DronaHQ (dronahq.com) is a low-code application development platform founded in 2014 and headquartered in San Francisco. It enables engineering teams, business analysts, and operations professionals to build internal tools, admin dashboards, customer portals, approval workflows, and data-heavy applications without writing frontend code from scratch. DronaHQ connects to virtually any data source — databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB), REST APIs, GraphQL, Google Sheets, and SaaS tools — and provides a visual drag-and-drop interface for composing application UIs on top of that data.
DronaHQ has integrated AI capabilities that assist with UI generation — users can describe a screen or form in natural language and the AI generates the initial component layout automatically — as well as AI-powered formula suggestions and query generation that help non-developer users write data transformations and API calls more efficiently. The platform also includes a mobile app builder, allowing teams to build responsive native-like mobile applications alongside their web tools from the same project.
How DronaHQ Works
Developers connect their data sources — databases, REST APIs, Stripe, Salesforce, Airtable, and others — using DronaHQ's connector library. They then build application screens in the visual editor by dragging and dropping UI components (tables, forms, charts, buttons, modals, file uploaders) onto a canvas and binding them to the connected data. Queries and API calls are written in DronaHQ's query editor with AI-assisted completion. Workflow automation is configured with an action flow builder that chains API calls, conditional logic, and notifications. Finished applications are deployed to DronaHQ's cloud or self-hosted on the organisation's own infrastructure, and are accessible to end users via browser or mobile.
Key Features
- AI UI generator — describe a screen in natural language and AI generates the initial component layout and data bindings automatically
- Visual drag-and-drop builder — compose application UIs from a library of 150+ pre-built components without writing frontend code
- Universal data connectors — connect to PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, REST APIs, GraphQL, Google Sheets, Salesforce, Stripe, and 100+ more
- Mobile app builder — build responsive mobile applications alongside web tools from the same DronaHQ project
- Workflow automation — action flow builder for chaining API calls, conditional logic, email notifications, and webhook triggers
- Role-based access control — granular user permissions controlling which users can view, edit, or interact with specific app screens and data
- Self-hosted deployment — deploy DronaHQ on-premises or on private cloud infrastructure for data security compliance
- AI formula and query assistant — AI suggests SQL queries, API parameters, and JavaScript transformations in the query editor
- Custom JS and CSS — extend components with custom JavaScript logic and CSS styling beyond the visual builder's defaults
- Audit logs — track user actions and data changes within deployed applications for compliance and debugging
DronaHQ Pricing
DronaHQ offers two paid plans with meaningful savings on annual billing. A free trial is available.
- Growth — $140/month (annual: $100/month) — full platform access, visual builder, all connectors, mobile app builder, workflow automation, role-based access, and standard support for growing teams.
- Business — $700/month (annual: $500/month) — everything in Growth plus self-hosted deployment, audit logs, SSO, advanced security controls, higher usage limits, and priority enterprise support.
A free trial is available. Custom enterprise plans available for larger organisations. Always verify current rates at dronahq.com/pricing.
Who Should Use DronaHQ?
DronaHQ is well suited to engineering teams, product operations, and IT departments at mid-size companies that need to build and maintain a portfolio of internal tools — dashboards, admin panels, approval workflows, data entry forms — without the overhead of custom frontend development for each one. Its mobile app builder is a meaningful differentiator for teams whose internal tools need to be accessible on field or mobile devices. The annual Growth plan at $100/month is competitively priced for teams building multiple tools simultaneously. Teams comparing DronaHQ to Retool or Appsmith should evaluate mobile support, self-hosting options, and AI-assisted development features as the key differentiators.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DronaHQ used for?
DronaHQ is a low-code platform used by engineering and operations teams to build internal tools, admin panels, dashboards, customer portals, and approval workflows. It connects to databases, REST APIs, and SaaS tools, allowing teams to build data-driven applications visually without writing frontend code from scratch. It also includes a mobile app builder for teams needing tools accessible on field or mobile devices.
How much does DronaHQ cost?
DronaHQ's Growth plan costs $140/month ($100/month billed annually) and the Business plan costs $700/month ($500/month annually). Annual billing saves approximately 28–29% across plans. A free trial is available before committing to a subscription. Custom enterprise pricing is available for larger organisations requiring higher usage limits or specific compliance requirements.
Does DronaHQ support self-hosted deployment?
Yes. DronaHQ supports self-hosted deployment on the Business plan, allowing organisations to run DronaHQ on their own infrastructure — on-premises or on a private cloud such as AWS, GCP, or Azure. Self-hosting is important for organisations with strict data residency, security compliance, or regulatory requirements that prevent using cloud-hosted SaaS platforms for internal tools handling sensitive data.
Can DronaHQ build mobile apps?
Yes. DronaHQ includes a mobile app builder that allows teams to build responsive mobile applications alongside their web tools from the same project. The mobile builder uses the same component library and data connectors as the web builder, so teams can create a mobile version of an internal tool without rebuilding the data layer or logic. Mobile apps are accessible via browser on mobile devices rather than native app store installations.
How does DronaHQ compare to Retool?
DronaHQ and Retool are both low-code internal tool builders with similar core capabilities — visual UI builder, database and API connectors, workflow automation. DronaHQ's key differentiators are its native mobile app builder and AI UI generation features. Retool has a larger user community, a more mature component library, and stronger brand recognition in the developer tooling space. DronaHQ's pricing is competitive, particularly on the annual Growth plan. Teams building mobile-accessible internal tools often prefer DronaHQ; teams prioritising a large ecosystem and community resources often prefer Retool.
