Glide

Glide turns a spreadsheet or database into a polished mobile and web app without code. Connect Google Sheets, Excel or Airtable, pick a template or design your own screens, and Glide generates an app your team can use right away. It is the fastest way to turn data you already have into software.

Quick Facts

Developer	Glide Labs, Inc.
First released	2018
Latest version	See official website
Platform	Web with iOS and Android apps
Language	No code required
License	Proprietary
Pricing	Free plan available; paid plans from around $25 per month

What is Glide?

Glide is a no-code platform that converts data sources, usually Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable or its own Glide Tables, into working apps. You connect your data, design screens by dragging components, and the app updates automatically as the underlying data changes.

It launched in 2018 and quickly became the go-to tool for spreadsheet-powered apps, loved by small businesses, schools and internal teams who needed software without hiring developers. Glide later added its own database, Glide Tables, for apps that outgrow spreadsheets.

The magic is the connection to data you already maintain. Point Glide at a sheet, and you instantly get an app where every row is a record and every field is a column, with search, filters and detail screens handled for you.

Key Features

Connect Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable and Glide Tables
Visual app builder with drag and drop components
Pre-built templates for common app types
Authentication, roles and user permissions
Actions like send email, update rows and run workflows
Built-in AI features for design and content help
Native mobile apps on iOS and Android plus web apps
Real-time data sync from your source

How to get started

Sign up for a free Glide account, choose a template or start blank, and connect your spreadsheet. Glide reads your columns and offers an app structure, which you can then restyle and extend before sharing.

Create a free account at glideapps.com
Connect a Google Sheet, Excel file or Airtable base
Pick a template or build from a blank app
Design screens with the component library
Set up permissions and actions
Publish and share a link with your team

Use cases

Inventory and asset trackers for small teams
CRM and lead tracking built on a sheet
Event schedules, sign-ups and registrations
Employee directories and internal tools
Field data collection with mobile forms
Client-facing dashboards and status trackers

Pricing and licensing

Glide is proprietary software with a free plan that is genuinely useful for small apps. Paid plans add features like removing branding, more users, custom roles and access to Glide Tables with higher limits.

Plan pricing starts around $25 per month for the popular paid tier, but the exact lineup changes, so confirm current numbers on the official website.

Pros and cons

Glide's superpower is speed to value. If your data lives in a spreadsheet, you can have a working, shareable app in under an hour, and the templates plus community make it very approachable. The data connection also means your app is never stale.

The limitations appear at scale. Spreadsheets are not great databases, so complex relationships and heavy traffic push you toward Glide Tables or a dedicated backend. Power users may also find the component model restrictive compared to full no-code platforms.

Alternatives

Softr: portals and internal tools on top of Airtable
Bubble: full-stack no-code for complex apps
Airtable: the database itself, with app-like views
FlutterFlow: for teams that want real code output
Retool: internal tools with a developer-friendly editor