Drag and drop programming tools have revolutionized software development by making coding accessible to people with diverse backgrounds and skill levels. These visual programming environments allow users to create applications, automate processes, and solve problems by manipulating graphical elements rather than writing traditional code. By abstracting away complex syntax and focusing on logical relationships, these tools have democratized programming and opened new possibilities for creativity and innovation.
Whether you’re a complete beginner looking to learn programming concepts, a professional developer seeking to streamline your workflow, or a business user wanting to create custom solutions without technical expertise, there’s likely a drag and drop tool suited to your needs. This comprehensive list covers a wide range of visual programming environments across various domains, from education and game development to enterprise applications and data science.
Each tool includes a brief description and a link to its official website, making it easy to explore options that match your specific requirements. As the no-code and low-code movement continues to gain momentum, these tools represent an important bridge between traditional development and the future of more accessible software creation.
Educational Tools
1. Scratch
Developed by MIT, Scratch is a visual programming language designed primarily for children ages 8-16. It allows users to create animations, games, and interactive stories by snapping together colorful blocks representing code elements.
2. Blockly
Google’s open-source library for creating visual block programming editors. Blockly generates JavaScript, Python, PHP, Lua, or Dart code and can be customized for specific applications.
3. Snap!
An extended reimplementation of Scratch created by UC Berkeley. It adds more advanced features like first-class procedures, lists, and custom blocks, making it suitable for computer science education.
4. Code.org
Offers a variety of drag-and-drop programming activities and courses designed for K-12 students, featuring popular characters from games and movies to engage young learners.
5. Alice
Developed by Carnegie Mellon University, Alice is a block-based programming environment that makes it easy to create 3D animations, interactive narratives, and simple games in a 3D environment.
6. MakeCode
Microsoft’s platform allows programming for physical computing devices (like micro and Circuit Playground Express) and Minecraft using blocks or text-based code.
App Development Tools
7. SAP
A no-code platform for building sophisticated web and mobile applications with visual drag-and-drop interface, allowing integration with various APIs and data sources.
8. Adalo
Build native mobile apps and web apps without code. Drag and drop components to create fully interactive, custom apps with databases and integrations.
9. Bubble
A powerful no-code platform for creating web applications with complex functionality, databases, and workflows using visual programming.
10. Thunkable
A drag-and-drop platform specifically designed for creating mobile apps for iOS and Android without writing code.
11. OutSystems
A low-code platform for developing enterprise-grade applications with visual development tools and the ability to extend with custom code when needed.
12. Mendix
Enterprise low-code application development platform that enables developers and business experts to collaborate on creating multi-channel applications.
13. AppSheet
Google’s no-code application development platform that lets users create mobile and web apps from data sources like Google Sheets, Excel, and SQL databases.
Automation and Workflow Tools
14. Node-RED
A flow-based programming tool for wiring together hardware devices, APIs, and online services using a browser-based editor with drag-and-drop nodes.
15. Zapier
Connect apps and automate workflows with a visual editor, allowing non-technical users to create complex integrations between web services.
16. Microsoft Power Automate
Create automated workflows between apps and services to synchronize files, get notifications, collect data, and more using a visual interface.
17. n8n
An open-source workflow automation tool with a fair-code license, providing a visual editor for creating complex workflows between applications.
18. IFTTT
“If This Then That” allows creating simple conditional statements, called applets, that trigger actions across supported web services and IoT devices.
Data Science and Analytics
19. KNIME
An open-source data analytics platform that allows users to create visual workflows for data science, machine learning, and data manipulation.
20. Orange
An open-source data visualization, machine learning, and data mining toolkit with visual programming front-end for data analysis and visualization.
21. RapidMiner
A data science platform that provides an integrated environment for data preparation, machine learning, deep learning, text mining, and predictive analytics.
22. Alteryx
A data analytics platform that enables users to prepare, blend, and analyze data using a workflow-based interface with drag-and-drop tools.
Game Development Tools
23. Construct 3
A game development platform that allows creating 2D games using a visual programming system based on event sheets and behaviors.
24. GameMaker Studio
While offering traditional coding, GameMaker also provides a drag-and-drop interface for creating 2D games without programming knowledge.
25. GDevelop
An open-source, cross-platform game engine designed to be used by everyone – no programming skills required.
26. Stencyl
A game creation platform that allows users to create 2D video games for mobile, web, and desktop without coding using visual blocks.
Website Builders
27. Wix
A cloud-based web development platform that allows users to create HTML5 websites and mobile sites through drag-and-drop tools.
28. Webflow
A visual web design tool, CMS, and hosting platform that allows users to build responsive websites visually while generating clean, semantic code.
29. WordPress Elementor
A visual page builder plugin for WordPress that enables drag-and-drop website creation with widgets and templates.
30. Squarespace
An all-in-one website building and hosting platform with drag-and-drop editing features and pre-designed templates.
IoT and Hardware Programming
31. LITTLEBITS
Electronic building blocks that snap together with magnets, allowing users to create circuits and program them using a visual interface.
32. mBlock
Based on Scratch, mBlock is designed for programming Makeblock robots and Arduino boards using block-based or text-based interfaces.
33. Blynk
A platform with iOS and Android apps to control Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and similar microcontroller boards over the Internet with a drag-and-drop mobile interface.
Business Process Modeling
34. Bonita BPM
An open-source business process management and workflow suite with drag-and-drop process modeling capabilities.
35. Bizagi
A BPM platform that allows users to model, execute, and improve business processes through a visual interface.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
36. UiPath
An RPA platform that includes a visual designer for creating automation workflows by dragging and connecting activities.
37. Automation Anywhere
A web-based platform for creating and deploying software bots using a drag-and-drop interface to automate business processes.
Database Management
38. Airtable
A cloud collaboration service that combines the features of a database with a spreadsheet interface, allowing visual creation of relational databases.
39. Caspio
A low-code platform specifically focused on creating database applications without coding using visual tools.
Electronic Circuit Design
40. TinkerCAD Circuits
A browser-based tool that allows users to design and simulate electronic circuits with drag-and-drop components.
3D Modeling and Design
41. Tinkercad
A simple, online 3D design and modeling tool that uses constructive solid geometry to build models by combining shapes.
API Development
42. Postman Flows
A visual tool for creating API workflows without code, allowing users to connect APIs, transform data, and automate tasks.
43. Stoplight Studio
A visual API design tool that allows creating OpenAPI descriptions, JSON schemas, and documentation without writing YAML or JSON by hand.
Cross-Platform Tools
44. Unity Bolt
Visual scripting system for Unity that allows creating game logic and interactive systems without writing code through a visual, node-based interface.
45. Unreal Engine Blueprints
Visual scripting system in Unreal Engine that uses a node-based interface to create gameplay elements without direct programming.
Voice and Chatbot Development
46. Voiceflow
Design, prototype, and build voice apps and chatbots using a visual interface without coding.
47. Botpress
An open-source platform for building conversational AI applications with a visual flow editor.
Augmented Reality
48. ZapWorks
A suite of tools for creating augmented reality experiences, including a visual composer for non-coders.
Enterprise Application Development
49. ServiceNow App Engine
A low-code platform for building enterprise applications and workflows with drag-and-drop tools.
50. Oracle Visual Builder
A low-code development platform for creating and deploying web and mobile applications with visual tools.
