The difference between Low code and Nocode

With the exponential need for software creation and the evolution of computer language, new ways of creating digital solutions have appeared. These are development platforms known as low code or no code, which are now becoming the norm in the development of information systems and business applications. 

These simplified development platforms open up a whole new world of possibilities for accelerating the production of applications by simplifying the creation process. 

Given the current times, these two technologies seem to have a bright future. But to understand what they are, let's look at what they really are and how low code and no code are really different.

Where do low code / no code technologies come from?

Forty years ago, it was already possible to find tools that made it possible to create without knowing how to code. In 1980, Hypercard made it possible to create applications on the Mac without a line of code. So the concept is not really new. But four decades later, these simplified development technologies now have a name: low code and no code. 

It is particularly thanks to two recent revolutions that these platforms have been able to move into a whole new dimension and become part of the history of computer programming: 

• the cloud, which allows access to data without space or time limits,
• APIs that allow the creation of microservices, each solving a problem and working very well together. 

Why is 2021 the year of acceleration?

Gartner estimates that 500 million applications will be created by 2024. With only 0.3% of the world's population knowing how to code, this is an impossible challenge. In fact, in the US alone, the Bureau of Labor predicts that the need for developers would increase by more than 50% every 10 years without the use of low code/no code solutions. 

All these studies show the urgency of finding solutions to meet the software creation needs of companies. But for SMEs, the accelerating shortage of developers is not the only problem; IT projects take a long time to implement and are expensive. So, to meet their digital projects and enable them to remain competitive, low code / nocode development is a more than interesting alternative.

Indeed, some companies, leaders in their market, are confronted with aggressive startups that have significant funds to support their digitalisation and innovation. To avoid being overtaken by structures that can invest a lot without needing to be immediately profitable, SMEs can now turn to low code / nocode solutions that can meet all types of projects(click and collect, CRM, ERP, business application, e-commerce site, marketplace, etc.).

"To date, there is no reason why a nocode tool cannot deliver the same service as a traditional tool. We rarely encounter limitations in functionality," explains Francis Lelong, CEO and co-founder of Alegria.tech.

Low code and no code can therefore meet the exponential need for software creation, but how exactly do they work and what makes them different from each other?

No code vs. low code platforms, what exactly are we talking about?

No code and low code development platforms are unified spaces that allow one person to work seamlessly on all three aspects of an IT project:

• the front end or the visual aspect of an application,
• the logic for organising the project processes,
• the database to structure the internal data.
  

The first difference is the layer of code to be applied in the platform. 

Nocode tools allow you to create applications without a single line of code, whether for the creation of websites, business applications, landing pages, newsletters, chatbots, automation, etc. Nocode is the term used to describe visual programming platforms which, by simply dragging and dropping, allow any user to build applications or image elements, forms, functionalities, etc.

On low-code development platforms, the development of the digital solution necessarily requires a certain amount of code to arrive at the finished product (20 to 30% on average).

Confusion between the two terms is still common, yet there is a fundamental difference, which concerns the end user of these platforms.

The real difference between Nocode and Low code

As we have just seen, low-code platforms require a layer of code that requires the user to master it, so low-code developers are needed to use them.

As for the Nocode platforms, they give, for the first time, non-developers the power to create applications: they are citizen developers.

The fundamental development is the citizen development movement that has emerged strongly in the United States in recent years. People from all walks of life can now freely imagine and design digital solutions thanks to their power of abstraction and the Nocode tools.

The role of low code is to allow developers to go much faster in creating software that still requires, for the moment, a layer of code that has not yet been imagined and simplified by the Nocode.