Should you skip no-code builders

DEEP DIVE
Should you skip no-code builders

Ok, I’m not just trying to be controversial here, I promise.

But I do want to talk about the hype around AI no-code builders.

You know the ones: Lovable, Bolt, Replit, Figma Make, and the rest.

Lately, my YouTube feed is flooded with videos preaching how “you can build anything with a prompt” complete apps, websites, internal tools. No code. No devs. Just vibes.

And don’t get me wrong: these tools are exciting.

But if you’re a service provider toying with the idea of building something for your business — or even for your clients — we need a bit of a reality check.

Here’s what I’ve learned the hard way.

Problem #1: The Credit Trap

No-code builders like Lovable let you create an app or website just by prompting.

And I’m not going to lie, after GPT‑4, this was probably my second biggest “wow” AI moment.

You drop in a single prompt, and 30 seconds later, it generates something that looks like a real app. Not just text. A UI. With buttons. Pages. Styling.

But the keyword here is “looks.”

Because more often than not, nothing actually works.

Buttons don’t go anywhere. Navigation breaks. Functionality is missing.

So what do you do?

You tweak the prompt. Then prompt again. And again. Until you hit your credit limit.

By that point, you’re thinking: “I’m so close! Just need to fix one more thing.” So you upgrade to the paid plan — usually around $25/month — and keep going.

You tell it to fix bug A. Now bug B appears. Fix B, and A breaks again.

You try a more detailed prompt, list everything it needs to check, fix, and improve. And it gets half of it right. Half.

And of course, every time you hit “generate,” it costs more credits.

Now, I don’t think these tools are deliberately giving you half-working apps so you burn through credits. But... the incentives are definitely there.

Problem #2: The Integration Problem

My main issue with this new wave of no-code AI platforms is the promise that “anyone can build anything.”

Because technically, yes — anyone can generate a decent-looking frontend.

The UI part is great. Styling is slick. Even interactions like popups or hover effects, animations,etc.

But the backend?

That’s where everything breaks down.

You realize quickly that building anything remotely functional — anything that needs authentication, payments, APIs, logic, databases — means dealing with:

• Databases

• SQL

• APIs

• Webhooks

• Conditional logic

• Data flows

• Permissions

And these aren’t optional. They’re the invisible infrastructure behind every real app.

If you’re not technical, this is where no-code promises start to collapse.

And no, these tools don’t do a great job of walking you through this part. It’s often a cliff, not a learning curve.

The Actual Use Cases That Make Sense

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not anti-no-code.

I actually use these platforms almost every day.

They’re insanely useful when you use them for the right kind of job.

Here’s where they shine for service providers:

Use Case #1: Mockups

Sometimes I want to redesign part of my site. Instead of playing with Figma or WordPress themes, I just prompt Lovable for a layout idea. It’s fast. And it gets me to a solid visual starting point. Then I build it in WordPress.

Use Case #2: Simple Websites

If all you need is a 1–3 page website with your offer, pricing, contact info, this is perfect.

You can get something online in 10 minutes. And if you’re not a designer, it’ll look better than what you’d cobble together in WordPress anyway.

Use Case #3: Prototypes

You want to show a client a proof-of-concept? Test an idea? Map out a tool you might want to build?

No-code platforms let you move fast and look polished doing it.

Use Case #4: Internal Tools

This is my favorite one.

If you need a custom dashboard, an internal tracker, a basic calculator, or a mini-client portal that no SaaS offers… build it with no-code.

Because you’re the only one using it, it doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to work. And these tools get you there without waiting on a dev.

“Middle to Middle”

As Balaji says, AI doesn’t really do things end-to-end yet.

It does things from middle to middle.

That’s what no-code AI builders are good at too. They get you a usable starting point. Or a pretty decent half-finished app. Not a polished, scalable product.

But that’s still a huge time and money saver.

Give that half-done app to a dev, and they’ll charge you less and work faster.