Contents
Introduction
Microsoft predicts that by 2025, 500 million new applications will be created using no-code/low-code technology. This staggering number surpasses the total number of software applications developed in the last 40 years.
Does this mean that custom software development is becoming obsolete? Not necessarily. While no-code/low-code platforms offer fast and accessible solutions, custom software development still holds an important place in the technology landscape.
In this article, we’ll compare no-code/low-code development to traditional custom software development and examine the differences, use cases, benefits, and challenges of each approach. This will help you understand which development method is best suited for your specific needs and goals.
No-Code/Low-Code Development
What is no-code/low-code?
No-code development allows users to build applications without writing any code. It uses visual development tools and drag-and-drop editors to design application user interfaces, application business logic, and database functionality. These platforms come with pre-built templates and components for common functionality, making it easy to integrate with various external services and APIs. Typically, the same platform used for development is required to deploy and run the application. No-code platforms are designed specifically for non-technical users to build applications quickly and are available as general-purpose platforms or specialized for specific use cases, focusing on frontend, backend, of both. Examples of popular no-code platforms include Bubble, FlutterFlow, Glide, Airtable, and Xano. See Figure 1 for an example of a development environment.
Low-code development is similar to no-code development, but combines visual development environments with minimal hand coding, sometimes using its own scripting language. It offers a higher level of customization than no-code platforms and is generally suitable for both technical and non-technical users. Examples of popular low-code platforms are OutSystems and Microsoft Power Apps.
Ideal use cases
No-code and low-code development platforms excel at rapidly building and deploying websites, apps, and backends.
- Prototyping and MVPs: Quickly build and test early versions of applications to validate ideas and gather feedback.
- Automation: Streamline repetitive tasks and workflows without extensive coding.
- Dashboards and reporting tools: Develop interactive dashboards to visualize data and generate reports.
- Internal tools: Build custom tools for internal use, such as employee management systems or inventory trackers.
- Web apps: Rapidly design and deploy web applications.
- Mobile apps: Build mobile applications for multiple platforms without deep technical expertise.
- Online Stores: Build e-commerce platforms to sell products and services online.
Benefits and advantages
No-code and low-code platforms offer many advantages, including fast development. This makes them an attractive option for a variety of development needs.
- Rapid development: Accelerate the development process with visual tools and pre-built components.
- Cost reduction: Save development time and minimize the need for specialized developers, reducing overall costs.
- Get Started and Get to Market Quickly: Leverage all-in-one solutions that streamline the process from development to deployment, enabling faster time to market.
- Accessibility for non-technical users: Empower non-technical users to make customizations and updates without extensive coding knowledge.
- Validated components reduce testing requirements: Use pre-validated components that minimize the need for extensive module testing.
- Reduced maintenance: Take advantage of vendor-maintained platforms that reduce the burden of ongoing maintenance.
- Perfect for prototyping and MVP development: Ideal for rapidly creating prototypes and minimum viable products (MVPs) to test and validate ideas.
Challenges and limitations
The following challenges highlight the limitations of no-code and low-code development, so it is important to carefully consider the specific needs and constraints of your project before choosing this approach.
- Limited customization and flexibility: No-code/low-code platforms may not provide the level of customization required for highly specific or complex applications.
- Managing complexity: Managing complex workflows and functionality can be challenging within the constraints of no-code/low-code tools.
- Scalability concerns: Scaling applications can be difficult, and pricing models can become expensive as usage grows.
- Compliance and regulatory concerns: Ensuring compliance, particularly with regard to cloud location and data privacy, can be challenging. Additionally, it is difficult to prove the application’s validity because critical tests (module, integration, and system tests) cannot be carried out.
- Long-term viability and vendor lock-in: Platform dependency can lead to vendor lock-in, raising concerns about long-term viability and flexibility.
- Lack of efficient solutions for native and embedded applications: These platforms typically do not provide efficient solutions for native or embedded application development.
Custom Software Development
What is custom software development?
Custom software development allows developers to create applications by manually writing code using various programming languages and frameworks. This approach uses code editors or integrated development environments (IDEs) and other development tools to build applications. Frameworks and libraries often include pre-built templates and components for common functionality, but developers have complete control over the application’s functionality and architecture.
Responsibilities include managing databases, server configurations, and client-side interactions. Applications can be deployed in the cloud or on-premises, depending on the architecture. Custom software development requires skilled developers with expertise in multiple technologies. Examples of common technologies used in custom software development include .NET, Java, and OS-specific languages such as Swift (iOS) and Kotlin (Android). See figure 2 for an example of a custom software development environment.
Full-stack development is a special variant of custom software development that involves creating both the frontend (client-side) and backend (server-side) components of a web application. This comprehensive approach ensures seamless integration and functionality throughout the application. Examples of full-stack development stacks include MERN/MEAN and LAMP.
Ideal use cases
Custom software development is ideal for creating highly customized and complex applications and backends.
- Internal tools: Develop custom tools tailored to specific organizational needs, such as specialized inventory trackers.
- Web apps: Build sophisticated web applications with unique features and functionality.
- Mobile apps: Create mobile applications with extensive customization for multiple platforms.
- Native applications: Develop applications designed specifically for a particular operating system, ensuring optimal performance and integration.
- Content Management Systems (CMS): Design content management systems to meet specific needs and workflows.
- E-commerce platforms: Build comprehensive e-commerce solutions with custom features to improve user experience and business operations.
- Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP): Develop enterprise resource planning systems to streamline and integrate business processes.
- Distributed Systems: Build systems that operate across multiple locations, ensuring reliability and scalability.
- Embedded Systems: Develop software for embedded devices that is tailored to specific hardware requirements.
Benefits and advantages
The many advantages of custom software development make it the preferred choice for complex, highly customized solutions.
- Highest level of customization and personalization: Create applications that are as simple or as complex as needed to meet specific objectives.
- Tailored to specific goals: Achieve high levels of complexity and realize everything that is technically possible using appropriate technology stacks, frameworks, and libraries to facilitate development.
- Flexible deployment options: Choose deployment options based on use case and architecture, whether in the cloud or on-premises.
- Ownership and control: Maintain complete ownership and control of source code and data.
- Flexibility to Adapt Changes: Easily extend and modify applications to meet changing needs.
- Compliance and Regulatory Adherence: Ensure compliance with data privacy, cybersecurity, and other regulatory requirements, including self-hosting.
- Standardized support and maintenance: Leverage standardized programming languages and frameworks for consistent support and maintenance.
Challenges and limitations
The following challenges underscore the importance of thorough planning and resource allocation when choosing custom software development.
- Initial cost: The upfront investment for custom software development can be significant.
- Development time: Building custom applications typically takes longer than no-code/low-code solutions.
- Skilled developers required: Requires a team of skilled developers with expertise in multiple technologies.
- Complex project management: Managing the scope, schedule, and quality of the project can be more complex and demanding.
- Testing effort: Extensive testing is required to ensure that the application meets all requirements and functions correctly.
When to choose which approach?
When deciding between no-code/low-code development and custom software development, it’s important to consider several criteria to determine the best approach for your solution. Here’s a decision matrix to help you make your choice:
| Criteria | No-Code/Low-Code Development | Custom Software Development |
| Complexity | Simple to moderately complex applications | Medium to highly complex applications |
| Functionality | Standard features, common functionalities | Unique features, specific functionalities |
| Deployment | No specific requirements (deployment on the platform) | Specific requirements regarding deployment (e.g., compliance & regulations, cloud vs. on-premises) |
| Development Speed | Rapid product development and deployment is required | Longer development and deployment cycles are acceptable |
| Costs | Lower initial costs | Higher initial costs |
| Ownership & Control | Application does not need to be exported and data can be stored on third-party servers1 | Ownership of the source code and data control is critical |
| Compliance | Perfect for applications that do not need to meet special compliance requirements and are not safety-related2 | Required for applications that need to be completely validated |
| Long-Term Viability | Ideal for quick wins and short-term projects | Ideal for long-term and mission-critical applications |
Summary
The choice between no-code/low-code development and custom software development depends on your project’s characteristics and requirements.
No-code/low-code platforms are ideal for rapid development and deployment of simple to moderately complex applications, offering lower up-front costs and accessibility to non-technical users where compliance and business criticality are not mandatory.
Custom software development, on the other hand, provides the highest level of customization and control, making it suitable for complex, mission-critical applications with specific deployment and compliance requirements.
In this context, it is worth noting that the main advantage of rapidly developing an application without code seems to be losing momentum with the advent of powerful AI coding assistants that can generate source code in seconds. This massively increases the speed of traditional custom software development, but introduces new issues that need to be considered and addressed.
Sometimes a hybrid approach is best. For example, using no-code for the frontend, custom development for the backend, and automation for integration with other services. Ultimately, the choice comes down to business needs and constraints, the specific use case, and the appropriate solution architecture. Carefully evaluate these criteria to determine the best approach for your solution.
- Some no-code platforms allow users to export source code that can be deployed outside the platform. However, due to the unique characteristics of this exported code, continuing to develop the application as a custom software development project is very difficult.
- Some platforms provide pre-validated and certified components to meet requirements regarding compliance and mission-criticality. However, these systems are highly specialized and are usually employed for the model-based development of complex algorithms.
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