Knack

Flexible, Powerful, Great API, Community Support Lacking

Comments: 8 / 10 is right where I'm at. They filled a huge need for us, and for that, I'm extremely grateful. One more point can easily be gained by paying attention to the community, which are the fans of their business. The other point can be gained by adding better standard features and design features. It should be noted that I have passed Knack's name to MANY others in my industry, and I really do highly recommend them.

Pros:

When I found this software, I nearly jumped for joy. I had been researching no-code database apps for a long time, and this really seemed to fit what we needed it to do. Hats off to Knack for an original-concept. What's great: - App building on the backend AND front end. You create your data modules, decide your schema, then decide how it shows up to the users. Set your logins, set the access levels, etc. It's amazing. - It's extremely easy. Once you get the hang of it, you can make nice looking apps in little time. - The API is very easy to use and powerful. We us it to build special CMS apps that allow our customers to update content on large interactive touch screens. The data is always reliable. - The app is responsive, so users can can access public or their private data from mobile devices. It opens up many possibilities for businesses to use this as a CRM, CMS, Accounting, or even a field-service database. - The in-app support through the chat is great. Staff members are responsive and helpful.

Cons:

Take this with a grain of salt. When your whole business runs online like ours, you get used to the idea that no software is ever perfect. There is always something that will grind your gears. Here's some things about Knack that need improvement: - Community support - my major gripe about Knack is the responsiveness to the community. There are many active users who contribute a lot of great content, ideas, and issues that need solving. Response from Knack in the community is practically non-existent. Even just to say "Good idea, we'll add that to our list"...just let people know they've been heard! Also, in my opinion, there's some very standard features that I can't believe aren't built yet. Sometimes it seems they work on features for a very small niche audience, rather than things that all users can benefit from. (Like drag and drop sorting of records) - Minimal design freedom on the front end - You can make an app that is extremely functional, but there's not a lot of ways to customize the look and feel of that data for the users. So you may solve some great business issues with Knack, but chances are it won't look super pretty.

Incredible Easy to Learn and Flexible Software

Pros:

We had a lot of processes we could not manage anymore by just sharing Google Sheets. Within weeks we were able to create custom database driven applications that completely replaced dozens of spreadsheets, macros, and more. We have dozens of managers and corporate employees on it everyday. We love it.

Cons:

My biggest qualm with Knack is the customer support -- but that's not a very big qualm at all. For what we pay we get enormous value, and it makes sense that support is limited for our plan to just chat and email, with longer response times. When we are finally attended to, the customer service is very helpful. Because of the low price point, I initially had concerns that it would be reliable for a company our size, where little mistakes can cause interdepartmental issues. However, Knack has always been online, and the issues we have had were mostly attributable to user errors.

Useful but full of problems

Pros:

Easy to create web-based apps. Can achieve a variety of tasks using 3rd party tools. You can embed your app in your website.

Cons:

The interface is slow and limited. Can be quite clunky and frustrating and trying to work out how to achieve something with the help of Zapier. Customer support stinks. No one is ever able to sort any issues and if you make the slightest mistake or accidental you could break the whole app and be needing a backup which they charge , they quote 1-3 hours usually and takes 3-5 working days so not particularly business friendly. Javascript locks up occasionally in the back end and you're either left waiting and nothing happens or nothing happens when you click the save button. Fairly expensive considering how unpolished the software is and how woefully awful their customer support is. The reliance on Knack/Zapier/Webmerge integration doesn't always work seamlessly and learning to implement it yourself can result in duplicate Webmerges which cost a lot of money too.

knack... Just wow!

Comments: knack has been a huge help for our company. We were looking for a online database solution that we could customize for our unique business. And knack for the build 100 times over.

Pros:

Great online builder with a very easy learning for it. They offer get webinars that demos a lot of the You can get up and running in minutes not months once you have a plan. You can even customize with css and javascript.

Cons:

Only con i would say and was not a deal breaker was the use of css take a bit to get use to for major customization

Excellent Tool - Highly Functional

Comments: I really like Knack. It's an absolutely super tool

Pros:

Super tool for developing multi-user database focused applications. Per developer pricing (as opposed to per user). Easy to provide ROLE based access to different inputs, views and reports Super documentation and templates to learn from or get you started Rules to display and update screens/records Easy to add rich functionality to an application Really nice data import tool Single sign on with Google (and others) Excellent support API/Integration using tools like zapier

Cons:

Need to know some basic html/css if you want customise the look of your screens No IF THEN logic (probably could use Zapier for this) Nice if users could import data (as opposed to builder) Easier back up tools

Positive Review for Knack

Comments: I needed to create an Organizational Management tool to recruit, onboard, and manage Sales Teams and their prospects. Within a week, I had built a functioning app.

Pros:

The top 3 features I like are 1. the software is easy to create tables, and make relationship connections. 2. The User Manual is comprehensive. 3. The Templates provide real examples of the logic an relationships.

Cons:

HTML does not seam to allow a Full Window Width display of Tables.

Great software now good for users in Europe.

Comments: I use Knack to build my main business application. The interface and functionality is excellent and I have looked at all the alternatives at length. If you are not an IT person, then this really is the business. The tutorials are also good. The support team are responsive in the chat interface. During the two years I have been using the product there have been continuous upgrades which have been excellent.

Pros:

Great intuitive interface, great software, fair pricing. Now that EU servers are available this makes it a great product for users like me who hold client data and need to comply with EU data privacy laws. I am already delighted with the product, but have seen a beta version of the new builder which in my view takes the produt from excellent to perfect. As a non-technical user (I am no more than a competent excel user) I had never thought I could build my own functioning application. With Knack, I can.

Cons:

The standard support hours are based on the US working day so that means we in Europe have to wait. Having said that, if there is an emergency there is 24 hour response there. This is a minor niggle and I guess when Knack grows to dominate the world they will put more support on.

One of the Best

Pros:

Knack is seriously one of the greatest apps that exist out there for those who need to organize their offices. Nowadays, data is produced in such huge amounts that it ca be very difficult to organize. This leads to chaos and lost productivity. Other database apps like Access, OpenOffice and even just SQL are not user friendly and the UI is chaotic. Knack is an easy way to make your own custom database with functionality that expands seemingly daily.

Cons:

There's a bit of a learning curve, but I learned it in about a week. Now I've made a CRM/HRM/Project manager all in one with unlimited logins for pennies on the price of a full-suite solution.

One of the best options for rapid database centric software development

Comments: I have really enjoyed using Knack and continue to push the organization to build functionality in it.

Pros:

It is so easy to set up a relational database as well as a website to access that data. Very easy to learn. You can quickly create software to solve your organization's needs.

Cons:

New features are not added often. Workflow actions are triggered by the page accessing the data and not by the database itself. There are limits to the design customization so the software sometimes seems old.

Super easy and fast

Comments: I was looking for an cloud based application that could allow me to build a database in the cloud and present that data securely to users over the web for viewing and editing. I tried out Caspio, Ragic, Airtable and AgileApps also during the process of picking an application. The only other provider that I like was Caspio- they have a ton of features and can be used fairly easily to build business apps. However, Knack won the day based on the fact that it is more intuitive to figure out (I needed very little help), super fast to edit and view the results and capable of doing so much. I built my first app in ~ 2 hours. I couldn't change it so that each user could edit their own data, but not the data of other users. Knack customer service helped me with process using just email- that is how easy it is. I could understand their emails and make adjustments. I am confident I could built a new app in less than a day- even if moderately difficult.

Pros:

Super easy to get going (it is the most intuitive interface). Price by number of apps instead of by user works well with our company. Powerful features including, for instance, users logging in by their Google+ or Facebook profile (single sign on). I have not run into any bugs.

Cons:

You can't adjust the presentation layer (the website) as much as, say, Caspio. You can change some things like colors and basic layout, but most of the CSS is fixed. Their formulas are very weak. They only allow basic functions, especially for manipulating text. For formulas, I found Airtable to be much better.

Knack is an Amazing Tool

Comments: I found Knack when I was searching for a tool that would help me to build a simple cloud based lead tracking application for my small law firm (two lawyers) to use. I have a dabbler's technical background in the sense that I have fooled around with Microsoft Access and Visual Basic for Applications - not a particularly high level mind you - barely beyond Hello World stuff. Well, maybe a little beyond that. I was looking for a tool that would allow me to develop something in the cloud and boy did I find it with Knack. I didn't know that Knack existed, but it was exactly what I wanted to exist and I was blown away when I actually discovered that it in fact existed. I was familiar enough with relational databases through my limited experience with Access that I was able to pretty much immediately start using Knack. I had a rough version of the application I wanted to develop put together in a couple days really. (Not a huge feat, really since what I wanted was really pretty simple). But we used it every day and came to really rely on it. It has become absolutely a part of the business. The ability to have this cloud based application, available on our phones or wherever we have computer access has been incredible and the platform itself works like magic. I spent hours wrestling with Access in setting up subforms and reports and such and developing queries and all of that. Knack takes care of that sort of heavy lifting behind the scenes. From my experience with Access, I know that it really is heavy lifting too, which is why I appreciate it so much. I used to design my websites in Dreamweaver, but as the technical expertise required to build sites well started to increase well beyond my ability to use Dreamweaver, I discovered Squarespace. Squarespace for me was the answer to my prayers, because it gave me the freedom to create sites that were technically pretty sophisticated and modern but in a way that shielded me from the need to have the technical expertise to execute it well. Knack is like Squarespace in this way. In fact, since many people who design sites might have use for cloud based applications that Knack can provide, I would think that Knack and Squarespace ought to be able to find ways to work with each other. They both occupy the same sort of space - providing people without the increasingly sophisticated skills required to build nice things (websites or custom database applications) the ability to build those nice things.

Pros:

I love the way it shields me from what I know to be complex and tricky issues involved in putting together an application built around a relational database. I know the agony of wrestling with figuring out how to do things with relational databases and it just makes me so happy to be able to create a wonderfully stable application that works in the cloud - without the torture of having to figure out why my SQL query isn't working as I thought it would, etc. It just works, and I am shielded from the coding. I don't have to know what a SQL query is. To me this is just plain magic.

Cons:

Hard to come up with something I am not really happy about with it. I guess everything could be improved with more features and options and such, but I see that as mostly window dressing. The guts of this thing are amazing. I'm sure the future will see more features and more ways to style the applications and such, but the magic is built in now.

Knack for Low-to-Intermediate Users

Comments: I created my own proprietary construction management software and it is AWESOME!!

Pros:

Packed with features and easy to use/build whatever you want.

Cons:

Dashboards and Reporting is the biggest drawback. It needs more development.

Good value for a low code platform.

Comments: I am using it for my EduTech startup and it enabled me to launch the company fast and with no much coding experience.

Pros:

I like Knack does not charge per user. Also, it includes most of the features that you would need is a common business application (CRM, ERP, etc.). Low-code programming workflow is easy.

Cons:

No a great user community around the software. Knack should promote more user interaction. Also it should produce more education content.

One of a kind

Comments: Outstanding . The customer service team really cares and the product is actively evolving

Pros:

I really do not know what I would do without the resource of the Knack platform. There is so much cross talk of data between those who provide it and those who need it that than an online, customizable, easy to implement data management platform is the most optimal solution. Love the ability to customize with CSS and JavaScript and connect to other software through Integromat

Cons:

Not much to NOT like ; as I see it there are features I haven’t figured out how to use yet and things that don’t work because of pure user error.

relatively inexpensive, powerful database app

Comments: Their customer service is exceptional and the user forums are also very helpful in answering questions and solving problems.

Pros:

What I like most about the software is the built in relational flexibility Knack offers. When creating objects you are able to build in the relationships to other objects intuitively, and then when building the app itself, it remembers these relations to create the relationship that is most useful.

Cons:

Missing are the complete lack of drag and dropping of "views", also not easily customizable to change fonts, headings, colors, etc. This must be done through CSS and/or Java Script programming.

Knack

Comments: Knack has helped us systematize our quoting process. Everything is so much quicker with knack.

Pros:

Though I do not use the more behind the scenes features of knack, I use it every day. We use it as a program to quote our products to clients. This has reduced the quoting time from 30 minutes to 30 seconds.

Cons:

I have no qualms with anything about knack. I do not use the programming end of the software, but the user side is very convenient.

Customizable features for our Spa's client records

Comments: Increased communication between staff and clients, accurate record keeping for all clients, and for all staff to access!

Pros:

How customizable it is to our ever changing needs as the company grows and changes! We are able to access it on multiple devices at once, and have different log ins for each employee!

Cons:

Have experienced software shutdowns that have slowed business, not always able to do what we need, but there is usually a work-around!

Easiest platform for developing a customized work system the code-less way

Comments: Knack connects up to so many other 3rd party apps through Zapier that the options are potentially limitless. We've been able to cancel our SalesForce subscription and came up with your own custom CRM using Knack. It's affordable, the support is great and it's feature rich.

Pros:

Easy to get up and running on. Quickly map out data elements and connect to layout without having to code Javascript. If you do know Javascript, you can customize the workflow and experience even more.

Cons:

There are no additional web themes without paying a developer to customize.

Launched a side business completely managed by Knack

Pros:

We've launched a side company, Cableshepherd.com built complete on Knack. From Customer Account creation, management, portals, quoting, etc - Knack has solved a problem other CRMS and business platforms have not been able to. It is a true business application.

Cons:

If not a developer, I could see how it could be difficult to learn, but overall, we're relatively pleased with performance.

Great database builder

Pros:

The app builder is a great feature of this software. There are a lot of useful options such as searching, various forms and tables. I find it easy to customize although having little background in programming helps but not required. Easy interface after a little bit of use.

Cons:

Knack servers can use some updating. Can be slow at times with complex queries which can be frustrating. Knack support tries to address all our concerns, but some issues will take some time to fix. The front end could use some updates also and to have access to change the visuals would be nice

Knack helps us deliver great customer service

Comments: This software has enabled my company to increase customer service by embedding databases in our website and thus allowing our customers to look up complicated information in an easy way.

Pros:

Its easy of use (the team that build our databases are no experts at all!), and the fact we can embed the databases in our website.

Cons:

To create a multi-level navigation menu with the current feature set, we need to apply some work arounds to make it do what we want.

Good for those who don't know how to code

Pros:

Easy to setup and use, highly customizable

Cons:

Pricing structure and cost is too high for the amount of storage you get

Knack 2016

Comments: Knack has been a useful product. I find it to be helpful to small and medium-sized clients who want a database without the high price tag.

Pros:

Knack has a good user interface and is a lower price point for databases of this type. They have very good service and the online chat help is excellent.

Cons:

I have found that we need developers to do work that I would not call high level but this assistance does ramp up the relatively low cost of the product. This happens with almost every database, but I was hoping Knack would be different.

Knack Review

Pros:

Multiple functionalities-Coaching, Return Status information.

Cons:

The design is of low quality and looks very old.

Great. Knack did exactly what I wanted.

Pros:

It allowed me to easily customize a website to allow multiple users to enter information without having a pay account.

Cons:

You have to program yourself. I'm not the most technical person so this takes some time. Only training will help.