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Recent Launches

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Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

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New

Robotic process automation software to automate high-volume, rule-based tasks.

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New

Low-code IoT platform and solutions for connected businesses.

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New

Business formation service to launch and grow your businesses.

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New

Privacy-friendly application analytics solution.

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Sales

 
CRM

Comprehensive CRM platform for customer-facing teams.

CRM
 
Bigin

Simple CRM for small businesses moving from spreadsheets.

Bigin
 
Forms

Build online forms for every business need.

Forms
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
RouteIQ

Comprehensive sales map visualization and optimal route planning solution.

RouteIQ
 
Thrive

Complete loyalty and affiliate management platform.

Thrive
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
Suites
CRM Plus

Unified platform to deliver top-notch customer experience.

CRM Plus

Marketing

 
Social

All-in-one social media management software.

Social
 
Campaigns

Create, send, and track targeted email campaigns that drive sales.

Campaigns
 
Forms

Build online forms for every business need.

Forms
 
Survey

Design surveys to reach and interact with your audience.

Survey
 
Sites

Online website builder with extensive customisation options.

Sites
 
PageSense

Website conversion optimization and personalisation platform.

PageSense
 
Backstage

End-to-end event management software.

Backstage
 
Webinar

Webinar platform for webcasting online webinars.

Webinar
 
Marketing Automation

All-in-one marketing automation software.

Marketing Automation
 
LandingPage

Smart landing page builder to increase conversion rates

LandingPage
 
Publish

Manage all your local business listings on a single platform.

Publish
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Thrive

Complete loyalty and affiliate management platform.

Thrive
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
NEW
LeadChain

Sync, manage, and convert leads across channels seamlessly.

LeadChain
 
NEW
CommunitySpaces

Online community platform for individuals and businesses to grow their network and brand.

CommunitySpaces
 
Suites
Marketing Plus

Unified marketing platform for marketing teams.

Marketing Plus

Commerce and POS

 
Commerce

eCommerce platform to manage and market your online store.

Commerce

Service

 
Desk

Helpdesk software to deliver great customer support.

Desk
 
Assist

Remote support and unattended remote access software.

Assist
 
Lens

Interactive remote assistance software with augmented reality.

Lens
 
FSM

End-to-end field service management platform for service businesses.

FSM
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
NEW
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
Suites
Service Plus

Unified platform for customer service and support teams.

Service Plus

Finance

 
Books

Powerful accounting platform for growing businesses.

Books
 
FREE
Invoice

100% Free invoicing solution.

Invoice
 
Expense

Effortless expense reporting platform.

Expense
 
Inventory

Powerful stock management and inventory control software.

Inventory
 
Billing

End-to-end billing solution for your business.

Billing
 
Checkout

Collect payments online with custom branded pages.

Checkout
 
NEW
Payroll

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Payroll
 
NEW
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo
 
Practice

Practice management software for accounting firms.

Practice
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Commerce

eCommerce platform to manage and market your online store.

Commerce
 
Suites
Finance Plus

All-in-one suite to manage your operations and finances.

Finance Plus

Email and Collaboration

 
Mail

Secure email service for teams of all sizes.

Mail
 
Meeting

Online meeting software for all your video conferencing & webinar needs.

Meeting
 
Writer

Word processor for focused writing and discussions.

Writer
 
Sheet

Spreadsheet software for collaborative teams.

Sheet
 
Show

Create, edit, and share slides with a sleek presentation app.

Show
 
Notebook

Beautiful home for all your notes.

Notebook
 
Cliq

Stay in touch with teams no matter where you are.

Cliq
 
Connect

Employee experience platform to communicate, engage, and build positive employee relations.

Connect
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
TeamInbox

Shared inboxes for teams.

TeamInbox
 
WorkDrive

Online file management for teams.

WorkDrive
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Office Suite

Powerful collaborative work platform for teams.

Office Suite
 
Office Integrator

Built in document editors for web apps.

Office Integrator
 
ZeptoMail

Secure and reliable transactional email sending service.

ZeptoMail
 
Calendar

Online business calendar to manage events and schedule appointments.

Calendar
 
Learn

Knowledge and learning management platform.

Learn
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
ToDo

Collaborative task management for individuals and teams.

ToDo
 
Tables

Work management tool to connect people, processes, and information.

Tables
 
FREE
PDF Editor

Collaborative online PDF editing tool.

PDF Editor
 
Suites
Workplace

Application suite built to improve team productivity and collaboration.

Workplace

Human Resources

 
People

Organize, automate, and simplify your HR processes.

People
 
Recruit

Intuitive recruiting platform built to provide hiring solutions.

Recruit
 
Expense

Effortless expense reporting platform.

Expense
 
Workerly

Manage temporary staffing with an employee scheduling solution.

Workerly
 
NEW
Payroll

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Payroll
 
Shifts

Employee scheduling and time tracking app.

Shifts
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Suites
People Plus

Comprehensive HR platform for seamless employee experiences.

People Plus

Security and IT Management

 
Creator

Build custom apps to simplify business processes.

Creator
 
Directory

Workforce identity and access management solution for cloud businesses.

Directory
 
FREE
OneAuth

Secure multi-factor authenticator (MFA) for all your online accounts.

OneAuth
 
Vault

Online password manager for teams.

Vault
 
Catalyst

Pro-code platform to build and deploy your apps.

Catalyst
 
Toolkit

Complete resource for any admin-related lookup queries.

Toolkit
 
Lens

Interactive remote assistance software with augmented reality.

Lens
 
Assist

Remote support and unattended remote access software.

Assist
 
QEngine

Test automation software to build, manage, execute, and report testcases.

QEngine
 
NEW
RPA

Automate manual, tedious, and repetitive tasks easily.

RPA

BI and Analytics

 
Analytics

Modern self-service BI and analytics platform.

Analytics
 
Embedded BI

Embedded analytics and white label BI solutions, tailored for your needs.

Embedded BI
 
DataPrep

AI-powered data preparation service for your data-driven organization.

DataPrep
 
NEW
IoT

Harnessing IoT analytics for real-time operational intelligence.

IoT

Project Management

 
Projects

Manage, track, and collaborate on projects with teams.

Projects
 
Sprints

Planning and tracking tool for scrum teams.

Sprints
 
BugTracker

Automatic bug tracking software for managing bugs.

BugTracker
 
NEW
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo

Developer Platforms

 
Creator

Build custom apps to simplify business processes.

Creator
 
Flow

Automate business workflows by creating smart integrations.

Flow
 
Catalyst

Pro-code platform to build and deploy your apps.

Catalyst
 
Office Integrator

Built in document editors for web apps.

Office Integrator
 
ZeptoMail

Secure and reliable transactional email sending service.

ZeptoMail
 
QEngine

Test automation software to build, manage, execute, and report testcases.

QEngine
 
Tables

Work management tool to connect people, processes, and information.

Tables
 
NEW
RPA

Automate manual, tedious, and repetitive tasks easily.

RPA
 
NEW
Apptics

Application analytics for all apps.

Apptics
 
Embedded BI

Embedded analytics and white label BI solutions, tailored for your needs.

Embedded BI
 
NEW
IoT

Build, deploy, and scale IoT solutions for connected businesses.

IoT
 
DataPrep

AI-powered data preparation service for your data-driven organization.

DataPrep

IoT

 
NEW
IoT

Low-code IoT platform and solutions for connected businesses.

IoT

Search Result

 
CRM Plus

Unified platform to deliver top-notch customer experience.

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CRM Plus
 
Service Plus

Unified platform for customer service and support teams.

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Service Plus
 
Finance Plus

All-in-one suite to manage your operations and finances.

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Finance Plus
 
People Plus

Comprehensive HR platform for seamless employee experiences.

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People Plus
 
Workplace

Application suite built to improve team productivity and collaboration.

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Workplace
 
Marketing Plus

Unified marketing platform for marketing teams.

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Marketing Plus
 
All-in-one suite

Zoho One

The Operating System for Business

Run your entire business on Zoho with our unified cloud software, designed to help you break down silos between departments and increase organizational efficiency.

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Zoho One
Zoho Marketplace

With over 2000 ready-to-use extensions across 40+ categories, connect your favorite business tools with the Zoho products you already use.

EXPLORE MARKETPLACE
Marketplace
Skip to main content

What is an application development platform?

An app development platform is a software suite that enables users to design, develop, test, and deploy apps on any device and host them in the medium of your choice—locally, on your own servers, on a private cloud, or on a public cloud. Most app development platforms abstract the complexities across the application’s lifecycle, minimizing reliance on traditional coding languages and helping businesses digitize processes quickly and at scale.

Understanding different types of app development platforms

Web application development platforms

A web app development platform lets you design and develop interactive web applications to solve a specific need, such as online banking or a ticket booking service. The advantage of using web development platforms over web frameworks (ASP.Net, Ruby On Rails, Python) is that you can roll out apps faster, as they provide easy-to-use interfaces and reduce the complexities experienced while coding.

Web application development platforms
Mobile app development platforms

Mobile app development platforms

This is a type of software that allows you to design and develop custom mobile apps for your business. The most important benefit of a mobile application development platform (MADP) is that you don’t have to develop the same app for different operating systems (Android, iOS, and Windows)—your developer can work with a single codebase for multiple mobile platforms.

Custom application development platforms

These platforms provide you with the tech stack to develop tailor-made solutions to cater to a defined set of requirements. Many businesses are adopting LCNC (low-code, no-code) development platforms to build their custom applications in-house, instead of buying rigid and expensive off-the-shelf software.

Custom application development platforms

Explore your options; choose the right development platform

Before you narrow down which platform you want to build your app on, you must do a thorough analysis of the features available and ensure it supports you at every app development stage.

Here are the most critical factors to evaluate:

Previewing and publishing UI elements
Role-based access to UI elements
Ability to deploy auto-validations of data
Ability to build custom dashboards

Data management and analytics

Ensure the application development platform you choose offers an intuitive interface that allows you to design interactive forms and reports to gather different data. Just note that you must be able to represent the data in real-time reports and dashboards to aid in real-time decision-making.

Workflow automation

Process automation helps avoid human error while saving time in execution. Any application platform that you choose should allow you to easily design workflows that help you automate routine tasks, streamline communication, and get more done in less time.

Declarative ways to build business rules
Ability to automate multilevel approvals
Options to trigger tasks based on event and time
Guided scripting for non developers
Built-in testing environment
Flexibility to create reusable components
Multi-user development and collaboration
AI capabilities

Application development

The most important aspect to look at is if the platform offers an integrated development environment (IDE) with drag-and-drop widgets, ready-to-use code snippets, and real-time collaboration, to help you build custom business multi-platform apps faster.

App deployment and maintenance

Based on your business requirement, choose a platform that enables you to host your application on an environment of your choice—be it on the cloud, on-premise, in third-party cloud infrastructure, or on a hybrid model encompassing aspects of all three.

Performs scheduled backups
Multilanguage support
Assistance in maintaining application logs
Private, encrypted data centers
Role-based secure sharing of data
Record-level audits

Security

Along with the development capabilities, it’s critical to evaluate if the platform is compliant with required regulatory standards and offers you an extremely secure, high-available software environment.

Integrations

Besides being able to create robust business applications, the platform you choose should make it easy for you to connect to internal and external systems and break free of information silos.

Hundreds of out-of-the-box Integrations with popular platforms
Ability to create custom APIs with any system
Zoho Creator: A platform to simplify app development, end-to-end

Zoho Creator: A platform to simplify app development, end-to-end

Zoho Creator is a low-code app development platform (LCAP) with drag-and drop capabilities and a visual app-building approach that empowers citizen developers. Most importantly, you don’t have to be a pro developer, nor do you need a large capital outlay to get started with Zoho Creator. Just sign up and start building the apps you need, and scale as your business grows.

Industry recognition

Zoho Creator was named a:

gartner

Visionary in Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Low-Code Application Platforms, 2020

LCAP Technology

Leader in the LCAP Technology Value Matrix 2020, by Nucleus Research

quadrant

Technology Leader in SPARK Matrix: Low-Code Application Development Platforms 2020, by Quadrant Knowledge Solutions

 

Zoho Creator: 15 years and still going strong! Find out why.

Constantly evolving to meet consumer demands

Since its inception, the Creator app development platform has consistently evolved, offering various intuitive features, visual builders, ready-to-use templates, and built-in connectors—all the while remaining true to its mission: to simplify application development and empower a broad set of users to develop applications that help them work efficiently.

Multiplatform builder

The most impressive part of building apps on Creator is that users can design, develop, preview, and deploy apps for web, mobile, and tablets on the same platform at the same time. That is, users can design and preview the app for each interface separately and create a seamless multiplatform experience without worrying about form factor.

Rapid, cost-effective app development

Zoho Creator lets businesses build applications, automate processes, and make enhancements, without having to go through the challenging aspects of traditional software development. And when you deploy apps on a low-code platform like Creator, application maintenance and regular upgrades are taken care of, saving you from overhead expenses.

Built for the future of work

Zoho Creator is a full-stack low-code app development platform packed with the latest features that allow businesses to easily migrate from existing systems and digitize their processes. It helps you predict results and customer behavior with AI, create personalized experiences for customers and partners, and empower your employees to work on the go with native mobile apps.

A well-connected ecosystem

When you become a Zoho Creator customer, you have access to a vibrant customer community, a highly responsive customer-support team, and an exhaustive training program to support you along the way. Feel free to interact with peers and experts, share ideas, ask questions, and report issues using any of these channels.

Flexible pricing plans—no hidden costs

Zoho Creator offers flexible pricing plans to support organizations of all sizes. Choose the plan that works best for your business and then pay either monthly or annually.

Zoho Creator has given us extraordinary agility in the market. Whatever the need, we can build, deploy, and sell it with a relatively tiny go-to-market timeline and cost model.

, CTO, Briotix

Get started with your very own app development platform for free

Sign up for freeAccess Zoho creator

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a low-code application platform (LCAP)?

It's a platform that enables users to roll out custom applications faster. With a low-code platform, you can skip the tedious steps involved in traditional coding, as it offers intuitive interfaces and ready-to-use code snippets. Click here to read more about low-code platforms.

What kind of applications can I build on Zoho Creator?

Businesses can leverage low-code platforms to build applications that cover any number of use cases. The most commonly built applications on Zoho Creator are customer engagement applications (CRM, point of sale) line of business applications (supply chain management, production software) and workplace applications (asset management, task management).

Does Zoho Creator support the importing/migration of data in spreadsheets?

The data import feature allows anyone with an existing database in spreadsheets to easily upload them, and Creator will simultaneously build an application on the same model. There are also a set of smart data import features that enable users to cleanse, refine, and group data at the time of upload. For more details on this, please head here.

Does Creator support native iOS or Android development?

Yes! With Zoho Creator, your applications are automatically supported on iOS and Android devices. We have you covered across the mobile application development lifecycle, from application architecture and UI/UX to advanced workflow automation and performance monitoring. Learn more.

How do I get started with Zoho Creator?

Zoho Creator has a 15-day free trial of all premium features. You can get started by signing up here.

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