The hype surrounding low-code and no-code technology is growing. And why wouldn’t it? With the globe’s migration to the digital space, entrepreneurs and employees alike are rushing to the web, making sure the economy retains a spot for them.
Relevance is the name of the game and those who don’t keep up get lost.
That said, the potential of no-code platforms is limitless.
Much like creating a Word document or a catchy Powerpoint slide, no-code providers are making it a lot more feasible for non-coders to develop programs and make apps on their own.
Similarly, low-code platforms, although still heavily reliant on manual code, aim to reduce the complexity of building software. In one of their studies, Gartner says that nearly 70% of app development will be low code in the next three years.
Furthermore, another survey on the promise of no-code detailed that more developers find it much “faster, more affordable, and easier” to build apps with visual programming.
Low-code and no-code: a platform for every market
Although developing software in the low-code and no-code space is deemed much more feasible and doable, this landscape is arguably much more complex and diverse. With the abundance of easy solutions, watered-down submarkets, and clear-cut platforms, there’s never been a more exciting time to explore the web and the wonderful world of app development until today.
For instance, the enterprise low-code/no-code spaces extend powerful performances, heightened security, high scalability, and easy enterprise integration.
As a result, Gartner calls the low-code department an application platform that fosters one-step deployment, rapid application development, and one-step deployment technologies like metadata-based programming contexts and model-driven languages.
For smaller businesses and beginning startups, G2 providers a similar landscape. There isn’t all that much diversity between enterprise low-code platforms and small-scale businesses. In other words, some of the small business providers won’t make it all that far celebrated enterprises, while SMEs and smaller startups tend to shy away from larger enterprise providers, primarily due to their complexity and price tags.
Unsurprisingly, several low-code brands wear the business process management (BPM) hat today. Because it isn’t foreign to first map out how software should function before developing it, BPM has long augmented model-driven development (MDD). This is similar to developing BPM strategies where you drag and drop shapes in place of subprocesses into chronological order to specify a business process.
All that mentioned, the aforementioned rationale is exactly why process-centric low-code solutions are favored. Popular examples of BPM low-code and no-code provides include Outsystems, Appian, and Pega.
Other paradigms in this segment can include website building low-code and no-code providers. Squarespace, Wix, WebFlow, and WordPress are all prime examples.
In the database management segment, we have Mendix for high-end enterprises and Airtable on the lower end. Additionally, there certainly is no shortage in the Automated integration department, too. Zapier, Integromat, and Parabola all share the same category. Through all of these low-code and no-code tools, users can develop complex and robust integrations that flow seamlessly and effortlessly.
Moving forward the most notable providers in the mobile application development section are Bubble for responsive web apps and Thunkable for dynamic native apps. Both platforms and their corresponding contemporaries provide a vast selection of templates and plugins for many application types.
Progressively, other categories of low-code and no-code providers target specific niches. For example, Shopify caters to the e-commerce audience, monday.com thrives in the work management space, Zoho targets ERP suppliers, and Salesforce exists particularly for CRM-driven professionals.
Of course, let’s not forget the artificial intelligence sector, too, with C3 AI Ex Machina as a competent contender for the niche. For their part, Atra is an expanding provider that’s starting to make a name in the blockchain scene.
What’s next?
What isn’t next?
With an influx of tools business leaders and creatives can turn to for free (or for reasonable amounts), there’s absolutely no reason to turn a blind eye to these platforms.
From freelancers to CEOs and managers to employees, there is a provider for every market, niche, audience, and sector in society. Both the no-code and low-code spaces have democratized how applications are built.
That said, with the pandemic still very much in the everyday equation, one can only expect that much of our economy will rely on how well we adapt to technological trends—two of which obviously include getting on board the low-code and no-code trains.
While the simplicity and straightforwardness of these platforms are arguable, what isn’t debatable is how agencies and leaders don’t always have the luxury to learn how these technologies work.
Fortunately, app development agencies like us in MVP.dev exist to help businesses make their app dreams come true.
At the end of the day, apps aren’t solely good-to-haves anymore. They’re solid tangible action steps to increase your profit and future-proof your business.
If you have apps you want to build, we’re the agency you’ll want to partner with.
