Xano

First, Little Explanation About No-Code Backend: How It Works? What is it?

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Before we explain everything about the Xano, its functionality, and how much it costs to use it, let’s first brush up on our understanding of no-code backend development.

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The market has already seen a revolutionary movement with “Low-code” development. If under low-code development, one would require to utilize little to no coding to build apps or processes, then no code, as the name suggests, is a programming platform that lets you build APIs without any coding.

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So, if you are wondering if there’s no code, then how can one make an API without coding?

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This is done by enabling any builder to just drag and drop pre-configured blocks to create advanced, enterprise-grade apps and breaking any barriers between ideas and solutions. It also allows you to modify, delete or update any changes instantly in the app with a visual interface and thus zero dependencies on any code solutions.

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The No-code development has not only simplified and made it a scalable backend development process, but also has made it quicker and more affordable than the traditional developing tools.

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How does it work?

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Well, truth to be told, no-code does involve some level of coding, but it is done completely behind the scenes, almost invisible to the builder by the no-code tool. So, a no-code tool uses a visual development interface and is based on ‘declarative programming.’ Under declarative programming focuses on the ‘what’ part of the development and not ‘how.’ It means, you command the system about what you want, how you want, and it builds for you.

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This is quite contrary to traditional software app platforms or even low-code development methods. As in both platforms, you have to research, write, test and script some or many codes that have instructions to the platform on how to implement a certain feature or functionality.

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Simply put, low-code platforms let technically skilled people run apps, while a no code platform powers you to operate them without any traditional development skills.

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We hope you've got a better understanding of a No code API builder and how it works. Now let’s move on to discuss what is Xano. How is Xano is the fastest no-code backend development platforms?

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XANO: Origin, Functionality, Cost & Features

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According to Xano’s website, it gives users “a scalable server, a flexible database, and a No-Code API builder that can transform, filter, and integrate with data from anywhere.”

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The website also details how the platform was initially built as an internal tool for an app development agency, 8 years ago. Xano was created to help the agency accelerate the pace of backend development without having a brigade of DevOps teams. Later on, the co-founders finally decided to launch the platform to the public. Ever since Xano has become one of the most versatile, reliable, and easily accessible no-code development platforms.

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Xano is not just your regular no-code development platform as it offers a lot of features ranging from scalable server to API deployment to project management to even database management. It can also power the backend of other kinds of development projects, like IoT. It’s a multitasker.

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Pricing of Xano:

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Xano is free but also has another premium, subscription-based plans. It has divided pricing into 3 categories, which are: Free, Launch, and Scale. Here’s what each of its plan’s pricing looks like for the US:

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• Build: It is Free. Limited to 1 workspace with 10,000 total records, No code API builder, extension marketplace, and a rate-limited API.
• Launch: costs $59 per month, includes 3 workspaces with 10 GB of media storage, 5 background tasks, no record limit, and no rate limitation on the API.
• Scale: costs $199 per month, includes 5 workspaces, 15 background tasks, 50 GB of media storage with no record limit but comes with 10 GB of database storage and load balancing.

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Some Major Features of Xano Are:

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• You can scale it according to your business requirements & needs, hassle-free.
• Provides a hosted and flexible database based on Postgres.
• Supports the REST API paradigm and helps you transfer data to any front-end tool (with code, no or low code).
• Xano’s No code API builder lets you customize REST API endpoints for each data table based on a certain schema.
• Xano is easy to use and requires not many configurations after you log in.
• It supports authenticated API requests and lets you create custom functions to query databases with no coding.
• Any kind of data is secured with Xano. It offers full data ownership and privacy to its users only and meets GDPR compliance.

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5 Steps On How to Setup An Xano Account: Brief Guide

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Getting started with XANO is as easy as building an app with it. So, when you create an account with it, you are directed through Jumpstart. This site asks you for key points about your project. After your put key data points and answered them, it will allow XANO to automatically create a secure backend for you. Yes, as simple as that. So, follow these easy steps to Start Building Apps With XANO:

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1. Create a Xano account and mention your Instance, this will bring users to the next step and create a  Workspace for them. Your Workspace is a container for users’ apps or projects.

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2. Once done with creating a Workspace (try to give this a proper name), the Jumpstart will ask you a few questions to tailor your experience of using XANO.

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3. After naming the Workspace and answering questions, decide how you want to work in XANO. As you will be asked to choose from the below three options:

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• Start from Scratch – You will define database tables based on the app you are planning on building. XANO will manage the CRUD operations (Create Read Update Delete) API endpoints for you.
• Import from Airtable - Sync your bases, relationships, and content.
• Start with a Template- XANO will create pre-made scalable backend templates which include database tables, API endpoints, and mock content.

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4. Your next step is to decide on authentication for your app either by signing up or logging in.

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5. The final step is to hit ‘Finish,’ when you are done adding authentication to your app, and viola, now you can transform your business app idea into reality with Xano.

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How To Develop Apps With A No-Code App Builder: The Xano Way

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Nearly a decade ago, the idea that you can develop an API builder without coding might have sounded crazily impossible. But with the emergence of no-code development and even low-code development tools & platforms, this is no longer a far-fetched idea but a reality, now a lot of businesses are living and thriving.

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Thanks to no coding platforms like Xano, building an app is no longer about lines of complex coding, and neither its maintenance is a costly or time-consuming affair. No code builders can be anyone with or without any programming skills and still be able to build and maintain an app, no coding required.

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An app building in Xano or other no-code tools or platforms might not need coding but it consists of three crucial components and are quite fundamental to understanding the importance of no-code app builders and how even Xano functions. These components are Frontend, Backend, and API.

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Let’s make it easier to understand. Imagine you’re a food delivery company, you have collaborated with a bunch of food chains and restaurants who prepare food and forward it to the riders, who then carry the food to the customer who ordered through the app. Now, your customer is your frontend, making the order or ‘requests.’ Your restaurant is the backend that processes the order and your rider is the API, which mediates between the frontend and backend.

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What role do the no-code app builders play? How do they enable these components? They replace the job of the rider and restaurant. They provide you with robust secure backend and frontend technologies that manage complex code for you and fulfill the actual requests.

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So, how does Xano make it possible?

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We have already discussed how traditional development technology is not only time-consuming, and costly but also is quite hard to change, update or modify without a delay. You need to ensure that the change is integrated across the project: the frontend, the API, and the backend before requesting any kind of change. These changes may take a week or even months, if your software development team is burdened with other tasks, resulting in a loss of user base and profit margins.

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Xano as a no-code platform ensures you don’t have to go through such a time-consuming process to bring any change to your app. With the help of a user-friendly, simple point-and-click interface dashboard, and integrated library, you can simply “adjust your queries and model your database relationships without coding.” Xano also automates the backend coding process for you, so you don’t have to add to your development team’s bucket of pathos.

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What Can You Build with Xano?

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As earlier discussed, Xano is a multi-tasker. Not only does it help citizen developers (people with no or limited technical expertise) develop an app from scratch with no coding but it does more. Similarly, with Xano, not only can you build apps without writing even a single line of code but you can achieve so much more. These are:

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• Web apps
• Mobile apps
• Web Portals
• Workflow management
• Business Applications
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Procurement
• Help Desk Management
• Project & Task Management
• Human Resource Management System (HRMS)Employee Self Service
• Travel and Expense Management
• Asset Management

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…. and you can do much more with Xano!

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Conclusion

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There’s no doubt how no-code app development has brought in a revolutionary shift in the IT world. It has overly simplified the app development with just a click-drag-and-drop interface for feature-rich enterprise APIs. Xano has been a key player in helping citizen developers “non-technical individuals” to execute solutions that exemplifies productivity, are high-performing and are time-saving and cost-saving. All this and more, without having to dig a hole in your budget, gives a breather to small businesses or start-ups to create, run and maintain their apps.

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We hope this blog helps you get a basic understanding of the no-code development platform, how it works, what Xano is, and its functions and features. Drop us a comment, if you still have some doubts or queries about Xano or no-code development.