No Code vs Low Code Development
What is no code and low code?
"No code" and "low code" are the evidence of how fast web development technology is progressing and advancing. In simple words, both no code and low code are similar, yet different kinds of web and app development technologies. They involve 'no' to 'low' coding for building web and mobile applications without requiring a deep knowledge of coding and programming. It is best suitable for people with zero technical and programming knowledge.
Let’s take a look at the definitions of both technologies for better understanding.
No Code Development
As the name suggests, no code app development involves no amount of coding or programming in any way. It focuses on providing all the tools and elements to build, design and even launch web applications without writing any code at all. All no-code platforms have simple and easy-to-use drag-and-drop user interface (UI).
They also have automatic plugins to integrate external services in the web apps without any coding. Thus, it gives everyone an equal chance of building powerful and responsive web applications without coding. Even for professional developers, no code platforms is a great way to finish projects faster with less money and time.
Low Code Web App Development
As the name suggests, low code development involves a low amount or some amount of coding to build a web app. It has most of the features of a no code platform. Be it drag-and-drop user interface, templates, plugins or ready-made components, low-code platforms got it all. However, using them might involve some amount of coding.
The low code platforms also allow users to add custom features by writing code to enhance their apps. Thus, low code is undoubtedly more suitable for developers. They have sound knowledge of coding and are well aware of the technical aspects of building web apps. Also, it gives them a chance to use their creativity and knowledge to customise applications through coding. However, that doesn't mean that non-techies can use these platforms as they are much easier to use than building apps via traditional hand-coding.
To know about no code and low code’s growing market, read our blog on the topic: Growth Factors of No-Code and Low-Code market
Comparison between Low Code No Code Platforms
Both low code no code platforms are built on the ideological foundation of creating a web development environment that requires low to no coding. Therefore, both allow technical and non-technical people to build web applications and software faster than traditional hand-coding. Because of this ideological similarity, low code and no code have been used in the interchangeable sense. Therefore, at times, at first glance it’s hard to spot the difference between the two.
So, let’s first analyse the similarities between the two and then the differences to have a better understanding of both the platforms.
Similarities between Low code No Code Platforms
Listed below are some similar features of low code and no code web app development platforms:
Visual web development
The basic idea behind low-code and no-code web development is to give users a visual experience of web development. Therefore, both low code and no code platforms create an integrated development environment (IDE). It gives users a graphical user interface (GUI) to visually build and design web applications without coding.
Drag-and-drop Interface
The drag-and-drop interface is an essential feature of all no code and code tools and platforms. Moreover, it is actually something that highlights and defines the low code no code development. Also, it is highly convenient to use. Therefore, allows professional developers as well as citizen developers to easily build and design any type of web application much faster by just dragging and dropping different elements without heavy coding.
Reusable Components
Both low code no code platforms come with a set of ready-made templates, pre-built sections and components. Thus, they help you build web applications a lot faster than the obsolete way of traditional web development. These ready-made and reusable components are built and designed by professional web developers and web designers. Therefore, they provide a rich and professional look. Moreover, these no code components are very easy to use. Thus, allow both technical and non-technical users to launch their fully-developed apps within a day.
Highly Scalable & Testable
The flexible framework of no code low code platforms makes both platforms very scalable and easy to iterate. Therefore, any type of web application can be easily optimised or scaled up to expand its features and functionalities. This also helps products and businesses to expand and grow more without coding. Besides scalability, both platforms are highly testable as well. Therefore, you can easily test your web app in the demo or preview more before launching it for your customers.
Multi-platform Accessibility
Both no code and low code platforms are designed and built with cross-platform functionality. In simple words, cross-platform functionality means that a web app can run smoothly on different platforms. Furthermore, this feature is very important to build smart web applications as it makes them highly responsive. If you don’t know, responsiveness makes apps capable of running smoothly on different devices, such as desktop, mobile, tablet, etc. This also helps users to reach out to more people or audiences through different platforms.
Third-Party Integrations
Low code no code platforms allow you to automatically integrate several third-party APIs and plugins in your web apps. Furthermore, it helps no code low code developers to step up full development stacks without coding to make their applications even better. Also, you can easily modify/upgrade the overall look and feel of your application by integrating different features and services.
Automated workflows
In traditional web development, creating workflows through hand-coding can take a month or two. Therefore, workflow automation is also another important aspect of both low code and no code app development platforms. In low code no code platforms, you can easily create and incorporate automated workflows in your web application and software. As these workflows don't require coding, you can add them to your apps faster and save a lot of time. Moreover, these no code workflows don’t require any maintenance like in traditional web development.
Differences between Low code No Code Development
Now, let’s take a look at some differences between the low code and no code web app development platforms:
Low Code:
More competent for web developers to use than citizen developers as it requires some amount of coding.
Gives the option of writing codes to customise the web application.
Requires some technical knowledge and coding skills.
More suitable for frontend web development as well as backend, which can also be integrated into other applications or work on their own.
Takes much less time than traditional hand-coding.
To know more about low code development, read our resource on the topic: Low Code Development
No Code:
More competent for citizen developers to use who don’t know how to code.
Gives no option of writing codes for customising your web apps.
Doesn't require coding skills or technical knowledge at all.
More suitable for creating automated workflows that can be integrated into other apps or work on its own.
Takes much less time than traditional hand-coding and low-code as well.
To know more about no code development, read our resource on the topic: No Code Development
What to Choose between the Two of Them?
Remember, both low code no code development platforms speed up the process of app building by using very similar tools. Therefore, it must be clear in your head what exactly are your requirements and expectations from a platform. Also, which type of platform will be best suited to fulfil those requirements and expectations.
Let’s look at the requirements to opt for a low code platform:
Appropriate for creating architecturally complex software which would require custom coding.
Well-suited for building a large-scale unique web application with a longer life span and high stability.
Perfect to create a web app amid a high control development environment using different frameworks, management tools, databases, etc.
Best fitted to build a web app that requires high control application deployment and infrequent updates.
Suitable to create a web application that traces core business processes and is a part of core business systems.
Let’s look at the requirements to opt for a no code platform:
Perfectly suited to build business applications all on your own using front-end use cases.
More Suitable to build web apps to quickly optimise daily business operations with ease.
Appropriate to build web applications to track and report business performance.
Well-suited for building web apps with shorter as well as longer life span.
Suitable to build web apps that require self-service deployment with frequent updates.
Best fitted to build web applications by using cloud database solutions as it allows you to start on a small-scale and then expand later.
No Code vs Low Code - What to Pick?
In simple words, if you have a tight delivery schedule or don’t have a strong background in coding then opt for a no code app development platform. It has more templates and pre-built components than low code. Therefore, it will give you more options to build our web app without coding.
You must also remember that today in the market there are certain platforms that classify as both no code as well as low code platforms, for example, DrapCode. Therefore, as Gartner suggests, you must always ignore the marketing message and focus instead on the technology, its features and architecture of the platform to choose what best fits your needs.
Can a Platform be Both Low Code & No Code?
As mentioned above, yes, a platform can be both a no code as well as low code. And it largely depends on the features they provide. Usually these platforms provide dual web development that involves both no coding and low coding.
Being no code, these platforms allow web app development through drag-and-drop UI, reusable components, free templates, etc. Therefore, it doesn't involve any kind of coding. And being low code, these platforms also allow you to write custom codes to integrate custom features in a web application. Some of these no code low code development platforms even allow you to edit the source code of different components. Thus, allow you to easily customise all components as per your need.
The Future of Low Code No Code
In the near future, both low code & no code development technologies will be the next big thing in the world of web and software development. Moreover, according to a report by Business Wire , low code no code platforms’ market size is expected to expand rigorously with a growth rate of 44.4% by 2024. And as predicted by IDC, more than 500 million web applications will be built by the year 2024. Therefore, in the upcoming years, no doubt there will be more citizen developers making web apps by using low code and no code platforms. And eventually, the low code and no code way of software development will surpass the traditional way of coding.