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Yes, the solution is open-source no-code that can be self hosted:

Budibase, Baserow, Appsmith, Saltcorn (shameless plug).

> "Yes, the solution is open-source no-code that can be self hosted"

So those who can't code are then expected to self-host?

The lock-in is clearly a part of the business model.

At least two of those (Budibase and Saltcorn) are available as one-click apps on DigitalOcean. Saltcorn has users with no coding skills who have done this, budibase probably does as well.

I have zero interest in running a hosting business

I could see that use case inside a business though, where your non-developer staff can build their own line of business apps and your normal ops people can deploy them internally. I guess the other tradeoff there is support though.

This would be my concern also, same as with other tools like repl.it, etc. But it could still be useful for a prototyping phase. (Potentially. I have not used it.)

Happened with DabbleDB. It was popular and gaining momentum. Twitter bought them, probably for the dev talent, and shut it down.