Low-Code Made Easy: Brief Guide (+Top 10 Tools in 2024)

The business world is moving at breakneck speed, and the need to adapt quickly is paramount. Traditional software development cycles can be slow and cumbersome, hindering innovation and delaying time-to-market. This is where low-code development platforms come in.

According to Statista’s survey, the low-code development market is forecasted to reach approximately 32 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. This explosive growth is fueled by the numerous advantages low-code platforms offer, including:

• Democratization of development: Citizen developers with little to no coding experience can build functional applications.
• Faster development cycles: Low-code platforms streamline development with drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-built components.
• Reduced costs: Businesses can save on development expenses by using low-code tools.
• Increased agility: Low-code platforms enable businesses to adapt to changing market demands quickly.

What is low-code?

Low-code development is the practice of building applications with minimal hand-coding and instead relying on visual interfaces, drag-and-drop functionalities, and declarative tools. These platforms enable developers and non-developers alike to create applications rapidly, reducing time-to-market and fostering innovation.

Low-code vs no-code: Understanding the difference

Both are designed to accelerate application development. However, there are some key differences between the low-code and no-code:

Low-code development:

• Focus: Faster application creation with the ability to incorporate some coding for customization.
• Suited for: Enterprises needing rapid development of business applications while retaining some flexibility for customization.
• Benefits: Streamlined development process, efficient app creation.

Zero-code development:

• Focus: Enables application creation entirely through visual tools - ideal for beginners.
• Suited for: Business users or citizen developers seeking to build simple apps without coding.
• Benefits: User-friendly interface, quick application development.

What is the best low-code software to try in 2024?

Here are the top 10 low-code software tools reshaping the development landscape:

UI Bakery

UI Bakery is a low-code development platform that focuses specifically on crafting internal business tools and applications. It offers pre-built components, drag-and-drop functionality, and database integrations to streamline development for non-coders.

🔧 UI Bakery features

• Drag'n'drop responsive UI
• Connect data easily
• Code and no-code business logic
• Control versions and releases
• Deploy with a single click
• Cloud
• Self-hosted (On-prem)

💰 UI Bakery pricing

• Free: $0
• Standard: $6/month
• Business: $12/month
• Enterprise: Custom plan
• Self-hosted plan available.

🗣️ UI Bakery ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.9/5 (20+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.8/5 (10+ reviews)

Appian

Appian provides a low-code automation platform that accelerates the creation of high-impact business applications. It offers intuitive visual development, powerful process automation, and unified data management.

🔧 Appian features

• Drag-and-drop interface
• Process modeling
• Integration with existing systems
• Mobile optimization
• Real-time analytics

💰 Appian pricing

• Free
• Application: $75/user/month
• Platform: Custom plan
• Unlimited: Custom plan

🗣️ Appian ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.5/5 (1000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (500+ reviews)

Quixy

Quixy is a cloud-based no-code platform that empowers users to build complex applications with ease. It offers customizable templates, workflow automation, and seamless integration capabilities.

🔧 Quixy features

• Custom application templates
• Workflow automation
• Collaboration tools
• Integration with third-party apps
• Advanced reporting and analytics

💰 Quixy pricing

• Platform: $20/user/month
• Solution, Enterprise: contact sales for pricing details

🗣️ Quixy ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.7/5 (200+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.8/5 (100+ reviews)

Mendix

Mendix is a low-code application development platform that enables users to create web and mobile applications at scale. It offers visual development tools, AI capabilities, and built-in security features.

🔧 Mendix features

• Drag-and-drop interface
• AI-assisted development
• Multi-cloud deployment
• Built-in security
• DevOps automation

💰 Mendix pricing

• Free
• Basic: €52,50/month
• Standard: €900/month
• Premium: custom plan

🗣️ Mendix ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.6/5 (300+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (200+ reviews)

Quickbase

Quickbase is a low-code platform for building, customizing, and integrating business applications. It offers a visual app builder, workflow automation, and real-time collaboration features.

🔧 Quickbase features

• Visual app builder
• Workflow automation
• Real-time collaboration
• Integration with popular apps
• Advanced reporting and dashboards

💰 Quickbase pricing:

• Team: from $35/user/month
• Business: $55/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom

🗣️ Quickbase ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (400+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (300+ reviews)

OutSystems

OutSystems is a low-code platform that enables the development of enterprise-grade applications with speed and agility. It offers visual development tools, pre-built templates, and seamless integration capabilities.

🔧 OutSystems features

• Visual development environment
• Pre-built templates and components
• Full-stack development
• Scalable architecture
• Built-in security features

💰 OutSystems pricing

• Single app: free
• Multiple apps: $1,513/month (billed annually)
• Large app portfolio: custom plan

🗣️ OutSystems ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.5/5 (500+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (400+ reviews)

Salesforce Lightning

Salesforce Lightning is a low-code development platform that allows users to build custom apps and extend Salesforce functionalities. It offers drag-and-drop tools, AI-powered recommendations, and seamless integration with Salesforce CRM.

🔧 Salesforce Lightning features

• Drag-and-drop app builder
• AI-powered development
• Integration with Salesforce CRM
• Mobile optimization
• AppExchange marketplace

💰 Salesforce Lightning pricing

• Platform Starter: €25 user/month
• Platform Plus: €100 user/month

🗣️ Salesforce Lightning ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.6/5 (1000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (800+ reviews)

Zoho Creator

Zoho Creator is a low-code platform that enables users to build custom business applications without coding. It offers a drag-and-drop interface, workflow automation, and integration with Zoho's suite of products.

🔧 Zoho Creator features

• Drag-and-drop interface
• Workflow automation
• Integration with Zoho apps
• Multi-platform deployment
• Offline access

💰 Zoho Creator pricing

• Contact sales for pricing details

🗣️ Zoho Creator ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.5/5 (600+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (400+ reviews)

Microsoft Power Apps

Microsoft Power Apps is a low-code platform that allows users to build custom apps for their business needs. It offers a visual app builder, pre-built templates, and seamless integration with Microsoft 365.

🔧 Microsoft Power Apps features

• Visual app builder
• Pre-built templates
• Integration with Microsoft 365
• AI-driven suggestions
• Data visualization tools

💰 Microsoft Power Apps pricing

• Per-app plan: $10/user/app/month
• Per user plan: $40/user/month
• Additional capacity: Custom pricing

🗣️ Microsoft Power Apps ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.3/5 (1000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (800+ reviews)

Nintex

Nintex is a low-code automation platform that enables users to streamline processes and workflows. It offers drag-and-drop tools, workflow automation, and integration with popular business applications.

🔧 Nintex features

• Drag-and-drop interface
• Workflow automation
• Integration with business apps
• Document generation
• Analytics and reporting

💰 Nintex pricing

• Pro: from $25,000 USD /year
• Premium: from $50,000 USD /year
• Custom: contact sales

🗣️ Nintex ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (300+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (200+ reviews)

To conclude

These low-code platforms empower businesses to innovate faster, reduce development costs, and drive digital transformation. Whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, these tools offer the flexibility and scalability needed to stay ahead in today's competitive market.