Low Code vs. No-code Development: Examining the Difference,Pros,Cons
Application development used to consist of finding the best platform for a specific task, picking the apt coding language, carrying out the coding manually, building, and finally deploying it. The process not just involved a lot of time, but also incurred high costs and called for hard-to-find skills. But there has been a continual quest for an alternative that would let businesses adopt a more agile and quick method of building and deploying applications. This heralded the arrival of Low Code vs. No-code development solutions. Today, a growing number of apps are built by business users and non-tech folks.
Low Code vs No code Development
Let's understand the phenomenon better.
At first glance, Low Code and No-code may look almost identical. But of course, there are numerous details and capabilities that differentiate Low Code from No-code. This blog will address the differences, pros, and cons of Low Code and No-code for you to understand which best fits your organization's needs.
What is Low Code Development?
Low Code application development lets developers create solutions using some lines of code. It is ideal for developers with the knowledge of using a visual IDE environment. Low Code gives developers the chance to leverage their knowledge of coding languages to build applications without too much coding. They use blocks of pre-written code to avoid repetitions while building a custom app, bringing together solutions faster and more easily.
Low Code has an inherent simplicity about it that lets developers have apps up and running faster than 'coded from scratch' solutions. But the catch is those working with Low Code require knowledge of the languages of the Low Code tools for building solutions that won't be prone to security risks and compliance issues. Low code application development tools can be used in various industries including healthcare, education, transportation, retail, and finance.
Examples of Low code Development:
Retool, Mendix, and Appian are the leading examples of low code applications that come with some of the best features to build an application.
Pros of Low Code:
Some of the perks of Low Code development include:
- Speed: Low Code allows you to build apps for multiple platforms simultaneously, and lets you showcase working samples to stakeholders in a day, or even in a few hours.
- Single-click deployment: A single click is all it takes to send a custom application to go to production. The launch day deployment process is no longer nerve-wracking.
- Added development resources: Solution-providing companies can have more skilled resources freed up faster when using Low Code tools. The wait for specialized coders with relevant skills gets shortened which means more projects can be completed in less time and at a lower cost.
- Low risk & high ROI: Low Code tools often have robust features and cross-platform support already built-in, that enable quick integration. Solutions can be customized easily with less risk, giving companies more time to focus on their businesses.
Cons of Low Code:
- Low-code requires its users to have an understanding of coding and coding languages. This is definitely seen as a hurdle when it comes to utilizing non-technical employees.
- Low-code usually calls for dedicated developers to create applications. This is paradoxical and can work against cost reduction and low timeframe gains that it appears to offer when creating an application.
- Opting for a Low Code vendor may lead to vendor lock-in. This can cause problems in the future, especially if developers have gotten very used to coding with that particular platform.
- Although Low Code makes it possible to create a working application quickly, these tools may not be conducive to the development of more complex enterprise-level apps or apps that call for greater integrations.
- It's harder to achieve scalability, enhanced quality, and high performance with Low Code. Also, it is not easy to change these parameters within the platform.
What is No-Code Development?
No-code, as the name suggests, is a form of application development that allows regular people or nontechnical employees to develop apps without typing a single line of code. Using No-code lets any business user or employee in the company create an application that they need to carry out a task or solve a problem. No-code application development platforms enable nontechnical employees to build the applications that they need on a shared platform using a drag-and-drop builder and an easy-to-understand visual interface.
No-code vendors pack everything they feel users may need to build an app into the tool. No-code solutions are very similar to popular blogging platforms, and eCommerce website designs that have prebuilt page elements that can be used to launch a blog or business in minutes. With no code, teams of business users get the tools they need to create applications without any development skills.
As of now, No-code application development was generally used for building applications for a specific use case or department. Now, there are newer platforms that can build more complex enterprise-grade applications capable of serving needs across an organization. No-code application development can be used in industries like manufacturing, retail, logistics, and finance, among others.
Examples of No Code Development Platforms:
Some leading no-code development platforms are ServiceNow App Engine, Appy Pie, Airtable, AppSheet, and Jotform Apps. Applications build using no-code app development include Goodgigs, My Nursery, Kuery, Chant, and Princeton Concessions.
- Quick building: No-code is great for building simple apps to solve a single business or even a departmental problem. No more waiting for IT to build and deliver it 3-6 months down the road!
- No technical help needed: It lets employees create and deploy applications independently without asking the IT department for help each time.
- Quick deployment: No-code application platforms are simple and easy to get started with, meaning anybody can start building applications quickly.
- High on ROI: These tools facilitate building applications at a fraction of the time and cost that traditional development usually requires. This helps businesses save on time and money in the long run.
- Community support: No-code application development platforms are made especially for citizen developers and have communities of similar users. This is extremely useful in resolving problems quickly.
- Easy improvement: Applications built using No-code can be updated easily, which means that these applications can be improved whenever needed.
- Custom solutions: No-code application development platforms can provide employees with a safe area to develop applications to solve their unique problems.
Cons of No-code:
- The most critical downside to No-code is that it can result in shadow IT where people develop apps without proper supervision or consideration.
- These apps can lead to integration problems, security concerns, compliance issues, apps using more resources than necessary, and increased technical debt.
Conclusion — When to Use What
Low Code is good for developing standalone mobile and web apps and portals that require integration with other systems, and several data sources. These tools can be used for almost everything except highly sophisticated, mission-critical systems that integrate with multiple backends and external data sources.
No-code tools should only be used for front-end use-cases. Unless it's for developing the simplest applications, that require little by way of customization, Low Code is a better option.
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