Top 10 Low-Code Development Platforms

Published on
13/12/2019 07:38 AM

In a world where companies can no longer afford to settle for one-size-fits-all tools and services, development platforms are growing rapidly in popularity. The right development tools ensure that business owners and their teams can access new and disruptive functionality in their processes. Better still, they can do so without having to rip and replace entire systems.

In the past, only the most advanced IT teams with in-house developers were able to use development frameworks to customise their systems. However, the arrival of APIs, software development kits, and low-code development platforms (LCDPs) means that anyone can create basic apps or access certain services with little prior training or expertise.

With drag-and-drop environments, intuitive interfaces, and seamless connections between technology components, LCDPs make digital transformation easy. Here are just some of the top options you should consider.

The Salesforce Platform

The Salesforce Platform is a crucial tool for low-code app development that supports the Salesforce Object Query Language database. However, to integrate this platform with other databases, you may need to use APIs and some basic coding.

The Salesforce platform is an excellent choice for companies that want to automate repetitive processes in their organisation. The platform supports Simple Object Access Protocol environments and REST protocols for APIs too.

Kissflow

Kissflow is an immersive low-code service platform that businesses can use to automate their workflows and get more done. The environment is tightly connected to the Google Apps portfolio and can collect information from dynamic tables and environments. While there’s no community support for Kissflow, there is documentation on the website to help you out.

Excellent for small businesses and companies just getting started, Kissflow is one of the few low-code development tools available today that comes with a 14-day free trial. Furthermore, the paid packages for premium users are extremely affordable too.

Google App Maker

Google App Maker is Google’s LCDP, designed transform anyone into a developer. With this tool, you can build simple applications in half an hour or less. Inside UI, you’ll even find tools for managing access roles and creating server or client scripts. The platform provides a huge set of templates specifically for application development.

App Maker integrates with some of the most popular services and applications available in the Google portfolio, including Google Drive and Google Analytics. Furthermore, users can write their own CSS code for UI customisation and customise everything with the help of HTTP requests and REST APIs.

Zoho Creator

A flexible and easy-to-use platform in the low-code environment, Zoho Creator combines a rich selection of features with an attractive interface. You can use Zoho Creator to build simple applications and give your teams access to a host of important services. While the Zoho Creator environment is written in Java, you need to use a specially created language called Deluge to create your own code with it.

The good news is that Zoho allows users to import information from files, databases, and cloud storage to create useful applications. You can also use built-in tools to adapt the UI to your requirements.

Radzen

Some people might argue that Radzen is more suited to desktop applications than LCDP. However, it’s still one of the most essential tools on the market for building applications and accessing services with ease. Radzen creates angular applications and gives you pre-generated code that you can customise and use however you want.

All of the files you generate with Radzen are available to open in Visual Studio Code, and the platform is constantly evolving and improving thanks to a committed team of development experts.

Mendix

Mendix is an immersive and easy-to-use platform that guarantees a higher level of fault tolerance for today’s users. You can deploy the solution in a single click, and it comes with a massive set of controls to help you manage your service. What’s more, the experience is fully customisable and on an open platform. This means that you avoid locking in by a manufacturer.

Mendix was mentioned by the Forrester Wave for leading companies in LCDP in 2019. With this tool, you can create custom themes, widgets, and more. Better still, there’s even a built-in visual customisation tool for your UI.

Microsoft PowerApps

Microsoft is one of the most well-known companies in the technology industry for a reason. The PowerApps solution for low-code development is an easy-to-use environment with an intuitive workspace similar to Excel. In particular, users can build applications based on databases in their environment, using pre-established models.

One of the biggest benefits of PowerApps is that developers can give employees access to tools for corporate development that they can use to independently create the applications and services that they need most. Developers can then expand on those apps using Azure services too.

Appian

Appian comes with it’s own proprietary IDE which helps it to stand out within the LCDP market. This business process management solution helps companies of all sizes create applications and deploy them as crucial services for internal use.

However, Appian was also recognised by the Gartner Magic Quadrant for low-code application platforms in 2019. Appian makes it easy to connect legacy applications with modern tools and dashboards. There’s even a set of tools available for application testing.

Quick Base

Quick Base is the perfect LCDP for people who want to build applications that support the collection and storage of information. Using the low-code development tools included in the platform, businesses can build applications even if they don’t know much about, for example, table-based programming.

Quick Base also uses prebuilt application connectors to support integration with popular cloud-based solutions like NetSuite, Salesforce, Box, and Gmail. Furthermore, Quick Base supports advanced security features like permissions and granular roles, corporate user management, and a strong UI.

OutSystems

A powerful LCDP with a wide variety of robust features, OutSystems comes with everything the modern company needs to evolve. You can access everything from robust third-party libraries to handy application templates and a proprietary integrated development environment (IDE). OutSystems also allows multiple users in a single environment to develop one module at the same time, making it easier to manage application roles and users.

OutSystems generates code in the language of your technology stack and the server that you want to use. This environment also allows users to access REST APIs and write new functionality using JavaScript for specific elements.