Five

five.co
No-Code/Low-Code
Weekend Project

Rapidly Build and Deploy Bespoke Business Software

How to Replace Five

Overview

Five is a rapid application development (RAD) platform that enables developers to quickly build and deploy modern, cloud-native web applications on almost any data source. It combines low-code visual tools with full code capabilities in JavaScript, TypeScript, and SQL, allowing users to create custom business applications, internal tools, and portals without extensive front-end development effort.

Features

35 features across 12 categories

Business Logic(2)

Business Logic Implementation

Create custom business logic to automate tasks, streamline data entry, or create workflows using JavaScript and TypeScript functions

Processes, Jobs, and Events

Run processes, schedule jobs, or trigger actions based on events performed by end-users to build approval processes, automate communication, or streamline workflows

Also in: Board

Customization(1)

Application Branding and ThemingPremium

Remove Five branding and apply custom theming to applications

Also in: monday.com, Obsidian, Smartsheet

Data Management(3)

Multi-Data Source Support

Build applications on multiple data sources including Five's built-in MySQL database, external relational databases (MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, SQLite), RESTful API endpoints, and OData endpoints

SQL Query Builder

Write SELECT, JOIN, and UNION statements or build queries visually using Five's query builder to query data from one or more tables or external sources

Visual Database Builder

Create MySQL databases visually by building tables, fields, primary & foreign keys, and relationships in a few clicks

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Deployment(4)

Custom URLsPremium

Add custom URLs to applications for branded web addresses

Docker and Kubernetes Orchestration

Applications are provisioned with Docker and orchestrated by Kubernetes on AWS-powered managed infrastructure with automatic scaling

Multi-Environment Support

Deploy to pre-configured development, testing, and production environments without manual server or middleware configuration

One-Click Cloud Deployment

Deploy applications to the cloud with a single click to development, testing, or production environments with auto-generated custom URLs

Also in: Kubernetes Dashboard, Hugging Face, Bitwarden

Developer Tools(7)

AI-Assisted Code Interpretation and DebuggingAIPremium

Leverage Artificial Intelligence to interpret and debug code without requiring an external IDE

Application Logs

Access comprehensive application logs for monitoring and troubleshooting

Collaborative DevelopmentPremium

Multiple developers can collaborate on building applications

Conflict Resolution

Automatically highlight conflicts when merging changes and allow developers to choose which changes to merge

Full Audit Trail

Automatically maintain a complete audit trail of all changes made to applications

Full Code Support

Write JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, or C# code almost anywhere without being limited by visual logic builders

Inspector and Debugger

Debug applications by inspecting which functions or queries execute in real-time and analyzing application logic step-by-step

Also in: Jobber, Hugging Face, 1Password

Integrations(1)

WebhooksPremium

Use webhooks to integrate with external services and trigger events

Also in: ReadMe, Hugging Face, Setmore

Reporting(3)

Charts and Dashboards

Create interactive charts and dashboards for data visualization

PDF Report Generation

Generate and send PDF reports based on application data

Reports

Generate comprehensive reports from application data

Also in: monday.com, Smartsheet, 1Password

Security(4)

Automatic Data Backups

Data is automatically backed up twice daily with disaster recovery capabilities

Data Encryption

All data is encrypted at rest and in transit using industry-standard AES-256 encryption following best practices

Dedicated Database per Application

Each application comes with a dedicated MySQL database ensuring data is never commingled with other developers' applications

Two-Factor AuthenticationPremium

Add two-factor authentication for enhanced security of user accounts

Also in: Hugging Face, Notion, Airtable

Support(1)

Professional ServicesPremium

Access to professional services for application development and consulting

User Features(2)

Email Notifications

Send email notifications based on application events and workflows

In-App Notifications

Send in-app notifications to users based on application events

User Interface(4)

Auto-Generated Responsive UI

Auto-generate a responsive user interface with forms, charts, dashboards, and reports that works on smartphones, tablets, and desktops without requiring front-end skills

Forms

Build custom forms for data collection and user input

Pre-Built Responsive Front-End Layouts

Launch applications with pre-built responsive front-end UI layouts designed specifically for business applications and internal tools

UI Customization

Customize application appearance through point-and-click tools or CSS, and add custom UI plugins written in JavaScript

User Management(3)

Password-Protected Multi-User Access

Create unique logins for every user accessing applications with comprehensive access control features

Role-Based Access Control

Create unique user roles with custom permissions for database records, tables, and UI features assigned through point-and-click interface

Single Sign-On (SSO)Premium

Authenticate end users via Single-Sign On integration as an alternative to password-based authentication

Pricing

Free Trial

Free
  • Full-featured trial environment
  • Build and test applications

Basic

$27.49/mo (annual)
  • Single app deployment
  • 10 end-users included
  • 4 GB storage per app
  • 0.25 vCPU
  • 1 GB RAM
  • 1 deployed environment
  • 1 developer
  • Build on Five's built-in MySQL database
  • Documentation and community support
  • Best effort availability (excl. scheduled maintenance)

Team

$91.66/mo (annual)
  • Build on any data source
  • Unlimited end-users
  • 16 GB storage per app
  • 0.5 vCPU
  • 2 GB RAM
  • 2 deployed environments
  • 2 developers
  • Single Sign-On (SSO)
  • Two-factor authentication
  • URLs & webhooks
  • Documentation, community, and email support
  • Target 99% availability (excl. scheduled maintenance)

Business

$256.66/mo (annual)
  • Build on any data source
  • Unlimited end-users
  • 64 GB storage per app
  • 1 vCPU
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 2 deployed environments
  • 3 developers
  • Single Sign-On (SSO)
  • Two-factor authentication
  • URLs & webhooks
  • AI-assisted coding
  • Custom URLs
  • Professional services access
  • Remove Five branding
  • Documentation, community, and email support
  • Target 99% availability (excl. scheduled maintenance)

Enterprise

Custom
  • Custom infrastructure
  • Enterprise support
  • Enterprise-grade disaster recovery
  • Unlimited end-users
  • Custom compute and storage

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying Five

Monthly$27.49/mo
Yearly$330/yr
5-Year Total$1.6k

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~3 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyVery Easy

Total Cost Comparison

1 YearSave $90
SaaS
$330
DIY
$240
3 YearsSave $270
SaaS
$990
DIY
$720
5 YearsSave $449
SaaS
$1.6k
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 35 features at very easy complexity.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a Five alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 35 features.

Buy Five

Better Value
Monthly cost$274.9/mo
3-year total$9,896.4
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Development cost$24,000
Maintenance$360/mo
3-year total$36,960
Dev time~2 months

Buying Five saves ~$27,063.6 over 3 years vs building.

Estimates based on 35 features and a BuildScore of 5/5. Actual costs vary.

Integrations

6 known integrations

AWSMicrosoft SQL ServerMySQL DatabaseODataREST APISQLite