Question: I'm looking for a platform that allows me to build custom backend operations software quickly and easily without relying on low-code or no-code approaches.

If you need a platform to write your own backend operations software but don't want to rely on low-code or no-code tools, BuildShip is worth a look. It's positioned somewhere between no-code and code, letting you construct workflows, APIs, scheduled jobs and cloud functions with a combination of AI-generated nodes and prebuilt ones. BuildShip supports a variety of services and models, integrates with other tools, and offers higher-level dev tools like autocomplete and a debugger. It's geared for developers, teams and companies that want to create scalable backend software with a lot less coding.

Another top contender is Back4app, which is designed to help developers work more productively and get to market faster. It's got a powerful backend for storing and querying relational data, cloud functions, APIs and real-time databases. Its dashboard is designed to be easy to use, and its documentation is detailed enough to help you get along even if you're not a programmer. Back4app also can scale horizontally and vertically, which means it's a good choice for apps that need a performance boost without downtime.

If you want to go even farther down the no-code path, Contember is worth a look. It lets developers describe what they need in plain English and get a prototype in 15 minutes with the code behind it. Contember has a variety of modules for different business operations, fast onboarding, low costs and customization. That makes it a good fit for small and medium-size businesses and developers who want to automate some operations and make things easier.