Question: I need a platform that can help me build a custom mobile app with a tight deadline - can you suggest any options that offer fast turnaround times?

If you need a platform to get you started building a custom mobile app as fast as possible, Builder.ai is a good option. It uses AI to speed up development and has a suite of products, including Builder Studio for creating custom apps, Studio Store for prebuilt modules, and Builder Cloud for managing cloud hosting costs. The no-code technology means people who don't know how to program can create sophisticated apps. Highlights include AI-automated app construction, fixed pricing and product experts to help you get started. It's good for entrepreneurs, small businesses and enterprises.

Another contender is Crowdbotics, an AI-powered service that automates code reuse to build apps faster and more securely. It uses an AI-driven CodeOps process to combine modules into a nearly finished app, letting developers concentrate on differentiating features. The service can be used to build web and mobile apps with JavaScript and React Native, and it can be integrated with existing DevOps processes. With subscription plans ranging from free to custom enterprise deals, Crowdbotics is a good option for companies that want to accelerate innovation and ensure apps work.

For a low-code development platform, check out Power Apps from Microsoft. It's got AI built into app development with tools like Copilot, AI suggestions and drag-and-drop interfaces. Power Apps can be tightly integrated with Microsoft Azure, Visual Studio and GitHub, and it's got a built-in data platform, Microsoft Dataverse, for business logic and security. With a free Developer Plan and a Premium plan at $20 per user/month, it's a relatively inexpensive option for building and managing custom apps quickly.

Mendix is another option for rapid development and deployment of mobile and web apps. It uses AI to assist the development process and offers a visual IDE, one-click cloud deployment and strong security. Mendix is good for a variety of roles and industries, handling complexity with AI-powered development, governance tools and powerful data management. The platform is free to use, with optional pricing for full features and scalability, so it's a great option for building and deploying apps quickly and easily.