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No-Code Versus Low-Code Application Platforms

First came the debate between Quantum and Relativity Physicists, then in the past 4 years we’ve had Remainers Vs Leavers in the UK but a wider, sometimes more heated debate has also been taking place worldwide. No-code Vs low-code arguments between developers seem to be all the rage in recent years.

Low-code development is a way for developers to design applications quickly and use less handwritten code compared to traditional computer programming. It may feature development of a particular kind of application such as databases, business processes or user interfaces such as web applications. The first few low-code development platforms (LCDPs) can be traced back to late 1990s-early 2000s but were given their specific name in June 2014.  

In layman’s terms, low-code is the process of dragging and dropping visual blocks of existing code into a workflow to create applications. It replaces the traditional method of hand-coding an entire app so skilled developers can work more efficiently (at least 10x faster!) and not getting tied up with repetitive coding.
Gartner expects the low-code market to be responsible for more than 65% of the application development activity by 2024. And industry experts estimate the total market for LCDPs – valued at $5.6 billion in 2018 – to reach $52.3 billion by 2024!

And what about no-code?

Unlike low-code applications that can be used in equal measure by both business users and developers, no-code development platforms (NCDPs) are built for those end-users who may have no knowledge whatsoever of actual programming languages. Everything the no-code user needs to build an app is already included into the platform. The concept of no-code solutions is similar to building a GoDaddy website using a pre-designed template for a certain industry sector.

NCDPs have increased in popularity in recent years as companies deal with the parallel trends of an increasingly mobile workforce and a limited supply of competent software developers. Most no-code platforms were initially designed to solve a single business problem, such as business process management.
Some critics argue that applications built with no-code tools are usually very difficult to customise and have no unique functionality.

But like in most debates, nothing is actually black and white. The choice between low-code and no-code solutions can come down to user preference, developers’ skill and capability in-house, time and budget available, staff turnover levels and training requirements.

In today’s fast-moving business environment, there’s room for both platforms, or at least a combination of both. The dominant players such as Microsoft and Salesforce are investing heavily in low-code and no-code solutions. And yet, they see their market share eroded by smaller companies who specialise in certain elements of business process automation but at the same time integrate seamlessly with leading business software like CRM and ERP systems.

TKDialogs offers a no-code business process automation solution and a useful tool that creates and deploys custom user interfaces to lead users step-by-step through a pre-defined process. These interfaces are used for inbound and outbound call guides (e.g. sales qualification, customer services, issue logging), self-service websites and anywhere an intuitive, consistent user interface is required.

The software is accessible to all parts of the business, enabling developers to tailor it to specific business needs in sectors such as finance, education, healthcare and local government to name but a few.
 
“For all of us at TKDialogs, no-code is the ultimate goal and something which we continue to support and develop. Any department of our client’s business, whether it be Marketing, HR or Accounts should be able to access our application and build a process that meets their needs without the need to always go through IT. It’s self-explanatory and we are always here to support them especially at the beginning when they familiarise themselves with the interface…”
Ian Booth, Product Support Analyst, TKDialogs