These innovative solutions are accelerating the development of cloud applications, mobile games, and more
Modern development teams are dealing with a trio of challenges. First, software has never been more complex. Second, application security has never been more difficult. And third, the market has never been faster. As a consequence, teams have embraced new approaches to software development that make the process easier, faster, and more secure. The consensus method? Low-code development platforms.
This article provides a complete breakdown of this new approach, from diving into the definition to exploring the top platforms in each development type.
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What Are Low-Code Development Platforms?
5 Best Low-Code Development Platforms
Desktop Software Development: LANSA
Mobile App Development: Appery
The Rise of Low-Code Development
Ready to take your understanding of low-code & no-code further? Check out Low-Code/No-Code Software Development: A Comprehensive Guide.
What Are Low-Code Development Platforms?
Low-code development platforms enable developers to create cloud, web, desktop, game, or mobile applications without extensive coding. Instead, developers provide the platform with a high-level description of the application they want to build, and the platform does the work of translating that description into actual code.
While no-code and low-code development platforms are often used interchangeably, they actually refer to slightly different solutions. Low-code platforms are designed for developers and have robust software development capabilities. No-code platforms are designed for users with no technical knowledge and typically do not have the same level of development capabilities.
Recent research indicates that organizations are adopting low-code development platforms rapidly, because the solutions confer a variety of benefits, including:
- Greater development efficiency: By reducing the manual labor involved in application development, low-code development platforms minimize time to market.
- Lower development costs: Greater automation reduces the need for expensive human labor to execute more menial tasks.
- Increased market agility: Faster development means that organizations can react quickly to changing user demands and market trends.
- Enhanced application security: Low-code development platforms can bake essential security and compliance controls directly in the application at the start of the build.
No-code/low-code solutions are becoming universal. In our survey of 300 engineering leaders, we found that no-code/low-code cloud automation adoption is expected to hit >90% by 2025. Learn more with your free copy:
5 Best Low-Code Development Platforms
Now that we’ve covered what low-code development platforms are and the benefits they provide, let’s look at some of the best solutions for cloud, web, desktop, game, and mobile app development.
Cloud Development: DuploCloud
DuploCloud is a low-code development platform that transforms high-level application specifications into detailed and fully managed cloud configurations. The platform slashes development cycle times by automating application provisioning and orchestration across the relevant processes — including networks, computing, storage, containers, cloud-native services, continuous compliance, and developer guardrails. It also significantly reduces time-to-compliance by integrating security and compliance controls like PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, and GDPR into the application from day one. Built by founding members of the Microsoft Azure team, DuploCloud is the leading infrastructure and compliance automation platform for cloud application development.
Web Development: OutSystems
OutSystems combines the power of AI with the simplicity of low-code development to empower developers to rapidly build web applications at any scale. Whether your organization is developing in-house software to streamline business operations or massive consumer applications to serve millions of users, this platform provides developers with everything they need to bring their vision to life efficiently, effectively, and securely. This includes comprehensive support for back-end, front-end, integration, process orchestration, and data development.
Desktop Software Development: LANSA
LANSA streamlines developer workflows by bringing all the relevant features under a single IDE. It reduces laborious hand-coding through a hybrid low-code approach, enabling every developer to deliver like a full-stack expert. In addition, the platform’s loss-code repository boosts development efficiency and scrubs redundancies. Combined, these features allow organizations to conceive, create, and deploy desktop applications in step with an increasingly fast-moving market.
Game Development: Buildbox
Buildbox is consistently ranked by experts among the top mobile game development platforms. Unlike the other solutions in this article, the Buildbox 3 is both a no-code and low-code platform. This 3D and 2D games builder leverages no-code features like a robust library of game templates, customizable game assets with preset logic, and a comprehensive set of animations. The platform also hinges around a no-code, node-based, drag-and-drop UI. But Buildbox 3 further caters to developers and more tech-savvy users by allowing them to perform code-driven customization and other advanced low-code operations.
Overall, Buildbox is a powerful solution that helps teams of every level deliver compelling mobile games to consumers.
Mobile App Development: Appery
With over 500,000 users and 10,000 published apps to its name, Appery is a proven low-code development platform designed to make building iOS and Android apps simple. Like Buildbox, the platform leverages drag-and-drop functionality to make the development process more approachable to beginners while offering robust support for seasoned developers. Technically sophisticated teams accustomed to working in frameworks like Angular can enhance their existing workflow with the platform's visual tools to accelerate their efficiency. They can also drop in custom code during the mapping process. However, those less comfortable with this level of work can add value using the platform’s straightforward UI.
In short, it’s a strong choice for teams of any skill set developing iOS or Android apps.
The Rise of Low-Code Development
To compete in this era, organizations have to work not just harder — but smarter — than anyone else. For many companies, “smarter” means using low-code development platforms as a productivity multiplier.
To explore this topic more in-depth, read our recent whitepaper: Provision Cloud Applications 10x Faster with a No-Code/Low-Code DevOps Platform. It unpacks how low-code platforms give organizations an edge over their rivals by accelerating cloud application development and cutting time-to-market.
