: Glide offers a variety of pre-built templates tailored to different use cases, helping you get started quickly. These templates can be fully customized to match your brand and specific needs
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• Responsive Design: Apps built with Glide are automatically responsive, meaning they look and function well on any device, whether it's a smartphone, tablet, or desktop. This ensures a consistent user experience across all platforms
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• User Authentication: With Glide, you can easily add user authentication to your app, allowing you to create private apps that require users to sign in. This feature is ideal for managing access to sensitive data or creating personalized experiences
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• Real-Time Updates: Any changes made to your data or app design are reflected in real-time, so users always have access to the most current information. This eliminates the need for manual updates or downtime
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• Third-Party Integrations: Glide supports integrations with various third-party services, such as Zapier and Google Analytics, enabling you to extend your app’s functionality and track its performance with ease

Who is Glide for?

Glide is designed to cater to a diverse range of users, making it an ideal solution for anyone looking to create custom apps without coding.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, a small business owner, or part of a larger organization, Glide offers the tools you need to build functional and engaging apps tailored to your specific needs.

• Entrepreneurs: Glide enables entrepreneurs to quickly prototype and launch apps, helping them test ideas, engage customers, and scale their businesses without investing in expensive development
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• Small Businesses: Small businesses can use Glide to create apps that streamline operations, manage customer relationships, and enhance the overall customer experience, all without needing a technical team
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• Startups: Startups can leverage Glide to develop MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) efficiently, allowing them to validate concepts, attract investors, and iterate based on user feedback
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• Non-Profits: Glide is perfect for non-profits looking to build apps that manage events, volunteers, or donor relations, offering a cost-effective way to enhance their impact
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• Educators and Schools: Educators can create custom apps for classroom management, student engagement, and communication with parents, providing a tech-savvy solution to modern educational needs
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• Corporate Teams: Larger organizations can use Glide to develop internal tools, such as employee directories or project management apps, fostering better collaboration and efficiency within teams

Benefits of Using Glide

Glide offers numerous advantages for users looking to build custom apps without needing coding expertise.

Whether you're aiming to streamline operations, improve customer engagement, or simply bring your ideas to life, Glide provides the tools and flexibility to help you achieve your goals quickly and efficiently.

• Unified Data Management: Glide enables you to connect and manage your data from multiple sources, like spreadsheets or SQL databases, within a single, cohesive frontend. This helps you break down information silos and consolidate your software tools, leading to more efficient operations
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• Spreadsheet-Like Interface: Glide’s intuitive interface allows you to manipulate your app’s data just as you would in a spreadsheet, making it easy to understand and use. You can also perform advanced data transformations to enhance your app’s functionality
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• Custom Workflows with Actions: Automate repetitive tasks and streamline complex operations using Glide’s Actions feature. This allows you to add custom logic to your apps, making them more powerful and tailored to your specific needs
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• Responsive Design: Glide ensures that your app looks professional and functions smoothly on any device, thanks to its pre-built themes and layouts. This guarantees a consistent and polished user experience across platforms

Use Cases for Glide

Glide’s versatility makes it suitable for a wide array of applications, from small businesses to large organizations. Here are some practical use cases:

• Internal Tools for Companies: Build custom apps for managing projects, tracking inventory, or maintaining employee directories. Glide helps companies streamline operations by centralizing critical business functions
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• Customer Engagement Platforms: Create apps that facilitate direct interaction with customers, such as booking systems, loyalty programs, or personalized communication hubs, to enhance customer satisfaction and retention
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• Event Management: Use Glide to manage event logistics, including registration, attendee tracking, and real-time updates. This is ideal for organizing conferences, workshops, or community events
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• Educational Tools: Develop apps for classroom management, student assessment tracking, or communication between teachers and parents, making educational processes more efficient and transparent
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• E-commerce Solutions: Design online stores or order management apps that help small businesses streamline sales and compete effectively in the digital marketplace

Glide Experience

Glide is a highly developer-friendly platform that enables the rapid development of functional web applications, significantly reducing development time.

However, its primary limitation lies in the lack of extensive customization options for the User Interface, which may restrict tailoring the design to specific preferences.

User Interface:

Glide offers an intuitive interface, making it easy to navigate. The platform is organized into four main sections:

• Data, which serves as the backend of the web application
• Layout, which controls the frontend and defines how users interact with the app
• Actions, where various functions and processes are managed and
• Settings

All sections are accessible through the navigation bar for streamlined use.

Learning curve:

Due to its user-friendly navigation, developers can quickly begin building applications after exploring Glide's features.

One of the most notable aspects of Glide is its accessibility for non-developers, who can also create their own apps from scratch with minimal effort, simply by watching a few tutorials and taking time to practice and familiarize themselves with the platform.

Reviews from other sites

In this section, we’ll explore reviews from various sources to provide a comprehensive view of FlutterFlow’s performance and user satisfaction.

These reviews offer valuable insights into how different users experience the platform, highlighting both its strengths and areas for improvement.

We’ve selected reviews that frequently appeared across multiple sites to ensure a balanced perspective.

By focusing on these recurring themes, we aim to give you a clear understanding of what you can expect from FlutterFlow based on the collective feedback of its user community.

TrustPilot

Most users on TrustPilot say this about FlutterFlow:

• User-Friendly Platform: Users recommend FlutterFlow for its ease of use, particularly its drag-and-drop programming features. It’s seen as an accessible entry point for those new to app development, while still offering the complexity needed for more advanced projects
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• Strong Support: The support team at FlutterFlow receives high praise, with users expressing appreciation for the quality and responsiveness of customer service

Other reviewing sites

Most users on ProductHunt say this about FlutterFlow:

• Empowers Creators: FlutterFlow is highly regarded for empowering indie developers and UX designers to move from concept to app launch in a relatively short time. It’s lauded as the best no-code platform for creating native apps with scalability and performance in mind
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• Creative Flexibility: Users appreciate the flexibility FlutterFlow offers, noting that with some creativity and willingness to find workarounds, it’s possible to build anything needed for a bootstrapped or small startup

Most users on G2 say this about FlutterFlow:

• API and Firebase Integration: Users appreciate how seamlessly FlutterFlow integrates with APIs and Google’s Firebase, making it easier for those less experienced with database connections to manage backend services efficiently
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• Cost Considerations: While users value the platform’s capabilities, some express concerns about the cost, especially when it comes to adding collaborative features. The additional charges for collaboration are seen as a drawback for small teams or budget-conscious projects

Glide Pros & Cons

Pros

• No-Code Platform: Glide allows users to create mobile and web apps without any coding skills, making it accessible to non-technical users
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• Google Sheets Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Google Sheets, making it easy to manage app data through a familiar interface
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• User-Friendly Interface: The drag-and-drop builder and intuitive design make it easy to create apps quickly without a steep learning curve
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• Rapid Development: Enables fast app prototyping and deployment, significantly reducing the time to market
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• Cost-Effective: Offers affordable pricing plans, including a free tier, making it accessible for individuals, small businesses, and startups
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• Responsive Design: Apps built with Glide are responsive and adapt well to different devices, providing a consistent user experience
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• Customizable Components: Offers a variety of pre-built components and layouts that can be easily customized to fit specific needs

Cons

• Limited Advanced Features: Lacks the advanced functionality needed for more complex applications, making it unsuitable for high-end app development
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• Performance Limitations: Apps built with Glide may face performance issues, especially when dealing with large datasets or high traffic
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• Dependency on Google Sheets: Heavy reliance on Google Sheets can be limiting, especially for apps that require more robust database solutions or advanced data handling
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• Customization Constraints: While it offers customization, there are limitations in design and functionality compared to traditional coding, which might restrict highly specific requirements

Glide Pricing

For Makers:

• Free Plan
• Maker Plan: Starting at $60/month (billed monthly) or $49 per month (billed yearly)

For Companies:

• Team Plan: Starting at $125/month (billed monthly) or $99/month (billed yearly)
• Business Plan: Starting at $310 per month (billed monthly) or $249/month (billed yearly)
• Enterprise Plan: Starting at $750 per month or $499/month (billed yearly)

Is Glide worth it?

Glide is a versatile and user-friendly platform that simplifies app development for everyone, from beginners to experienced teams. Its intuitive no-code interface, along with powerful features like drag-and-drop components, real-time data synchronization, and strong integration capabilities, enables users to build functional apps quickly without the need for coding skills.

The platform offers a range of pricing options that cater to different needs—from free plans for personal projects to comprehensive solutions for businesses requiring advanced features and extensive support. Glide’s ability to turn spreadsheets into interactive tools and apps makes it a valuable resource for anyone looking to create, customize, and scale their applications efficiently.

Glide is particularly well-suited for freelancers, startups, small business owners, and design teams who want to focus on app functionality and design rather than technical complexity. For those seeking an accessible and efficient way to bring their ideas to life, Glide is definitely worth exploring. To learn more about which plan fits your needs, check out their official page.

FAQs

• How do I enable in-app sort?
• Is there a way without using API I can change status of all rows based on condition?
• Is it possible to sort a rollup column?
• Is it possible to insert an animation instead of the usual loading one?
• How do I remove the text above the search bar?

Take the next step in your Glide education by diving into our comprehensive How to Learn Glide article.