If you’ve ever wanted to build an app, website or automate a business task without a developer, you’ve probably heard the terms ‘no-code’ and ‘low-code’.
They seem to be all over the internet right now, and for good reason.
Businesses want to keep up with the competition, but developers are expensive and a lot of the time, too busy to help.
Enter no-code and low-code: new ways to build software with very limited technical knowledge.
But what’s the difference? Let’s take a look.
What Is No-Code?
Let’s start with the basics, no-code is pretty much what it says on the tin; you don’t write any code at all. Everything happens through drag and drop screens using pre-built templates. You just find the element that you want and drag it over to where you want it to appear.
No-code is popular because it’s perfect for people with very little (or no) technical skills. For small business owners that want to create things quickly, it can be a lifeline. No-code is regularly used for things like forms, dashboards, booking widgets, apps, websites and basic tasks.
The problem? You can only build what the platform allows. If you need something more complicated or specific to your company, you’re stuck.
What Is Low-Code?
Low-code, on the other hand does use some element of code, but not very much. It’s kind of like being given the basic outline of something and being asked to fill it in. In short, most of the work is done for you, but if you want to create something a bit more personalised, then you can.
Low-code is popular with developers because it saves them hours of manual work. It’s also relatively easy for people with limited tech knowledge to pick up and allows them to work quickly without losing all elements of personalisation.
How Are No-Code and Low-Code Different?
Both no-code and low-code are setting out to solve the same problem: helping businesses with limited technical knowledge build software faster.
They make this kind of development much more accessible, meaning businesses can get started quicker, without being held back by the cost or speed of developers.
But how are they different? Well, no-code exists for those building simple apps with little to no technical knowledge. These apps are likely to be relatively simple with little room for personalisation.
Low-code on the other hand is for businesses that need a little more advanced features, be that specific workflows, customisation or security.
When To Use No-Code For Your Project
Go for no-code when you want to build something quick, easy and functional. It’s a great option for when you want to build a basic tool but don’t have the technical knowledge to draw it up from scratch.
You can use it for apps, dashboards, online forms or anything that needs to do one job at a time.
Examples of no-code platforms include: Airtable, Webflow, Shopify, Notion and Bubble.
When To Use Low-Code For Your Project
Choose low-code when your idea is more complicated or if you need it to connect to other systems. For example, if you need to connect it to a CRM or add a security feature, then low-code could give you more flexibility to do things exactly as you want them.
Examples of low-code platforms include: Salesforce Lightening, Oracle Application, Appian and Mendix.
No-Code and Low-Code
No-code and low-code are completely changing the way that software and apps are being built. They allow anyone, even those with limited technical knowledge, to build the websites, apps and software that their business needs.
Whilst neither is a long-term solution to professional coding, it does make the process much more accessible to those starting from scratch.
So, if you’re a founder, developer or someone with a great idea for an app, with no-code and low-code you can start building exactly what you need without waiting around for someone else to do it.
