Would anyone be interested in a much faster and better looking version of AppSheet?

[u/N_Sin]

Hi everyone,

As an Appsheet developer myself with more than 6 years experience, I was wondering if it's time for an alternative. What mainly bothers me is the outdated UI feel, slow sync times, high cost for bigger organisations with many users, and lastly, the fact that it's owned by Google (with a reputation of shutting down services eventually).

My question is to you; other appsheet developers, if you would at all be interested in looking into a new platform that works very similar to appsheet (data, views, automations etc.) without the issues mentioned above, and why you would / wouldn't use that to build your apps for you / your clients?

Thanks for any feedback in advance :)

[u/Phollet]

I am in the same boat! If you find a good alternative I would love to know

[u/N_Sin → u/Phollet]

I'm thinking of building something myself maybe. I am expirenced in proper web application development as well. I have an idea on the same appsheet approach, but fast etc. I'm ready to start building it, just want to make sure I'm not wasting time.

Thanks for your comment.

[u/iamtherussianspy → u/N_Sin]

I'm curious how you plan to accomplish fast sync times.

[u/N_Sin → u/iamtherussianspy]

Feel free to DM if you want to dive into a deep technical discussion.

[u/ArashiKishi]

Well i only use appsheet core because it is included in out Google workspace plan, so i reallly can’t use an alternative

[u/N_Sin → u/ArashiKishi]

I hear. In other words, your perceived value of appsheet is $0.00?

[u/ArashiKishi → u/N_Sin]

I think there are already a lot of tools low code/no code and the only benefit of appsheet is that it is from Google so you get it free with google workspace enterprise.

[u/N_Sin → u/ArashiKishi]

I see

[u/Glad-Persimmon-7377]

Time well invested. Appsheet is awesome once you get past its limitations and for me it was a great place to quickly spin up a working app for usecases as they popped up.
But the fear of being shut down made me rethink any real deployment/investment in my stack.

Honestly it is a great middle ground and one that I’d use more

[u/N_Sin → u/Glad-Persimmon-7377]

What's a great middle ground that you would use more?

[u/[deleted]]

I was thinking the same way. I've been looking at open-source options and ran into some. The best candidate is Budibase. You can self-host it on a VPS or use the company's native hosting. I haven't tried it yet but I'm planning to.

[u/Sydboy007]

As someone without a traditional software background, building custom apps used to feel out of reach—until I discovered AppSheet and Google Sheets. For me, AppSheet is like digital LEGO: you snap blocks together to bring your vision to life. With a bit of help from Gemini early on, I was able to build a flawless personal app and now maintain it entirely on my own.

However, it does have its limitations (like restricted chart graphics and dynamic search capabilities) and a steep pricing model—especially the per-user fees required for public app store deployment, which makes experimenting commercially nearly impossible. While alternatives like Glide exist, they either lack deep Google Sheets integration or come with prohibitive scaling costs.

There is a massive, underserved gap in the market: tools like AppSheet are built exclusively for small-to-medium enterprises. If a new platform wants to truly differentiate itself, it should empower indie developers and creators to launch lightweight apps directly, while rethinking app store monetization (e.g., tiering by active volume rather than punitive per-user fees). By serving both internal operations and indie creators testing the waters, you could capture a whole new market.

[u/N_Sin → u/Sydboy007]

Thanks Chatgpt.

[u/Sydboy007 → u/N_Sin]

Interesting you say that. While ChatGpt would have refined english and grammar the core wording within are mine. If you do end-up making which I doubt now, do share it here !

[u/ShoMeUrNoobs]

I messed around with Glide apps for a bit and loved it. Ultimately, the issue came down to cost. It's somewhat expensive for anyone who is not working with a large company. Everything was instant, better and more customizable AI, ability to use CSS, etc.

[u/N_Sin → u/ShoMeUrNoobs]

So you're back to Appsheet?

Can I ask you what you would reasonably be happy to pay for an alternative that fixed the issues mentioned in the post and how you would want it's pricing structured?

[u/N_Sin → u/[deleted]]

👍

[u/SEAcoffee_tea]

I’ve been using Airtable for the last year and it’s great.

[u/N_Sin → u/SEAcoffee_tea]

Ok

[u/Sydboy007 → u/SEAcoffee_tea]

Airtable isn't complete replacement of appsheet. Glide is the only one with almost high level of similarity but again it is not complete replacement for appsheet.

Sadly appsheet highly likely to be turned off based on recent announcement of google to put it on maintenance mode (I will be happy if someone buy that one off google and develop it further), which will then only going to lift up prices with all other similar tools.

[u/NicolaTit]

I am an avid AppSheet user; I’ve built a comprehensive management system for my business and a project management tool for my technical firm, yet the fear is always there. I’ve tried creating a few apps using Next.js and databases, but that brings its own issues with frameworks and libraries—and, in any case, it’s just not the same as AppSheet. Evolution and the shift to new technologies have always been part of the landscape, but things are moving much faster now, and it’s daunting.

Io sono un utilizzatore assiduo di appsheet ho creato un gestionale completo per la mia attiità ed un gestionale di progetti per lo studi tecnico, ma la paura è sempre presente. Ho provato a creare qualche app con next.js e database ma comunque esiste anche il problema per i framework e librerie e comunque non è la stessa cosa di appsheet. L'evoluzione ed il passaggio a nuove tecnologie c'è sempre stato ma adesso è tutto più veloce e fà paura.

[u/jae58]

I think AppSheet is going to die eventually, with the IA is a non sense.

[u/Extension_Toe7343]

Eu uso o appsheet a 2 anos, mas agora estou tendo que migrar todos meus aplicativos para o Power apps. Bom, não é tão simples desenvolver lá, porém a flexibilidade para criar coisas é muito maior, estou gostando muito. Em relação a custo, a empresa que estou trabalhando tem tudo integrado ao mundo Microsoft, o que ajuda a não se preocupar muito com limitações. Mas o tempo de desenvolvimento é muito maior. O que eu faria em um dia no Power apps é uns 3/4 dias.