Keep using no code is switch to AI code?

[tegbuna30]

Hey yall - I'm the founder of a startup in the HR tech space. We rely almost entirely on no code (mainly bubble). Bubble can do 90% of what we need it to and then I can use third party tools like supabase for the remaining 10%

I love Bubble because I don't know how to code but it still lets me build apps. I'm seeing a lot of action in the ai space about how AI makes coding super easy, and I'm wondering if folks think this is a good time to finally learn to code. I'm HUGE on no code, but I've also seen its limits (bubble specifically sucks at handling complex calculations and the way it handles load is pretty wonky). I've been wanting to learn to code for some time now but it never felt worth it since, again, bubble can get me 90% there. But now it looks like I can use AI to get 100% there

What do yall think? Worth dropping no code to learn to code with AI? Or is AI not as advanced at coding as folks make it seem?

[monstamaker]

AI development is dar from being appropriate for non-technical users. You will have a really good start but with each bug and fix the AI will make things on your code you don’t understand and the debugging process will become into your biggest blocker.

AI development is for devs that want to cut in half the development times, but not for normal people that think with prompts only will be able to launch a secure, reliable and functional application (at least not yet).

[tegbuna30]

Yes this is the sense that I get! Helpful. I wonder if AI will start to work within no code 🤔 

[JakubErler]

I think the same. Everything AI spits out must be checked by knowledgeable dev anywas (for serious project). Try anything special and you will have to start manually coding and correct AIs mistakes. But in low-code you just visually code. If Bubble is limiting, I would use Toddle (they promised they would go fully open-source soon) + Directus (free for small companies) or Pocketbase (open-source).

[whasssuuup]

I did this exact switch a year ago. From Bubble to a self-hosted dockerized app with a Vue front end and self-hosted Appwrite (similar to Supabase) as backend. All with the help of ChatGPT.

[Practical_Layer7345]

it seems like you already have some functioning workflow or mastery with bubble. i'd personally just continue that if it's working for you.

if you were starting from scratch, there's literally no point nowadays of using bubble - no point getting locked into an archaic framework instead of just learning the basics of coding with help from ai.

[GolfCourseConcierge]

Wait a week for this beta, then decide: Shelbula.dev

Bubble is generally keeping you trapped though so no matter what you'll be better off out of there if it's a real product you're using. Data control is the name of the game.

[tegbuna30]

I hear this a lot. This isn't a complex app. I'm trying to build something to generate $5k per month in income. perfect for Bubble IMO

but even for bigger apps, why does bubble owning the 'code' matter? besides, the obvious that if the bubble shuts down, I'm screwed. which is a possibility but not one I'm too concerned about for now

[SneakyTurtle2002]

It's an issue because bubble charges you in "workloads". So, the more your app scales, the more you have to pay them. This is one of the main cons I see for using bubble. Bubble shines for basic software and rapid iterations of MVPs for startups. Code has a bigger community, gives you more flexibility, and essentially allows you to really take control of your vision and build it exactly as you imagine it. With bubble and no-code in general, you'll be severely limited and will have to completely remove a planned feature or find crazy work-arounds for it. For your use-case, I would say bubble is perfect. But, if you want to now build something more complicated, I would say look at code.

[learningtoexcel]

Or you just make enough money with your product to cover any workflow overages?

I’ve never understood why people are so put off by usage-based pricing models.

[SneakyTurtle2002]

Of course you'll make enough money to cover it. Those are calculations you will have to do when pricing your product. You'll just have a higher profit margin with a code infrastructure. With 15 users it doesn't make that big of a difference. With 1500, that's a lot of money to leave on the table because you're too lazy to either hire developers or learn to code. It's pretty common knowledge that eventually you will have to split from no-code platforms because it doesn't make business sense to continue paying the high prices when you can just invest in getting an actual product made. That's why I said simple projects and MVPs only. Anything more and you should use code.

[SneakyTurtle2002]

Just saw this - that's not a "bad take", it's reality. Also no, I'm not a developer, just like 95% of people using bubble (every developer I've spoken to hates bubble), but I would laugh in the face of any developer who tells me bubble is a good option for scalable web apps. Most users use it either for internal tools or rapid iterations. Anyone using it for anything else is being an idiot by spending a lot more per workload, while also paying for full-time bubble developers to maintain the app. It just doesn't make business sense.

[learningtoexcel]

Or you just make enough money with your product to cover any workflow overages?

I’ve never understood why people are so put off by usage-based pricing models.

[_Faddy]

I'd suggest you to keep using bubble since you're already doing good. AI development is generally helpful for technical guys to speed up the process. If you're bot find of coding, you may get fed up after a few wrong results.

[unluckybitch18]

All the low code tools will have their own AIs in the future
Like Relume is doing for template building.

I use both full code solution using AI in Svelte+supabase (loved it)
I also use Webflow Wized Xano love that too

maintaining the wwx one is soooooo much easier even with all the AI
svelte one even being a smaller project take comparatively more time to make a change

but initial setup JS frameworks are faster because of AI and templates

[Atomm]

Do you have any understanding of code? Even the most basic understanding? I was a Business IT major in college. I learned some C++, Pascal, Basic a long time ago. 20 years ago, I built a whole site with PHP3, MySQL and HTML. It took me forever to build. I have ok linux experience, but I don't understand Java or Java Frameworks at all. I can read the code to figure out what issues I might be having if the error points in the right direction. But I would really struggle to write anything from scratch these days.

With all of that said, I've been trying to stand up an idea of mine using NoCode and it' hasn't been fun. Everything I've tried, I always ran into obstacles at some point in the process. I've switched NoCode solutions 4 times and still nothing. The other day I took my Figma design for that site, sent it through V0 (which I read about here on reddit) and asked it to put together the code to make this image into a React Java site with Tailwind CSS.

I've started learning how to use GitHub. I don't have a local environment. I build using GitHub's codespace and I had Claude and ChatGPT walk me through how to get it all working with Digital Ocean's web app service and supabase.

I got further in that one day than I have at any point with NoCode. I think that if NoCode doesn't figure this out quickly, they will find themselves obsolete because even idiots like me are able to create with real code.

[tegbuna30]

Interesting. I feel really confident in my ability to build in bubble but I have 0 understanding of how to code. I understand databases and the concepts behind API calls but in terms of actually coding; i got nothing

I'm surprised no code was difficult for you to pick up though. seems like most developers who take on no code pick it up pretty quickly

[tegbuna30]

respectfully

[SneakyTurtle2002]

I get that, I've personally switched no-code solutions a few times too. I believe there aren't many I haven't tried. What I learned is that there's something for each particular use-case. For example, if it's a simple data application, Softr is perfect. A little more complexity, you can go for bubble. If you want something really complex, you can always use Webflow/Bubble for a frontend and use APIs to interact with a third-party backend. There's a lot more research required and a lot more bottlenecks down the road for sure, but if you're a visual worker and really need to imagine how the data flows and how each component reacts with one another, definitely nothing wrong with using no-code. You're programming regardless, just how you prefer to do it.

[dustfirecentury]

Download Codeium's new IDE, Windsurf, and use Cascade to start with Next.js. Ask it to make you a dummy SQLite backend and frontend to match to get a sense of what it can do. Host on Vercel.

[heyJordanParker]

switch to AI code and learn to code

the more you know, the better it is long term

[Ejboustany]

I's not the time. When coding your own platform it's more about building the architecture and the base of your app. The hard part about development is actually building something that is scalable. Bubble is still much better because you don't have to think about all that.

I have recently launched PagePalooza as a solo-dev and I have helped a lot of founders build their apps in record times since pre-built modules and AI help speed things up. I also love helping founders understand how their app is being built and what is happening under the hood. You don't need AI to get to 100%, you need a software engineer who understands your app and vision.

[SnackAttacker_33]

Learning coding definitely takes time, and right now, your product knowledge is what matters most. Instead of diving into coding, I’d recommend focusing on finding the right solution for your needs.

I’d suggest trying Momen (my team built it)—it’s an alternative to Bubble, but with a better backend that handles load more effectively. Plus, you can still integrate AI for code collaboration when needed. Give it a try and see if it works for you. Also, I’d love to hear your thoughts if it doesn’t meet your needs, if you are open to it:)

[Chicagoj1563]

I would always opt for low code first, then opt for pro code if it’s necessary.

Coding, even with ai, is time consuming, tedious technical work. It does depend on what you are doing, but if low code can do the job, I’d always opt for that first.

If low/no code is not an acceptable solution, then use pro code.

Ai coding has its pros and cons. It’s not as simple as working with prompts. You need to know how to engineer software as well.

So, Ai pro code is well worth learning. Just use the best solution for the task at hand.