Building an app is almost child’s play these days, and several teens and even preteens who have been actively creating applications will vouch for it. As apps become the focal point for Internet usage in mobile devices, we will see more amateurs step up to the plate with their ideas.
Today, almost all giants from Apple and Samsung to Amazon and Micromax, have their own app stores, thereby giving developers a lot more opportunity to showcase their skills. More importantly, it has paved way to multitude of job opportunities. In fact, the Indian app market is predicted to grow manifold in the next two years.
GameSalad, AppsBar are some of the options available, while Google has teamed up with Udacity to help users enroll with courses that teach how to build an app for Android, using the latest design guidelines.
These days, with the vast options available online, it has become simpler to reach out to resources that could help you. If you want to get your hands on app building and earn some success in mobile development, y0u can do so right from your couch. Here are five online tools that you could use to get started on your first smartphone app.
Como or earlier known as Conduit is said to be the simplest app building online tool. It lets you build Android as well iOS apps. Moreover, you don’t really need to know coding and your app is ready just with a few clicks.
Its app development platform called Como Console makes it simpler to build professional-looking apps with the plethora of themes, colours, icons, layouts, styles and backgrounds available. It also offers features like adding in-app mobile payments options to your app, and also helps users place orders and track the delivery of products.
The online tools listed for users include components like social feed, RSS, events, e-commerce, notifications and more. In fact once the app is ready, Como also helps you submit it to several app stores. It is boon for someone with a non-technical background, and wants to try their hands at app building. Como also helps with marketing strategies including how to make most of Facebook advertising campaigns for your app, promotions using QR codes, window stickers, etc.
It has a freemium version as well as a premium variant that starts at $33. Click here to check out exact pricing details.
AppMakr is yet another DIY app building platform that promises to help you create robust apps for Android as well as iOS. And yes, you do not need to know coding to use this either. You can create an app using the various features such as push notifications, high-resolution photo galleries, HTML 5 functionality, live updates and branding and design customisations. It will also help you monetise the app.
AppMakr features something called App Quality Index (AQI), which indicates the quality of your app for the relevant platform and the possibility of it being rejected by its app store. In case of an iOS app, users can simply build a test app and keep a tab on the quality index. AppMakr also promises a lot more updates at no additional cost. Moreover, any app you build will be published under your own name, giving you complete autonomy.
The free version come with advertisements, but you can also opt for an ad-free paid version.
App Machine is another cost-efficient way to build your own app. AppMachine lets you do all the development and design or or you can opt for assistance from its expert designers. It offers standard as well as advanced features (at a premium). The list of standard features include activities, photos, videos, music, social media, contact information, analytics and more.
There are several advanced features such as online store, custom coding, Web services and more. It also lets you preview your app on a smartphone as you build it. You can get started for free, and the price will be calculated depending upon the features you opt for. This means, you can first build the app and pay only when the app is ready to be published, and can even remove features if you want to lower development cost.
Take a look at the pricing for the premium options.
Appery is a cloud-based mobile app platform that helps create HTML5 as well as native mobile apps. These can be used for most major mobile software platforms.
It provides app UI builder as well as integrated backend services (MBaaS) like cloud database, push notifications and so on. Moreover, it runs in the cloud, negating the hassle to install or download the software and users can easily continue their work, even when on the move. Morever, you don’t need to know any programming skills to decipher what’s going on either, since the app pretty much guides you through the steps. That doesn’t mean it comes without advanced features for those who know what they are doing.
Developers can work on some advanced functions like adding/deleting cloud databases, plug-ins and also editing the source code, exporting app as HTML, using custom code and more. Just like most of the app building platforms, it supports Android as well as iOS, but it also supports Windows Phone apps, so you could use it to build an app for all three platforms at the same time.
While you can start creating an app for free, also take a look at the pricing options for advanced features.
Mobile Roadie
Those looking to build an app for businesses can head straight to Mobile Roadie. This DIY app creation tool offers a plethora of professional app building features. It promises some really advanced features like geotargeted push notifications depending upon a specific location or individuals, a user location map, in-app activity, threaded posts, chat and several marketing options. It also lets businesses create QR codes and adds the ability for photo uploads through Flickr, Facebook, Instagram and other websites.
For those looking to develop music streaming apps, it allows importing from popular online music stores, and eventually allowing customers to buy music from within the app. It provides analytics data such as how many users are using the app at a given time or what the state of in-app purchases is.
The pricing varies depending upon mobile add-ons and other features that one would like to add. Take a quick look at the detailed pricing to use the Mobile Roadie platform.
