Zoho Creator offers a first of its kind drag-n-drop interface to create tables/forms, design, schedule workflows and perform a variety of automated actions.
Zoho Creator's powerful tools for data collection and management, analysis, reporting and collaboration make it the smart choice for small to large organizations to run their business online, without any additional costs, infrastructure, or software.
Zoho Creator is used by more than 2 million users, and 3 million apps have been already created. Don't let complex looking workflows and business rules scare you.
Zoho Creator is completely non-programmer friendly. Use the intuitive and feature-rich platform to build your custom database applications. Just write your business rules and let the software handle deployment and hosting. You can create your own forms/tables afresh or import data from standard formats (.xls .csv .mdb) and get your database application online within minutes, really!
Pros
I found Zoho creator easy to use and developer friendly as well. They made things quite simple, for every app the users will need to input data (forms) and view that data (reports), to create both is really easy and the new editor lets you create custom HTML pages so extend your app to any possible layout.
I like to be able to write code for the app, Deluge does quite good. The syntax is quite easy to understand and the error hints are most of the times really accurate. Is good to be able to communicate between forms and apps, making Zoho creator apps quite versatile.
I also use Schedules often to collect trash, organize records or upgrade records based on a time variable; the reports can go from barebones to complex pivot charts, is useful that you can see underlying data clicking on each segment of the chart.
Cons
I have had some issues with the introduction of the new editor, I like the Old editor to code and the New editor to create custom pages (you are forced to do so), it's often confusing to remember that you have to switch in order to perform one task or the other.
Another issue I have had to cope with several times is the lack of a time-only field, not date-time. I had to use workarounds when I needed the user to input time. Same with try-catch functionalities or being able to edit the fields labels dynamically.
Is also strange that most of the answers in the forum are only visible for the user that asked the question, making it almost useless for users trying to troubleshoot an error.
The charts might take a while to load if the report has a big volume of data.
Mostly this has been used for prototyping and proof of concept for larger projects that end up being developed on other platforms. It's great value for what you get. If you are using other elements of the Zoho suite there are good integrations and Creator would be great for adding functionality for the likes of first-line workers in the organisation.
Pros
Zoho Creator is an application development tool sold as a stand-alone SaaS product or as part of the Zoho One Suite.
Zoho Creator is a quick way to create applications without writing code. You can create forms, reports, pages and workflows largely through a drag-and-drop interface. There is a custom scripting language available for more complex requirements, but most users will be sticking to the no-code features.
This is a good solution for collecting data on web forms and presenting it in meaningful reports. Completed apps can be embedded on websites or made available to users within or external to the organisation. Apps created are responsive and designed to display well on desktop, tablet or smartphone.
Typical use cases are collecting data for surveys, tests and managing assets. With a bit of practice, you can create functional apps with triggers for email notifications and the like. Zoho Creator can be a good tool for agile teams to use for proof of concept for larger projects that may be developed further on other platforms.
Cons
Could be dangerous in the wrong hands - ease of use is a double-edged sword. You'll still want to retain control of these kinds of tools; it's easy for enthusiastic amateurs to get carried away!
Zoho Creator is a quick way to create a web form for user submissions, for anything from an internal survey, to a work-related data collection form, or a web site submission form from customers.
Pros
A user can get up and running with Zoho Creator within about ten minutes. It is very intuitive and requires very little set-up. Any time I need to collect data, Zoho is my go-to app for form creation, and it is easy to distribute the forms securely using a link, a password, or to embed it in another site. Zoho has great customizable workflows if you are able to handle minimal programming.
Cons
The user interface is very basic and could probably use an update to modernize a bit. It would also be nice if the front-end interface could be more highly customized. I use Zoho Creator mostly to create forms that I'm sending to people who don't require something super pretty with lots of graphic design. If i needed a visually compelling form, Zoho would not be my choice because it isn't rich in those features.
Awesome, I love Zoho Creator. We use it for many different parts of our business to complement what we accomplish with Zoho CRM. It can house a ton of data and the UI is nice and easy to navigate. Forms from Creator can easily be integrated with other Zoho apps to make Zoho Creator even more powerful!
Pros
If you can think up an app, or a business workflow, or a business data scenario, or seriously anything, Zoho Creator can handle it. They have pre-built apps which can be modified to suit your business app needs, or you can build apps from scratch. Basic apps with basic workflow or notifications can be set up in minutes. Creator integrates nicely with other Zoho apps (for Zoho One users) like Zoho CRM and Zoho Books.
Cons
The scripting language Zoho Creator uses is called DELUGE. It is the powerful engine behind what seriously makes anything possible with Zoho Creator. For most users that have no coding background it this can provide limits as DELGUGE can be difficult to learn.
Easy to use and great value for money for a small business. The companion iPhone app is also excellent and you can easily enter data from the app. The iPad app is perfect as a POS (Point of Sale) companion.
Pros
The things I like about this software are -
1. It is best for beginners who don't have much knowledge of building complex databases
2. It has a superb way of building databases from the excel sheets. I used to use excel sheets before and when I switched to Zoho, it turned my excel sheets into forms and tables with data in no time at all
3. The types of variables are very good. Every variable a small business owner would need is there. And it automatically selected the best variable type from my excel sheet.
4. The reports are also there easily and are very customisable.
5. There is an excellent knowledgebase also for support
Cons
The UI could be better. It still feels clunky like a 90s software. Does not take away from the ease of use and functionality, but this is not the software I look forward to using. The colours and general design could be better.
Flexible Users Plan : (Suitable for Small & Medium Enterprises)
Forever free plan (No Credit Card Required) - 1 App / 1 User / 1000 Records / 250MB per user Storage
Basic = $15 /user/month - 3 Apps / 25000 Records
Premium = $30 /user/month - 50 Apps / Unlimited records
Ultimate Plan = $35 /user/month billed annually - Unlimited Apps / Unlimited Records
(Available only in yearly plan)
When you use Zoho Creator you don't have to worry about anything technical - you can just create your databases and put them into production right away. We take care of all the security, uptime, backups and upgrades. You can stay focused on what you're good at and we'll handle the rest.
Any app created on Zoho Creator is readily available as a mobile app with no mobile-specific development. Your team members and clients can also download the Zoho Creator mobile app and can access real-time data all the time. Zoho Creator helps you to stay connected to your data all the time.
Zoho Creator provides a flexible and easy-to-use platform to build databases over the web that significantly reduces the development time. Zoho Creator helps you achieve your time to market by offering intuitive drag-and-drop interface to build forms/tables without coding. You can create your database either by importing data from your spreadsheet or from your MS Access database (.mdb) file.
Zoho Creator platform takes away all the database complexities with creating tables, modifying the structure of the tables and maintenance headaches like - Storage, Availability and Security. Zoho Creator offers admin(who creates) flexibility to modify table attributes and transform both data and table structure, while allowing users(who access) full access to the database. All the changes and modification are made instantly without any delay or patch.
Zoho Creator offers intuitive drag-and-drop interface to create tables/Forms and add business rules. You can build custom databases without coding. Zoho Creator's flexible and scalable approach enables admin to modify the structure of the database and the data while allowing users full access to the database. You can create custom databases in quick time that scales with your businesses.
Zoho Creator is incorporated with Deluge Script, a easy-to-use scripting language that lets users to design business workflows and perform a variety of automated actions based on the criteria specified. No programming skills required, just drag-and-drop actions, triggers. Deluge Script makes it easy to create powerful database apps quickly.
Zoho Creator platform provides highly available, scalable and secure hosting infrastructure. All Zoho Creator applications and the informations within the application are remotely stored and hosted on Zoho web servers, which are monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We employ industry-standard practices like SSL encryption, around-the-clock security of our data center, back-up and recovery systems. Refer the Zoho FAQ section for more info
Zoho Creator has built a strong community of independent developers and ISV's who can help you in your database development process. Zoho Creator Forum is the place to share knowledge, ideas with each other and also to post questions, issues and get help from the experts. Zoho Creator team (the guys behind the platform) also pitch-in to provide solution and help you to solver your problem.
Below are some frequently asked questions for Zoho Creator.
Zoho Creator offers the following pricing plans:
Starting from: US$15.00/month
Pricing model: Free, Subscription
Free Trial: Available
Flexible Users Plan : (Suitable for Small & Medium Enterprises)
Forever free plan (No Credit Card Required) - 1 App / 1 User / 1000 Records / 250MB per user Storage
Basic = $15 /user/month - 3 Apps / 25000 Records
Premium = $30 /user/month - 50 Apps / Unlimited records
Ultimate Plan = $35 /user/month billed annually - Unlimited Apps / Unlimited Records
(Available only in yearly plan)
Zoho Creator offers the following features:
Zoho Creator has the following typical customers:
Freelancers, Large Enterprises, Mid Size Business, Non Profit, Small Business
Zoho Creator supports the following languages:
Chinese (Traditional), English, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish
Zoho Creator has the following pricing plans:
Free, Subscription
Zoho Creator supports the following devices:
Android, iPhone, iPad
Zoho Creator integrates with the following applications:
APIANT, ActiveCampaign, Mad Mimi, Workato, Zapier, Zoho CRM, Zoho Campaigns, Zoho Desk, Zoho Flow, Zoho Subscriptions
Zoho Creator offers the following support options:
Forum, Knowledge Base, Online Support, Phone Support, Video Tutorials
Overall I found that is quite easy to build a stable, clean and powerful app in Zoho creator, it's a big deal to be able to write my own code and customize the form definition as well.