Create Web forms and convert your spreadsheet to online database application.
Zoho Creator has an intuitive and feature-rich Platform as a Service (PaaS) to build and host your custom database applications. Just write your business rules and let the software handle deployment and hosting. You can create your own forms/tables afresh or import data from standard formats (.xls .csv .mdb) and get your database application online. Zoho Creator supports 20 field types such as text Field - single line, multiline, checkboxes, and radio button. Zoho Creator offers six different ways to see your collected data, which includes list view, summary view, spreadsheet view, calendar view, chart view, and HTML. Zoho Creator includes custom actions, and custom validation. The entire Zoho Creator database application can be modified to suit your own branding, Zoho Creator provides options to change color themes for your databases, and create customized views by combining HTML code and Deluge script. It has Private access, publish to the internet, and dynamic sharing options. It also features export data option, mobile access, and an active community.
- Easy to use
- Cost effective
- Dynamic customization
Cons
- Customer services sucks
- Might cripple your company operations with no solution
- You will eventually need to leave Zoho if your company continues to grow
- Can't use Javascript or customize themes
(use Zurmo instead)
Summary
Building an application takes a tremendous amount of time to perfect and grow. Starting on the right application that will allow long-term development is critical. For a DIY database, Zoho Creator has features that I could not find with another option. Their customer service though, will have you asking for MUCH more. Several times I dealt with significant problems that left our organization crippled and got ZERO response or consideration from customer service. Every time the problem was with their servers or software. I could go WEEKS struggling with an issue and get no help from customer service. When your organization's core application is down, you do not want to be with Zoho Creator. After struggling with issues and no help from Zoho, I realized that my growing company had to leave Zoho Creator.
I found an open-source CRM called Zurmo. You NEED to check Zurmo as an option. Being open source, you can install it, modify the source code and it's free! They also have a paid version where they provide support and premium options. We have spent the last couple months building our new application in Zurmo and we love it. Overall, it's taking much less time than starting in Zoho Creator. Best of all, we aren't at someone else's mercy if the application has an issue. We can fix everything we want and host our own database. Although it takes a little more know-how to start on Zurmo, it was probably just as easy as Zoho, because accomplishing some things in Zoho was overcomplicated.
Awesome - using 12months zero downtime
surferireland
Pros
50+ employee business - deployed full front to back with client access - great software
Cons
No local version if the net goes down
Summary
Easy to use and very professional!
swaiinnyy
Pros
Free for databases with 1000 or less entries which suits me for now. If I exceed this amount I will have to pay a fee which I am more than happy to do with the success of having an online database!
Cons
Haven't found anything I dislike as of yet. There support staff are very helpful and fast to respond.
Summary
If you are looking for an online database I strongly reccommend Zoho Creator!