UI Bakery is a robust low-code app builder that allows you to create unlimited apps and much more.Â
If you’re curious about the UI Bakery platform, this article will cover the following:Â
- UI Bakery’s main features and how the tool worksÂ
- A look at UI Bakery’s integrations, drag-and-drop frontend builder, and more
- Pros and cons of using UI BakeryÂ
- Use cases and determine if UI Bakery is right for you
- A glimpse at a popular UI Bakery alternativeÂ
Let’s take a closer look at UI Bakery and how the platform functions.Â
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What Is UI Bakery?
UI Bakery is a low-code app builder designed for businesses with a large appetite for developing heaps of internal business software, applications, and tools. Because it’s low-code, you’ll need to have some technical experience for use.Â
UI Bakery really shines when it comes to apps for optimizing internal business processes. You’ll be able to create CRM boards, accounting tools, customer portals, and others.Â
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How Does UI Bakery Work?Â
Anyone can create a free account with UI Bakery — just sign up from their pricing page. After providing your user information, you’ll land on UI Bakery’s building interface, which might appear complicated. Luckily, UI Bakery offers an “Expert Tour,” which walks you through the platform.Â
After clicking the Expert Tour button at the bottom of your screen, you’ll see a list of tasks to learn. These include creating a workspace, adding components, connecting data sources, using UI Bakery’s AI tool, and others. Most tasks link directly to a detailed explanation in the help documentation and provide explicit instructions about completing the task.Â
I recommend that you first walk through each task on the Expert Tour. The UI Bakery building interface is complex, so having an idea of how the platform operates before diving in will save you some frustration.Â
Setting Up Your DatabaseÂ
Like many app-builders for internal business tools, you’ll need to start with a database. If you already have a database, you can immediately connect it to your app by selecting the “data source” button on your homepage.Â
UI Bakery integrates with dozens of popular database providers, like Airtable, Databricks, PostgreSQL, and many more.Â
Don’t have a database? Don’t fret — UI Bakery has its own PostgreSQL database builder. You can manually build your database as you go or import your data from a CSV file for convenience.
Building Your FrontendÂ
Once you’ve connected or created your database, it’s time to start building your frontend or user interface (UI). Find the “create new” button on your homepage at the bottom of your screen, and start building your app from scratch or picking a template.Â
The building interface is quite involved because it’s a low-code platform, which appeals immensely to techies. While you’ll find simple drag-and-drop components like charts, buttons, graphs, and more, you can also manage your app’s state, view its JavaScript structure, and much more.Â
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Main Features of UI Bakery
Many folks turn to UI Bakery to create their own business tools. When comparing other low-code platforms, like UI Bakery vs. Retool, you’ll find that UI Bakery has several positive points:
Loads of Database and API IntegrationsÂ
As we mentioned, UI Bakery comes loaded with an array of integrations, enabling you to connect to a wide range of databases for small — to medium-sized businesses and up. For instance, enterprises will be smitten by integrations with Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and SAP HANA.Â
Small and medium organizations, on the other hand, can easily connect their MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB databases to UI Bakery.Â
Additionally, UI Bakery connects with popular third-party applications like Salesforce, HubSpot, Stripe, and others. This allows for seamlessly transferring important data from external accounts right to your app.Â
UI Bakery also provides powerful API connections, which can transfer data and bolster your backend functionality. Check out the AWS (Amazon Web Services) API to manage your resources and build tools like DevOps admin panels and applications for monitoring infrastructure performance.
Create Modules To Integrate With Other Popular Apps
One flagship feature of UI Bakery is the ability to create “modules,” which are reusable components or features that perform specific tasks and can integrate with apps developed with building platforms other than UI Bakery.Â
This is a significant benefit for large teams developing apps on different app builders. It allows you to bring UI Bakery’s low-code customization power to other platforms. For instance, you can use your module to add advanced analytics and the ability to calculate complex formulas to external, client-facing tools.Â
And the cool thing is you can distribute and reuse your module as many times, and across as many apps as you see fit. This lets you build a powerful tool that you can leverage on any app, bolstering your productivity.Â
Self-Hosting (On-Prem)Â
Hosting your UI Bakery apps on-prem (your own servers) provides a bevy of benefits. You’ll be able to scale your app to meet any number of users, which is a great option for enormous enterprises or companies that are growing at breakneck speed.Â
On-prem hosting also provides immense control over your app’s architecture and security. This means you won’t need to worry about problems that external server providers encounter or bad actors gaining easy access to sensitive data.Â
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UI Bakery’s Hangups and HighlightsÂ
Let’s take a quick look at UI Bakery’s benefits and drawbacks.Â
Pros of Using UI BakeryÂ
- Keep your source code: Keeping your source code is a major benefit if you plan to further develop your app using coding. And you can rest assured that if, for some reason, the UI Bakery platform ceases to exist, you’ll still be able to use your app.Â
- Great for enterprises: The option for on-prem hosting, coupled with low-code customization, makes UI Bakery a go-to choice for large enterprises. These two major benefits provide enough freedom for enormous enterprises to create nearly any productivity-boosting app they can imagine.Â
- Works with other app builders: Stunningly, you can create tools using the powerful UI Bakery platform and weave them into other apps made with other platforms. This gives UI Bakery a considerable amount of flexibility, which most other low-code platforms don’t have.Â
Cons of Using UI BakeryÂ
- Requires technical knowledge: If you’re unfamiliar with schema markup on relational SQL databases, APIs, or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), you might face challenges.Â
- Pricing can add up: UI Bakery charges a per-app-editor and per-user fee. If you’re a small or medium-sized business with a growing user base, your monthly costs can balloon considerably quickly.Â
- Not intuitive: UI Bakery’s building interface is quite complex, even for a low-code platform. Being able to use the building interface fluently will take some time.Â
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Is UI Bakery Right for You?
Because UI Bakery is a low-code platform, its ideal users include individuals or teams with technical experience. There’s just no getting around the fact that you’ll need to know your way around a computer to use the platform.Â
While UI Bakery offers plans for organizations of any size, it’s particularly suited for growing or established enterprises. If you require a low-code builder that provides the customization for creating nearly any internal business application or tool, UI Bakery should be on your shortlist.Â
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Adalo: A Powerful, No-code UI Bakery Alternative
Want to build an app for your business but don’t have any technical expertise? Get Adalo.Â
Adalo is an excellent UI Bakery alternative because it’s a no-code app builder that requires no technical expertise or programming knowledge. Sign up for Adalo and start building your app with its intuitive drag-and-drop interface.Â
But Adalo doesn’t lack power: You can create nearly any app you can imagine from Adalo’s fully customizable templates, add rocket fuel using integrations with Stripe, Zapier, and others, and then publish your app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.Â
Unlike UI Bakery, Adalo lets you create an app for booking, ordering, and more. This app will serve external anonymous clients and help you bring in more revenue. Sign up with Adalo today to build your first app for free.‍