Breaking Barriers in Software Development
The Advantages and Limitations of Low-Code and No-Code.
What is low-code and no-code development?
Low-code and no-code are software development approaches aimed at simplifying the application development process, making it accessible to more people, and reducing the time it takes to build and deploy software applications.
Low-Code Development: Low-code platforms allow developers to create applications using visual interfaces with pre-built components and minimal hand-coding. They typically include drag-and-drop interfaces, pre-built templates, and other tools to make the development process faster and more efficient. However, there is still a need for some level of coding knowledge to customize and refine the application to suit specific business needs.
No-Code Development: No-code platforms take this concept a step further by enabling users to build complete applications with no coding at all. Instead, users design their applications using a visual interface and a library of pre-built components. The goal of no-code platforms is to democratize the development process, making it possible for anyone, even without any technical knowledge or programming skills, to create a functional and useful application.
Historical context
Historically, software development required a significant amount of expertise in complex coding languages. This was time-consuming and costly, creating barriers for many individuals and businesses that needed customized software solutions.
As the demand for software grew with the advent of the digital age, so did the need for a more efficient, accessible way to create it. In response, the late 1990s and early 2000s saw the introduction of various tools aimed at simplifying the development process, such as Microsoft’s Visual Basic. These were precursors to today’s low-code and no-code platforms.
Low-code and no-code solutions really began to take off in the 2010s. As the pace of digital transformation accelerated, organizations found themselves needing to develop applications more quickly than traditional coding allowed. Low-code and no-code platforms emerged as a solution to this issue. They enabled faster, more agile development and allowed a broader range of people to contribute to the creation of digital solutions.
In the past few years, these platforms have become increasingly relevant for several reasons:
Digital Transformation: With the rapid pace of digital transformation, businesses need to quickly develop and adapt their software applications. Low-code and no-code platforms allow them to do this more efficiently.
The Citizen Developer Movement: There’s a growing trend of empowering end users, known as “citizen developers”, to create their own solutions. This allows those with domain expertise but without formal programming skills to build the apps they need, which can lead to more practical and innovative solutions.
Skills Gap: There’s a persistent shortage of skilled developers. Low-code and no-code platforms help bridge this gap by making it possible for non-developers to create applications.
Remote Work and COVID-19: The shift towards remote work, further catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic, has created a need for more digital tools. Low-code and no-code platforms enable businesses to quickly develop the tools they need to operate effectively in a remote environment.
Innovation and Experimentation: These platforms lower the cost and risk of experimenting with new digital solutions, encouraging innovation.
Given these factors, it’s likely that the importance of low-code and no-code solutions will continue to grow in the coming years.
Current Market Adoption
From the article “32 Low Code/ No Code Statistics from Reputable Sources [2023]” at aimultiple.com
AI Multiple says:
70% of new applications developed by organizations will use low-code or no-code technologies by 2025, up from less than 25% in 2020. (Gartner) 41% of businesses have active citizen development initiatives and 20% of those who don’t are either evaluating or planning to start citizen development initiatives (Gartner) About 79% of businesses build a web application with citizen development within a year. (Gartner) Half of all new low-code customers will come from business buyers outside the IT organization by the end of 2025. (Gartner) Nearly 60% of all custom apps are now built outside the IT department. Of those, 30% are built by employees with either limited or no technical development skills. (451 Research)
These statistics indicate a significant and accelerating shift towards low-code/no-code development and citizen development initiatives. Here are some key trends and implications we can extrapolate:
Rapid Adoption: The increase from less than 25% in 2020 to an expected 70% in 2025 indicates a rapid adoption of low-code/no-code technologies for new application development. This suggests a high rate of acceptance and trust in these technologies.
Rise of Citizen Developers: With 41% of businesses having active citizen development initiatives, it shows that organizations are increasingly empowering non-IT staff to create their own solutions. This trend is reinforced by the fact that about 79% of businesses build a web application with citizen development within a year.
Shift in Buying Power: The fact that half of all new low-code customers will come from business buyers outside the IT organization by the end of 2025 suggests a shift in buying power from IT to business units. This could influence the types of platforms that are successful, as business users may have different priorities and requirements compared to IT users.
Decentralization of App Development: With nearly 60% of all custom apps now built outside the IT department, it’s clear that app development is becoming more decentralized. This could lead to increased efficiency and innovation, as those closest to a problem are able to create their own solutions. However, it also could present challenges in terms of governance, quality control, and security.
Demand for Low-Code/No-Code Skills: Given that 30% of apps are built by employees with limited or no technical development skills, there will likely be a growing demand for skills related to using low-code/no-code platforms.
These insights suggest that low-code/no-code platforms and citizen development are becoming mainstream. Organizations may need to consider how to best leverage these trends, including providing support and training for citizen developers, ensuring proper governance of apps developed outside the IT department, and choosing low-code/no-code platforms that meet their specific needs.
AIMultiple.com keeps track of the current landscape by listing current low-code platforms.
Future Context
According to Gartner back in 2019, by 2024, low-code application development will be responsible for more than 65% of application development activity.
Increased Adoption: By 2024, if more than 65% of application development activity is carried out using low-code platforms, it indicates a significant shift in the way applications are being developed. Organizations might be increasingly adopting low-code platforms due to their benefits such as reduced development time, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to democratize app development.
Democratization of Development: This trend could be driven by the growing movement towards democratizing application development, enabling non-technical users (or “citizen developers”) to create functional applications without needing to write extensive code.
Impact on Traditional Coding: The rise of low code could potentially impact the demand for traditional coding skills. However, it’s important to note that low code doesn’t eliminate the need for professional developers. While it can automate and simplify many aspects of application development, there’s still a need for skilled developers to handle complex tasks, provide oversight, and ensure quality and security.
Market Growth: This trend suggests substantial growth in the market for low-code development platforms. This could lead to increased competition among platform providers, and potentially more innovation and improvement in the capabilities of these platforms.
Potential Challenges: As the adoption of low-code platforms increases, it may also bring about challenges. These could include managing the quality and security of applications developed by citizen developers, avoiding vendor lock-in, and ensuring the scalability and performance of applications.
Please note that these are just potential extrapolations based on a single suggested data point from Gartner. The actual implications could vary depending on various factors.
Understanding Low-Code and No-Code Platforms
Low-Code Development Platforms (LCDPs)
Software development environments that enable the creation of applicatio software through graphical user interfaces and configuration, instead of traditional hand-written computer programming. They are designed to expedite the application development process and make it more user-friendly, particularly for those who may not have extensive programming knowledge.
While the importance of characteristics can vary depending on specific use cases, here are the top three key characteristics of Low-Code Development Platforms (LCDPs) that are often highlighted:
Visual Development Interface: This is a fundamental characteristic of low-code platforms. The visual, drag-and-drop interfaces allow developers to see a graphical representation of the application’s structure and flow. This significantly simplifies the development process, making it more accessible to developers with varying levels of expertise.
Rapid Development and Deployment: The primary advantage and purpose of low-code platforms is to expedite the application development process. The use of pre-built components and visual interfaces allows for faster development and deployment of applications. Changes and updates can often be implemented and pushed live much more quickly than in traditional coding environments.
Customization Capabilities: While low-code platforms are designed to minimize the need for manual coding, they still allow for code-based customization. This flexibility is crucial for businesses that have specific requirements that can’t be achieved through the platform’s built-in features alone. It’s this balance between ease of use and flexibility that often makes low-code platforms a preferred choice.
These three characteristics are central to the value proposition of low-code platforms, although other features like scalability, integration capabilities, collaboration features, and cross-platform compatibility are also very important in many contexts.
No-Code Development Platforms (NCDPs)
Tools that allow users to create complete software applications without writing any code. They use visual interfaces with drag-and-drop functionality and pre-built components to let users define an application’s functionality. The goal of no-code platforms is to democratize the software development process, making it accessible to users without any technical background or programming skills.
Here are the top three key characteristics of No-Code Development Platforms:
Visual Development Environment: No-code platforms rely heavily on a visual, drag-and-drop
Complete Absence of Coding: Unlike low-code platforms that still allow for some level of coding for advanced customization, no-code platforms are designed so that users can build complete applications without writing any code at all. This is central to their goal of democratizing software development.
Pre-Built Components and Templates: No-code platforms include a wide array of pre-built components and templates that users can use to define their application’s functionality. These components cover a range of functions and are designed to be easily configurable to suit a user’s specific needs.
Again, as we discussed in Low-Code Development, these are the top three characteristics, it’s important to note that good no-code platforms should also have features that support scalability, integration with other systems, and collaborative development. However, no-code solutions are typically most suited to relatively straightforward applications, and may not be the best choice for highly complex or unique software needs.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Rapid Development and Deployment: These platforms allow for fast development and deployment of applications, enabling businesses to respond more quickly to changing needs and reducing time to market. | Vendor Lock-In: Over-reliance on a single platform can pose risks, such as difficulties in switching platforms in the future, reliance on the vendor’s continued support and development of the platform, and exposure to potential platform-wide issues. |
| Empowering Non-Technical Users: Low-code and no-code platforms empower non-technical users to create applications, reducing the burden on IT departments and allowing those with domain expertise to create solutions directly. | Security and Compliance: Potential security risks and compliance issues are a concern, especially in regulated industries, due to factors like data security, platform security, and vendor security practices. |
| Cost Savings: These platforms can lead to significant cost savings in terms of development resources and time, as they reduce the need for extensive manual coding and enable quicker development cycles. | Limited Customization and Flexibility: These platforms may offer less flexibility for customization compared to traditional coding, particularly for complex applications that require unique functionality. |
| Scalability: Low-code and no-code platforms can scale with growing business needs, supporting rapid development and deployment of new software as requirements evolve. | Underperformance: For complex, high-load, or highly specialized applications, solutions built with low-code/no-code platforms may underperform compared to custom-built software. |
| Quick Prototyping and Testing: These platforms support innovation by enabling quick, flexible, and low-risk prototyping and testing of new ideas. |
What have we learned?
The landscape of software development is undergoing a significant shift, with low-code and no-code platforms playing a pivotal role. These platforms are not only democratizing software development, and empowering non-technical users to become citizen developers, but they are also enabling organizations to develop and deploy applications at an unprecedented speed.
The most notable advantage of these platforms is their ability to significantly expedite the development and deployment of applications. This has resulted in a surge in adoption, with an estimated 70% of new applications expected to be developed using low-code or no-code technologies by 2025.
However, it’s important to balance this rapid adoption with careful consideration of potential drawbacks. The primary challenge lies in the limitations of these platforms in terms of deep customization and flexibility needed for complex applications. Ensuring robust governance, quality control, and security in an environment with increasing numbers of citizen developers is another important consideration.
As organizations continue to embrace low-code/no-code platforms, they must strategically address these challenges to fully harness the potential of these technologies. The goal should be to strike a balance between democratizing development, accelerating delivery, and maintaining high standards of quality and security.
In this dynamic and evolving landscape, organizations that can effectively leverage low-code and no-code platforms while managing their limitations will be best positioned to drive innovation and growth.
References
- Gartner
- “70% of new applications developed by organizations will use low-code or no-code technologies by 2025, up from less than 25% in 2020.”
- “41% of businesses have active citizen development initiatives and 20% of those who don’t are either evaluating or planning to start citizen development initiatives.”
- “Half of all new low-code customers will come from business buyers outside the IT organization by the end of 2025.”
- 451 Research
- “Nearly 60% of all custom apps are now built outside the IT department. Of those, 30% are built by employees with either limited or no technical development skills.”
Source: ($) 451 Research on Low-Code/No-Code
- AIMultiple
- “79% of businesses build a web application with citizen development within a year.”