The tech industry has been trying to make software development more inclusive by providing visual tools for non-coders to create digital products. In the past, this has included tools like Microsoft’s Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and Dreamweaver. Recently, many no-code and low-code startups have focused on democratizing software development.
In this landscape, Danish startup Toddle has introduced a no-code platform as a comprehensive alternative to Javascript frameworks, complete with features like real-time collaboration, version control, and hosting.
A crowded space
Numerous startups like Bubble, Flutterflow, Builder, and Webflow have raised significant funding to create their versions of no-code development platforms. While targeting different markets, they all aim to empower anyone within a company to engage in software development, regardless of their coding abilities.
Founded in 2022, Toddle was created by CEO Andreas Møller and CDO Kasper Svenning. The platform enables designers to make live UI/UX changes through a visual editing interface that directly impacts the underlying codebase.
The founders envision Toddle as a tool that can match the capabilities of languages like React but in a visual format. With Toddle, design and developer teams can collaboratively build fully-featured SaaS apps, similar to how developers use various tools like Figma, Webflow, Glide, and Bubble for different stages of product development.
The platform allows designers, marketers, and developers to work seamlessly together by translating visual edits into the respective front-end framework and CSS methodology. Components created in Toddle can be saved for reuse across projects, and version control allows revisiting past versions of components or apps.
While Toddle does not provide a full-stack web app builder with a built-in database, it offers integrations with various systems for back-end functionality, such as databases, authentication, and AI models.
Toddle operates on a freemium model, offering most features for open source projects hosted on Toddle’s domain. Users can unlock additional features by paying for extra storage, custom domains, and removing branding.
The open source factor
Toddle recently secured $4.3 million in seed funding led by Finnish VC firm Inventure, with participation from Lifeline Ventures, PSV, and angel investors including Typeform co-founder David Okuniev. The company plans to open source the majority of its platform under the Apache 2.0 license.
By open sourcing its platform components, Toddle aims to allow developers to self-host apps built on Toddle without relying on the platform itself. The company expects to release the code gradually over the next year, starting with the language and runtime components.
