Glide
A weekend of work, and real gaps remain.
Turns a spreadsheet or table into a mobile app: you arrange screens over your data and it produces something installable, without writing code.
Build a data-driven progressive web app instead of a native one. STACK - Astro or plain HTML, a service worker, your existing database behind a small API SCREENS FROM CONFIG - One JSON file describing screens: a list screen bound to a query, a detail screen bound to a row, a form screen bound to an insert - Navigation derived from the same file FEELING LIKE AN APP - A web app manifest with icons, so it installs to the home screen - Route transitions, large tap targets, and safe-area padding on notched phones OFFLINE - A service worker caching the shell and the last-seen data - Writes queued while offline and replayed in order when the connection returns, with a visible pending state - Conflict rule stated plainly: last write wins, and the user is told when theirs was overwritten AUTH - Magic link by email, a signed session cookie, no password Include the config format, the service worker and the write queue.
What you lose
- A polished mobile app produced from a table with no build pipeline, app store account or release process
- Offline behaviour and sync handled for you
- Screen layouts, components and navigation a non-developer can arrange
If you would rather not build
- A progressive web app, which is what the prompt builds
The escape hatch
open source · no votes, no paid placement
Budibase
$0Self-hosted internal apps built over a database or an API.
Budibase/budibasefree · open source
Appsmith
$0Drag-and-drop internal tools with a self-hosted option.
appsmithorg/appsmithfree · open source
Why this verdict
our own opinion · changed only by a person
56/100
Verdict kinda at 56. A progressive web app covers most of this in a weekend; offline sync and the app-store route are what stays out of reach.
History
tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten
Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.
Questions about Glide
answered from the record above
Is Glide free?
No — the plan we track is $25 a month. Maker from around $25/month billed monthly, with higher tiers priced on updates and users.
Can you replace Glide by building your own?
ALMOST. A weekend of work, and real gaps remain. Replacement score 56 out of 100, build time a weekend. Read what you lose before you decide.
How much does Glide cost?
$25 a month on Maker — $300 a year. Recorded 9 Aug 2026.
What do you lose by replacing Glide?
A polished mobile app produced from a table with no build pipeline, app store account or release process; Offline behaviour and sync handled for you; Screen layouts, components and navigation a non-developer can arrange. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Glide?
Yes: Budibase, Appsmith. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.
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