NolocovsFerraFerra is the Noloco alternative for teams who don't have the data source yet
Noloco builds on the base you already keep. Ferra builds the base.
See how Ferra compares to Noloco
| Functionalities | Ferra | Noloco |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Part of what this tool is for. Describe the work or hand it a file, nothing to point at. | Possible, with a step you do yourself. Connect the base you keep, then build on it. |
| Starting with no data source | Part of what this tool is for. A description is enough. A spreadsheet is enough. A few forwarded emails are enough. | A different tool's job. Noloco's starting point is a source you already maintain. That is the job it is for. |
| Filling the rows | Part of what this tool is for. Reads your files and forwarded emails, writes the rows. | Possible, with a step you do yourself. The rows are whatever the connected source contains. |
| Adding a table later | Part of what this tool is for. Ask: Ferra builds the table, links it up, adds the reports. | Possible, with a step you do yourself. Add it at the source, then surface it in the app. |
| Asking a question | Part of what this tool is for. Ask in plain English, every answer links to its rows. | Possible, with a step you do yourself. Filter the view someone set up. |
| Dashboards and reports | Part of what this tool is for. Asked for in the same conversation as the table, and pinned to the dashboard afterwards. | Part of what this tool is for. Charts and filtered tables over the source you connected. |
| Automation | Part of what this tool is for. Describe the rule, new row, changed value, missed date, then email or update. | Part of what this tool is for. Workflows over the records it is connected to. |
| An interface for staff and clients | A different tool's job. A shared workspace, not an app handed to clients. | Part of what this tool is for. Internal tools and client apps, roles and permissions to match. |
| Table, dashboard and assistant in one place | Part of what this tool is for. A new column lands on the dashboard; the assistant already reads it. | Possible, with a step you do yourself. The app and its data source are two systems, by design. |
The data source is the prerequisite
Noloco turns a data source you maintain into an internal tool or client app.
Ferra is for when the base doesn't exist yet.
Tables you didn't have yet
Invoices and expenses were already there; the cash forecast was asked for, table and chart built.
One place, not two
The table, the dashboard and the assistant are one workspace. Add a column and the assistant can already read it: nothing to re-point.
The upkeep is the product
Ferra is built around the part nobody enjoys: reading the file, matching the supplier, filling the column. Forward the email and the row appears.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask before they move a table across: about Ferra, about Noloco, and about which of the two fits the work you actually have.
If the blocker is no data source yet, yes. Ferra creates one. An interface over a base you have is Noloco's job.
No: a description, a spreadsheet, or a few forwarded emails is enough.
Yes: ask, and Ferra builds the table, links it to the others, and adds the reports.
Yes: it watches a table for new rows, changed values or missed dates, then emails or updates.
Files you upload, emails you forward, connected apps, and public web sources.