Guide
How to build a business app without code, step by step
You can build an app without coding by describing what it has to do: an AI tool builds the screens, the database and the login. This guide walks through the steps with theo, what works well, what it costs and the limits — including when it is not worth it. One distinction first: this is about web apps (they open in the browser on phone and desktop), not apps you download from the App Store or Google Play.
1. Write down what the app has to track
Start from what you track today in a spreadsheet, a notebook or a group chat. A good request says what, who and how it changes:
"Order tracking for my shop: customer, items, amount, due date and status (new, in production, ready, delivered). Sales creates the order, production updates the status, and I want to see late orders."
theo asks questions when something is missing — which statuses exist, who can change what — before it builds.
2. Or start from a template
If your case is common, it is faster to start from a template that already works and change what is different: sales CRM, finance dashboard, clinic management, notes workspace. Open one, see it working with sample data and create your own empty copy.
3. Adjust it until it fits
- Small changes (a color, a size, a field label): click the element in the app and pick.
- Bigger changes (a new field, a rule, a report): ask in the chat — "add a discount to orders and show the discounted total".
- If you code, open the code next to the live preview and edit it directly.
4. Bring in your team
Invite people, each with their own login, and set roles and permissions: who sees, who edits. To show the app to someone outside, publish a link.
What it costs
theo starts free, with no credit card and no time limit. The platform's AI has a monthly message allowance; if you add your own AI key (Anthropic, OpenAI or Google), that allowance does not apply and you pay the provider directly. The finished app, database and hosting cost nothing extra today.
Limits: when it is not worth it
- Store apps (App Store, Google Play): theo builds web apps, not native apps.
- Regulated obligations: certified health records, invoicing or payroll need certified systems.
- A product you will sell to thousands of customers: use a tool where your team owns the code — see Lovable and Bolt.
- A one-person spreadsheet for a quick calculation: keep the spreadsheet.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I really build an app without knowing how to code?
- Yes, for business systems and internal tools: you describe what you need and theo builds the app with database, login and screens. For adjustments, you click on the screen or ask in the chat.
- How long does it take?
- A simple system is ready in minutes. A system with many screens and rules takes longer, because theo asks questions before it builds.
- Does the app work on phones?
- It works in the browser on phone and desktop, with nothing to install. It is not a store app.
- Where is my data stored?
- In a PostgreSQL database hosted in Brazil. The text you write for the AI to build or change the app is processed by the AI provider.
- Can I take my app with me?
- Data exports to CSV. The code can be downloaded as a React + Node project, a starting point for a developer.
Build your first app now
Describe what you need or open a template. Free, no credit card.
Free, no credit card · Database hosted in Brazil