Low-code and no-code

What is low-code?

Low-code is a way of building software with little programming. You put together screens, fields and buttons and set down rules in a visual diagram. If the building blocks fall short, a developer adds code.

Examples are Microsoft Power Apps, Mendix and OutSystems. In Power Apps you can also describe the app in plain language. AI then designs a first version, and you judge whether it is right.

What is the difference with no-code?

With no-code you build only with ready-made blocks. That is easier to learn, but you can only do what the blocks allow. The line is not sharp: in Power Apps you build without code, and a developer can add code to it.

An integration platform such as Zapier or Make connects packages you already have. With low-code you build your own app, with screens for your employees.

Example in an SME

What can be done, and what can't?

Low-code suits forms, lists and overviews for your own team well, and a first version to test an idea (an MVP). It is less suited to:

• many users, because you often pay per user per month;
• rules that are too complex for the building blocks;
• work for which you do not want to be tied to one supplier: the app runs on its platform, under its licence.

Low-code or custom?

With custom software you pay for the build, and then hosting and maintenance. In that case, agree that the code and the data are yours. And sometimes a standard package (SaaS) is enough. This is how you choose:

1. First check whether a package you already have can do it.
2. Work out the costs over a few years: licences, build and maintenance.
3. Ask what happens to the app and your data if you stop.

In a business analysis I put a package, low-code and custom software side by side for you. You decide, and I receive no commission. Do you currently work in separate lists? Then read Your Excel lists have got out of hand.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: What is Power Apps? (in Dutch), Power Apps pricing (in Dutch), Mendix Studio Pro, Mendix pricing, OutSystems: low-code and the GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), Article 28 (in Dutch). Consulted on 22 October 2026.