If you definitely want to create and design your own app, but you don’t have any prior programming experience or knowledge of coding, then an app maker could be the perfect tool for you. There’s now a wide range of different providers offering their own unique app development software designed to make things easy. But unlike the official IDEs from Google and Apple, most mobile app builders aren’t available free of charge. In fact, almost all app makers offer a business model that charges a monthlyfee for the use of the app building kit and an additional fee for hosting the finished article. Some providers include the option in their monthly subscription package that your app will be offered in the official app store of your chosen platform – but this comes at an extra cost (usually a one-off fee). Usually, you can create your app free of charge with the kit and even test it out, only paying once you publish your app online.
So what are you getting for your money with app creators? Generally speaking, applications that basically consist of text and images are easy to create using app builders. This app development software is best suited for small to mid-sized companies and organizations who are designing an app to inform users about their products, services, or particular topics. Many app makers also enable you to design a shopping app, making it possible for you to create your own online shop. Other useful features offered by lots of app builders include RSS feeds and push notifications. These are great options if you’re looking to design a news app or an app to inform users about events. And other device functions, like geo-targeting, or embedding a camera in your app, are also possible with some providers, albeit often with glitches or flaws.
But many features you see in other native apps are unfortunately impossible to implement with app makers. Embedding native device functions like the camera, the microphone, or Bluetooth is – as we mentioned – possible, but it’s very limited. Some features aren’t supported at all – like the acceleration sensor of the smartphone. Meanwhile, video games and similarly challenging graphic designs are almost impossible to create with app builders. There are some specialized providers that enable you to design gaming apps like GameSalad; but you can only use prefabricated 2D graphics and fixed game world elements.