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.