12 tools that do a similar job, and what makes each one different.
Softr turns a spreadsheet or database into a working web application without writing code. Its most common use is putting a client portal or internal tool on top of an Airtable base, which is the job it was originally built for, though it now connects to more than Airtable alone. Data can come from Airtable, Google Sheets, Notion, monday.com or Google BigQuery, and Softr can also build and hold databases of its own. On top of that data you assemble the interface: listings, directories, job boards, online courses, e-commerce, upvoting sites, marketplaces and event listings are all templated starting points. The company's claim is that an app can be built and launched in under thirty minutes, which is a fair description of the simpler cases rather than every case. Permissions are the part that makes it usable for client work. Access is controlled at a granular level, so different users see different records, which is what separates a real portal from a published spreadsheet. Users who share a business email domain with somebody building in the workspace are classified as team users, and builders in the workspace can be added as app users at no cost. It connects outward through Zapier and Make for automation, through payment providers and custom APIs for transactions, and through Google Analytics or Fathom for measurement. There is a REST API for driving Softr programmatically. Apps can be converted into downloadable mobile applications, and feedback portals can be built to collect input from users in real time. Softr AI, launched in October 2023, generates applications from a description rather than starting from a blank template. The company complies with SOC 2 Type II, which is usually the question that decides whether an internal tool is allowed. Pricing is freemium, with unlimited apps, databases, workflows and forms on paid plans, and a 50 percent discount for non-profit and educational organisations.
