Low-code development platform
Using a low-code development platform, people with or without coding expertise can rapidly develop new applications, helping your company to accelerate innovation.
- Low-code development platforms empower people in your business—even those without coding experience—to create new apps.
- These platforms simplify the app creation process with prebuilt components, visual tools, drag-and-drop actions, and generative AI capabilities.
- By unburdening IT teams from some app development tasks, businesses can increase their efficiency and agility in the marketplace.
- No-code development platforms can also be a good choice for some business use cases.
What are low-code development platforms?
Low-code development platforms are software tools that let users build applications with minimal manual coding. Using preset modules, templates, drag-and-drop functionality, and automated processes, teams can create software quickly while allowing both developers and nontechnical users to focus on design and functionality—instead of writing code from scratch.
Why adopt a low-code platform?
Low-code tools let developers and non-developers within a business easily create apps, automate workflows, and analyze data—speeding delivery and reducing complexity.
Low code vs. traditional development
Traditional development requires writing most features manually in program languages such as C#, Java, and Python. While this approach offers maximum control and customization, it takes more time, resources, and technical expertise.
In comparison, low-code development can facilitate your company’s digital transformation by giving more people the ability to create apps. It simplifies app development by relying on visual builders and preconfigured components to create applications quickly. This means that anyone in your company, regardless of their technical expertise or abilities, can build low-code apps so the business can offload some tasks from IT. It speeds up delivery, reduces complexity, and makes app building accessible to people with less coding experience, often called "citizen developers.”
Because all low-code application platforms don’t function the same way, choosing the right app builder for your business is critical for success. For example, you’ll want a platform that’s flexible enough to handle your unique business challenges while still being easy to use, so that anyone in your company can quickly create professional, user-first apps.
In comparison, low-code development can facilitate your company’s digital transformation by giving more people the ability to create apps. It simplifies app development by relying on visual builders and preconfigured components to create applications quickly. This means that anyone in your company, regardless of their technical expertise or abilities, can build low-code apps so the business can offload some tasks from IT. It speeds up delivery, reduces complexity, and makes app building accessible to people with less coding experience, often called "citizen developers.”
Because all low-code application platforms don’t function the same way, choosing the right app builder for your business is critical for success. For example, you’ll want a platform that’s flexible enough to handle your unique business challenges while still being easy to use, so that anyone in your company can quickly create professional, user-first apps.
How low-code development platforms work
Visual development
- Visual development helps anyone create an app through a simple, drag-and-drop interface. Instead of writing HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, you arrange controls, data connections, and logic on the screen. You see changes as you make them, which helps you move quickly from an idea to a working layout. This approach makes app creation easier for people who don’t write code and speeds up work for developers who want a faster way to build.
Prebuilt components
- Prebuilt components give you a head start by offering ready-to-use modules, templates, and controls you can drop into an app. These pieces handle common layouts and functionality, so you don’t have to design everything from scratch. You choose what you need, place it in your workspace, and customize it to fit your scenario. This approach helps you build faster and stay focused on the parts of your app that matter most.
Logic and automation
- Users can define how an app behaves through visual workflows or simple scripts. A button tap can start a process, update a database, or send an email, all without writing complex code.
- The platform handles many behind-the-scenes steps automatically, including data processing and routine logic. This reduces the amount of manual coding needed and helps apps run more smoothly.
Generative AI capabilities
- AI can work behind the scenes or in user-facing ways to help people build faster and create more accessible, innovative apps. It can suggest layouts, generate code snippets, summarize data, or guide users as they design.
- Low-code platforms connect easily to language models, APIs, databases, and cloud services, so you can bring AI-powered capabilities into your apps with minimal setup.
Testing and deployment
- Apps can be tested and deployed right from the platform, with preview tools that let you validate functionality before you share it. Built-in hosting and automatic updates simplify rollout, so you can publish changes quickly without managing servers or manual releases.
Customization
- Low-code tools minimize the amount of hand-coding required, but they still give developers room to add custom code when needed. You can extend an app with more advanced logic, integrations, or components to support complex business requirements while still benefiting from a faster, more visual development experience.
Benefits of a low-code development platform
Low-code development platforms make businesses more productive and agile by delivering:
Ultimately, these benefits can help your business boost profitability. Low-code app development is designed for internal teams, so you can save money by keeping development in-house instead of hiring external development teams.
- Increased efficiency. You don’t need to wait for developers to have openings in their schedules. With a low-code development platform, your other teams can simultaneously develop apps for multiple platforms and rapidly provide working examples. When developers are available to work on apps, they’ll benefit from intuitive features such as drag-and-drop functionality and user-friendly APIs.
- Faster development and flexibility. With low-code development, business users can create flexible apps that accomplish specific tasks. That agility is also critical if your business must scale and extend apps to quickly finish projects.
- Responsiveness and scalability. Sometimes your business must pivot to accommodate roller-coaster market shifts, and new digital initiatives can help. With low code, you can quickly deliver and change a full-stack application.
- Iterability. Your company can also provide customers with a positive experience every time they interact with your brand. This means providing a consistent, frictionless online experience, and prebuilt templates and chatbots are a great way to approach this.
Ultimately, these benefits can help your business boost profitability. Low-code app development is designed for internal teams, so you can save money by keeping development in-house instead of hiring external development teams.
Power Apps helps you build low-code apps faster
Help anyone build professional-grade apps quickly with Power Apps—a low-code tool with helpful prebuilt templates and drag-and-drop functionality.
Differences between low-code and no-code development platforms
Low code and no code have some similarities. They both allow users to create apps using visual modeling software, and both were created as an alternative to traditional software development, which can be time-consuming and costly. In contrast, low-code and no-code platforms are fast, affordable, and accessible.
However, there are clear differences between these two types of application platforms. While a low-code development platform needs minimal hand-coding and generally involves moving existing code into a workflow to build apps, no-code app builders are designed for users who might not be familiar with programming at all. No code uses declarative programming with a focus on “what,” not “how.” In other words, you tell the system what you want, and it builds the app.
Because no-code platforms don’t require much training, anyone in your company without a technical background can quickly create business apps.
Let’s explore some of the pros and cons of low-code versus no-code development.
However, there are clear differences between these two types of application platforms. While a low-code development platform needs minimal hand-coding and generally involves moving existing code into a workflow to build apps, no-code app builders are designed for users who might not be familiar with programming at all. No code uses declarative programming with a focus on “what,” not “how.” In other words, you tell the system what you want, and it builds the app.
Because no-code platforms don’t require much training, anyone in your company without a technical background can quickly create business apps.
Let’s explore some of the pros and cons of low-code versus no-code development.
Approach | Benefits | Limitations |
Low code |
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No code |
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Examples of what you can build with low-code and no-code platforms
Low-code development platforms make businesses more productive and agile by delivering:
Conference information for event attendees
Building an event-specific app is a great way to keep attendees engaged. An app can make it easy for guests to view daily agendas, learn about speakers, find local transit options, or even provide session feedback.
Streamlined procurement processes
Instead of using email or physical documents to request items, you can build an app to house and manage employee purchase requests and to simplify, or even automate, approvals.
Employee onboarding
Apps can make it easier to quickly bring new employees up to speed. You could also create an app to assign, track, and manage employee training exercises, in-house tutorials, and other important hiring documentation.
Food delivery management
You could build an app to keep track of when food is made, when it’s sent for delivery, and how long it takes for a driver to drop an order off. You could even add GPS functionality that gives delivery drivers the fastest route to their destinations.
When should you choose low-code vs. no-code tools?
Both kinds of app development software can help you build apps that your business needs in a shorter time frame than with traditional development. But how do you know which one is right for you?
It depends on what you’re hoping to achieve and what resources you have available. If speed is your biggest concern, you only want to create apps that accomplish simple tasks, or you don’t have anyone on staff with coding skills, no code is probably your best choice.
However, if you want the speed of no code but don’t want to compromise on customizability or scalability—and both professional developers and business users will use the apps—then low code is the way to go. Whatever the size of your business, low-code platforms give both technical and nontechnical users the power to build apps they need to do their jobs more efficiently. Going low code means you can save money, save time, and be more productive.
It depends on what you’re hoping to achieve and what resources you have available. If speed is your biggest concern, you only want to create apps that accomplish simple tasks, or you don’t have anyone on staff with coding skills, no code is probably your best choice.
However, if you want the speed of no code but don’t want to compromise on customizability or scalability—and both professional developers and business users will use the apps—then low code is the way to go. Whatever the size of your business, low-code platforms give both technical and nontechnical users the power to build apps they need to do their jobs more efficiently. Going low code means you can save money, save time, and be more productive.
Transform your business with a modern, AI-first development platform
Quickly build the apps that your business needs with a low-code development platform. With Microsoft Power Apps, you’ll empower your teams to easily and rapidly build low-code apps that modernize processes, solve tough business challenges, and make your company more agile.
Learn more about Power Apps
Learn more about Power Apps
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
- Low-code application platforms, also called low-code development platforms, simplify app development with tools such as drag-and-drop functionality and visual guidance. With low-code platforms, anyone in your company, regardless of their technical expertise, can build apps that increase productivity, collaboration, and efficiency.
- A low-code development platform needs minimal hand-coding and generally involves moving existing code into a workflow to build apps. No-code solutions are designed for users who might not be familiar with programming at all.
- Low-code platforms can be used to build a variety of business apps. For example, instead of relying on email or physical documents, a company can create a low-code app that manages employee purchase requests and automates approvals. To increase productivity and efficiency, a company could also build apps for tracking time off and travel requests.
- Organizations use low-code development to respond faster and more efficiently to business and market needs. Nontechnical employees can use low-code platforms to solve challenges and take advantage of new opportunities—while freeing IT and development resources for more complex projects. Professional developers can also use low-code platforms to build apps faster and avoid writing code line by line.
For more information, explore our guide to low-code development. - A low-code integration platform connects apps, data, and services through prebuilt connectors and visual tools. It lets people create automated workflows and integrations without deep coding knowledge, making it easier to link systems and streamline processes.
- Yes. Low-code development platforms are well suited for citizen developers because they offer visual tools that don’t require deep coding experience. Tech-savvy developers, business representatives, and other stakeholders can also benefit by using the same tools to build prototypes, collaborate on ideas, and deliver solutions faster.
- No. Introducing low-code development into your organization can reduce shadow IT, since employees build solutions in-line with the rules and governance provided.
Learn more about low-code governance. - Yes. You can build apps without writing code by using platforms with visual tools, templates, and ready-made components. These platforms let you design screens, define logic, and connect to data through simple drag-and-drop actions, though you can add code later if you need more advanced functionality.
- AI will expand what low-code developers can do by speeding up design, suggesting logic, and helping teams build more accessible apps. With AI-powered, low-code tools, people can focus on solving business needs while AI handles repetitive tasks, assists with data insights, and supports more advanced scenarios.
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