Finding the funds and resources to assign a developer to a small project can be challenging if you work for a small business and want to create an internal tool or client portal. For this reason, over 600,000 users have tried Softr’s no-code app builder to create their own apps, including project managers, HR staff, and marketers.
Although Softr began as an interface for the well-known enterprise database system Airtable, the company is now announcing some significant product revisions for 2025.
Airtable is no longer the only option available to customers for data storage. They may now store and work with data in any third-party database, from developer-focused databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MariaDB to more approachable options like Google Sheets and Notion.
As we expanded, we discovered that a large number of businesses simply lack data. Everything is done by hand, including spreadsheets, emails, and pen & paper. So that’s one issue,” Mariam Hakobyan, co-founder and CEO, told TechCrunch.
“The other one is that the data was merely dispersed [across] a lot of different tools, such as a SQL database, Google Sheets, and HubSpot. Therefore, our objective was to serve as a single source of truth from which users might construct applications to do certain operational tasks on top of their dispersed databases,” she continued.
A new app-building experience is included with this new data-agnostic approach. To create pages with lists, charts, forms, tables, and other elements, Softr provides you with a collection of preconfigured blocks that you can drag and drop. Additionally, there are some new AI functions to assist you in developing your app.
Softr has also developed a permission system because of its emphasis on internal tools and portals. For example, you can set up two user groups so that workers can see and change all client data while clients can only access and submit forms.
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Softr is regarded as one of the easiest to learn in the no-code field. Due to its simplicity and ease of use, it frequently ranks among the top five tools to begin your no-code journey. We genuinely want everyone who isn’t a coder to be able to create a tool, therefore that’s deliberate,” Hakobyan stated.
In the upcoming months, Softr intends to introduce tables and workflows, enabling you to utilize it without a third-party data store. These features could benefit new sign-ups, even though some clients already have some data in a Google Sheets or Notion account when they test out Softr.
“It’s fantastic that you can combine your app with your data. We also have a solution for you if you want to create an application that isn’t built on top of a database,” Hakobyan stated.
Softr relies heavily on word-of-mouth marketing and has embraced a freemium business model. The startup presently has about 5,000 paying clients out of the 600,000 signups on the site.
As a reminder, Softr raised a $13.5 million Series A round back in 2022 with FirstMark Capital leading the investment. It has been capital efficient since then as it still doesn’t have a sales team. “We are almost profitable,” Hakobyan said.
The company’s founders are based in Berlin, and its 45-person team is spread across 15 countries.