The 7 best AI app builders in 2024 | Zapier (2024)

Even using no-code, building a new app can take a big chunk of your time. Setting up data sources requires smart planning and foresight. Building an intuitive user interface takes multiple tries until you find the perfect layout. And tying it all together with bug-free app logic demands attention to detail and many rounds of testing.

How does AI help here? Big disclaimer: it can't take you from the ground to the moon yet, but it does speed up the first steps of creating a new app. It can set up database schemas, a basic user interface, and essential app logic. This will free up your time to tackle the more critical parts of your app.

I've been keeping an eye on AI app builders for the past year, and now we've reached the point where there's a good collection of apps to get started with. I tested as many options as I could get my hands on, and based on my testing, here are the best AI app builders available.

The 7 best AI-powered app builders

• Softr for ease of use and speed

• Microsoft PowerApps for creating and editing with AI

• Google AppSheet for turning spreadsheets into apps

• Quickbase for enterprise-grade apps

• Pico for building only with prompts

• Construct for building simple tools

• Create for building an app with a single detailed prompt

What makes the best generative AI app builder?

This list focuses on platforms that help you create apps using natural language prompts. As a whole, this category is a bit hit-or-miss at the moment. I've found stuff that blew my mind. At the same time, I've tested apps that promised a lot but delivered very little. But the viable options are definitely impressive. There's something magical in seeing text being turned into interactive interfaces.

The AI app builders you'll discover here come in two flavors. The first are established app-building platforms that added AI to the development process. Their main advantage is that they already have a suite of editing tools to fine-tune the result of the prompt. The others are platforms that have popped up recently, focusing on building only with AI prompts. The way to control them is using detail-oriented English with a programming mindset, which can take a few tries until you get comfortable with it.

Here's what I paid attention to during my search. These AI app builders:

• Interpret prompts accurately. This is the test to see if you're dealing with real AI or a well-designed template remixer (super useful, but not true AI).

• Automatically build basic functionality. This means that these AI app builders go further than just assembling the user interface. They can also set up basic functionality such as creating or updating records.

• Are fully no-code. This means that you don't have to know HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or any other complex programming framework to customize the app built by the AI.

• Offer good customization tools. I looked out for either the possibility of adding more prompts or using no-code controls to tune the app.

• Have easy publishing methods. These apps don't require you to handle any server configuration or other complicated controls before sharing it with the world.

I had two fun weeks of testing. I signed up for each of these apps, noted down a few app ideas (and generated others with ChatGPT), and pasted them into the prompt windows. I made changes to the prompts to check how sensitive the AI engine was and then continued editing to gauge each platform's flexibility. Here are the results.

The best AI app builders at a glance

Best AI app builder for ease of use and speed

Softr

Softr pros:

• Easy data storage in Airtable or Google Sheets

• Builds user-friendly interfaces

Softr cons:

• Limited advanced logic

Softr already holds the first position on Zapier's best no-code app builders list. I'm still amazed at how easy it is to use without completely sacrificing functionality, removing "more power means more difficulty" from the equation.

It's the fastest platform to get you from the prompt window to an app that's close to ready to use. When you visit the Softr AI page, you can select a category and enter what you'd like your app to do. After you send in your prompt, it captures the gist of what you want: it assigns a name to your app, and then you can choose a starting color and design look before it starts generating.

It may take a few moments to complete your app. After the engine finishes setting up, you land on the Softr editor with everything ready to go: an app with a dashboard, login pages, list pages to display data, and input forms. To top it off, there may be a couple of user roles available, depending on the type of platform you asked to generate.

You can click on any of the components on each page to configure how they look and behave at a basic level, as well as connecting a Google Sheet or Airtable base to store data. There's no way to edit your app using AI, but growing your app is easy. Softr has a collection of user interface components that help you work with your data and set up new actions.

This burst of speed from idea to first app draft is Softr's greatest advantage. And if you need to configure advanced actions, get into workflow automation, or sync data across your apps, Softr integrates with Zapier to make that happen. Here are some pre-made workflows to get you started.

Softr price: Free plan available; Basic plan starts at $59/month

Best AI app builder for creating and editing with AI

Microsoft PowerApps

Microsoft PowerApps pros:

• Very flexible

• Accessible advanced logic for non-technical people

Microsoft PowerApps cons:

• Complicated first-time setup

Microsoft is rolling out Copilot features across its entire product lineup, and PowerApps is no exception. Featured in Zapier's list of the best internal tool builders, it's already a powerful app builder, offering deep functionality without requiring coding knowledge. It uses a function-based language for app logic, close to the one available in Excel.

In the PowerApps dashboard, you can now choose to start a new app from a prompt. I suggest you start with a small description of what you're looking for. Here's why: in the first step after submitting the prompt, you'll see the generated database schema. You can use a chat window on the right to add, remove, or change the fields with prompts. After you save this, PowerApps will put together the main page to display and interact with this database. Starting small is better because you can only generate the starting point, not the entire app.

Going through these first steps is already pretty cool, especially if you struggle with database schemas like I sometimes do. But what came next surprised me: the Copilot chat window remains open on the app editor, and you can ask to add new elements to the app in plain English. I asked to add a couple of buttons and a new form. I was impressed with the accuracy of what the AI engine implemented, even if there were a few comical mishaps from time to time—apparently, AI doesn't know where the "bottom of the screen" is.

Considering this feature is in preview mode, all I can say is wow. You can write what you want and get it on your screen a few seconds later—just position the elements where you want them. New pages? Buttons? New lists? Ask and you shall receive. I'm curious to see where Copilot for PowerApps is going and what the final implementation will look like.

Microsoft PowerApps pricing: Premium plan goes for $20/user/month. Full access to all features may require subscribing or configuring other Microsoft services, such as Dynamics 365 or Azure Cloud.

Best AI app builder for turning spreadsheets into apps

Google AppSheet

Google AppSheet pros:

• Fast results

• Access to machine learning features

Google AppSheet cons:

• Limited interface design

Spreadsheets are the birthplace of useful tools, from simple data storage to productivity systems. AppSheet, created by Google and featured in Zapier's list of the best database-powered app builders, takes your spreadsheet and generates an app based on it, complete with data display and a few forms to help you create new entries.

There's no prompt window anywhere. Most of the AI magic happens in the background as the engine reads your rows and columns to identify what your app is about. The structure of your sheet dictates the elements you'll see on the screen.

Customization also has very little AI: there's no sidebar to enter prompts. The control panels are a bit more involved and complex to understand right at the start, but there are plenty of possibilities. You can leverage smartphone features, such as QR-code reading, which is great for creating site-specific tools. You can also train an AI model on your spreadsheet, helping you add prediction features to your apps, or use other tools such as character recognition and intelligent document processing.

The only way you can use prompts to generate an app is if you have a Google Workspace subscription and access to Duet AI (Google's new AI engine). In that case, you can follow this guide to generate your app from scratch. Instead of plugging in your spreadsheet and going from there, Duet AI will create all the databases from a set of prompts. The last step lets you add notifications to keep track of changes to the data.

With strong enterprise-grade features, like advanced data governance and workflow automation, you can connect AppSheet to Zapier and make it the center of your internal tools. Here are some workflows to get you started.

AppSheet price: Starter goes for $5/user/month.

Best AI app builder for enterprise-grade apps

Quickbase

Quickbase pros:

• Can power all your business processes

• Data science and workflow optimization available

Quickbase cons:

• Occasional slow performance

Quickbase's AI Smart Builder creates internal tools adapted to your prompt with accuracy. Still in beta, it accepts a more detailed prompt than other options. You'll start by entering your industry, describing what you want your app to achieve, and listing things you want to track, report on, or manage.

Having trouble coming up with the perfect prompt? You can click the link on the generation pop-up to access instructions and examples. Once you lock in on the prompt and click create, go grab a cup of coffee: Quickbase can take up to 10 minutes to build the tables and user interface.

The result raised my eyebrows. I asked for a content tracking app and got more than I hoped for:

• A home page with graphs and tables to track my team's workload

• Four views to track every project, content piece, team member, and asset

• Buttons to open forms to add more data

All of these matched exactly what I asked for. With this starting point in place, you can add new views or pull in data from external sources to display side-by-side.

Quickbase can become the central place for all your business information and operations, which is why it's the best for building enterprise-grade apps. With it, you can manage projects and resources, set up pipelines to automate your work apps and internal workflows, and make sure you always stay compliant with industry regulations. On top of all this, you can connect Quickbase to Zapier for extra automation and connection opportunities. Here are some examples.

Quickbase price: $35/user/month for a minimum of 20 users

Best AI app builder for building an app only with prompts

Pico

Pico pros:

• Step-by-step building process

• Includes a few advanced features, such as databases and APIs

Pico cons:

• Parts of the editor are difficult to understand

We're now moving on to the new kids on the block. Pico is the first one, offering an experience that feels like magic. When you add your starting prompt, a line appears on the screen showing the AI generating the code in real time. It flows between HTML, CSS, and JavaScript with enviable ease, and on the side, your app comes to life bit by bit.

With this starting point in place, you can write more prompts to change anything about the app. You can change button labels, the background, and the input fields showing on the screen. There are a few settings that help you change the style, visual properties, and the connected data—and, if you know how to code, you can jump in at any point and edit it yourself. If you don't, don't worry: English is its main programming language.

My biggest advice here is to be as specific as you can. General prompts can work in unexpected ways—like when I asked for a different background and it gave me one that was the same color as the text, hiding most of the user interface. If you run into trouble, you can always revert the app to the previous prompt. This also means that you should use shorter prompts: if a longer one goes wrong, you'll undo quite a lot with the revert tool.

I got pretty far building an online course manager, trying out new prompts, and backtracking from time to time. Pico supports API connections, too, but these are a bit more complex to set up. Still, it's a welcome possibility as you'll be able to interface with other apps around the web to build something unique. Publishing your app is easy: it's always available as a link, so you can share it with anyone else immediately.

Pico pricing: Pro plan goes for $29/month.

Best AI app builder for building simple tools

Construct

Construct pros:

• Quick results

• Easy to add new features

Construct cons:

• Not a good match for building complex apps

Construct leans on simple, minimalistic apps. When you start with your prompt, it prepares a product requirement document, a data model, and the interface components. Your one-page app pops into existence after a minute, with buttons, lists to display data, and input forms.

Visually, the results are always the same: black outlines for all elements, be they lists or buttons. If you try to write a prompt to change any visual aspect of the app, it'll say it can't do that. At first, this felt frustrating, but I realize it may be for the best: the baseline design is clean and straightforward, and the focus on functionality makes sense.

To edit your app, you can keep writing prompts. It takes a while to process, but bear with it. Instead, if you know exactly what you want, Construct offers a component library to help you display data (in a table or list, as text or a statistic) and input fields to let your users upload text, images, or files. Just drag and drop them into the canvas to start setting them up.

When you click the envelope icon on the left-side menu, you'll find notifications and recurring tasks. You can also add these with prompts. I added a 100-contact milestone notification to my data verification and weekly summary actions.

If you prefer to start from a template, you can remix a few constructs from the home page, from personal CRMs to fitness trackers. This is a good match for personal apps and small-team internal tools, something you can create in 30 minutes and drive immediate value out of. There isn't much in terms of data integration, APIs, or more complex logic, but that would feel like it's defeating the purpose of a simple app builder.

Construct is changing at a rapid pace: the platform got a major update right at the end of testing for this article, greatly improving the platform. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

Construct price: Free in beta; no pricing information available.

Best AI app builder for creating with a single prompt

Create

Create pros:

• Extremely open-ended

• Native integrations include OpenAI

Create cons:

• Requires a lot of trial and error

Where other apps in this list use a combination of a starter prompt and additional ones to continue building, with Create, you'll use a single prompt to generate the whole thing. This is its main advantage and, sometimes, its greatest drawback.

You'll notice the input field on the right, inviting you to write your prompt. Instead of putting together your app's first draft here, I suggest you write it in a separate document. Use ChatGPT to describe features: you can ask to "describe the user interface, including visual and interactive elements with extreme detail" to help Create do the job well.

When you're happy with your description, paste it into the sidebar and lean back. Take a look at the top-left part of the screen: it'll show the message "Building" as it's reading your prompt and translating it into an app. When it turns to "Done," you'll see the user interface of your app appear on the screen.

The advantage of this platform is that it interprets absolutely everything you write. The problem is that, if you omit anything—for example, if you didn't mention colors or shapes—the platform will cook up something random. After a couple of hours in tinkering mode, I was able to put together a simple car repair tracking app. I felt completely in control, even when making mistakes. Still, I feel it was a net positive experience at the end.

Sharing is very easy, so you can make your app go live right away. You'll notice a limitation when viewing your app: it doesn't save data and doesn't have user authentication. The apps you make here are better suited to give results your users can get in a single session: transforming data, quickly managing a challenging part of a project, or testing an idea.

Create price: The Pro plan is $99/month.

Generative AI app builders vs. building AI features into apps

All the apps above let you use generative AI to build an app. But if you're looking to build apps that have AI features—say, you want to build an app that summarizes text or turns it into audio—there are other options you can look at.

• You can build your own chatbots with Zapier's AI Chatbot tool. Start by telling it what to do, connect knowledge sources to ground it on your data, and share it with others. It's great for implementing robust internal tools, fast.

• OpenAI's GPTs offer similar possibilities. It's as if you can customize ChatGPT for unique cases, such as creative writing, handling negotiations, or anything else you can come up with.

• One step more complex, there's Glide. It's a no-code app builder that offers AI-powered interface components. When you add them to your app, you can generate text, extract text from images, or render audio into text.

• Finally, if you want to create a unique app with custom AI features, you can do it with any app builder out there that supports API connections. Choose your AI model provider—OpenAI, Anthropic, or a Hugging Face community model, among others—get the API keys, and plug them into the app editor. Then, set up the calls and how they're received on your app. This option is more advanced, but you'll be able to create any kind of AI-powered app with complete freedom.

Build faster with AI

Building apps with AI is still in the early days, but there are already surprisingly powerful tools out there. It won't get you across the finish line with just a prompt, but AI app builders give you a good speed boost to get you there. You can deploy apps faster or use the extra time to work on the more important features, which will improve the quality of your apps over time.

Related reading:

• How to choose an app builder

• Low-code vs. no-code: When to use each one

• How to build your own app—no coding skills required