Comparison of No-code iPhone Development Tools

Having an iPhone app of your own may no longer have the tint of geeky cool that it used to, now that there are millions of apps in the store, but it is still a great way to reach out to the mobile market and expand your audience. One of the distinct advantages of the maturity of the iPhones app store is that several no-code tools have been created that allow you to create and publish apps without hiring a developer or incurring much in the way of creation costs. Those tools have had time to be refined and grow into useful software for independent business people and small businesses, which often do not have the large budgets needed to hire a professional developer.

All that these tools require is a little time, energy and patience. With those tools you will have an iPhone app in no time at all. Of course, starting with the right tool will save you a lot of that time and energy. So today we are going to look at some of the no-code iPhone tools that you may want to use for your iPhone app, so that you can save the time that you would have spent on dead end options. We will look at several tools, their usefulness, their costs, and then examine which tools are the best for your needs.

What qualifies as a no-code iPhone app maker?

You may be wondering what makes a no-code iPhone app a no-code iPhone app. After all, the native iPhone SDK (the developers' tool that comes with your Apple developers account) has a visual interface where you can drag and drop items onto your app. Does that count as a no-code tool? No, not for our purposes, because once you place these items on the interface, you still need to add code to make the app work correctly. So, while that is the native tool, we will not be examining it as a no-code iPhone app making tool.

So, what will qualify? For the purposes of this article, a no-code iPhone app making tool must be able to meet the following requirements.

1. You must be able to make an iPhone app with it. That may seem like a simple one, but this actually broadens the options for our tools. Some no-code tools will allow for a direct download option without being listed in the app store. While most of you will want to list in the app store, not all of you will need to.
   
   
2. It must require no code for at least a basic app. Yes, you may need to have some code for more advanced features, but the basics must be no-code.
   
   
3. It must be available to the public. Tools that are currently in private beta, by invitation only or not accepting new registrations are not listed, since they will be of no use to you.
   
   
4. You must be able to create a downloadable package. Apps that are completely web-based do not count, since some users, mainly on iPod Touches, will not be able to make use of the app outside of the designated wifi zones.

Now that we have those basic criteria put into place we can begin to examine the options we have in no-code iPhone tools.  Now, lets move onto our first no-code tool.