4 no code code tools I actually use and love as a developer

No code and low code platforms will not replace developers. And I vehemently disagree with the following article/statement:

'80% of tech could be built outside IT by 2024, thanks to low-code tools'
Venture Beat

The tools that promote this balderdash are misdirected, and generally out-of-touch with the development ecosystem.

On the other hand, the following 4 no code and low code tools are major productivity boosts and help me, as a developer, produce more in less amount of time. In some cases, the quality of my output has increased too. These tools, from using their products, reading their materials and engaging with their communities, are developer-led with an ambition of facilitating, accelerating and improving the developer experience.

It's not about replacing the dev experience, it's about augmenting it.

Moving on, let me present to you the 4 no-code / low-code tools I actually use and love as a developer:

Budibase

Budibase is an open source low code platform for building internal tools / CRUD apps in minutes. Since its release into beta ~6 months ago, it's amassed 3.8k Github stars, and 50,000 downloads.

Budibase differs from other low code platforms in a number of ways:

It has a built-in database
It offers a simple, streamlined SQL experience
Users can create apps with multiple screens
It has an automations section allowing users to automate tedious, manual tasks
Components are accessible
It outputs real SPAs and the apps are 10x more performant than other platforms
It outputs responsive apps
It's open source and free
The UI is slick and comes with dark mode 🌚

Check out the Budibase

n8n

My life would reach max CPU levels if weren't for n8n. From Discord notifications to weather updates, n8n keeps me informed and automates a plethora of manual tasks.

It's license fair code and pretty straight forward to get started with. Previous to n8n, I used Integromat which is also a wonderful tool. I made the move to n8n because I found the community more helpful and the product more extensible. The user experience is very developer focused, and in my opinion, n8n is very much in the low-code category rather than no-code.

Check out n8n

Voiceflow

I love Voiceflow. As a smart speaker fanatic, I love creating games, quizzes, and other voice apps. Voiceflow is my tool of choice and allows me to design, prototype, and build all my voice apps without messing about with code.

Voiceflow has a very generous free plan, which includes unlimited projects, all the core features, and community support.

Check out Voiceflow

Stripe payment links

I have created many, many side projects over the years as a developer. I loved building side projects, I didn't mind marketing them, but I downright detested creating contracts and payment workflows.

But, thankfully, the other week, this changed. My girlfriend's sister sells these cool teddy bears online, and asked me to setup a quick way to accept payments outside of Etsy (I'm the "IT person" in my family). I was a little lacklustre about the whole affair, until I experienced Stripe Payment Links. Wow. It is incredible! The whole end to end project took a few mins and the UX was, as expected, seamless. If you need to sell something online, in a rush, Stripe payment links is perfecto!