Low-code is a software development approach that requires little to no coding to build applications and processes. Instead of using complex programming languages, you can employ visual interfaces with basic logic and drag-and-drop capabilities in a low-code development platform. As they are a quick and simple alternative to conventional software development, these platforms have grown in popularity.
Low-Code is transforming the way enterprises develop applications by eliminating complexities and accelerating delivery times. According to Gartner's latest forecast, the global low-code market is projected to reach $65 billion by 2027 and $187 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 31.1 percent between 2020 and 2030. This rapid adoption confirms what we've seen across our 10,000+ customers: low-code transforms how businesses approach software development..
As organizations face growing IT backlogs and the need for rapid innovation, Low-Code development has emerged as the perfect solution to build scalable, efficient, and user-friendly applications. With its visual development approach, drag-and-drop interfaces, and prebuilt templates, Low-Code empowers businesses to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical teams, fostering seamless collaboration. In this guide, we’ll dive deep into the fundamentals of Low-Code, explore its benefits, and discuss how it’s shaping the future of software development.
Low-Code development refers to a software development methodology that leverages minimal hand-coding, allowing users to create applications visually. It is designed to accelerate the development process, enabling faster time-to-market for enterprise apps.
Low-code empowers developers with a flexible and visual environment to develop simple to complex applications in a graphical interface. With advanced tools like drag-and-drop modelers, pre-built templates, intuitive UI, etc., low-code technology allows developers to design and deploy apps much faster, allowing organizations to scale, be more profitable, and achieve above-average returns.
"Low-code and no-code tools are a way to mitigate talent shortages because they allow companies to build systems without the need for large teams of developers," says Amitha Pulijala, vice president of product, cloud platform services, CX, API, and AI at Vonage.
Low-code creation frameworks allow IT customers to incorporate building blocks into workflows and apps. These essential elements abstract the code behind actions and orders, allowing IT to create interfaces and business applications without coding them by hand.
Low-code platforms let users build apps with visual tools, making it easier for business users and developers to understand and participate in the development process. At Kissflow, our customers typically see an 80 percent reduction in development time when using our visual process modeler compared to traditional development.
|
Feature |
Traditional Development |
Kissflow Low-Code |
|
Form Builder |
8-16 hours coding |
15-30 minutes |
|
User Access Controls |
Custom coding required |
Built-in role management |
|
Reporting Dashboard |
Custom development |
Pre-built templates |
|
Mobile Responsiveness |
Additional development |
Automatic |
Our internal testing shows that even first-time users can create a simple approval workflow in under 10 minutes using our drag-and-drop interface.
Security is built into the platform, with advanced features like:
Kissflow's low-code platform seamlessly scales from teams of 10 to organizations with 10,000+ users, with performance maintained even under heavy loads.
To dive deeper into automation within low-code platforms, explore this in-depth guide on Power Automate.
|
Aspect |
Traditional development |
Low-code development |
|
Time to Market |
3-6 months |
2-4 weeks |
|
Technical Expertise Required |
High (coding skills) |
Low to Medium |
|
Cost |
$50,000+ |
$5,000-$25,000 |
|
Maintenance |
Regular developer intervention |
Minimal technical support |
|
Flexibility |
Highly customizable |
Pre-built components with customization options |
|
Learning Curve |
Steep |
Gentle |
Low-code platforms provide enterprise businesses with a powerful means to enhance productivity, streamline app development, and reduce costs, all while maintaining simplicity and agility. From mitigating the risks of shadow IT to facilitating faster app deployment, these platforms are essential for helping enterprises tackle IT backlogs and accelerate digital transformation initiatives.
Selecting the best low-code platform for your specific business requirements is crucial to maximize these benefits and ensure successful implementation across your organization
Low-code platforms empower business users to create their applications, reducing dependence on IT. As a result, productivity increases because teams can quickly implement their ideas without waiting for developer support. By shortening the gap between concept and execution, low-code platforms enable businesses to innovate more rapidly and efficiently.
Low-code development significantly reduces the need for highly specialized developers. It cuts down development timelines, saving both time and money. For example, what might take several months with traditional development methods can be done in a fraction of the time using low-code, leading to substantial cost savings when scaled across multiple applications.
Low-code platforms help mitigate the risk of shadow IT by providing a secure environment where business users can create applications that comply with internal IT standards. Employees often turn to unapproved third-party apps without such platforms, introducing security risks. A low-code platform ensures compliance and reduces the risk of data breaches by offering a governed, internal solution.
Traditional app development can take months or even longer, but low-code platforms accelerate the process dramatically. Both experienced developers and non-technical users can quickly build applications using pre-built components and drag-and-drop functionality. This results in fewer bugs, quicker launches, and more agile operations.
Low-code platforms simplify maintenance using pre-tested, modular components that integrate seamlessly, leading to fewer bugs and smoother updates. Any changes or upgrades can be implemented without causing disruptions to existing functionalities, allowing businesses to stay agile and up-to-date with minimal effort.
Learn More: Key Benefits of Low-Code Platforms for Enterprise Businesses
Low-code platforms help businesses respond more quickly to changing market demands by enabling rapid app creation and deployment, allowing organizations to be more agile and competitive, adapting to new business needs without the delays associated with traditional IT projects.
By providing a structured and standardized environment for application development, low-code platforms help prevent technical debt. This reduces the risk of inefficient coding practices and ensures that applications are built to scale and are easy to maintain in the long term.
Low-code platforms offer integration capabilities that provide access to real-time data and insights, allowing business leaders to make data-driven decisions that can improve overall performance.
Low-code platforms facilitate the integration of emerging technologies like AI and machine learning into business applications, allowing enterprises to stay competitive and up-to-date without needing extensive coding or development resources, helping businesses modernize their processes quickly and efficiently.
Low-code platforms are versatile tools that cater to a wide range of users, from business teams to IT professionals. Among the key users are IT leaders and directors, who leverage low-code platforms to accelerate application development, reduce backlogs, and enhance operational efficiency.
IT leaders often face a significant backlog of internal applications and development projects. Low-code tools solve this by enabling faster application development with pre-built templates, drag-and-drop interfaces, and modular components. These features allow IT departments to quickly tackle pending projects, reduce bottlenecks, and ensure the timely deployment of business-critical applications. IT leaders can free up valuable resources and focus on more strategic initiatives by streamlining the development process.
Low-code platforms enable IT leaders to delegate specific development tasks to non-technical team members. IT teams can focus on more complex, high-priority tasks by empowering business users to build and modify their applications, Improving overall team productivity, and fostering greater collaboration between IT and business departments. With the reduced reliance on specialized developers, IT leaders can accelerate process automation and optimize workflows across the organization.
For IT directors, low-code tools are essential for improving operational efficiency. These platforms simplify the development and deployment of applications, allowing IT teams to automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and enhance overall system performance. Low-code tools also offer better collaboration within IT departments, enabling team members to work more efficiently and respond faster to business needs. This results in more agile and responsive IT operations that can scale with the organization's growth.
A Low-Code Application Platform (LCAP) enables IT directors to efficiently manage and deploy applications. LCAPs centralize the development, testing, and deployment process, minimizing the need for extensive coding. By using an LCAP, you reduce development time, lower costs, and simplify the management of large-scale applications. LCAPs also ensure compliance by providing strong governance and security features while maintaining operational agility.
If you're evaluating different development approaches based on user roles and complexity, this low-code vs no-code comparison will help you decide which platform best suits your needs.
The underlying element of any application is processing data. Start by defining the processes that align with business needs to get a structured flow. This helps create apps so that the processes are in the right order, and it is easier to achieve the result.
You can also find the most effective path by implementing process simulation and deriving new insights. Once you have a set of defined processes, collecting the right and necessary data becomes more effortless.. Determine the data required to carry out the processes seamlessly from start to end.
Low-code adoption becomes easier if the user experience is seamless and good. Based on the defined process and data, and with drag-and-drop features, intuitive forms can be created to collect relevant information. A robust low-code system enables users to build forms dynamically with user-based control and ready-to-use widgets. Creating the perfect form with any field type and functionality helps build apps better.
Many business process management (BPM) companies have increasingly started adopting low-code solutions due to their novel approach, which emphasizes minimal coding requirements. You can also modify the default code to unlock more advanced features in the app. One of the most significant advantages of a low-code platform is business-process automation.
With pre-built templates and visual development features, you can automate repetitive tasks that do not require human intervention. This saves employees' time and effort, which can be better put into business-critical tasks.
Testing the application is a mandatory step before launching it. This way, any sort of technical issues and glitches can be identified before the application goes live. A faulty application can adversely affect the efficiency and performance of processes.
Low-code systems also provide a testing environment where the built application can be scrutinized and tested multiple times to check its performance and eliminate technical faults. Based on the test results and user feedback, necessary changes can be made before the app is pushed to the live stage.
Low-code offers flexible application deployment. You can install, configure, and set up fully functional applications with just a few clicks. Along with the deployment, low-code systems also provide real-time feature updates, fixes, and updates.
Although low-code can offer many benefits, there are also some challenges that organizations should be aware of when implementing this approach.
One of the main challenges of low-code technology is that it can be difficult for non-technical users to understand and navigate the platform. This can make it difficult for business analysts and domain experts to create and test their own apps and make it harder for IT departments to support and maintain those apps.
Another challenge is that low-code solutions can be limiting when it comes to customization and scalability. While the drag-and-drop interface can be intuitive and easy to use, it may not offer the same level of flexibility as traditional coding methods. Creating complex or custom apps that meet an organization's specific needs can be challenging.
As organizations exponentially grow, they tend to adopt new technologies to ensure operational efficiency. Low-code is one such robust technology that enables organizations to be digitally progressive. With low-code functionality, you can create flexible solutions such as automating processes, digitizing your operations, managing requests, and building custom applications at speed and scale.
Low-Code is versatile and can be applied across various industries and scenarios:
Some other examples of low-code development
As competition increases, finding the best low-code platform that aligns with your organization's technical requirements and business goals will become increasingly important for successful digital transformation initiatives.
Kissflow is a unified low-code/no-code platform that bridges the gap between business users and IT to simplify work management and dramatically accelerate digital transformation. Business users can take control of their digital needs while IT leaders can continue providing a secure and scalable platform for digital growth.
Get started with Kissflow Platform and learn how to leverage its features to drive better results
SoftBank Telecom transformed its manual, email-based processes with Kissflow's low-code platform, achieving remarkable results:
Puma Energy, a global downstream retailer in the Oil and Gas industry, leveraged Kissflow to transform its paper-based processes during COVID-19:
Based on data from over 10,000 Kissflow customers:
Discover how Kissflow can help your organization meet digital demands without adding complexity. Whether you're tackling a backlog, launching new tools, or scaling existing processes, low-code with Kissflow helps you move faster and build smarter.
Choose a platform that holds certifications like SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA. Review the platform’s encryption methods for data at rest and in transit. Ensure role-based access controls, audit logging, and robust vulnerability management practices are in place. Kissflow offers enterprise-grade security features and complete documentation on these topics.
Confirm that the platform supports your specific regulatory needs, including data residency options and the ability to make region-specific deployments. Kissflow provides compliance attestations to support industries governed by strict regulations such as healthcare, finance, and government.
Kissflow provides pre-built connectors for leading enterprise systems like Salesforce, SAP, and Microsoft services. Our platform supports REST, SOAP, and GraphQL APIs to connect securely to custom and legacy systems. Reference cases are available upon request.
Yes. Kissflow offers flexible integration frameworks and robust database connectors. We support middleware solutions when needed to bridge gaps between legacy and modern systems.
Kissflow is designed to handle large deployments across multiple geographies. We share performance benchmarks and architectural documentation upon request. Our platform supports dynamic scaling based on user load, data volume, and transaction complexity.
Kissflow supports automatic scaling, performance tuning, load balancing, and caching mechanisms to maintain consistent performance under peak demand.
Kissflow offers a centralized administration console, version control, role-based permissions, approval workflows, and citizen development governance frameworks. Our governance module ensures adherence to enterprise standards without stifling innovation.
Kissflow supports the full application lifecycle—development, testing, staging, and production. Integrated DevOps pipelines, rollback options, and environment management are built into the platform.
TCO includes licensing (based on user volume or app complexity), infrastructure, training, integration, support, and expansion needs. A 3-5 year TCO analysis often shows significant savings compared to traditional development, both in time and cost.
Kissflow maintains transparent pricing. Consider potential add-ons such as additional storage, custom integrations, API call volumes, or expanded user licenses. Pricing history is stable, and details are openly shared.
Top low-code platforms offer visual development environments with drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-built components. The best ones provide robust database management, API integration capabilities, and responsive UI design tools. Enterprise-grade solutions include application lifecycle management features, team collaboration tools, and deployment options across multiple environments while maintaining the development speed advantages of low-code.
Low-code dramatically accelerates development through visual tools and pre-built components, while traditional programming offers unlimited flexibility through hand-written code. Low-code platforms handle infrastructure complexity automatically, while traditional approaches require more technical expertise. Low-code development is more accessible to business users, creating citizen developers, while traditional coding remains the domain of professional developers. The speed advantage of low-code comes with some customization limitations that traditional programming doesn't face.
Mid-sized businesses gain the most from low-code, balancing sophisticated needs with limited IT resources. Regulated industries like finance and healthcare benefit from governance features while maintaining development speed. Professional services firms create client-facing portals and internal tools without lengthy development cycles. Organizations with rapidly changing requirements appreciate the agility to modify applications quickly as needs evolve.
Organizations with frequent process changes benefit most from low-code's rapid development capabilities. Companies with limited IT resources can empower business users to create applications. Enterprises needing to modernize legacy systems appreciate low-code's integration capabilities. Organizations with diverse business needs value the ability to quickly create purpose-built applications rather than forcing processes into one-size-fits-all solutions.
Technical limitations arise when requirements exceed platform capabilities, requiring workarounds. Integration with legacy systems often requires custom code that breaks the low-code paradigm. Governance becomes complex as more citizen developers create applications without IT oversight. Performance optimization is more constrained than with traditional development. Perhaps most significantly, organizations may face vendor lock-in due to the proprietary nature of low-code platforms.