#1 APEX Basics - Why, When and How Use Oracle Apex?

Hi there,

Before we get to the questions in the title, let’s answer one that isn’t there—but probably should be (and I almost added it, but didn’t, for comic reasons):

🤔 What is Oracle APEX?

Oracle APEX stands for Oracle Application Express, and in short is a low-code development platform, which allows people to get a lot of money without paying a dime for it cof cof, I mean, allows people to build serious web apps without writing thousands and thousands of lines of code.

And yes—sometimes without writing any code at all.

You can create forms, charts, dashboards, reports, and more just by clicking around in the UI. But when things get more complex—no problem. APEX lets you go full dev-mode too: you can write SQL, PL/SQL, HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, or even use plug-ins, which the community is building more and more of every day, or something like that.

Pretty awesome, right?

So… does that mean APEX can do everything?

Well… not quite.

Don’t get me wrong IT’S awesome, but just like any tool, it’s not always the right one for every job. No silver bullet here pal.

Which lead us to our next section.

When should you use Oracle APEX?

Let’s answer that in the most linear way possible—by first talking about when NOT to use it.

🎮 Want to build a game? Probably not the best choice. Sure, it’s technically possible—but you’re much better off using tools built for that, like Unity, Unreal, or even Godot.

🎨 Need pixel-perfect, hyper-animated UI/UX with total control over every pixel? APEX has solid UI features, but it’s not a front-end framework like others on the market. If your project is all about visuals, micro-interactions, and crafting a custom user experience down to the last pixel, APEX might feel limiting.

🔌 Not using Oracle Database at all? APEX was built to work with Oracle Database. If your tech stack lives in a completely different universe, forcing APEX in might not be the best idea.
Sure, it’s possible—but you’d be living in the reality of "just because you can, doesn’t mean you should." 😅

You might be thinking:
“Alright, sounds interesting... but how do I actually start using this thing?”

Let’s talk about that.

⚙️ How to use Oracle APEX?

“How can you use it?”

The good news? It’s super easy. You don’t need to install anything, buy a server, or do any dark cryptomagic. Here are a few ways you can get your hands on APEX:

🧪 1. Try it for free at apex.oracle.com

This is the fastest way to start playing around. Just sign up, get your workspace, and boom—you’re inside the APEX world. No credit card, no installs, no stress.

Perfect for learning the basics, Testing features, building small personal or demo projects. Just don’t host a real product here, okay? You could lose everything overnight. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

☁️ 2. Use Oracle APEX on Oracle Cloud

Want something more powerful and ready for production? You can spin up an APEX instance in Oracle Cloud with just a few clicks. It gives you more control, scalability, enterprise-level features and also free-Kinda, read everything with care.

Trust me, it’s not that hard. I didn’t know anything about it either, and still made it work. If I can do it—you absolutely can.

🏢 3. Install it on-premise (if your company is old-school)

Not a fan of the cloud? No problem.
If your company already uses Oracle Database on-prem, you can install APEX right there.
It’s free, and it works like a charm.

That’s all for today—time to punch out and let the code rest. ☕
See you in the next post!