Google LLC will make its AppSheet tool available in nine Google Workspace subscription tiers for no additional charge.

The search giant announced the move this morning. AppSheet is set to become available in the Starter and Standard tiers of Google Workspace’s Business, Enterprise and Frontline editions. The last edition is geared toward users who perform most of their work away from a computer.

Google is also making AppSheet available in the Business Plus tier of Workspace, as well as the Education Standard version and an edition geared towards nonprofits. Previously, the tool was included in only three of the productivity suite’s enterprise and education subscription tiers. Companies could also buy licenses through a standalone subscription.

“If you’re currently paying for AppSheet Core licenses, they will have to be canceled manually,” Google stated in a blog post today. “Impacted customers will receive a notification via email in the coming weeks with more information and next steps.”

Google obtained AppSheet through a 2020 startup acquisition. The tool enables business users to develop desktop and mobile applications without writing any code. Additionally, it provides the ability to create chatbots for the Google Chat messaging tool included in Workspace.

Companies use AppSheet to build applications that track their day-to-day business activities. A brick-and-mortar retailer, for example, could create a program that monitors inventory levels at its stores. A delivery company might develop an application that lists outstanding shipments.

AppSheet-powered programs can not only organize existing data but also ingest new information. A company’s customer support team could create a tool that lets users submit product inquiries through a browser-based form.

AppSheet is available in multiple versions. The version that rolled out to nine Workspace tiers today is called AppSheet Core. It’s priced at $10 per user per month when purchased on a standalone basis and lacks some of the features available in the more expensive tiers, such as the ability to embed machine learning models into no-code applications.

The Workspace management console is also set to be enhanced as part of the update. It’s receiving new controls that will enable administrators to more easily regulate employees’ AppSheet use.

According to Google, administrators can block workers from making AppSheet apps available outside their company. It’s also possible to prevent apps from sending email notifications to external users. For added measure, the company will enable administrators to regulate whether employee-created software may access data stored in external systems.

The move to include AppSheet in more Workspace editions could help broaden the tool’s adoption. As of late 2022, Workspace had more than 3 billion users worldwide. Furthermore, the fact that AppSheet will be available for no additional charge could make it a more competitive alternative to the numerous other low-code development tools out there.

One of those tools is Microsoft Corp.’s Power Apps service. Power Apps is included in some enterprise editions of Microsoft 365, the productivity suite previously known as Office 365. Organizations can also purchase it on a standalone basis.

Both Google and Microsoft are making AI a bigger priority of their product roadmaps in the no-code development market. In May, the search giant introduced a technology called Duet AI that will enable users to create AppSheet applications with natural language instructions. Earlier, Microsoft debuted a machine learning tool that adds similar features to Power Apps.

Image: Google