Agence Xano: your ultimate guide to mastering everything

What is Xano?

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If you thought a backend had to rhyme with lines of code and headaches, stay tuned... the rest may surprise you.

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Xano's DNA: no-code backend, ready-to-use database & API.

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Xano is a no-code tool and a no-code backend platform designed to simplify the development of web and mobile applications. 

Its cloud architecture ensures data security and performance on a massive scale. 

Unlike Airtable, which is better suited to simple data management and internal operations, Xano is designed for complex, structured databases. 

In contrast to Supabase, which is closer to a low-code approach with a strong emphasis on SQL and TypeScript code, Xano relies on advanced visual abstraction for code-free backend management.

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The three master bricks.

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At the heart of Xano lies a powerful relational database that allows you to create tables, define relationships between data (one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many) and manage various types of data. 

The no-code API generator lets you create REST and GraphQL endpoints and implement authentication (potentially including JWT) without writing a line of code. 

Visual business logic is built around the Function Stack, offering building blocks for applying filters, creating automations and defining complex workflows.

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The business promise.

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Xano promises express time-to-market, enabling you to go from idea to working prototype in days rather than months. 

Scalability is built in, managing scalability and even offering the possibility of choosing the geographical region for data hosting. 

When it comes to data governance, Xano ensures RGPD compliance and facilitates role and access management to secure sensitive information.

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2) How to choose a Xano agency

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Because bad agency casting can ruin your roadmap... 

Here's how to find the best xano agencies.

a) Clarify objectives & development needs.

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Before embarking on the search for the rare pearl for your digital projects, it's essential to clarify your objectives and development needs. 

Define precisely the functional scope of your project: do you need a CRM, a marketplace, an internal portal? 

Carefully measure the business stakes: what are your expected KPIs, your expected ROI, and what internal constraints need to be taken into account?

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b) Assess technical expertise and specialization.

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The next step is to assess the expertise and technical specialization of potential agencies. 

Take a close look at their references and proof of success : have they already produced MVPs, mobile applications, complex B2B projects,software development ? 

Choose specialized Xano agencies that have in-depth platform expertise and work with an experienced team. 

Find out about their work processes: do they use an agile method or a Webflow-typeprocess? 

Does their approach include a sprint design phase?

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c) Analyze support & guidance capacity.

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The quality of our guidance and support is a key factor in our success. 

Check the proposed post-launch follow-up: does it include maintenance, SLAs (Service Level Agreements) and scalability guarantees? 

Do they engage in co-construction through UX workshops, skills transfer, or training offers?

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d) The budget & transparency checklist.

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Finally, let's talk about budgeting and transparency. 

What's their billing model: pay-as-you-go, fixed-price, or product-based? 

What management tools will you have at your disposal: dashboards, reporting, and will you have access to the repo (history of changes to the Xano database)? 

Make sure you have full transparency on costs to avoid any surprises.

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3) What projects can Xano be used for?

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Spoiler: more than just to-do lists...

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a) Customer applications.

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With Xano, the power of no-code development opens up an immense field for web and mobile applications designed for your customers. 

You can create robust CRM systems, video games and B2B/B2C marketplaces, managing a complex backend in a no-code way while leaving the flexibility of the frontend to headless tools. 

Subscription-based SaaS is also becoming more accessible, with the possibility of integrating multi-tenant logic and payment systems. 

Xano can power any frontend, making the creation of rich user experiences a reality without the constraints of traditional backend coding.

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b) Business tools & internal portals.

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Xano also excels in the creation of business tools and customized in-house software. 

DevelopCRM/ERP systems tailored to your needs, with customized workflows and fine-grained permissions management. 

The platform also enables the creation of real-time analytics dashboards, providing data aggregation and visualization for informed decision-making. 

Xano simplifies custom development projects for managing your data and automating your internal processes.

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c) MVP & rapid prototyping.

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For rapid validation of your ideas, Xano is the perfect ally for no-code development. 

The creation of MVPs and functional prototypes can be achieved in a significantly reduced timeframe, enabling idea validation potentially in less than 4 weeks. 

What's more, Xano's flexibility facilitates easy pivoting, offering the possibility of changing the data model without requiring a complete overhaul of your project. 

This agility is essential for testing your market and adapting your solution quickly.

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4) What are the advantages of Xano?

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We count to five... but the fifth is often ignored!

a) Rapid development.

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Xano saves considerable time in application development thanks to its no-code nature .

The ability to automatically generate APIs and easily manage databases means that projects can be launched 3x faster, and applications can be brought to market faster, often in days rather than months. 

For example, a team wishing to rapidly prototype a business application can use Xano to build a functional backend in a matter of days, validating their idea much faster than with traditional development.

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b) Technical flexibility & scalable business logic.

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Xano's flexibility is a major asset, enabling applications to be modified at any time to meet changing needs. 

This no-code backend platform offers a high level of customization and the ability to create and manage complex, structured databases without writing a single line of SQL. 

For example, a company needing to customize its internal CRM can easily modify data tables, relationships and business logic via Xano's visual interface, without requiring a complete redesign by developers.

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c) Performance & native scalability.

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Xano guarantees optimized performance and native scalability for applications, managing data and user scalability without compromising speed. 

Its powerful infrastructure and cloud architecture are designed to grow with your business, supporting high levels of traffic without performance degradation. 

For example, a mobile application experiencing a sudden spike in usage can rely on Xano's scalable infrastructure to absorb the load without interrupting service to users.

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d) Cost reduction & TCO control.

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Using Xano saves money by reducing development and maintenance costs. 

Less time spent on coding means lower development costs and better control of total cost of ownership (TCO). 

For example, a startup with a limited budget can launch a functional web application with a robust backend using Xano, avoiding the high costs associated with hiring a full team of backend developers.

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e) Ready-to-use safety & compliance.

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Xano ensures a high level of security for your data, with encryption and access management practices that guarantee the confidentiality of sensitive information. 

What's more, Xano offers managed hosting in the cloud with the option of choosing a geographical zone including a datacenter in France, simplifying RGPD compliance. 

For example, a company processing the personal data of European citizens can host its Xano backend in France to meet the data localization requirements imposed by the RGPD.

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5) How does Xano development work?

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Let's dive under the hood - without the circuit board, I promise. 

Development with Xano is based on a visual and modular approach, enabling you to build powerful backends without writing a single line of code. 

This process can be broken down into several key stages, from data structuring to integration with the user interface.

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a) Step 1: Model the database.

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The first step in Xano development is to model the database. 

Xano offers an intuitive user interface for creating and managing relational databases. 

You can visually define your tables, their fields and the relationships between them (1-to-1, 1-to-many, many-to-many). 

We recommend adopting a MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) table structure to ensure your data is organized clearly and efficiently. 

This approach makes it possible to structure data in a professional and scalable way.

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b) Step 2: build API endpoints.

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Once the database has been modeled, the next step is to build the API endpoints.

Xano features an API builder that lets you create custom RESTful APIs to interact with your data. 

These APIs are automatically generated from your data models. 

For optimum management, Xano offers versioning features and auto-generated documentation in Swagger format, making it easy for other services or developers to integrate and understand your APIs.

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c) Step 3: Configure business logic.

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Xano's power also lies in its ability to configure complex business logic without coding. 

Thanks to its visual workflow (Function Stack), you can define sequences of actions by drag-and-drop. 

Xano supports the automation of repetitive tasks, the integration of external services via webhooks, and the scheduling of actions at regular intervals using cron jobs.

These features enable you to create sophisticated, responsive backend processes.

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d) Step 4: Connect the front-end & test.

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The final step is to connect your Xano backend to yourfront-end and run tests. 

Xano is front-end agnostic and can power any web or mobile application via its APIs. 

It integrates particularly well with popular no-code tools such as WeWeb, Webflow and FlutterFlow, enabling live integration of data and functionality. 

This flexibility ensures rapid, iterative development of your applications.

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6) Which tools are compatible with Xano?

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Your stack will love it... and so will your CIO.

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a) Front-end no-code/low-code.

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WeWeb, Webflow, Bubble, FlutterFlow: use cases.

Xano, as a powerful no-code backend, integrates seamlessly with a variety of no-code and low-code front-end tools. 

These include WeWeb, often used in combination with Xano to create high-performance web applications. 

Webflow is also a popular choice for designing dynamic websites powered by the robustness of the Xano backend. 

Platforms such as Bubble and FlutterFlow can also be connected to Xano to develop complex web and mobile applications. 

Xano's architecture makes it possible to simultaneously power several front-ends with a single backend.

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b) Automation & integration.

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Zapier, Make, n8n: automation scenarios.

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For automation and integration, Xano easily connects to tools such as Zapier and Make to create automated workflows with other applications. 

What's more, n8n, an open source automation platform, can also be integrated with Xano. 

Xano facilitates integration with other services thanks to its API builder, enabling Xano to be connected to any service with an API.

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c) Analytics & BI.

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Metabase, Superset: exploiting Xano data.

Xano lets you exploit your data via your APs with Metabase, Superset or Databox.

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Since Xano can connect to any API, it is possible to integrate analysis and BI tools such as Metabase, Superset or Databox to visualize and analyze data stored in Xano, provided these tools can consume RESTful APIs. 

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Xano also provides metrics on application usage.

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d) DevOps & monitoring.

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GitHub actions, Sentry, Postman : workflow pro.

Xano offers a database schema change history similar to Git, making it easy to track changes. 

The ability to create and manage robust APIs makes it possible to integrate into professional development workflows with Github. 

Similarly, Xano applications can be monitored and managed using metrics provided by the platform, via solutions such as Sentry.

As for Postman, it can be used to test APIs created with Xano, ensuring an efficient development and testing workflow. 

Xano also offers automatically generated API documentation on Swagger.

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7) How do you price Xano?

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The budget line that (sometimes) makes COMEX tremble.

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a) Deciphering Xano price plans.

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To properly assess Xano's cost, you need to decipher its pricing plans. 

Xano generally offers pricing optimized for your needs, including a free plan, often intended for tests and small projects, which imposes limits on the number of API requests and data storage. 

Higher plans (xano pricing), such as Scale and Business, offer much higher, even unlimited limits, and unlock advanced features. 

You need to carefully analyze the query thresholds and storage space offered by each plan to determine which is best suited to the scope of your project and its future evolution.

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b) Anticipating hidden costs.

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Beyond the cost of the subscription, it's important to anticipate any hidden costs. 

API surcharges may apply if you exceed your plan limits. 

Similarly, additional data storage can incur extra costs if your data volume grows considerably. 

Finally, certain premium modules or extensions offering specific functionalities may not be included in the basic plans and require additional investment. 

It is therefore advisable to carefully assess your future traffic and data requirements.

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c) Budgeting a project with an agency.

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If you choose to entrust the development of your Xano project to a specialized agency, the budget will depend on a number of variables. 

The complexity of the functions to be developed, the volume of data to be managed and the desired level of SLA (Service Level Agreement) will all have an impact on the cost. 

To get a quick estimate, some agencies use a "T-shirt sizing" method (S, M, L, XL) based on the complexity of the project. 

It's a good idea to ask for detailed fixed-price quotesto avoid hidden costs and ensure that your budget is in line with your expectations.

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d) ROI & total cost of ownership.

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Xano's price must also take into account ROI (Return on Investment) and TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) .

A simple calculation can compare the development and maintenance costs of a traditionally coded solution with those of a no-code application developed with Xano. 

A case study like that of Kairos, showing a 30% saving over 12 months thanks to no-code, illustrates the potential for cost reduction. 

Xano's no-code approach often saves considerable time and reduces development costs, which can have a positive impact on your budget and the profitability of your business.

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