Design Tools
Though there's definitely a time and place for working with a designer, there's also a time and place for making use of the excellent no-code tools in this space. They'll help you design an impressive amount of materials without the need for expertise.
When considering a no-code tool, we always recommend taking 4 key factors into account:
Ease of use. How easy is it for a non-technical person with no coding skills to use this tool to make apps? Is there a big learning curve? Can someone who has a basic grasp of Microsoft Office also get a grasp of this tool? Or does it require a lot of up-front training? This is perhaps the most important factor to consider.
Flexibility. How much flexibility does this tool have in terms of what you can build? Can it handle complex decision-making behind the scenes and allow you to bring any app idea to life without any coding at all?
We award extra points here for tools which allow you to integrate with other tools for extra functionality, or let you add your own custom code. Consider whether or not all of your desired functionality is supported by a tool before you use it.
Design freedom. Does the tool give you full freedom to bring a design to life? Not all no-code tools have complete flexibility. Remember, this can be a double-edged sword. If you're not confident in your design abilities, you may wish to pick a tool with less design freedom, as often these tools will set beautiful defaults for you.
Glide is a great example of this. You can customise the branding colours and the order of components, but Glide ensures your design stays looking like a proper app appropriate for either the iOS or Android platform.
Cost-effectiveness. Simply, how affordable is this tool? Remember, this can get complex. Some tools will start with a trial while you build, but charge you to publish your app live. Other tools have specific limits, such as a certain number of records in your database or not being able to integrate other tools into your app without paying extra. As long as you can afford the lower tier plans and have a solid monetisation for your app, don't worry too much about scaling or long term costs as often you'll have income in future to supplement these.
Remember: A low score in any one category does not mean the tool is bad. For example, a tool with a high ease of use, but low flexibility and design freedom could simply indicate that this tool is incredible easy to use and perfect for a beginner. It could also mean the tool is focused on being the best tool on the market for a very specific type of app, like a portal or marketplace.
Make sure you check out our individual reviews for more information.
TOP No-Code
Design Tools
Best for collaboration
Figma
Design, prototype, and gather feedback all in one place with Figma.
Best for app builders
Bravo Studio
Build native apps from your design tool without code.
Best for image editing
Pixlr
A comprehensive photo editor with over 600 overlays, effects and borders.
ALL No-Code
Design Tools
Figma
Design, prototype, and gather feedback all in one place with Figma.
Bravo Studio
Build native apps from your design tool without code.
Desygner
Design online: graphics for your social media, ads & print materials.
Pablo
A simple graphical editor for social media posts, by Buffer.
FontJoy
Fontjoy helps designers pick the right font pairings.
Ilustrio
A 100% free icon library.
Pixlr
A comprehensive photo editor with over 600 overlays, effects and borders.
PixTeller
An image editor with animation capabilities.
Plain Pattern
A simple SVG pattern creator.
Snappa
Whip up graphics for social media, ads, blogs, and more.
Stencil
Ridiculously simple image creation for social media marketers.
Vectr
Create Vector graphics intuitively and easily.
BeFunky
All-in-one online platform to easily edit photos, create graphic designs, and make photo collages.
Not sure which tool is right for you?
Want to know which platform is the best? Check our buying criteria here then select a tool from the list below
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About the Author
I'm Nile Frater - The Founder and Managing Director of NoCode.Tech, as well as the Lead Instructor on our NoCode University education platform
I have over 8 years of experience in the No-Code industry and have tried, tested and reviewed over 250+ NoCode, LowCode and Zero-Code platforms. With a history of teaching No-Code in organisations big and small and running this website for over 3 years, I've helped thousands of people choose the right No-Code tool for them or their project.
Previous to running NoCode.Tech, I've held positions in startups and large organisations, including Lloyds Banking Group. I've also delivered countless workshops and podcast interviews on the NoCode ecosystem and consult regularly for teams building the next generation of No-Code Platforms. Let me know if I can help you too!
