I would suggest the second option: using a template. Even if the template does not exactly meet your use case, it will still help you save tons of time. You can find our templates here.
On the other hand, building an application from scratch will help you have a better understanding of the basics. If you are just getting started with Softr, I highly recommend checking this tutorial, which is very comprehensive and covers every aspect of building apps in Softr.
Templates are a great way to start and understand how certain functions are setup in SOFTR. If you choose to build from scratch there will still be some core functionalities that SOFTR builds for you (like signup flow etc.).
I personally don’t think you can go wrong with either
I’ve developed several apps before but I always started from scratch. The standard look and feel takes a lot of work and imagination to tailor. I think I’ll start from a basic template that has the aesthetic I’m looking for. My sense is that hooking it up to my own data sets and tailoring it will be a slightly easier task.