Regarding use cases, I would say it's used in our organization during our internal proof of concept. The objective is to familiarize us with Zoho Creator as a platform. Additionally, it is to familiarize us with the features the solution possesses. This is a more exploratory phase of work that we are currently doing.
While this application development platform offers high speed, its UX design needs improvement
Pros and Cons
- "Basically, the application development part of the solution is one of the main features I like since it is quick."
- "Zoho Creator's UX design needs to be improved."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
Even though I am part of CoE, which is primarily RPA CoE, explicitly speaking about Zoho Creator, I don't have much detail. So, it's not right for me to comment on what we are working on now in Zoho Creator. However, my team is currently working on an onboarding process using Zoho Creator. Additionally, internally, we have a certain training program since learning and development are very important in AAPNA Infotech. Hence, we are investing heavily in our employees. We initially planned to use some kind of data bank, so we planned to develop one. After that, we thought of using Zoho Creator. Also, since I am not 100% sure if my team is still working on that project, I have to check with them.
What is most valuable?
Regarding the solution's features, I attended an event organized by Zoho, which happened last year in September in India. There were four or five sessions specific to Zoho Creator in which they took us through some use cases and real-time experiences. If I remember correctly, they invited four customers for a photograph in one of the sessions since they had developed some applications using Zoho Creator only. So, it was really interesting to see, after which we, in our organization, thought of exploring Zoho Creator to see how we can leverage it. Basically, the application development part of the solution is one of the main features I like since it is quick. Within a few weeks, one can develop at least some prototype using Zoho Creator, and then you can expand it or maybe build something more on top of that.
What needs improvement?
It's very difficult for me to speak on the areas of the solution that need improvement since I am not the one who is going through the training. So, I have to speak with my team to know about the areas of the solution that need improvement. Zoho Creator's UX design needs to be improved. At the moment, if you want to make a good user interface, it is difficult to design an application that provides a better user experience or customer delight. Also, all the use cases and my understanding regarding the solution were primarily for the back-end support team only. Basically, it is not a customer-facing application that one can develop using Zoho Creator. It is more about the back-end support type of application or the one you want to use within your office for a smaller audience. So, I'm not sure whether one can develop some applications for an enterprise-level customer. I think that is an area where the solution can improve. Catalyst is also a platform Zoho provides, and combining both Zoho Creator and Catalyst can be great. So, it can be a lethal combination considering that someone wants to use it to build some application.
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Zoho Creator
October 2024
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For how long have I used the solution?
Our company uses Zoho Creator, a product offered by Zoho. We started utilizing the solution in January of this year and have only two and a half months of experience. Although we process for a Zoho partner, our internal team is currently working on some POC-related stuff, so we don't have any clients to whom we provide services. At present, we don't have a business relationship with Zoho. However, we will soon be partnering with Zoho. We learned about the partnership process during a conversation with them in January. After the conversation, a couple of team members underwent training and got certified. We started our journey with Zoho Creator after the training. Hopefully, we will begin the partnership process soon. For now, we are just customers.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Although Zoho Creator is working well, I cannot currently provide any rating, particularly regarding scalability and stability or any other parameter you may require me to rate.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability issues will come into the picture if you have a lot of traffic on your application. So at this moment, nothing is in production, so I can't comment on the solution's scalability. Presently, in our organization, the solution has three users, all of whom work as software developers.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Our company has primarily worked with UiPath and Electroneek. Also, we do have some level of exposure to Microsoft Power Automate as well.
Another team uses a low-code platform called Decisions to develop applications quickly. And we have more than 20 team members working on several projects using Decisions.
How was the initial setup?
I rate the solution's initial setup a six out of ten since, in our organization, we needed to dig deep to understand the solution, while simultaneously working on some real-time projects to understand more about the features and what capabilities Zoho Creator offers.
The solution's deployment can be done in a few minutes.
What about the implementation team?
For the solution's implementation in our organization, we have an in-house team responsible for setting up the CI/CD pipeline. Also, all processes are automated these days. So, nothing is manual. After setting up the CI/CD pipeline, which takes care of everything, like building the code before running some test cases and then deploying on a UAT environment or a production environment, depending on where one wants to apply the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the solution an eight out of ten for pricing since it is really cheap.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
There is one more tool in which our company has some expertise. Unfortunately, I'm unable to recall the name of that platform. The whole reason for choosing Zoho Creator for our organization was because Zoho as a product has a very good market. Zoho has a scope for the future because its vision is great, which is something we learned during the two-day event organized by Zoho. So, Zoho is taking care of the application and developing some infrastructure. Zoho is a great organization, and we decided to partner with them. Additionally, another sector that we were exploring was CRM. In the past, after our analysis and evaluation of HubSpot, Zoho CRM, and one more tool, we chose Zoho CRM because of specific parameters, including cost. In short, we found Zoho CRM much better. After opting for Zoho CRM, we thought of exploring other Zoho products.
What other advice do I have?
Our company's partnership with Zoho Creator will begin in a couple of months. Once the partnership is established, our team will become experts in Zoho Creator and serve as brand ambassadors for the product. This collaboration with Zoho Creator will allow us to sell the solution to our clients. Based on these factors, I would recommend Zoho Creator to others. As we continue to explore the solution further, my rating may improve. Currently, I would rate Zoho Creator a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Director at Simplfied Solutions
A stable solution that provides excellent features that can be used to design applications
Pros and Cons
- "The deployment process is quite straightforward."
- "The UI must be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution to design applications.
What is most valuable?
All the features are valuable. The deployment process is quite straightforward.
What needs improvement?
The UI must be improved. It is difficult to find things in Zoho. There needs to be some R&D. It is fine for a technical person, but non-technical people will find it difficult.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for almost two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the product’s stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s scalability an eight out of ten. We have two users.
How was the initial setup?
We do not get what we are looking for easily. To find things, we should have a good knowledge of the tool. Deployment does not take much time. The latest version is really good. There are separate staging, development, and deployment platforms.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is moderately priced.
What other advice do I have?
I am yet to explore the AI features provided by the tool. As a technical person, I have been able to take care of the bugs I find. The product is excellent. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Buyer's Guide
Zoho Creator
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about Zoho Creator. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Co-Founder at Nordo
Low code platform with AI model incorporation, easy integration and third party connections
Pros and Cons
- "It has a simple user interface, not so difficult to use. You can add AI models, integration, and third-party connections."
- "The layout of the form site needs some improvements because you can only create a basic layout and templates in the forms."
What is our primary use case?
Zoho Creator is a low-code platform where you can create your own applications. It is good for developers who want to create and share their own applications with the customers.
What is most valuable?
It has a simple user interface, not so difficult to use. You can add AI models, integration, and third-party connections. You don't need a lot of coding skills. You can create your forms or flows very easily. It is a very useful application development platform for creating your application. So, if you want to create an application that needs to talk with other third-party applications and you don't have extensive coding skills, it is a very useful platform.
Creating fields and changing the backend data or creating functions is very easy.
What needs improvement?
The layout of the form site needs some improvements because you can only create a basic layout and templates in the forms. They can change or add different layout templates for the prompts. It could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for one year.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy. You only need to enter the application. Create your own environment, and then start building your own application.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Zoho Creator is still under Zoho One bundle that costs $35 a month per user.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have used different tools from ZOHO, such as ZOHO FLOW, InsightQ, and ZOHO.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise based on your coding skills. If you don't have an experience in coding, you can use this platform to build your own application. But if you have good coding skills, you may prefer another platform.
Even If you know how to code, you can use this solution because it is very simple and very fast to create applications. However, you may want to customize your application; you may prefer to make it with your own skills.
I rate eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Easy-to-setup platform helping us with low-code application development
Pros and Cons
- "We can create multiple applications simultaneously with it."
- "The platform's technical support services need improvement."
What is our primary use case?
We use the platform for low-code development of apps. We can create different apps according to our requirements of functionality.
How has it helped my organization?
Zoho Creator helps us develop many apps at the same time. We can create business setup, inventory management, etc., using it.
What is most valuable?
It is a low-code platform. We can create multiple applications simultaneously with it.
What needs improvement?
The platform's technical support services need improvement. Most of the time, when we contact them regarding some error, they do not answer our queries. Sometimes, their solutions don't help us solve the problem.
Additionally, the platform has multiple support channels, including chat, email, and portal. But it is time-consuming to deal with them.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Zoho Creator for one year. At present, we use the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the platform's stability a seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the platform's scalability a seven out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The platform's technical support services could be better.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Negative
How was the initial setup?
The platform's initial setup process is easy.
What was our ROI?
Zoho Creator is worth the investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Zoho Creator's price is reasonable compared to other vendors like Salesforce and Oracle.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Using other platforms, we have to create long code to access data and develop applications. In comparison, Zoho Creator allows us to develop multiple applications with short codes.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Zoho Creator to others. The platform works better than other vendors. I rate it a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Certified Consultant/self employed at FAIRCHANCE FOR CRM
It's a flexible open platform that is good for development in a complex environment
Pros and Cons
- "Zoho Creator is a flexible open platform that is good for development in a complex environment that other platforms may not support. It isn't a challenge for me to develop any kind of complex application in Zoho."
- "Zoho provides different channels for support, like chat and email. There's also a multi-brand support self-service support portal, but it's time-consuming to deal with it. If we create a portal on Zoho, we need to pay an additional cost per user. It's a flexible platform, but there are limitations, such as the EBI. We need to purchase additional EBIs and other features that some businesses require. If we are developing complex applications, we need to set up many virtual automation and use API calls."
What is our primary use case?
I use Zoho Creator to develop custom programs for various business use cases. We're primarily creating applications for our database system, developing forms, and building dashboards for reporting.
How has it helped my organization?
I have created different applications for operations management
What is most valuable?
Zoho Creator is a flexible open platform that is good for development in a complex environment that other platforms may not support. It isn't a challenge for me to develop any kind of complex application in Zoho.
What needs improvement?
Zoho provides different channels for support, like chat and email. There's also a multi-brand support self-service support portal, but it's time-consuming to deal with it. If we create a portal on Zoho, we need to pay an additional cost per user. It's a flexible platform, but there are limitations, such as the EBI. We need to purchase additional EBIs and other features that some businesses require. If we are developing complex applications, we need to set up many virtual automation and use API calls.
If we have data in various tables and need to import it all at once, it can be challenging to import it all. There are multiple data modeling relationships, so it is difficult to import into raw data.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Zoho Creator for 5 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Zoho Creator is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
When I started working with Zoho, there were some user limitations. Now, they are more scalable and diversified. We can expand and upgrade our applications as needed.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service and support is excellent.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Because it is low code and flexible platform
How was the initial setup?
I rate Zoho Creator nine out of 10 for ease of setup.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed the solution in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Set up cost is vary from differed solutions. It will cost as per scope of work. If anyone need our help feel free to contact. zohoexperts@gmail.com
What other advice do I have?
I rate Zoho Creator nine out of 10. It's an excellent platform for developing applications to meet the needs of any business operation. Zoho has over 15 million users worldwide. Zoho is on track to becoming a massive company like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. They are constantly improving and overcoming some of their limitations.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Zoho Developer and Consultant at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
A great tool for building prototypes and custom solutions across a number of use cases
Pros and Cons
- "The solution's flexibility and quick turnaround are valuable."
- "They still don't have a PDF conversion feature."
What is our primary use case?
I have worked with clients with custom requirements not available out of the box or were not standard functionality in any of the CRMs, so Zoho Creator was the right solution for them.
What is most valuable?
The solution's flexibility and quick turnaround are valuable. Flexibility may not be its best feature, but the quick turnaround time is. If you have an idea of the custom solution you want to build, and you want to see how it would integrate with ten different third-party applications. It is really quick to implement that within Zoho Creator to build a prototype, bring people on board, show them how it works, and make future improvements. The quick prototyping for custom solutions is Zoho Creator's strongest feature.
What needs improvement?
There are a lot of areas of improvement. Then there are minor irritants. They still don't have a PDF conversion feature. It is not a standard Zoho Creator feature, and you must integrate with a third-party application to generate a PDF. That's something they could improve on. I'm not saying Zoho Creator can't create PDFs. It just isn't bug-free, with issues with page links and all that.
For how long have I used the solution?
I am a consultant and have been in the Zoho ecosystem for about ten years. I have experience with almost every Zoho product, having used the entire Zoho suite. I've helped implement Zoho One for multiple businesses, numbering around 50 clients.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is very high. If you go through a proper solution architecture phase, plan things properly, and implement everything with the best practices in mind, it's a very stable platform. There is very little downtime, and I've not seen any other issues either. All the automation works all the time, and the data is safe and secure, which are things other platforms cannot deliver. I've seen platforms where automation you would build doesn't trigger on time or doesn't trigger when it should have triggered and then there have been data inconsistencies. I have seen some of the cloud platforms having those issues, but I haven't seen those in any of the Zoho apps.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are scalability issues. Small to medium-scale enterprises can work with Zoho Creator. Still, if you need to increase the number of records or the amount of data you want to store on the servers, it can get extremely expensive very quickly.
How are customer service and support?
Customer support is not too bad. They're not the best, either. There is definitely room for improvement with them. They'll get back to you most of the time but take a while to solve certain complex problems. They might take a week or two to fix some complex issues. They are also very capable and know what they are doing.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is pretty straightforward. I've been doing it for a while, so maybe I'm biased. Zoho Creator has a drag-and-drop user interface. There's a lot of documentation available online on Zoho's website, and many YouTube videos are available on how to deploy the solution, so it's pretty straightforward if you want to implement something simple. Even non-technical people could do it, but you might want to consult with someone for bigger requirements.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Zoho Creator is the cheapest option in the market right now that can deliver this level of quality. But if you go beyond the limits of your subscription, those add-ons can be expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I've seen fewer people moving towards Zoho Creator over time. Back in 2013, when I started, almost every other requirement had to be built in Zoho Creator because the out-of-the-box functionalities available in those CRMs were very few. Those things have changed. A lot of standard functionalities have improved and increased in Zoho CRM and other apps as well, so fewer people are using Zoho Creator.
Zoho Creator is mostly deployed on the cloud. Zoho also used to offer an on-premise solution, but I don't know if they do that anymore. The solution is deployed on their own cloud, and the servers are located in many countries, and comply with the data regulations for each country. They have a few servers in the UK, the US, Germany, France, and India. You cannot have the solution deployed on a private cloud because if you subscribe to Zoho, the data is stored on Zoho servers.
Choosing to use Zoho depends on your requirements, based on the industry you're in, and based on how complex your business processes are. If your process is standard, like a sales process, you don't need Zoho Creator. Many CRMs are available that can handle sales processes well, and it might be more expensive to go with Zoho Creator in that scenario. But if you're working in an industry with a very specific use case and none of the standard CRMs or solutions offer what you're looking for, go for Zoho Creator.
I rate Zoho Creator a nine out of ten because it is very flexible, and I've seen it used for a wide variety of industries for some very complex use cases and some very simple use cases. I think Zoho Creator is my favorite within the Zoho suite of products because it can do almost anything. If there's a problem, I can think of a solution that can be implemented in Zoho Creator and solve it. I don't want to give it a ten because I would like to improve certain small things, and I've been facing those issues for a few years now. I have not seen those being implemented yet. The PDF-generation issue has been a problem for five or six years, and they have not fixed it. These minor things can, in certain cases, be a dealbreaker. Maybe you've worked 200 hours on a project, and now the client is like, "Hey. I want to generate a PDF," and you can't do that. And then they're like, "This is a dealbreaker for me," putting you in an awkward situation. You've invested too much time and money into a project for a small thing like that to be a deal breaker. There are workarounds for these small issues, but it just leaves a bad taste in the mouth when you have to have that conversation with a client. You would be forced to integrate this function with a third-party application for a minor thing, which is standard functionality in most similar platforms.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Sr. Zoho Developer at Absoft IT Solutions Pvt Ltd
Helps to manage sales processes but needs to improve scalability and stability
Pros and Cons
- "Zoho Creator helps to maintain the products in development."
- "The product needs to improve stability and scalability. We faced issues with bugs."
What is our primary use case?
My company is a partner with Zoho, and we have used the solution for various purposes, including sales processes and manufacturing of products. Additionally, we have developed applications for the manufacturing and hospitality sectors.
What is most valuable?
Zoho Creator helps to maintain the products in development.
What needs improvement?
The product needs to improve stability and scalability. We faced issues with bugs.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the tool's stability a seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate Zoho Creator's scalability a seven out of ten. Our organization has a maximum of 250 users utilizing Zoho Creator, primarily for client portal purposes. For managing customer figures and product lines, we have around 15 to 20 users handling these tasks.
How are customer service and support?
We encountered issues with the solution related to bugs and breakdowns. However, we could resolve these issues internally without requiring technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The duration of the deployment can vary depending on the specific project requirements. It typically depends on the requirements of the project at hand.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the product an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Senior Zoho Developoer at Techloyce
Helps to easily create forms and reports without writing code
Pros and Cons
- "Zoho Creator is a flexible and powerful solution. I like the tool's advanced modification feature which helps to modify its layout and setup scripts."
- "I would like to see a simpler layout and interface. I would also like to see Zoho CRM and Zoho Campaigns integrated with the product."
What is most valuable?
Zoho Creator is a flexible and powerful solution. I like the tool's advanced modification feature which helps to modify its layout and setup scripts.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see a simpler layout and interface. I would also like to see Zoho CRM and Zoho Campaigns integrated with the product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for an year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the tool's stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate Zoho Creator's scalability a nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
We can easily solve and manage issues with Zoho Creator.
How was the initial setup?
The product's setup is not complex since it is a low-code application.
What was our ROI?
We see ROI with the tool's use.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The tool's pricing is flexible.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Zoho Creator a nine out of ten. We can easily create reports and forms without writing any code. However, if you need an advanced level of things then you need to write code and scripts. If you need data from third parties then you need to write APIs.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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