App Maker was a G-Suite low-code platform for creating and deploying business apps. It allowed people with no programming knowledge to build custom apps through a drag-and-drop graphic interface.
Those familiar with CSS, JavaScript, HTML, and JQuery could further customize their content if they wished to. Users could then use Google Analytics to track their apps’ usage and performance.
App Maker first started in 2016 as part of an Early Adopter Program and became available for all G Suite customers in 2018. However, it seems Google wasn't happy with its overall usage rate. That is why they announced in January 2020 that the service would be discontinued on January 19, 2021.
Another reason for the decision might have been Google purchasing the no-code app development platform AppSheet shortly before the announcement. As Google shared in their blog post, AppSheet would give customers much more freedom in creating apps on the scale of Android, Maps, and Google Analytics.
At the same time, one of App Maker’s creators lamented the shut-down on Hacker News:
“I'm really saddened by this shut down, for the continued reputation damage that's being done, because it's my baby (and you don't often get to create an entirely new public product at Google), and because I still believe that the world needs more and better tools that allow non- and casual programmers to build software to solve their own problems.”
Google was thoughtful enough to provide some alternatives to customers affected by App Maker’s deletion. They promoted the AppSheet service for those interested in automating their business processes. They also suggested Google’s App Engine for developing new apps and Google Forms for collecting data.
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