What is Low-Code Platform?
Low-code/no-code development platforms are types of visual software development environments that allow enterprise developers and citizen developers to drag and drop application components, connect them together and create mobile or web apps. These platforms are often discussed synonymously with the development methods they embody.Low-code development platform is an application that provides the Graphical User Interface for programming and thereby develops the code at a very fast rate & reduces the traditional programming efforts.
Low-code and no-code modular approaches let professional developers quickly build applications by relieving them of the need to write code line by line. They also enable business analysts, office administrators, small-business owners and others who are not software developers to build and test applications. These people can create applications with little to no knowledge of traditional programming languages, machine code or the development work behind the platform’s configurable components.
Working Of Low-Code Development Platforms
With these platforms, you don’t have to write the code line-by-line. It will allow you to draw a flowchart and the code will get created. Code-development gets faster with this method.
Read more about 7 Low Code remarkable trends in 2023 at: 7 Low Code remarkable trends in 2023
Benefits of Low-code Development Tools
Low code development tools provide many benefits and more people can contribute to the application development process. Also, these platforms help organizations in improving their agility. It reduces the complexity of the application development process.
Low code platforms have two other important benefits i.e. high productivity and decreased cost as it develops more applications in lesser time.
The following graph will explain the importance of low-code development tools. As per the research performed by frevvo, it accelerates the digital transformation at 69% and 40% it is responsible for reducing the dependency of high technical skills.
1) Visual LANSA
Tagline: Low Code >> High Control
Pricing: Visual LANSA has a three-tiered pricing structure i.e. Entry Level ($16.66 user/month), Mid-tier ($13.34 user/month), and Enterprise ($8.34 user/month).
LANSA’s low-code development platform accelerates and simplifies the creation of enterprise apps while making your development team more productive. LANSA puts you back in control.
Features:
- Powerful low-code IDE to create desktop, web, and mobile apps.
- Build apps faster, easier, and at a lower cost than traditional methods.
- Extensive testing, deployment, and integration controls.
- In use by several thousand companies around the world.
- Ability to write code inside the IDE.
- Only low-code to run on the IBMi, windows, and web.
Verdict: Visual LANSA will allow professional developers to create applications much quicker than traditional coding and with an amount of control much higher than usually seen in low-code platforms.
2) Retool
Tagline: Build internal tools remarkably fast.
Pricing: It offers a free developer version as well as paid plans per seat depending on feature requirements.
Retool is the fastest way to build internal tools. Visually designed apps that interface with any database or API. Switch to code nearly anywhere to customize how your apps look and work.
With Retool, you can ship more apps and move your business forward – all in less time. Thousands of teams at companies like Amazon, DoorDash, Peloton, and Brex collaborate around custom-built Retool apps to solve internal workflows.
Features:
- Cloud and self-hosted options are available.
- Quickly build the frontends with 50+ drag-and-drop components.
- Integration with dozens of popular data sources.
- Connect to anything with a REST or GraphQL API.
- Write JavaScript anywhere for full customization of your app.
- Secure applications with fine-grained access controls and audit logs as well as SAML SSO and 2FA.
Verdict: Retool is ideal for building internal applications and speeding up the time for development.
3) The m-Power Development Platform
Tagline: Low-code. No Limits.
Pricing: m-Power licenses per database and offers monthly and perpetual (lifetime) license options. All licenses come with unlimited users, features, and applications. Perpetual licenses include free distribution, so users can distribute and sell their generated applications with no extra fees.
The m-Power Development Platform combines low-code development, business intelligence, reporting, workflow automation, and mobile into one platform. With no user or application fees, m-Power customers deliver all types of applications across their entire business.
m-Power’s unique approach to low-code reduces development time by 80% without sacrificing flexibility. Its 4-step build process defaults to no-code for most applications but allows for low-code (or even full code) for complex projects.
Features:
- Full customization: m-Power lets you add custom business logic, create custom templates, and even edit applications at the code level if needed.
- Simple Integration: m-Power easily integrates with your existing software and third-party applications.
- Built to adapt: With unlimited customization options, m-Power is built to adapt to your business and application needs.
- Open Architecture: m-Power is built on open libraries and frameworks and generates industry-standard code.
- No vendor lock-in: Since m-Power applications run independently of the platform, it doesn’t lock you down.
- Built-in security: m-Power applications come with enterprise-class security baked in.
- Flexible deployment: Deploy applications on-premise, in the cloud, or in hybrid scenarios.
- Simple Automation: Easily automate your business processes using m-Power’s drag-and-drop workflow designer.
- No hidden fees: m-Power is licensed per database with no run-time fees, user fees, distribution fees, data fees, or application fees. That means that m-Power will not become more expensive the more you use it.
Verdict: m-Power is one of the most versatile low-code development platforms available. It appeals to all skill levels, creates all types of applications, and allows for complete customization.
4) Quixy
Tagline: Work Smart. Achieve More.
Pricing:
Solution: Starts from $1000/month billed annually.
Platform: $20/user/month billed annually and starts with 20 users.
Enterprise: Contact the Company
Enterprises use Quixy’s cloud-based no-code platform to empower their business users (citizen developers) to automate workflows and build simple to complex enterprise-grade applications for their custom needs up to ten times faster. All without writing any code.
Quixy helps eliminate manual processes and quickly turn ideas into applications making business more innovative, productive, and transparent. Users can start from scratch or customize pre-built apps from the Quixy app store in minutes.
Features:
- Build the app interface the way you want it by dragging and dropping 40+ form fields including a rich text editor, e-signature, QR-Code scanner, Facial Recognition widget, and much more.
- Model any process and build simple complex workflows be it sequential, parallel and conditional with an easy-to-use visual builder. Configure notifications, reminders, and escalations for each step in the workflow.
- Seamlessly integrate with 3rd party applications through ready-to-use connectors, Webhooks, and API Integrations.
- Deploy apps with a single click and make changes on the fly with no downtime. Ability to use it on any browser, any device even in offline mode.
- Live actionable Reports and Dashboards with the option to export data in multiple formats and schedule automated delivery of reports through multiple channels.
- Enterprise-ready with ISO 27001 and SOC2 Type2 Certification and all enterprise features including Custom Themes, SSO, IP filtering, On-Premise deployment, White-Labelling, etc.
Verdict: Quixy is a completely visual and easy-to-use No-Code Application Development platform. Businesses can automate processes across departments using Quixy. It will help you build simple to complex custom enterprise applications faster and with lower costs without writing any code.
5) Creatio
Tagline: Everyone can automate business ideas in minutes.
Pricing: Studio Creatio, Enterprise Edition will cost you $25 per user per month.
Studio Creatio is an intelligent low-code and process management platform with out-of-the-box solutions and templates. Creatio Marketplace has ready-to-use apps and solutions that will extend the platform functionality.
Features:
- BPM engine to flexibly manage structured and unstructured processes.
- Low-code/no-code automation to build configurative solutions effortlessly.
- AI/ Machine learning tools to accelerate business processes, make data-backed decisions and simplify analytical work.
- It provides a leading UI for visual modeling.
- You will be able to build various types of apps through the app wizard.
- It has features for security and administration.
- It provides features to streamline customer engagement and accelerate service delivery.
Verdict: Creatio provides handy graphics and dashboards. Your routine operations will accelerate with the use of this tool. This will help you manage various types of cases and regulate timelines.
Source: Softwaretesting help
