Low-Code Applications: Pros and Cons

Low-code (and no-code) are tools that let any company build custom web applications without requiring coding skills. But are they really worth bringing in a web development agency? Here is our answer.

It is no secret to anyone: the web world is facing a genuine shortage of developers and other web professionals.

You know it, and we keep saying it: the web landscape is in constant motion. In fact, we count more than 500 million applications created between 2018 and 2023, with only 0.5% of the world population having enough knowledge to code.

The U.S. Labor Statistics institute also highlights this shortage of software developers, counting 40 million missing web developers in 2020 and 85.2 million by 2030.

Given these figures, how can we not understand the rise of low-code and no-code solutions? These low-code development platforms give companies tools to build custom applications or software without having to test scripts or write code. The interface is highly visual, much like the features themselves, which are strikingly simple, such as drag and drop.

So, is it too good to be true, or can anyone really design high-performing applications from A to Z?

You will find all our answers, and much more, right below: from web developers themselves.

The three good reasons to use a low-code solution

Originally designed to offset the shortage of web developers, low-code lets companies stay competitive while undeniably enjoying custom application development that is far less expensive than calling a web development agency.

1. A productivity gain for the company

Whether or not you have coders on staff, using low-code platforms is justified by the time and money they save companies.

While these turnkey solutions allow professionals to make undeniable savings, they also let them free up their developers so they can focus only on high-value tasks that require more complex coding.

2. More flexibility and room to act

Cloud-based low-code platforms make teamwork considerably easier. Business teams act together, share their ideas and collaborate with IT teams for fast development rich in multi-channel collaboration.

Without writing thousands of lines of code, low-code platforms greatly simplify maintenance. The products created can be updated quickly and benefit from a highly efficient development process for the company.

Finally, while it is possible to add security measures when you begin building an application, note that security features are built into low-code systems for near-optimal protection of both the applications you design and your data.

3. Increased capacity for innovation

What do web trends, customer expectations and new technologies have in common?

All three change and evolve at lightning speed. So if a company wants to stay a leader in its market, it must be agile by accelerating the production and delivery of custom applications. And that is exactly what low-code allows it to do.

The limits of low-code development

Custom software development requires more than knowing how to code. It also requires understanding user needs, having a rational, big-picture view of the various creation processes. And while low-code proves very useful for building basic applications, it cannot be applied to complex projects with large volumes of data.

Limited customization: the main complaint against low-code

Low-code platforms, by offering a limited number of customization options, cannot adapt to the design and interface needs of every company. The risk is ending up with a generic, undifferentiated and therefore uncompetitive application.

Some platforms give you access to the lines of code and let you customize the application as much as you like. But for that, an expert coder is essential.

On top of that, this limited customization can harm digital accessibility requirements. Not to mention that automated and therefore less efficient code generation necessarily leads to lower performance that spoils the user experience.

A forced dependency on the vendor

Betting on a low-code platform also means accepting dependence on the vendor for everything related to maintenance, support and platform updates. Some malicious vendors do not hesitate to lock you into their platform, or even to alter your applications when you stop using them. You should also be aware that an update can, overnight, make your application obsolete.

Our web development company is committed to giving your application an optimal level of security, using secure code combined with strict compliance with standards.

Potential risks and vulnerabilities

Choosing a low-code platform means accepting that you do not have control over all of your application's code. Security flaws can inevitably hide in this automatically generated code.

So, low-code or traditional development?

While low-code development platforms are growing undeniably, they cannot replace traditional programming, especially for complex, resource-hungry applications. In practice, if you want to combine lower costs with performance, the usual approach is to pair low-code with traditional programming.