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What is low-code development - All you need to know in 2025

What is low-code
TOPICS ON THIS PAGE
  • What is low-code?
  • What is a low-code development platform?
  • What are the capabilities of low-code platforms?
  • Features and benefits of low-code platforms
  • Key considerations for choosing the right low-code platform
  • Integrating AI with low-code platforms
  • Which industries can use low-code platforms?
  • What applications can be built with low-code?
  • Which IT roles can low-code platforms cater to?
  • Low-code vs. traditional app development
  • Learn more about low-code development in IT
  • What do the experts say?
  • Frequently asked questions
What is low-code?

What is low-code?

Low-code development is a software development method that empowers a developer to create applications with little or no code through a visual drag-and-drop interface. Low-code platforms can be used to develop simple applications or complex enterprise systems and often include a wide range of built-in features and integrations.

What is low-code application development?

What is a low-code development platform?

A low-code development platform is a type of software that provides a visual interface for the rapid development of applications. It typically includes a graphical user interface that allows a developer to create an application by using drag-and-drop components. This also enables the developer to add business logic without extensive code writing.

Read more about low-code development

What are the capabilities of low-code platforms?

 

A visual development environment

Low-code platforms provide a visual development environment that makes it easy to create applications without writing much code. Most platforms come with a drag-and-drop interface that enables you to add different elements to your application and connect them together.

 

Prebuilt components

Most low-code platforms come with a library of prebuilt components that you can use to develop your applications quickly. These components can include everything from user interface elements to back-end services.

 

Scalability:

Low-code platforms are designed to be scalable, which means they can easily handle increasing amounts of data and users. This can be a major advantage for businesses that want to be able to grow their applications without having to invest in additional infrastructure

 

Flexibility:

Low-code platforms are typically very flexible, which means they can be customized to meet the specific needs of your business. This can be a major advantage if you want to tailor your applications to your specific business processes.

Take a look at the features of low-code platforms

Features and benefits of low-code platforms

Read more about the benefits of low-code platforms
01

Rapid application development (RAD):

Low-code platforms enable RAD without the need for coding skills, making them ideal for business users who want to create their own applications.

02

Improved collaboration:

A low-code solution can improve collaboration between business and IT teams—or developers and non-developers—by providing an easy-to-use platform for developing applications.

03

Increased productivity:

Low-code platforms help increase productivity by empowering users to quickly create and deploy applications without having to write code from scratch. This, in turn, decreases the time it takes to develop and market applications.

04

Reduced costs:

Low-code platforms help reduce development costs by eliminating the need for expensive coding resources.

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Key considerations for choosing the right low-code platform

If you're on the lookout for a suitable low-code platform for your organization, it's best to consider a few factors before selecting one

 

Ease of use

The platform should be intuitive and easy to use, with no clunky interfaces. The drag-and-drop builders should be accessible to all users and should be free from clutter. Adopting the "what you see is what you get" principle is paramount as this will let you exactly translate the requirements you have in mind to a functional application.

 

Scalability

The size of an organization changes over time. Growth might increase the user base, and slower periods might dampen growth a little. A low-code platform should be capable of automatically scaling according to the ever-changing user base of an organization because reengineering applications to make them scale is an arduous process.

 

Security:

You need to ensure that the platform you choose is highly secure because the loss of sensitive customer data or your confidential data can lead to huge monetary and reputational losses. The platform should adhere to security standards like the GDPR and CCPA. Your data should ideally be encrypted at rest and during transfers, too.

 

Affordability:

A primary reason organizations opt for low-code platforms is affordability. Compared to using conventional enterprise software or hiring an expensive software team to formally develop a solution, deploying a low-code platform is far more affordable while delivering results for the organization's specific requirements.

Integrating AI with low-code platforms

Large language models and GenAI have revolutionized the application development scene today. When choosing a low-code platform for your organization, it is practical to opt for one that has AI capabilities ingrained in its architecture. Some examples of AI-powered low-code capabilities are the automatic generation of use cases for problem statements and the ability to generate insights from raw data by parsing natural language queries. Low-code software powered by GenAI is the next frontier.

Which industries can use low-code platforms?

Low-code platforms can cater to various industries and use cases. Take a look at how low-code platforms serve the following industries:

Healthcare

Healthcare

Healthcare organizations can foster seamless, personalized interactions between healthcare professionals and patients and cultivate optimal healthcare management.

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Manufacturing

Manufacturing

Manufacturing organizations can optimize and supercharge their assembly lines; ship stellar products more quickly, cheaply, and efficiently; and build custom manufacturing software solutions tailored to organizational processes using low-code capabilities.

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Education

Education

From preschools to universities, it is time for educational institutions to adopt solutions that can help them stay on top of the digital wave. An organization shouldn't try to force legacy apps on its users to suit its needs; your education environment should accommodate custom school management software tailored to your organization's individual use cases.

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Logistics

Logistics

Organizations can streamline their logistics operations and improve productivity, efficiency, and operational profits. They can also build custom logistics applications easily to digitize their supply chains.

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What applications can be built with low-code?

Low-code platforms help develop applications that can be seamlessly deployed on both web and mobile devices. These platforms are particularly well-suited for building tools such as project trackers, employee performance management systems, customer support platforms, and booking management apps, among others. Here are some examples of applications created using low-code platforms.

Examples of low-code solutions

 

Employee onboarding:

Companies can efficiently develop onboarding apps using low-code. These apps assist new hires in tasks such as filling out online forms, submitting documents, and completing training modules. Automations developed through low-code solutions reduce manual intervention and enhance the efficiency of the onboarding process.

 

Leave management:

A low-code leave management app lets employees submit leave requests, check leave balances, and see approval statuses. Managers can quickly approve or reject requests. In addition, these apps enable HR to create, with little to no coding, and provide usage reports with customizable workflows.

 

IT asset management:

Automating IT asset management makes it easier to track hardware and software. This process covers the entire life cycle of an IT asset, from procurement to disposal. It ensures timely maintenance, license renewals, and warranty expirations with automated alerts. This provides real-time inventory visibility, optimizing asset usage and compliance.

 

Ticket management:

An automated ticket management app routes requests to the right team. It prioritizes urgent issues and delivers real-time updates to customers and support staff. This boosts customer experience, cuts response times, and lets support teams automate problem-solving rather than handle workflows manually.

Take a look at the features of low-code platforms

Which IT roles can low-code platforms cater to?

Low-code platforms are suitable for a wide range of IT organizations, from small businesses to large enterprises. They can be used for a variety of purposes, including workflow automation, process management, and custom ERP development.

 

IT heads:

IT leaders are responsible for ensuring that applications are developed and delivered in a way that meets the needs of the business while adhering to corporate IT standards. Low-code platforms help IT leaders accomplish both of these objectives. These platforms typically provide built-in governance and security controls to ensure compliance with corporate IT standards. IT leaders are provided peace of mind knowing that applications developed on their approved low-code platform will not introduce any security risks or compliance issues.

 

Professional developers:

Professional developers are often responsible for building complex applications that require a high degree of customization. Low-code platforms can still be used for these types of projects, but they might require code extensions or customizations to achieve the desired results. Low-code platforms can save professional developers significant time compared to traditional coding approaches.

 

Business developers:

Business developers typically develop applications that automate business processes and improve customer engagement. Low-code platforms are ideal for these projects because they empower business developers to quickly build and deploy custom applications with minimal coding. Many low-code platforms provide prebuilt templates and connectors to help business developers get started creating these applications even faster—and without requiring any prior experience.

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Low-code vs. Traditional App Development

Criteria Low-code development Traditional development
 Speed of development Fast development with prebuilt components and drag-and-drop tools. Slower, as it requires coding from scratch.
 Cost Lower costs due to fewer work-hours and less code required. Higher costs due to more time and resources spent on development, testing, deployment, and maintenance.
 Ease of use Suitable for citizen developers, enabling anyone to build apps. Requires coding expertise, limiting app creation to developers.
 Flexibility More flexible with quick updates and modifications. Less flexible, with updates requiring significant rework.
 Scalability Scalable to handle growing business needs with ease. Can be scalable but might require major modifications leading to higher costs because of more rework required.
     

Learn more about low-code development in IT

RAD:

RAD in low-code development is a method of software development that emphasizes speed and ease in development. Low-code platforms provide a visual drag-and-drop interface for building applications, which drastically reduces the amount of time and effort required to create a working prototype or product.

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Citizen developers:

Citizen developers are people who create software without having any formal training in coding or software development. They are typically employees who need a specific application and use their own skills and knowledge to develop it. Organizations that encourage citizen development can benefit from increased innovation and a faster application development timeframe to address real-world objectives.

Learn more

Shadow IT:

Shadow IT is defined as any technology or application used within an organization without the explicit approval of the corporate IT team. In many cases, shadow IT is used by employees who are trying to work around the limitations of their organization’s approved tools.

Learn more

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What do the experts say?

Gartner logo

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

IDC logo

IDC predicts that "the worldwide population of low-code developers will grow with a CAGR of 40.4% from 2021 to 2025. This growth rate for low-code developers is roughly 3.2 times the 12.5% CAGR for the general population of developers worldwide."

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the difference between low-code and no-code platforms?

Low-code platforms require some coding in order to create applications, while no-code platforms allow users to create applications without any coding. Both approaches have pros and cons. Read more

2. How can an app be built with no coding?

Some development platforms enable users to create applications without having to write code. These no-code platforms tend to provide preset templates that can be manipulated through a graphical interface.

3. Who can use low-code platforms?

Low-code platforms are typically used by professional developers to create complex applications more quickly and efficiently than via traditional methods. However, anyone without any coding skills can use low-code platforms to create simple applications.

4. Why should I use a low-code platform?

A low-code platform can be beneficial because it enables users to create working prototypes quickly and efficiently without needing to write much code. It can also be used to create complex applications more quickly than traditional programming languages.

5. How does a low-code platform work with agile development?

Low-code-powered application development is a type of RAD. The core tenets of agile development are ingrained in the application development approaches of most low-code platforms in the industry today. Low-code development functions hand in hand with agile development by supporting your ability to ship faster, prototype more quickly, and deliver functional, cross-platform applications rapidly.

6. Will low-code development replace coding?

Low-code development will not eliminate coding. It empowers developers to code a little initially and then granularly customize the applications they are developing on the low-code platform. Low-code platforms empower coders to be more productive and deploy applications to users sooner and more efficiently.

7. Does low-code support process optimization for IT and operations teams?

Yes, low-code platforms greatly enhance process optimization for IT and operations teams. Low-code tools help teams focus on important projects, automate tasks that are repetitive, simplify workflows, and accelerate deployment. They streamline both development and maintenance, improving overall efficiency and reducing bottlenecks.

8. How does low-code help automate business processes?

Low-code platforms help boost productivity. They automate routine tasks such as sending alerts, managing approvals, and setting up schedules. These platforms help automate business tasks by providing visual tools to create workflows, exchange data, and trigger actions based on set rules. For instance, an organization can set up automations to remind users about deadlines, approve leave requests, create invoices, and send follow-up emails. This helps reduce errors, save time, and streamline processes.

9. Does low-code allow me to add custom code when needed?

Yes, low-code platforms offer the flexibility to insert custom code when necessary. This lets developers meet special needs that standard components can't. It ensures the application can be customized while still providing the advantages of low-code development.

10. Is low-code only for simple applications, or can I build complex solutions?

Low-code platforms are capable of building both simple and complex applications. They excel in fast prototyping and creating simple apps, but provide advanced features such as custom coding, external system integrations, and scalable architecture. This makes them a good choice for complex, enterprise-level solutions that need flexibility and customization.

11. Are low-code applications secure?

Yes, low-code applications are secure, especially when configured with security features such as role-based access, data encryption, and compliance with industry standards.

12. How does low-code speed up software development?

Low-code platforms ensure software development is faster through the use of ready-made templates, drag-and-drop elements, and simple integrations. This means less manual coding is required. The result is quicker testing, faster iteration of prototypes, and real-time feedback from stakeholders.

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