What is no-code de­vel­op­ment?

No code is software that allows users to develop an app without pro­gram­ming skills. It works with a graphical user interface rather than tra­di­tion­al source code. The downside is that it’s less flexible than hand­writ­ten code.

What’s the defin­i­tion of no code?

Normally, most of the software de­vel­op­ment process happens using code. That is, spe­cial­ised de­velopers program what’s needed for the ap­plic­a­tion and then pass it on. No code follows a different approach: a graphical interface is used for de­vel­op­ing the app, and writing code is no longer necessary. These changes are meant to simplify and speed up the process.

No code also lets laypeople develop software them­selves without needing to learn a pro­gram­ming language. No-code platforms provide graphic user in­ter­faces that work much like website builders. Users select the pieces they need for their task and then put them together using drag and drop.

There are a number of different no-code platforms that differ in terms of their features, possible uses and sometimes also spe­cial­isa­tions. While some tools merely serve to simplify processes within a company and make it possible for untrained employees to take on IT tasks, other platforms do much more. For example, more extensive platforms might enable you to create more complex apps, which you otherwise would have needed a spe­cial­ist (and a lot of time and money) for. The func­tion­al­ity of a project that’s made with no code can be checked and tested at any time, making the risk of an error-ridden app re­l­at­ively low.

What’s the dif­fer­ence between no code and low code?

The idea of no -code platforms is closely related to low-code platforms. There are some things that the two platforms have in common. Low code also provides visual tools that make for a more user-friendly ex­per­i­ence than pure coding. But there are also some very clear dif­fer­ences between low code and no code. Three of the major dif­fer­ences between the two platforms are their target groups, their design and their in­ter­faces. Let’s look at these more closely.

Target group

Low code and no code are targeted at different users, which becomes clear when you look at the tools provided. Low code sim­pli­fies the work of de­velopers and is mostly aimed at that group. You need to be pro­fi­cient in a pro­gram­ming language in order to benefit from a low-code platform. In contrast, no code is ac­cess­ible for end users. It’s not necessary to have knowledge of pro­gram­ming paradigms or have your own code editor.

Design and structure

The core designs of low-code and no-code platforms are sig­ni­fic­antly different. In the case of no code, you’ll use a visual app builder to put together the different building blocks of your app. Low code, on the other hand, requires extensive knowledge of pro­gram­ming and just sim­pli­fies certain steps in the pro­gram­ming process using visual tools. The ar­chi­tec­ture still has to be created using manual code.

Interface

The user interface of a no-code platform is usually preset and not cus­tom­is­able. In contrast, users that opt for low-code solutions have more freedom and can customise their UI using manual code.

What are the ad­vant­ages of no code?

If you’re con­sid­er­ing whether no code is the right solution for you, you should take a look at the ad­vant­ages of no-code de­vel­op­ment. Here are just a few examples:

User friendly

No-code de­vel­op­ment is extremely user friendly. Even laypeople can use no-code platforms, with a very low learning curve. This enables you to in­tu­it­ively create a website or simple app without a lot of back­ground knowledge. You also don’t have to worry about prin­ciples like clean code and legacy code. This means that de­vel­op­ment doesn’t take very long, and your app will be available sooner.

Budget friendly

Which brings us to the second benefit of no code: savings. No-code projects require sig­ni­fic­antly less time and resources. Without a lot of training, you can achieve sat­is­fy­ing results in a very short time. Ad­di­tion­ally, in using a no-code platform, you can opt not to work with de­velopers, who would otherwise charge you rates that reflect their ex­per­i­ence and expertise. No-code platforms sometimes offer free demos as well.

Fewer errors

Thanks to their preset ar­chi­tec­ture, no code is less sus­cept­ible to errors. The in­di­vidu­al building blocks that you add to your app using drag and drop interact with each other very smoothly. And because the pro­to­types have already been ex­tens­ively tested, you can avoid any nasty surprises down the line.

Flex­ib­il­ity within the system

Apps created with no code can also be changed and expanded on later, without having to change the entire structure of the app. So your project can safely grow in its needs.

What are the dis­ad­vant­ages of no code?

Of course, nothing is perfect, and no-code de­vel­op­ment also comes with some dis­ad­vant­ages. Below are some examples:

Making changes

As explained above, you can usually make changes to your app in no code. However, these changes can only be made in the same platform that you used to make the app. If that platform doesn’t offer a certain feature, you’ll usually have to do without it.

In­teg­ra­tion

In­teg­rat­ing no-code projects with more complex systems is not always possible either. There’s a very par­tic­u­lar set of cir­cum­stances in which no code can be useful – that is, when you really just need the basics. If you need to in­di­vidu­al­ise your software at all, you’ll quickly come up against the limits of no-code de­vel­op­ment.

Hard to move

Your no-code software will also be closely bound to the platform you used to create it. Most platforms don’t allow you access to the source code, meaning that it’s hard to separate your project from the platform and integrate it into another system. If you’ve created an app with a no-code solution, expect it to be com­plic­ated and even dis­ad­vant­age­ous to switch platforms.

What are some re­com­men­ded no-code platforms?

There are a number of different no-code platforms out there. Some of the most well-known ones include:

• AppSheet: AppSheet enables you to create apps for auto­ma­tion and uses Google AI and geo­loca­tion.
• Bubble: a cloud-based, no-code platform for websites and web apps.
• Caspio: a no-code platform for database apps and other apps.
• Kissflow: a platform for project and process man­age­ment that’s used by companies worldwide to optimise workflows.
• Landbot: a no-code builder for creating your own chatbot.