Glide alternatives come in three kinds: portal builders that sit on your existing spreadsheet or database, app builders that publish to phones and the web, and database workspaces with apps built in. Before you hand clients a login, check where their data physically lives and who can open the sheet underneath, then trial it with one dummy client.
A client portal usually begins with a spreadsheet that got too important. One tab per client, colour-coded rows, a sharing link you hope nobody forwards. At some point you want each client to log in and see only their own jobs, files and invoices, without you hiring a developer to build it.
That's the job these eight tools do, in different ways, and they're listed in no particular order. If you've been using a sheet-to-app builder and want something with stronger client logins, a native phone app or a sturdier database underneath, here's the field at a glance first.
Spreadsheet-to-app tools at a glance
| Tool | Kind of tool | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Adalo | App builder for stores and web | Native phone apps built from a sheet or base |
| Airtable | Database with built-in apps | A shared database that grows apps on top |
| Coda | Docs that behave like apps | Docs, trackers and hubs with spreadsheet structure |
| Google AppSheet | No-code apps on Google data | Apps on Sheets, hosted Excel and Workspace tools |
| Noloco | Client portals and operations apps | Clients, team and data in one operations system |
| Pory | Branded portals with roles | Member, programme and client portals with per-role views |
| Softr | Portals and internal tools | Internal or client-facing apps from many data sources |
| Stacker | Customer portals on existing data | Giving each customer a login to their own space |
Your spreadsheet stays the real database
This is the thing to understand before you give a single client a login. Portal builders sit on top of your spreadsheet or online base. The portal decides what each client can see, but the sheet underneath is still where the data lives. So anyone who can open and edit that sheet directly can see every client's rows, whatever the portal's per-client views say. The protection only exists inside the portal.
The second problem shows up as you grow. Spreadsheets and online bases have row and record limits on many plans, and a portal that worked well with a dozen clients can slow down or stop syncing once you're into the hundreds. The app looks fine until the day it doesn't.
None of this is a reason to avoid portal builders. It's a reason to set them up with care. Keep the editing rights on the source sheet to as few people as possible, know which plan limits apply to it, and treat the sheet as a database, not a scratchpad anyone on the team can tidy.
Portal builders, app builders and workspaces
Portal builders on the data you already have. These leave your sheet or base in place and put logins and views on top. Softr builds both internal tools and client-facing apps from a large set of templates, with several login options. Stacker is built around giving each customer a space with only their own projects, invoices and files. Noloco aims at operations that have grown complex, bringing team, clients and data into one system. Pory starts from people: you describe who signs in and what they need, and every role gets its own view of the same portal.
App builders. If what you want is an app on a phone home screen rather than a web portal, look here. Adalo publishes native iOS, Android and web apps from one project, with routes from a sheet or base. Google AppSheet suits organisations already working in Google Workspace, and its page puts a lot of weight on governing who can build and what data they touch.
Databases and workspaces with apps built in. These are databases or workspaces first and apps second. Airtable is where you go if the honest answer is that your data has outgrown a spreadsheet; if you head that way, my guide to building screens in its Interface Designer covers the app side. Coda blends docs, tables and simple applications in one workspace, and its homepage now says it has become Superhuman Docs.
The eight tools, alphabetically
In no particular order, one line each.
Adalo
Best for: Publishing native iOS, Android and web apps from one project, with sheet-to-app and Excel-to-app routes and the database and hosting included, per its page.
Airtable
Best for: Teams ready to move the data itself out of a spreadsheet and into one shared database, with automation, apps and AI agents built on top.
Coda
Best for: Workspaces where docs, spreadsheet-style tables and simple applications live together; its homepage now says the product is Superhuman Docs.
Google AppSheet
Best for: Organisations on Google Workspace that want no-code apps from Sheets, hosted Excel files or SQL databases, with central control over data and creators.
Noloco
Best for: Running complex operations on data you already keep in Google Sheets, PostgreSQL or an online base, where the vendor says each client sees only their own records.
Pory
Best for: Describing who signs in and what each person needs, then getting a branded portal with logins, forms, approvals and a different view per role.
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Softr
Best for: Building internal-only or client-facing apps from templates, synced with spreadsheets, online bases or SQL, with email, one-time code, Google or magic-link logins.
Stacker
Best for: Giving every customer a login to a space with only their own projects, invoices and files, built on a Google Sheet, online base or database.
Advice before you give clients a login
If your data already lives in a spreadsheet and you mainly want clients to log in and see their own records, start with the portal builders, because they're closest to how you work today. If you want an app people install from a store, go to the app builders. If your sheet is creaking, fix the data first and move it into a database workspace, then decide whether you need a separate portal at all.
Whatever you pick, don't move every client at once, and don't promise anyone a portal until you've checked who can open the sheet behind it. If you'd rather describe an app in plain words and let AI draft it, my list of AI app builders covers that newer route.
Run a dummy client through it first
It takes an hour and saves a very awkward email. Before real clients get access:
- Create a fake client with a handful of fake rows, files and invoices in the source sheet.
- Log in to the portal as that client and try to reach another client's records by changing links or filters.
- Open the source sheet as a team member and list everyone who can edit it.
- Add rows until you're near the plan limit on the sheet or base, and see whether the portal keeps up.
- Delete the fake client and check its data disappears from the portal too.
If any step surprises you, you've found it with a dummy, not with a customer.
Do you make a no-code app or portal builder? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is a spreadsheet-based client portal secure?
The portal can limit what each client sees, but the sheet underneath holds everyone's data. Keep editing rights on the source to a very small group and test with a dummy client before going live.
What's the difference between a portal builder and an app builder?
A portal builder puts logins and per-client views on data you already have, usually in the browser. An app builder creates an app with its own screens and logic, and some publish to phone app stores.
Do I need to move my data out of Google Sheets?
Not at first. Several tools here connect straight to Sheets. Move it into a database workspace when the sheet is slow, near its limits or edited by too many people.
Can clients edit their own data in a portal?
Usually yes, through forms and permissions you set. Decide which fields each client can change, and remember those edits write back to your source sheet or base.
Are database workspaces a replacement for a portal builder?
Partly. They're databases first, with apps and interfaces built in, which suits internal teams well. For outside clients who need their own login and view, many people still add a portal on top.
How many clients can a spreadsheet portal handle?
It depends on the row and record limits of the sheet or base underneath, and those vary by plan. Test with realistic data volumes before you promise anyone access.
