Is creating a micro-SaaS product with or without coding knowledge possible? Definitely!
In fact, here are some of the best platforms to help you get started and launch within several weeks or months.
Let’s dive right in.
Building a Minimum Viable Product for Your Micro-SaaS Idea
Micro-SaaS is not much different from conventional Software as a Service (SaaS). However, it differs on quite a smaller scale.
The key to building a micro-SaaS company is carving out a specific niche and making the best product to resolve pervasive problems among your target audience.
To ensure that marketing your micro-SaaS business remains profitable, it’s crucial for you to do as much research as possible before diving deep into product creation.
Make sure to vet your idea using continuous customer feedback so that you can build an optimized product from the get-go that delivers optimal solutions to your target consumers’ needs.
It’s important to note that because your minimum viable product (MVP) is software for micro-SaaS, customers will likely engage with it very closely.
This means the chances are high that you’ll need to update and improve your software regularly for a long time. This includes getting the product ready to launch and fixing bugs.
Therefore, it’s vital that you set your expectations straight and ask yourself if you’re ready to commit fully to production before starting the process.
Select a Platform for Launching
Once you’ve done your research and built your MVP with micro-SaaS user feedback, the next step is to deploy your service.
You can code your micro-SaaS products for a specific platform or integrate your software with many application programming interfaces (APIs) for multi-platform use.
Some of the factors you need to consider when deciding to deploy your services include the following:
- Payment options
- Pricing plans
- The developing team’s ability to provide support to customers
- Level of difficulty and expertise involved
- The product’s use case
- What platforms your target users are familiar with
If you select a platform-dependent model, ensure the platform you want to link to is reputable, safe, and stable.
Otherwise, you’d be susceptible to risks, such as privacy concerns and the possibility of the platform ceasing to exist eventually.
The Best Software for Creating a Micro-SaaS Product
After you’ve chosen a niche and are ready to get up and running, you have to select the best platform based on your experience level.
Below, you’ll find the best software picks for creating a micro-SaaS product:
1. Bubble
Bubble may be more tech-oriented than other software, but it is much more flexible than most.
It spearheads its path and has been around for longer than most other brands, such as AppSheet and Glide.
Bubble distinguishes itself because it’s more developer-friendly. Although you can build an entire app without coding, you can create code for yourself if you wish.
Additionally, Bubble has many plug-ins, and you even have the option to create your own.
Moreover, it offers over 50 integrations, which is more than AppSheet and Glide put together.
Bubble also stands out from the competition because it uses its own internal database instead of a dynamic data table or spreadsheet.
It does have one drawback, though, that centers on its user interface (UI).
Although it gets the job done, it can sometimes feel cluttered and overwhelming.
But, it shouldn’t be surprising because the tool means to accommodate more tech-savvy individuals.
Pricing
Bubble’s free tier gives you access to its core platform features, and you can do nearly anything except share what you’ve created.
However, you can get started with Bubble’s lowest tier at $25 per month, billed annually.
The higher tiers give you more processing power and essential features to enjoy.
2. AppGyver
AppGyver is an excellent choice that has a lot to offer straight from the box.
It doesn’t offer as much as Bubble, but it is very similar in that the two brands share the ability to use and play around with underlying codes.
Also, you can make your very own view components with it.
The tool accomplishes this with an interface that is easy to navigate and replete with everything you need.
However, one drawback is that its data access is close to the metal.
Also, there’s no spreadsheet to work with at this time. The primary way to evaluate data is through APIs.
Still, many developers who use it have no problem connecting and report that it is seamless and easy.
AppGyver’s interface makes the connection graphical and smooth, and you don’t have to worry about code.
You can watch the video below to learn more about AppGyver:
Pricing
One of the most surprising things about AppGyver is its price. It’s free for life unless you bring over $10 million a year.
This offer includes the pro version for commercial and personal uses. The company earns all of its money from enterprise customers.
3. Clappia
Clappia is another app development platform that allows non-technical business users to create web and mobile apps with basic Excel skills.
Using basic data collection tools and enterprise resource planning (ERPs), you can make various apps and ideal workflows.
The best part is that you don’t need coding to manage your operations.
Using Clappia, you can seamlessly make a business process app with drag-and-drop features like:
- QR or barcode scanner
- Live tracking
- Near field communication (NFC) reader
- Live camera uploads
- GPS tracker
- Google Drive integration
- Geofencing
The app templates library also offers more than 50 pre-built apps that you can import.
You can embed your apps into your website and share your apps as online forms by using link-sharing.
Accessing your apps offline is also possible when you download the Clappia app launcher.
Pricing
Pricing for Clappia starts at $5.25 per month for every user, billed yearly.
4. Open as App
Open as App is an excellent choice for someone who doesn’t plan on scaling any time soon.
If you’re building everything with the help of a small team or by yourself, Open as App makes everything more manageable.
It functions using a basic data spreadsheet, and the interface is clean and easy to navigate.
Pricing
One of the things that makes this platform a good choice is that its pricing is better suited for someone on a tight budget.
They have a free tier that you can use to create one app and share it with another person.
However, if you need to collaborate with more than one user, you need to pay extra for more features and sharing capacity. Its paid versions also allow you to build and publish unlimited apps.
Its Business plan starts at 75 EUR, billed annually.
5. Jotform
If you’re genuinely interested in starting with a platform that requires no coding, Jotform is an excellent option.
The software has more than 300 templates, making it easy to start and build an app program from scratch.
It has a drag-and-drop editor that guides you in developing your program from start to finish.
You can easily customize your program to match your branding and even include a video, social media links, maps, app icons, splash screens, and other elements to make your app stand out.
Because they’re progressive web apps (PWAs) instead of native apps, any app you build on Jotform will also have a high chance of working on all devices.
You can also easily share it with others through a QR code, link, or email.
In addition, Jotform makes it possible for users to add the app you create to their home screen and use it as though it were a native app.
Lastly, you can choose between advanced access and privacy settings that’ll allow you to decide who gets to use your product.
Pricing
Jotform allows you to create up to 5 forms for free.
If you need more than that, its paid plans start at $39 per month per user.
6. Appsheet
AppSheet is another platform that doesn’t require any coding.
The easy-to-use interface lets you add a spreadsheet, insert the features you want, add your brand, and launch your app within minutes.
With over 50 app templates, the platform lets you access features like kanban boards, simple inventory, shift management, onboarding and training, and field delivery, among others.
AppSheet streamlines processes and connects through any cloud provider that you choose.
You can add other databases and sources once you create an account through the platform.
It’s similar to Jotform in that you can decide who can access your app.
To be specific, Appsheet lets users access your data only through your app, giving you more control over your profitability.
Pricing
AppSheet’s pricing plan starts at $5 per month for every user.
7. Softr
Softr is a web app builder that doesn’t require any line of code to develop responsive, powerful, SEO-friendly web apps within minutes.
You can use Google Sheets, Airtable, or another cloud provider to get started.
There’s a low learning curve, making it easy for you to hit the ground running.
As soon as you sign up for the tool, you can start building the app of your dreams.
Setting up gate pages only for members, organizing customer memberships, collecting payments through Stripe, and more are now possible without integrating third-party apps.
There’s no need to pay more for customer service because every plan they offer comes with live chat support.
You can add filters and a search box to your web app without paying for more plug-ins.
Softr also features an extensive template library to make it easier to create similar web apps.
Common ideas for Softr use include:
- Constructing a client portal to organize and manage relationships between third parties,
- Creating a sales CRM to organize orders as client contact information, and
- Creating a team to place your company resources in one central location.
Softr also lets you build PWAs, allowing users to have the native app experience from any device and reach more people.
Pricing
Softr has a free plan that makes it possible for you to develop unlimited applications and collaborate with up to 5 users.
However, if you’re building data-driven apps and need advanced features, its Starter plan starts at $24 per month.
8. DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean uses the Cloud infrastructure as a service provider model and is one of the best cloud providers available for starting your micro-SaaS business.
This helps developers efficiently create, test, and scale their micro-SaaS apps and websites.
It also offers a more cost-effective alternative to managing your app server’s infrastructure by only charging you for the resources you actively use.
DigitalOcean is a top contender because it has easy-to-learn functions and allows for quick deployment of your idea.
The platform also has some advanced features that encourage scalability without cluttering.
The UI is easy to navigate, and the one-click controls make this program ideal for those with little coding knowledge.
Small-scale organizations and developers can integrate and automate third-party tools with a few clicks.
Pricing
Pricing for DigitalOcean is based on what Cloud solutions you use from their offers.
9. Glide
Glide allows you to build your micro-SaaS app or website in conjunction with data you provide on Google Sheets, Airtable, Excel, and other sources.
Glide has built-in templates that are ready to go with drag-and-drop editors. Beginners and intermediate users alike can build an app from scratch in just a short time.
The finished product will look polished, and you can customize it with other pre-built features from their library.
The spreadsheet you start with has computed columns that make it easy to follow during installation.
You can link various sheets, perform calculations, track data, and write conditional statements.
Also, developers can share the link to your app with others on any device or location.
Pricing
Pricing for Glide’s Starter plan starts at $25 per month.
10. Render
This platform is a service alternative for developing apps and has become immensely popular with micro-SaaS founders.
This popularity might be because of the support it provides on the front and back end for those who aren’t prioritizing scaling but want to focus on the early stage.
Render features zero downtime, instant deployment, multiple languages, and automated builds, among others.
You can launch a site or app directly from GitLab or GitHub, secure your website with a free SSL, and allow faster loading of pages.
It even offers protection against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and sharing content through a global content delivery network (CDN).
Pricing
Render is an excellent solution for customers searching for a subscription service or online membership.
Its paid versions start at $19 per user per month, and the application charges you for computed usage after each month.
Final Thoughts on Creating a Micro-SaaS Product
Any of the options we enumerated above are perfect for creating a micro-SaaS product.
They offer the ability to scale your business as it grows, but you can also get started with little to no experience in coding.
These platforms have plenty of features that you can use to make your app or web page functional with advanced metrics.
So, make sure to check them out to get your micro-SaaS up and running immediately.
We also covered other articles if you want to learn more about growing your micro-SaaS idea profitably or marketing your micro-SaaS product.