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Ninox 4

Only just heard about Ninox 4 and I'm all for updates that improve a product, but I get the feeling this is more than that and what concerns me is if they change the whole model.

I use the Ninox app on my Mac and can make use of it on my other Apple devices and  (in theory) share the databases. That is all I am ever going to want to do. I will NEVER make use of any subscription model.

Is Ninox 4 intended to move everything to a cloud and/or subscription based model? If it is either of those, I'd better start looking for a replacement now.

I realise it's early days, but can anyone advise further about their plans for Ninox 4?

12 replies

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    • Fred
    • 3 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Ninox has repeatedly said that there will be an app version.

    • UKenGB
    • 3 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Thanks. Glad to hear that.

    • John_Schaffer
    • 3 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    I’ve heard the same as @Fred but there has been no timetable offered to date.  Anyone else hear differently?  Currently, I’m on v3.19.4 of the standalone product.

    • sultamedia
    • 6 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I really like Ninox. In fact, one of the main reasons I started using it was the ability to keep my databases locally and sync them through iCloud, without depending on a cloud subscription.

    I've invested a tremendous amount of time and effort building my databases, and I would hate to lose that flexibility. If Ninox eventually removes the option to use local databases without a subscription, unfortunately, I'll have to move on.

    As UKenGB mentioned, what I really need is a future-proof solution where I have full control over my own data.

    I've actually started exploring the idea of building my own Ninox-like application. With AI tools such as ChatGPT and Codex, development has become much faster than it used to be. It also makes me wonder whether other Ninox users facing the same concerns would be interested in collaborating on an open-source alternative.

    I've been burned by software subscriptions before. I've purchased applications, invested years of work into them, and then watched their developers switch to subscription models or introduce restrictions that weren't there originally.

    To be clear, I'm not accusing the Ninox team of doing this. I appreciate the work they've put into the software, and I genuinely hope Ninox continues to succeed.

    However, announcing Ninox 4 without clearly explaining the future of standalone Mac databases, local storage, and iCloud synchronization leaves users like me understandably concerned.

    I really hope Ninox will clarify its plans, because I'd much rather continue using a product I already enjoy than have to replace it.

    • nrth3rnlb
    • 2 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Unfortunately, I haven't found a good replacement for Ninox yet. All I need is the app. I'm happy to pay for that.

    The subscription model isn't for me at all, and I'm just as uncomfortable with a cloud-only solution.

    • sultamedia
    • 8 hrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Just a quick update: I received a reply from the Ninox team regarding Ninox 4.

    Their current priority is achieving feature parity with Ninox 3 by the end of 2026, with migration planned for 2027.

    Regarding standalone Mac apps, local databases, and iCloud support, these are not yet on the roadmap, but Ninox expects to share more details in early 2027.

    I appreciate their response and transparency. Hopefully, we'll hear some positive news next year!

    Here’s the link to the blog

    https://forum.ninox.com/t/m1yjdny/welcome-to-ninox-4

      • Rafael Sanchis
      • Rafael_Sanchis
      • 6 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       

      The most time-consuming part of moving to Ninox 4 will be redesigning the forms, not migrating the data or scripts. Ninox 3 lets us spread a record across several tabs/pages, while Ninox 4 gives us a single form.

      Even with full feature parity, existing layouts will most likely need to be rebuilt manually: tabs turned into sections, conditional field groups, or separate views. It would be very helpful to know whether Ninox plans to support multi-tab forms or some kind of automatic layout conversion as part of the 2027 migration.

      • Mel_Charles
      • 5 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       I don't they will get a full migration from N3 to N4 as quiet a few features are planned not replicated and they will not be able to second guess what we as users will have done/ or need to do to get a like for like end product in N4

      Ninox 4 only offer a tab control element - which is poorly implemented. thus to give anything like the tabs on N3 you have to drop this control on the page/form then drag all the fields into each tab. the good news  here is that if you want to switch on/off all fields visually that you only need to do oner per tab page. the bad news is the tabs headers cannot by styled ie by colour and are so small to be ineffective.

      In N4 I am getting a workaround by using a choice field at the head of the page/form and using that to control switching on or off the "container" elements - thereby giving a very close impression of tabbed pages. There are some benefits because on this basis you can have a container stay active across all views of the "tabbed' page so to speak, which saves on have to use formula fields on tabbed page 2 that point to a text field on tabbed page 1 etc to show common info across the tabs

      At the current rate I don't think parity will be reached for quite some time yet as there are huge gaps in script functionality  and some script commands are destined to be binned or replaced.

      • Rafael Sanchis
      • Rafael_Sanchis
      • 2 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       

      Thanks Mel, very useful. The choice-field approach makes a lot of sense, especially keeping a common header container visible across all "tabs" instead of duplicating formula fields. I'll try it in my N4 databases. Agreed on scripting — that's my main concern for migrating more complex N3 apps.

      • Rafael Sanchis
      • Rafael_Sanchis
      • 1 hr ago
      • Reported - view

       

      Very simple example

      XRecorder_20261103_01 

      • Rafael Sanchis
      • Rafael_Sanchis
      • 41 min ago
      • Reported - view

       

      The second option with HeroUI by

    • Rafael Sanchis
    • Rafael_Sanchis
    • 2 hrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I have a general question about the Tabs layout component in Ninox 4 (Builder mode),

    to better design pages and forms with heavy components (charts, custom components,

    views with many records).

    1. Is the content of a hidden tab evaluated in the background when the page or form

       opens (pre-loading), or only when the user clicks on that tab (lazy loading)?

    2. Once a tab has been opened, is its content kept in cache when switching between

       tabs, or is it recalculated each time?

    3. Does the same behaviour apply to the Accordion component (collapsed sections)?

    4. Is there any official recommendation on using Tabs or Accordions to improve the

       loading time of pages with heavy components?

     

    Support I will check with the developers.

Content aside

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