How to leverage no-code tools for startups is one of the smartest and simplest ways for startups to build things fast without needing to know how to code. These tools let anyone – even if you have never written a single line of code before – create websites, apps, databases, and automations.
They work by using drag-and-drop blocks, templates, and simple clicks instead of complicated programming. For startups, this means you can test your business ideas quickly, save a lot of money on hiring developers, and launch products in days or weeks instead of months. No-code tools make everything feel easy and fun, like putting together building blocks.
Local events marketing gets a big boost too, because you can use these tools to make landing pages for your events, collect sign-ups from visitors, or send automatic thank-you emails. Event marketing strategies become much simpler when you don’t have to wait for tech help.
In 2025, more than 70% of new startups use no-code to build their first version of a product, called an MVP or minimum viable product. This helps them see what customers like without big risks. No-code is perfect for beginners because it has guides, videos, and free plans to learn as you go. You start small and add more as your startup grows.
10 Best No-Code Tools For Startups
Let’s look at 10 of the best no-code tools. Each one has easy explanations, step-by-step instructions broken into simple numbers, real examples of how startups use them, pricing that fits small budgets, tips to avoid mistakes, and why it helps your business.
These tools connect together easily, so you can use more than one at a time. By the end, you will know exactly how to pick the right ones for your startup and get started today.
1. Bubble: Build Complete Websites and Apps with Drag-and-Drop
Bubble is like a magic box where you build full web apps without any coding. You drag pictures, buttons, and forms onto a page, and then tell it what to do when someone clicks them, like saving information or sending payments. It handles everything from user sign-ups to databases where you store customer details.
It lets you make complicated things like online stores or booking systems for events. You don’t need a programmer, and it grows with your business to handle thousands of users. Many startups launch their first product here because it’s powerful but still easy for beginners.
Here are the simple steps to get started with Bubble:
- Go to bubble.io and sign up for the free plan. It takes just an email.
- Pick a ready-made template, like one for a dashboard or marketplace, to save time.
- Drag elements from the side menu onto your page – add a button, text box, or picture.
- Click on the button and set what happens next, like “Show a form” or “Send to payment page.”
- Connect a database by clicking “Data” – add fields like name, email, or event date.
- Test your app by clicking “Preview.” Fix anything that looks wrong.
- Hit “Deploy” to make it live on the internet with your own web address.
A real example for startups: A small coffee shop startup used Bubble to build an app where people book tables for local pop-up events. Customers saw available times, picked one, and paid online. The shop got 200 bookings in the first month without hiring anyone.
Pricing that fits startups: Free to learn and build. Starter plan is $29 per month for your own domain and no Bubble logo. Growth plans start at $119 for bigger apps.
Handy tips to do it right: Watch Bubble’s free video lessons first – they are short and show everything. Start with one page before adding more. Connect Stripe for payments easily. Common mistake: Trying too many features at once – keep it simple for your first app.
How it helps your startup grow: Bubble saves you $10,000 or more on developer costs. Startups using it launch 10 times faster and get feedback from real users right away.
2. Webflow: Make Beautiful Websites That Look Professional
Webflow helps you create websites that look like they cost thousands, but you do it all visually. You design pages, add animations, and make them work on phones or computers without touching code. It’s great for startup homepages or pages to promote your products.
No need for web designers. You control every color, font, and layout. It has built-in tools for blogs or online shops.
Step-by-step to build your first site:
- Sign up at webflow.com – free to start.
- Choose from hundreds of templates or make a blank page.
- Drag sections like headers or images onto the canvas.
- Style them by clicking – change size, color, or add smooth scrolls.
- Add a form for people to sign up for your newsletter or event.
- Connect your own web address like yourstartup.com.
- Click publish – it’s live in seconds.
Real startup story: A fitness startup made a Webflow site for their local workout class sign-ups. Visitors saw schedules, videos, and booked spots. It brought in 150 new members from one event promo.
Pricing: Free for testing. Basic site $14/month. Business $39/month with more pages.
Tips for success: Use their university videos – they explain everything slowly. Add Google Analytics free to see visitors. Don’t forget mobile view – always check how it looks on phones.
Growth benefit: Webflow sites load fast and rank high on Google, bringing free traffic to your startup.
3. Adalo: Turn Ideas into Mobile Apps for Phones
Adalo lets you build apps that work on iPhones and Android phones. You design screens, add buttons, and connect data – all by dragging. Perfect for startup apps like customer trackers or event check-ins.
Apps feel modern and reach people on their phones. Publish to app stores without code.
Easy steps:
- Sign up free at adalo.com.
- Start with a template for lists or logins.
- Drag screens and add lists of items, like event schedules.
- Link to a database or Google Sheets.
- Add actions: “Tap to book” or “Scan QR code.”
- Preview on your phone.
- Publish to stores or share a link.
Example: A food truck startup built an Adalo app for menu orders at markets. Customers ordered ahead, pickup was fast, sales up 40%.
Pricing: Free basic. Pro $36/month for custom features.
Tips: Test on real phones. Use simple colours. Integrate payments with Stripe.
Why it scales: Mobile apps keep users coming back daily.
4. Zapier: Connect Tools and Automate Boring Tasks
Zapier is like a robot helper. It connects apps so work happens automatically, like saving event emails to a list or posting to social media.
Frees time for big ideas. Works with 7,000 apps.
Steps:
- Sign up free.
- Choose “Trigger” like new email.
- Pick “Action” like add to sheet.
- Test it works.
- Turn on.
Example: Startup auto-sends welcome emails after event sign-ups. Saved 10 hours/week.
Pricing: Free 100 tasks/month. Starter $20.
Tips: Start with 1-2 zaps. Use templates.
5. Airtable: Smart Spreadsheets for Organizing Everything
Airtable looks like Excel but smarter. Organize customers, tasks, or event plans in pretty tables that link together.
Steps:
- Free sign-up.
- Make a “base” for leads.
- Add columns for details.
- Share forms.
- Automate reminders.
Example: Startup tracked 500 event contacts, sent targeted offers.
Pricing: Free. Plus $10/user.
Tips: Use views for teams.
6. Softr: Client Dashboards from Your Data
Softr is a no-code tool that turns spreadsheets like Airtable or Google Sheets into beautiful client dashboards and portals. Connect your data, drag blocks like charts or forms, and create secure logins – no coding required.
Fast setup for client reporting, permissions, and real-time updates. Perfect for sharing project stats or invoices.
Simple steps:
- Sign up free at softr.io.
- Connect Airtable/Google Sheets.
- Pick a dashboard template.
- Drag tables, charts, forms.
- Set user logins/permissions.
- Customize branding.
- Publish and share links.
Real example: A marketing agency built a portal for clients to view campaign KPIs and approve content. Saved hours on reports, boosted retention.
Pricing: Free basic. Basic $49/month for advanced features.
Tips: Use templates first. Add Zapier for automations. Control access tightly.
Growth benefit: Improves client trust with live data views.
7. FlutterFlow: Fancy Mobile Apps with Animations
FlutterFlow is a no-code tool that helps startups create beautiful, high-performance mobile apps with smooth animations and effects. Built on Google’s Flutter framework, it works on iOS, Android, and web. Drag-and-drop everything – no coding needed.
Professional designs that impress users. Export code later if you hire developers. Great for event apps or customer tools.
Simple steps:
- Sign up free at flutterflow.io.
- Pick a template or blank project.
- Drag buttons, images, lists to screens.
- Add animations like fades or slides.
- Connect Firebase for data/login.
- Preview on your phone.
- Publish to app stores or export code.
Real example: A startup built an event check-in app. Users scan QR codes with fun animations. Launched in 2 weeks, got 500 downloads.
Pricing: Free basic. Standard $30/month for advanced features.
Tips: Watch free tutorials. Start simple. Use Firebase for backend.
Growth benefit: Apps feel premium, helping startups compete fast.
8. Xano: Backend Power Without Servers
Xano is a powerful no-code platform that lets startups build and manage the backend of their apps without writing code or worrying about servers. It includes a database, logic workflows, and API creation—all done with a simple visual interface. This means you can build secure, scalable, and complex backend systems fast, even if you’re not a developer.
Startups love Xano for its flexibility and power. You can design databases, automate workflows, and create APIs that connect to any frontend app (like Bubble, FlutterFlow, or Softr). It also handles user authentication, payments, and real-time data with strong security and scalability, so your app grows with your business.
How to Get Started with Xano
- Sign up free at xano.com.
- Create your database visually—add tables and fields.
- Build logic workflows to automate processes (e.g., user signup, sending emails).
- Auto-generate APIs to connect your frontend app.
- Test backend functions directly from the Xano dashboard.
- Scale seamlessly without managing servers.
Real Example: A startup building an e-commerce app used Xano to handle product databases, user logins, and order processing. They launched their MVP in 2 weeks, saved tens of thousands in dev costs, and scaled for growing users without downtime.
Pricing: Free plan includes basic features for testing. Paid plans start at $49/month with advanced API limits and priority support.
Tips:
- Use Xano’s templates to speed up setup.
- Combine with no-code frontend builders for full app solutions.
- Use built-in security features to protect user data.
- Collaborate in real time with your team inside Xano.
How Xano Helps Your Startup
Xano removes backend headaches and allows anyone to build powerful, production-ready backends fast and affordably. This saves time, money, and technical risk, letting you focus on building what matters—your app features and customers.
9. Glide: Apps from Google Sheets Super Fast
Glide is a no-code tool that instantly turns Google Sheets into mobile and web apps. Connect your spreadsheet, and it auto-builds a user-friendly app with lists, forms, and charts—no coding needed.
Super quick prototypes from existing Sheets. Works offline, mobile-first, with AI features and permissions.
Simple steps:
- Sign up free at glideapps.com.
- Connect your Google Sheet.
- Glide auto-generates the app.
- Customize layout, add buttons/forms.
- Set user roles and privacy.
- Publish and share link.
Real example: A startup turned event RSVPs Sheet into an app. Attendees registered via phone, data synced live—saved manual entry.
Pricing: Free basic. Maker $25/month for advanced features.
Tips: Use computed columns for calculations. Add AI for summaries. Test on mobile.
Growth benefit: Fast MVPs from Sheets data, scales to client portals.
10. Notion: All Your Startup Work in One Place
Notion is an all-in-one no-code workspace for notes, databases, tasks, wikis, and project management. Combine docs, calendars, Kanban boards, and team collaboration without switching apps.
Replaces 10+ tools. Free for small teams, customizable templates for projects, CRM, roadmaps.
Simple steps:
- Sign up free at notion.so.
- Use startup templates (tasks, projects).
- Build databases for leads/projects.
- Add views: Kanban, timeline, lists.
- Share with team, set permissions.
- Embed calendars/docs.
Real example: Startup tracked investor pitches, tasks, and OKRs in one dashboard. Raised funding faster with organized workflows.
Pricing: Free unlimited. Plus $8/user/month for teams.
Tips: Start with templates. Use AI for summaries. Link databases.
Growth benefit: Centralizes knowledge, boosts team alignment.
Your 7-Step Plan to Start with No-Code Today
- Pick one tool based on need (website? Webflow).
- Spend 1 hour on tutorials.
- Build something tiny.
- Share with 5 friends.
- Connect tools with Zapier.
- Launch and track users.
- Upgrade when busy.
No-code saves 80% costs, 10x speed.