When describing something, the easiest way to do so is typically by comparing it to a similar thing.
Now with toddle, for anyone who hasn’t experienced it, we could say it is a no-code tool…
And depending on who you are talking to, that could be something like Zapier.
It could be something like Wordpress or Squarespace. It can also be something like bubble or Webfllow.
The issue with that is, in my opinion, that those comparisons don’t really do toddle justice.
For me, for example, when I would hear of no-code, I would mostly think of tools for newbies or tools that are limited for “advanced” use cases.
Let’s say you’re editing a video. You could use something like a phone app with premade templates or you could use something like DaVinci Resolve, a professional grade tool.
There’s a wide range of software out there and, personally, I would equate the term no-code to something that was more along the newbie side of the spectrum.
That has completely changed now.
In my opinion, toddle is as much for experts as it is for beginners. In fact, the more experienced you are, the more you will appreciate how powerful it is.
Yes, it can replace Wordpress and Webflow and you can build pixel perfect sites with it, but if you also want to develop a full fledged SaaS product, you actually can.
When I thought of no-code, I would think of MVPs. Apps to make a proof of concept which is then further developed by knowledgeable experts that hand-code the whole thing.
But now with toddle, you can actually just ship the whole thing.
One user framed it very nicely:
You can build bubble in toddle, but you can't build toddle in bubble.
And here’s the real kicker, toddle is so fucking easy to use.
Another person in the toddle community [Stockton] said “The best part is, I don’t consider myself a developer at all! But toddle has enabled me to build web apps that I never would have been able to otherwise.
And that’s really the superpower of toddle. It is incredibly powerful without the overwhelm of a professional grade tool.
The toddle team has done a commendable job of simplifying the tool without removing capability.
Someone new to building web apps can do so with toddle.
And a professional developer can ship at ridiculous speeds with toddle.
So what is toddle? It is category maker.
It is the type of tool that comes around every once in a while that changes what you expect can be done with a “similar” tool.
Therefore, the best way to learn what it is, is to try it for yourself. Pick a small project, build it with toddle and see what it can do.
Then you’ll know what toddle is.