Gartner predicts that global IT spending will cross USD 5 trillion in 2024. Despite economic and geopolitical uncertainties, businesses globally still see good reasons to continue to make technology investments. However, there are certainly major shifts in what technology they choose to adopt and scale.
As budgets come under the pressure of tighter scrutiny, technology leaders across industries are looking at ways to propel their digital transformation frugally. They want maximum results with minimal cost and effort.
A major outcome of this mindset is the rising popularity of no-code and low-code application development approaches. In fact, it is estimated that by 2025 nearly 70% of all new applications developed by organizations globally will be via the low-code and no-code routes.
Today, businesses are warming to the idea of citizen developers in their technology operations. It brings a unique advantage to the table by creating an effective collaboration ground for business SMEs and IT team members. No-code and low-code app development platforms are at the center of this movement. They help reduce the workload of IT members and empower business users to have a more prominent say in the way the technology they rely on is built from the ground up.
By now, nearly every forward-thinking technology leader has acquired a clear idea about what no-code and low-code mean. They know the benefits of this approach and are aware of possible use cases too. However, it is equally important for these leaders to know that despite several similarities, both these approaches have their own unique characteristics and advantages.
To leverage them appropriately, businesses must be able to clearly distinguish between the two application development paradigms.
Key differences between low and no-code application development
Let us explore the top 4 essential differences between low and no-code application development:
Target users
The underlying focus of both no and low-code application development is to foster citizen developers. However, if we look closely at how they work, each targets a different class of users from this demographic. For no-code, the literal meaning takes center stage in an execution perspective. In other words, an enterprise that leverages no-code platforms to build apps can entrust the activity to a business user with no knowledge of coding or app development. The platform or tool used will simplify the end-to-end process through automation and self-service code management. This approach is more useful for business users looking to build some custom screens or workflows that are simple, clearly defined, and largely isolated from other enterprise systems, calling for less integration.
On the other hand, a low-code app development tool will require its users to have some technical or coding knowledge and skills. It is predominantly to help folks in the IT department accelerate their app development processes. It does so by offering them the support of reusable components and ready elements that form a part of complex app development projects.
User training
No-code app development platforms offer an easy-to-use interface through which business users can build apps in simple steps. They do not have complex requirements for handling different aspects of coding and associated nuances in data management, infrastructure allocation, etc. Hence users of the no-code platform do not require any long formal training sessions to make them acquainted with how to use the platform to build apps.
For low-code, however, there is a possibility of using such platforms to build complex apps having diverse capabilities. Hence, they need at least some specialized skills to operate. This means that users of low-code will require training on how to best utilize such tools to accelerate their development skills.
Integration capabilities
With low-code application development platforms, users can easily connect different data sources as well as other business applications to build seamless experiences for end users. They allow necessary configurations, modifications, and complex feature additions that could be undertaken by a skilled IT team. This provides low-code platforms the flexibility needed to be used across a wide range of complex application architectures.
However, when it comes to no-code app development platforms, the situation is quite different and difficult. Integrations, data management from multiple sources, etc. would require additional IT support as business users will not be equipped with the know-how to do make these happen.
Security risks
Low-code app development platforms allow IT teams to define security policies and guarantees at every step of the app development process. They can configure security options that prevent unauthorized usage of core IT resources by different app-building units. Besides, they can help keep an eye out for threats while integrating different business systems, involving different technical stakeholders from different departments, and so on.
With no-code app development, there could be a greater strain on IT security. Business users may not be aware of potential security threats. They may create apps that do not adhere to the organization’s security protocols and frameworks. This could result in security challenges or regulatory issues in the long run.
Which should you choose?
Many enterprises often face the dilemma of picking one amongst low or no-code development approaches for their technology development initiatives. Making the right choice demands significant exposure in evaluating platforms against the potential app-building use cases on the table. Only a strong technology partner would have the skills and expertise to help enterprises make the right choice of approach. This is where Trinus can help. Get in touch with us to know more about how to launch your own low or no-code initiative.