What is low-code | The Complete Guide 2023

Since the COVID and in front of a growing demand of the needs of creation of applications, the concepts of Nocode, low-code and high-code began to see the day to pass from the status of "tendency" to that of a clearly expressed and identified need.

We will focus here on low-code. What are we talking about? What are the advantages and disadvantages of low-code tools? Who are the users? What can we do with these platforms? In short, exciting stuff 😉

What is low-code?

Low-code refers to development platforms that allow you to create business applications using a visual interface anddrag-and-drop logic rather than manually coding using programming languages such as Java, C++ or Python.

Low-code is a relatively new concept and was developed to meet the growing demand for custom applications and the shortage of skilled developers.

It should therefore be seen as a set of tools that enable developers to be more productive and aim to speed up application development by reducing the amount of code needed and providing a more intuitive and easy-to-use development experience for developers of all skill levels.

The advantages and disadvantages of low-code

The advantages of low-code

• Accelerated application development. Developers can focus more on user needs and therefore application functionality rather than building the basic structure.
  With these low-code tools, applications can also be deployed more quickly, which is a key benefit for companies looking to quickly develop applications to meet immediate business needs.
• Reduced development costs. By accelerating application development, low-code can reduce development costs by minimizing the number of hours of work required to create applications.
  Another interesting point is the cost of the resources mobilized for the development of these applications. It is well known that developers are very expensive. Some of them are sometimes overqualified for the problems they address - in particular because the offer is not diversified enough and it is difficult to judge these profiles. The arrival of profiles trained in low-code makes it possible to bring more diversity and the ADR (Average Daily Rate) is now more interesting... For the moment!
• Accessibility for developers of all skill levels. Low-code offers an intuitive visual interface that can be used by developers of all skill levels, including novice developers or those with no programming skills. Of course, this statement should be taken with a pinch of salt, as solid database knowledge will be required for building complex web apps, for example.
  
• Improved code quality. By using visual logic instead of manual code, low-code can help reduce code errors and improve the quality of the final code. The structures of the major players in Nocode and low-code are very solid today and the risks are minor.
• Agility for businesses. Companies can develop applications faster thanks to low-code. This means they can adapt to market changes and innovate faster.

The disadvantages of low-code

Although we strongly believe in low-code at Alegria.group, it is important to point out its limitations in order to make the most informed and appropriate decisions for your needs.

• Constraints on the platform. Since you depend on the low-code tool used, you are also subject to their product roadmap - which is designed to meet the needs of the largest number of people. This can sometimes be a problem to wait. If you ever want to get around this, there are open source Nocode solutions where you can "fork" the source code and do whatever you want with it. But to do so, you will have to use code.
• Dependency on the editor's roadmap. Applications developed with low-code are often tied to the platform used, which can make it difficult to transfer these applications to other platforms. If this is an important issue for you, you can turn to open source Nocode solutions.
• Limited customization. Some customizations may not be possible to achieve with low-code tools, which may make it necessary to resort to manual development to meet the specific needs of a company. That's the idea of low-code solutions you'll tell us? 😉 Indeed, but we would sometimes like to see some editors push the "Nocode" part of their solution a bit further to avoid switching to pure code.
• Additional costs. Low-code may require the purchase of licenses to use the development platform, which may generate additional costs for companies. This is an analysis to be made: cost of "in-house" development in code versus the time saved thanks to these solutions. Generally, the choice is quickly made!
• Programming knowledge required. Even though low-code is designed to be used by developers of all skill levels, it is useful and even necessary to have some programming knowledge to make the most of the platform and to customize applications as needed.

Why is low-code so popular?

The digital transformation of certain types of companies or certain sectors is a permanent topic. But it should be noted that COVID has been a real gas pedal on this subject. Since then, the needs of consumers/users and the need to create applications have exploded.

"By 2025, 70% of new applications developed by enterprises will use low-code or no-code technologies, up from less than 25% in 2020." Gartner.

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The second and closely related issue is the shortage of skilled developers.

Two solutions to meet this demand:

1. Train more developers. But learning code can take three to five years.
2. Provide developers with tools that allow them to be more productive.

This is exactly what low-code is all about:

1. The training time is much shorter. This is why we have set up the first Professional School of Nocode/low-code: Alegria.academy. We are convinced that training must contribute to meeting some of these challenges.
2. As we have seen above, low-code tools facilitate the work of developers and are a real production gas pedal.

Low-code vs Nocode : What are the differences ?

Here is a comparison between low-code and Nocode:

Low-code features

• Requires some programming knowledge to fully utilize the capabilities of the platform.
• Developers can add custom code to extend the functionality of the application.
• Applications are generally more flexible and can be customized to meet specific business needs.
• Provides greater control over application development and performance.

Features of the Nocode

• No programming knowledge is required to create applications.
• Users can create applications only through a visual interface.
• Nocode applications are more accessible but generally have a more specific function than low-code tools.
• The customization and flexibility options are more limited compared to those offered by low-code. That said, you'd be surprised at what can be achieved with tools like Bubble, Webflow, Airtable or Make.com.

In short, low-code is aimed at more experienced developers who want to design more complex applications and find a way to be more productive. While Nocode is aimed at a wider audience ranging from Citizen Maker, to business teams directly, and even to developers for specific use cases.

Who is the low-code for?

Low-code on the corporate side

At Alegria.group, we have noticed that low-code is mainly aimed at large structures - which very often have an IS (information system) department.

This is because they need to develop many applications quickly to support their growth and profitability, as well as having a solution that can be used for all use cases. This allows the IT department to have better control over governance and security.

Smaller companies often need to iterate quickly and turn to Nocode solutions that meet a very specific need. Nocode is also adapted to serve business teams in companies of all sizes.

Low-code on the user side

Low-code will generally address relatively technical profiles such as developers or product managers.

But the goal remains to make "business" profiles autonomous so that they are self-sufficient and free up time for the technical and product team.

Low-code use cases

Low-code can be used to develop a variety of applications such as :

• Project management applications
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications
• Inventory tracking applications.
• Business" applications such as human resources management or health applications.

By the way, if you ever want to discuss a possible project that could be done in low-code, don 't hesitate to contact us. We would be delighted to help you!

Examples of low-code platforms

There are many low-code platforms available on the market, each with its own features and benefits. Some of the most popular platforms include:

• Mendix
• OutSystems
• Appian
• Salesforce Lightning
• Microsoft Power Apps / Microsoft Power Platform.

Conclusion: The future of low-code

Low-code is becoming increasingly popular for companies looking to quickly develop applications to meet their business needs. It is easy to use and allows companies to gain flexibility by enabling them to develop applications that meet their unique needs.

With more and more people looking to develop applications without writing code, low-code and Nocode will become essential in the coming years. Companies looking to stay competitive in the marketplace will do well to consider using one of these platforms to develop applications to meet their business needs.

In fact, we publish a quarterly baroscope of fundraising on the Nocode/Low-code market. The figures only confirm the worldwide interest in these development tools and methods. Here is the latest.