Capability |
Alpha Anywhere |
Appcelerator |
Low Code Architecture [+] Show / Hide Details |
Most of the development of an Alpha Anywhere app can be built with no code. |
Appcelerator requires coding. |
Rich Programming Environment |
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Support for Citizen Development [+] Show / Hide Details |
Alpha Anywhere fully supports no-code citizen development by allowing users to create screens, buttons, fields and objects and perform CRUD operations, as well as loging/logout with built-in genies; as well as offering hundreds of predefined actions that developers use use via a list metaphor. Low code blocks can be interspersed with traditional coding. Alpha Anywhere also offers mentoring, which allows citizen developers to work directly 1:1 with a "personal trainer" as they build their apps or get up to speed with the product. |
Appcelerator does not offer a no-code solution for citizen developers. Appcelerator does not have mentoring. |
Builds Mobile and Web Apps [+] Show / Hide Details |
Alpha Anywhere can be used to build mobile, web, and desktop applications. |
Limited
Appcelerator can be used to build mobile apps and mobile web apps. |
Built-in Offline Support [+] Show / Hide Details |
Alpha Anywhere includes offline capability with custom synchronization rules built-in. |
Appcelerator does not have custom synchronization rules built-in, coding is needed for this functionality. |
Speed of Developing/Updating Apps [+] Show / Hide Details |
Alpha Anywhere includes a local version of its server that runs on the developer’s machine and can instantly show changes, just by clicking the refresh button. |
Limited Appcelerator apps must be compiled before they can be emulated. This process can be slow. |
Ease of Data Integration [+] Show / Hide Details |
Alpha Anywhere provides many tools for working with REST services, JSON Data, XML, SOAP and oData. Plus it lets you quickly change data sources when you switch from development to deployment. [Working with External Data: Alpha Anywhere includes native SQL drivers for all popular SQL backends (SQL Server, MySQL, MariaDB, and many others). Alpha Anywhere uses connection strings that allow access to thousands of tables at once. For Web services, Alpha Anywhere supports the oData standard to allow developers to inspect and connect to external data structures. Working with Internal Data: Alpha supports ONLY external databases – so there are no restrictions in the use of 3rd party BI and reporting tools.] |
Appcelerator requires coding for this functionality. Appcelerator... |
Client- and Server-side Report Writer [+] Show / Hide Details |
Alpha Anywhere includes a built-in banded report writer for server-side reporting. Client-side templating reports can also be generated and viewed offline on a mobile device. |
Appcelerator requires coding for this functionality. |
Robust Connectivity to Other Systems |
Appcelerator requires coding for this functionality. |
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Cross-platform App Development [+] Show / Hide Details |
Alpha Anywhere produces cross-platform web and mobile apps that perform like native apps on any device, the web and the desktop, and are intuitive to use. |
Appcelerator requires separate builds for Android and Apple devices. Requires a Mac for iOS apps. |
Build Multi-table Rich Media Data Capture Apps in Minutes [+] Show / Hide Details |
Alpha TransForm enables non-programmers and professional developers to build and deploy enterprise-grade mobile data capture apps -- with image, audio and signature capture, offline capability, GPS location capture and more -- in minutes. |
Appcelerator does not offer custom keyboards, image annotation, or other mobile optimized controls and cannot build these apps in minutes. |
One Button Deploy to the Cloud [+] Show / Hide Details |
Alpha Cloud takes care of installing and maintaining server software needed to run your Alpha Anywhere applications, with one-button deployment to the cloud. |
Appcelerator does not offer one-button deployment to the cloud. |
Alpha Anywhere speeds development for all users. It does the routine coding for experienced developers, and builds the apps for citizen developers. The software also has built-in genies that speed data integration, offline capability and security. But, Alpha Anywhere rapid mobile app development always gives developers the ability to add code, if needed. We call this "coding-optional."
Alpha Anywhere is the emerging standard for enterprises looking to help IT developers increase their pipeline while empowering business users to build sophisticated, web and mobile business apps fast.
Why does Alpha Anywhere consistently get perfect scores from customers?
When you're evaluating these systems you'll hear a lot of good things, but you're not always getting the full story. Here are some questions you should ask to be sure you're geting all the facts.
When you hear: "We do offline."
Understand that all "offline" capabilities are not equal. Be sure to ask:
If the answer is "No," then it means your apps will likely have severe limitations that could hurt your ability to intelligently capture store and sync data.
When you hear: "We serve citizen developers."
You can't expect business users to code to build or deploy their apps, or productivity will suffer. Be sure to ask:
If the answer is "No," you'll likely burn a lot of time and money on data integration and security issues.
When you hear: "Our apps are cross-platform."
Understand that responsive isn't necessarily cross-platform. Be sure to ask:
If the answer is "No," then users experience will most likely not have a native-like experience on the apps.
"The platform has shown me how easy it can be to build enterprise-grade, mission-critical apps. My colleagues are telling me I deserve a 'Best Programmer Award,' but the real honor goes to Alpha Software."
"Alpha Anywhere ticked all the boxes. It offered numerous out-of-the-box advantages, of which offline-capability on mobile devices was the most significant --- most other platforms didn't have that capability built-in."
"If I had used a tool rather than Alpha Anywhere, it would have taken me twice as long to launch Fast Mirror, and possibly miss a market opportunity."
“Alpha Software has robust enterprise integration capabilities & rich client-side workflow & custom logic creation in its coding-optional development tool...”
– Gartner Magic Quadrant, Mobile Application Development Platforms, June 2016
The Alpha platform is the only unified mobile and web app development and deployment environment with distinct “no-code” and “low-code” components. Using the Alpha TransForm no-code product, business users and developers can take full advantage of all the capabilities of the smartphone to turn any form into a mobile app in minutes, and power users can add advanced app functionality with Alpha TransForm's built-in programming language. IT developers can use the Alpha Anywhere low-code environment to develop complex web or mobile business apps from scratch, integrate data with existing systems of record and workflows (including data collected via Alpha TransForm), and add additional security or authentication requirements to protect corporate data.
Alpha Software Corporation, based in Massachusetts, produces award-winning software that speeds mobile and web app development and deployment for business and IT. The core technology includes two components. Alpha Anywhere®, a full-stack low-code app development platform for building and deploying web and mobile apps. In just hours, Alpha TransForm® turns complex paper forms into powerful mobile forms that speed data collection.
Alpha Software is an InfoWorld Technology of the Year award winner, and scores near-perfect reviews from customers on crowdsourced review sites.
Customers rate Alpha Software highly for its speed of development, flexibility, offline apps, rich feature set and ability to scale predictably. For more information, visit https://www.alphasoftware.com/