In recent years, the IT sector has faced a shortage of talent and developers causing difficulties for companies. Developers, spending a large part of their time performing maintenance tasks, sometimes have difficulty responding quickly to the expectations of business users, who cannot adapt their process and system to the pace demanded by the market.
Thus, in response to the lack of developers, no-code and low-code software have grown in the market. Although they serve the same purpose – to make coding more accessible – they are not necessarily interchangeable. When it comes to choosing the best solution for your needs, there are some key differences you need to consider.
Let’s start with no-code software, which as the name suggests, does not necessarily require coding skills to operate. The no-code allows everyone to develop with ease, through intuitive and easy-to-use tools. As such, no-code solutions are aimed at users who have no coding knowledge or training. These tools can be a quick and efficient solution for a single user to streamline a routine task or process, or to better collaborate on projects.
However, this ease of adoption has drawbacks. Indeed, no-code software has limited capabilities for more complex tasks. In addition, because of this wide accessibility, it is quite easy to find the operation of this software, resulting in a computer security flaw that must be constantly overcome.
Although low-code shares similarities with no-code, exploiting easy-to-learn features, it gives the possibility of coding in addition to offering no-code solutions. Ranging from professional developers to hobby developers, this technology attracts users with more extensive coding knowledge. This solution therefore makes it possible to carry out more complex projects. Also, it encourages much closer collaboration between developers and companies, eliminating some concerns about using malicious or untrusted software.
Low-code can be difficult to learn for users without technical knowledge. Although the solution is still accessible to users of any skill level, it is strongly recommended to have a minimum of knowledge in this area.
Choose the right solution according to your needs
The shortage of professional developers affects all companies, regardless of their sector. No-code and low-code solutions represent an excellent way to fill this lack of know-how. It is then interesting to ask what type of solution is adapted to its needs. To do this, companies must start by asking themselves these few questions:
- Do the teams have technical knowledge or any interest in development?
- Will the developers implement a solution intended for adoption by others?
- Will the solution include many integrations with more than one system?
- Does the IT department have the interest and/or the necessary skills to join the projects?
If the answer to most questions is NO, no-code could be the ideal software for the company to quickly adopt and develop a relatively simple solution to a problem you are facing as an individual.
If the answer to most questions is YES, low-code might be the best choice. It will be possible to shape the development process with an accessible learning curve while partnering with developers to address the business challenges facing the business.
By both accelerating application development and launch, no-code and low-code solutions address the same issues. However, as with any decision, the pros and cons of each solution should be considered to determine which best meets each need.