Zoho Creator

Amazing tool for database creation and application

Comments: The amazing thing about creating applications, rules, and approval flow. The ease of creating tables with its different types of data, the ease of easy or complex calculations. The resources of the mobile application to be able to use it from anywhere.

Pros:

What I like most about this application is the ease and resources available so that the user with less experience in application development can intuitively generate an application that meets the needs of the moment.

Cons:

So far everything is adjusted to the required needs.

Extremely Versatile - Perhaps Too Versatile.

Comments: All in all, I would rate my experience as a 9 out of 10. Building basis databases and creating reports is very straightforward and by and large you can do a lot of things with their drag-and-drop interface quite easily. I do admit to not being very impressed with their support, and occasionally we've had issues with server uptime, but their pricing is fair and the tool is powerful. In spite of the shortcomings I have expressed, I still wouldn't hesitate to deploy Zoho again in another enterprise. It continues to drive our daily production schedule with hundreds of projects simultaneously in motion.

Pros:

I ran a web development firm for nearly 20 years prior to moving into a different industry, so I knew the power of databases and the importance of them in day to day processes. Moving in to a startup with zero infrastructure, one of my first tasks was to get a production database going. We struggled along for awhile passing Excel spreadsheets back and forth for a few months and quickly outgrew that. I did not want to create a web app from scratch with mySQL. We didn't have the developers, time, or budget to do that. So, I started looking around for a tool that would let me do what I needed to do. Zoho Creator was a perfect match. To be honest, there's not much you can't do with this tool. It will probably handle 90% of what most mid-sized businesses need. It's totally customizable, and their Deluge programming language lets you do special things that most basic web-based drag-and-drop solutions wouldn't be able to handle. To be honest, Zoho is almost too powerful. It fits our needs and we've barely scratched the surface of its abilities.

Cons:

The documentation for Zoho Creator is fair, but if you can't get your questions answered through their knowledge base, finding an expert isn't easy. Their support email is not too helpful. And while they do have a database of experienced Deluge developers that you can call on, it seems a little cumbersome to have to bring in a third party. Also, there are a couple of different versions of Zoho Creator currently in deployment. So, depending on which version your account is on, the documentation might differ - the features certainly do differ. It's a very very powerful product, but because it is a closed-source, proprietary solution, you're somewhat at the mercy of Zoho to get answers to your programming questions.

Security flaw within Zoho Creator

Pros:

I've been using this app for a couple of years and a lot of my business is based around it. I would usually rave about how good it is

Cons:

I have a data security issue with the app. The product claims that your user data is protected, but there is a flaw with the way the dropdown menu data is shared. Lets say you enter some data in one sheet, and want to use this data in another sheet via a dropdown menu. Not only is your data shown, but so is everyone else. This cannot be fixed by profiles / roles / filters etc. I am on the unlimited users plan and this is a serious flaw in the system for me. I have been unable to further develop my app for a month or so and take it to the next level for my business. I have communicated this with Zoho and they have acknowledged the issue and told me a developer can fix the problem. I have paid one of their certified developers to fix this for me - but he just took my money and hasn't been in touch for a month or so. I have made a formal complaint to Zoho about him, but he is still listed on their website as a certified and recommended developer. I have asked numerous times for help and have got no where. I am now just being passed from one unknown support person to the next. I am absolutely fed up. It seems that this issue could be solved in an hour or so, but I have now probably spent over 12 hours of my own time on it and still don't have a solution.

Great low effort App builder

Comments: Overall it solved our urgent needs for self developed apps, however it is only a temporary tool

Pros:

There are many existing templates and walk throughs available from the get go. Several coding language support is also a huge plus. Our new apps were easily connected to one another.

Cons:

Not all screens and devices were supported and accounted for. It is impossible to grow and make apps bigger, and the tool is not techy enough for that. Deluge coding language.

Happy User

Comments: Tracking billing, services, expenses, and clients in one place has made zoho my one stop shop. Great customer service whenever I need it.

Pros:

It is what you put into it. I'm happy with mobile access through the web and endless customization abilities.

Cons:

Some time so many customizable options can be overwhelming. It's clean, but if you aren't in it regularly and they make a big backend design change... you may get lost really easy.