10 Best Low-Code Platforms to Create Applications in 2024

Choosing the right low-code platform is a crucial decision for businesses looking to streamline their application development processes. Given their potential to reduce the development time even up to a staggering 90%, low-code platforms have become indispensable tools to drive digital transformation for modern businesses.

According to Gartner, by 2025, organizations will build 70% of their new applications using low-code or no-code platforms. If you haven't yet experienced the benefits of the low-code platform capabilities, now is the best moment. Let’s go over the best low-code platforms available on the market in 2024 and what to pay attention to when making your choice.

What is a Low-Code Platform?

A low code development platform is software that supports creating business applications with a visual user interface and minimum or no coding required. It's a faster and more democratized system that helps citizen developers create and customize their apps, regardless of their technical skills, using ready-to-use components. Professionals using low-code platforms can expedite the development process utilizing pre-built modules and further customize the application using code to meet specific business requirements.

Best Low-Code Platforms Summary

How to Choose the Right Low Code Platform?

When choosing a low-code platform, it's essential to consider a range of evaluation criteria that can significantly impact applications' development, deployment, and scalability. Here are several key aspects you should consider:

Intuitive visual interface

A top-notch low-code platform is distinguished by its user-friendly drag-and-drop interfaces. This empowers users with different levels of technical expertise to swiftly create functional apps.

Pre-built templates and components

Look for a platform that offers a library of pre-built templates and components. These ready-made elements can expedite development, allowing users to jumpstart their projects.

Integration capabilities

The ability to seamlessly integrate with external systems, databases, and APIs is crucial. A robust low-code platform should facilitate easy connectivity, enabling organizations to use existing data and services.

Customization and extensibility

Look for a low-code platform that allows for extensive customization. The ability to extend the platform's capabilities through custom code when needed ensures flexibility for more complex scenarios.

Scalability

Look for a solution that can handle increased process complexity, a growing amount of data, and support an increasing number of users. This ensures that the low-code platform that you choose grows alongside your business, providing the flexibility and infrastructure needed to support your increasing demands.

Pricing

Pricing is a crucial consideration when choosing a low-code platform. Start by examining whether the low-code platform operates on a subscription-based model. Understand the various tiers offered and the features encompassed in each tier. Consider the scalability of the subscription model and how it aligns with your organization's growth.

Some platforms offer additional features as separate add-ons to the base packages. Make sure the core functionalities essential to your needs are part of the base pricing or if there are extra costs associated with specific advanced features. Examine the pricing details for potential hidden costs, such as charges for exceeding usage limits or additional storage requirements.

Best Low-Code Platforms Overview

Selecting a low-code platform for your company can pose a challenge as it demands a meticulous examination of your unique business needs, ensuring the chosen low-code development platform seamlessly integrates with your objectives and offers a lasting solution for efficient app development. The complexity lies in navigating the low-code landscape to identify a platform that not only meets your immediate demands but also adapts to future business growth.

To help you make the best choice for your organization, we prepared this handy guide with 10 vendors that offer the best solutions.

1. Creatio

Creatio’s platform, Studio Creatio, stands out as the best low-code platform in 2024 thanks to its robust features and unmatched benefits. The platform is built upon the composable no-code architecture that enables users to create powerful business applications and automate workflows with a maximum degree of freedom, in hours and minutes instead of weeks.

The Freedom UI Designer within Studio Creatio provides users with an extensive library of predefined views, widgets, and templates, expediting the design process. With drag-and-drop development tools and an intuitive interface, even users without technical skills can easily create applications, automated workflows, and AI-powered models for data-driven decision-making. If needed, professional developers can further customize applications with coding to meet specific business requirements.

Creatio has been recognized as the only leader in The Forrester Wave™: Low-Code Platforms For Citizen Developers, Q1 2024, underscoring its exceptional capabilities and commitment to empowering citizen developers in the evolving landscape of low-code platforms.

The platform is designed to scale seamlessly, accommodating the evolving needs of organizations as they grow and expand their operations. Whether it's handling a small-scale project or managing enterprise-level applications, Studio Creatio ensures that businesses can operate smoothly. Another cornerstone of Studio Creatio is governance, providing organizations with the tools and features needed to maintain control and oversight across their whole development environment.

Security is paramount for Creatio, addressing the concerns associated with data protection and privacy. The platform incorporates robust security measures, including data encryption, ensuring that sensitive information is safeguarded, and compliance with industry regulations is maintained.

Creatio goes beyond the one-size-fits-all approach, with vertical solutions for over 20 industries. This ensures that businesses can leverage specialized and custom solutions that cater to their unique challenges and opportunities. Businesses can also benefit from CRM solutions built on top of the Studio Creatio platform to support their marketing, sales, and customer service efforts. The Creatio Marketplace further enriches the user experience, offering a selection of more than 700 applications.

Creatio leads in the low-code environment, offering a versatile and comprehensive solution for businesses seeking tailored, and efficient application development. With its proven track record, industry recognition, and commitment to supporting users with various technical skills, Creatio stands as the go-to choice for businesses wanting to leverage the benefits of low-code in 2024 and beyond.

Creatio customer rating:

Gartner: 4.9/5

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2. Microsoft Power Apps

Microsoft Power Apps is a dynamic low-code platform that empowers users to create enterprise-grade applications with minimal coding expertise. With its intuitive, user-friendly interface, both seasoned developers and business users can swiftly design and deploy various applications. Integrated with Microsoft's Power Platform, it ensures seamless connectivity with Power BI, Power Automate, and Power Virtual Agents that allows organizations to create comprehensive solutions for data analytics, workflow automation, and chatbot-driven interactions.

Key features

• Seamless integration with Microsoft 365, Azure, and Dataverse
• Drag-and-drop app development with a visual interface
• AI-powered development
• Custom code development
• Enterprise-grade governance capabilities

Pros

• Extensive library of pre-built UI templates
• Robust generative AI capabilities
• Strong data integration capabilities
• Extensive integration capabilities with over 1,000 connectors for common enterprise applications

Cons

• Advanced customization may require extensive coding skills
• Developer tools and options are not available for all types of applications like canvas apps, model-driven apps, and Power Pages
• Steep learning curve
• High costs and complex licensing

Pricing

• Free Developer Plan
• Power Apps Premium for $20/user/month

Microsoft Power Apps Customer rating:

Gartner: 4.6/5

3. Salesforce

Salesforce Lightning is a leading low-code platform that enables organizations to develop and deploy cloud applications with minimal coding effort. Designed for a wide range of users, from business analysts to professional developers, Salesforce's low-code capabilities help create powerful applications using a visual interface.

Key features

• Several development frameworks for various use cases, including Visualforce for building custom user interfaces, APEX for adding business logic to systems, Heroku for storing and leveraging customer data, etc.
• AI-driven analytics
• Drag-and-drop process builder
• Integration with other Salesforce products like Marketing Cloud and Service Cloud

Pros

• Extensive marketplace with over 70000 apps and components
• Extensive Flow library with over 900 workflows that streamline the process of developing apps
• Vast selection of industry-focused solutions

Cons

• May require additional training for users with no coding experience
• Confusing and complex interface
• Advanced features available only at extra cost

Pricing

• Starting at $25/user/month for Starter Suite up to even $500/user/month for Unlimited+

Salesforce Customer rating:

Gartner: 4.4/5

See also: Salesforce Alternatives & Competitors and Salesforce Marketing Cloud Alternatives & Competitors

4. Pega

Pega is a robust low-code platform for workflow automation, CRM, and AI decisioning, focused on supporting professional developers. Pega's low-code capabilities enable users to build sophisticated and scalable applications to personalize engagement, automate customer service, and streamline operations.

Key features

• Unified platform for BPM, CRM, and case management
• AI-powered decision-making and automation
• Real-time analytics and reporting
• Advanced capabilities to build chatbots
• Visual case designer for modeling complex processes

Pros

• Intuitive UX design
• Strong co-development capabilities facilitating collaborative app development among both professional developers and business users
• Robust business process management capabilities

Cons

• High licensing costs disproportionate to the benefits
• Steep learning curve for beginners
• Not suitable for non-technical users

Pricing

• Low-code Factory Edition for $35/user/month
• Standard Edition for $90/user/month

Pega Customer rating:

Gartner: 4.5/5

See also: Pega alternatives

5. Mendix

Mendix is a low-code platform that empowers businesses to rapidly create, deploy, and manage applications with minimal manual coding. It provides a visual environment that allows both professional and citizen developers to collaborate seamlessly in building applications.

Key features

• Mendix IDE (integrated development environment) employing model-driven development to craft data models, integrations, and more.
• Visual interface with reusable components
• Integration with various data sources and APIs
• AI copilot-based development
• AR- or VR-enabled UX
• Automated software testing and QA monitoring

Pros

• Free plan for small businesses
• Vast marketplace of pre-built components and integrations for app creation
• Possibility to publish mobile apps straight to App Store and Google Play

Cons

• High pricing model
• Small partner delivery network with an insufficient number of skilled developers required for complex, enterprise-grade implementations
• Steep learning curve

Pricing

• Free plan
• Basic plan starting at €52,50/month
• Standard plan starting at €900/month

Mendix Customer rating:

Gartner: 4.5/5

See also: Mendix alternatives

6. Caspio

Caspio is a low-code platform, facilitating the development of custom database-driven applications. Positioning itself as a flexible, all-in-one solution, it is designed to support the digital transformation of company operations and workflows, offering a suite of features to meet diverse business needs. Caspio caters to organizations of various sizes and spanning different industries, including hospital and healthcare and non-profit organizations.

Key features

• Visual development interface
• Tools for complex data management
• Enterprise-grade security
• Robust data visualization capabilities

Pros

• Unlimited app users
• User-friendly interface
• Seamless integration with 3rd party databases and cloud services

Cons

• Limited advanced customization options
• Limited data storage
• Inflexible pricing models

Pricing

• Starter plan for new users from €40,50 /month
• Professional plan starting at €486 /month
• Enterprise starting at €1.822,50 /month

Caspio Customer rating:

Gartner: 4.5/5

7. OutSystems

OutSystems is a leading low-code development platform that empowers organizations to build and deploy feature-rich, scalable web applications quickly and efficiently. With a strong emphasis on accelerating the software development lifecycle, OutSystems enables both business developers and professionals to collaborate seamlessly in creating custom applications. It caters to various industries and use cases, enabling the creation of web, mobile, and desktop applications.

Key features

• Visual development of web and mobile apps
• AI-assisted development tools for data modeling and management
• Library of pre-built UI patterns, screen and app templates and components
• Full-stack development capabilities
• Integration with external databases and APIs

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Intuitive flow editor
• Support for a broad list of coding languages
• Seamless integration with third-party systems via connectors and custom code

Cons

• High costs of licensing
• Lack of vertical-specific solutions
• Too complicated for users without coding knowledge
• Limited customization caused by predefined patterns and structures

Pricing

• Free plan for single app development
• Multiple apps plan starts at $1,513/month

OutSystems Customer rating:

Gartner: 4.5/5

See also: Outsystems alternatives

8. Appian

Appian is a low-code platform, specializing in dynamic case management and automating business processes. The platform facilitates collaboration between professional and citizen developers, providing tailored workflows, approval processes, and change management features catering to diverse developer personas.

Key features

• BPM and low-code development capabilities in a single platform
• Unified interface for designing, executing, and managing business processes
• Support for business process modeling
• AI-driven automation and decisioning

Pros

• Robust case management capabilities
• Advanced data modeling capabilities
• Robust document management capabilities
• User-friendly interface
• Extensive AppMarket including more than 900 solutions, connectors, etc.
• Seamless integration with third-party systems with a variety of different integration methods

Cons

• Lack of transparent pricing
• Advanced customization may require technical expertise
• Limited custom reporting and data visualization capabilities
• Steep learning curve

Pricing

• Appian does not disclose prices on their website
• There are 3 different plans available - Standard, Advanced, and Premium

Appian Customer rating:

Gartner: 4.5/5

See also: Top 9 Appian Competitors & Alternatives

9. Kissflow

Kissflow is an enterprise low-code platform that empowers users to design, deploy, and manage custom workflows without the need for extensive coding skills. With a focus on enhancing productivity, Kissflow offers a visual interface for process design, allowing both technical and non-technical users to streamline and automate various tasks.

Key features

• Robust automation capabilities
• Embedded app, process, and form builders
• Built-in collaboration features for team development
• Decision tables for managing complex decision-making

Pros

• Intuitive IDE
• Robust process automation capabilities
• Flexible and easy-to-use platform
• Cloud-based accessibility

Cons

• Limited customization options compared to other vendors
• Lack of on-premises solutions
• Insufficient data modeling capabilities

Pricing

• Basic plan pricing starts at $1,500/month
• Enterprise plan available at custom pricing

Kissflow Customer rating:

Gartner: 4.5/5

10. Zoho Creator

Zoho Creator is a user-friendly, cloud-based development platform for managing marketing, sales, and support processes. With Zoho Creator, users can create applications for various purposes, including project management, data tracking, customer relationship management, and more. As part of the broader Zoho ecosystem, Zoho Creator seamlessly integrates with other Zoho applications and third-party services.

Key features

• Drag-and-drop interface for building applications
• Integration with other Zoho Suite apps
• Advanced scripting for customization
• AI-assisted development

Pros

• Affordable for SMB
• Robust analytics capabilities
• Flexibility to transition seamlessly between low-code and high-code environments
• Extensive integration capabilities with more than 850 connectors
• Wide selection of pre-built app templates and fields

Cons

• Limited scalability for complex enterprise applications
• Lack of advanced enterprise-grade features for governance
• Not suitable for larger enterprises

Pricing

• Standard plan price starts at €8/user/month
• Professional plan price starts at €20/user/month
• Enterprise plan price starts at €25/user/month

Zoho Creator Customer rating:

Gartner: 4.6/5

Key Features of Low-Code Platforms

Low code development tools simplify and expedite the application creation process, allowing users to build functional applications with minimal manual coding. Here are a few features that highlight the capabilities of a low-code platform, that you should pay attention to when comparing available platforms.

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)

AML is a critical functionality of low-code platforms, including the entire development of an application from planning to building, testing, and deployment. ALM streamlines the development process and offers a collaborative approach, ensuring efficiency and quality throughout the application's lifecycle.

Workflow automation

Workflow automation is a cornerstone of low-code platforms. Users can design, automate, and optimize workflows that guide business processes from start to finish, reducing manual work and improving efficiency. This includes the ability to define rules, triggers, and actions to streamline complex workflows.

Database management

Low-code platforms often include integrated database functionality, enabling users to create, modify, and manage databases without in-depth knowledge of database programming.

Reporting and analytics

Low-code platforms typically offer reporting tools to analyze and visualize data. Users can generate reports and analytics to gain insights from the data collected by their applications.

Communication and notifications

Low-code platforms often integrate communication and real time collaboration tools to streamline collaboration among teammates and facilitate notification sending. This helps keep users informed about important events or updates within the application. Additionally, users can easily communicate with external parties like partners and contractors, streamlining project management, coordination and updates.

Security

Robust security features, including data encryption, role-based access control, and compliance certifications, are paramount. These features ensure the protection of sensitive data and compliance with industry regulations.

Benefits of Low-Code Platforms

Low-code platforms have revolutionized the way businesses approach development of applications, offering plenty of benefits.

Here are some of the key advantages of low-code platforms:

1. Rapid application development

Low-code platforms can significantly reduce the time required to develop and deploy applications. By utilizing visual interfaces, reusable components, and pre-built templates, both business and tech-savvy developers can swiftly create functional applications, cutting development time even up to 90%.

2. Cost efficiency

The speed and simplicity of low-code development platforms translate into cost reduction. Businesses can save on hiring extensive development teams and reduce the resources needed for app development.

This makes low-code platforms an attractive option for organizations of all sizes, from startups with limited budgets to enterprises needing complex custom solutions.

3. Enhanced collaboration

Low-code platforms foster better collaboration between all business units. Citizen developers can actively participate in the development cycle, ensuring that the final product aligns closely with business needs and objectives. This democratization helps bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders.

4. Greater flexibility

In a rapidly changing business environment, the ability to adapt quickly is crucial. Low-code platforms allow businesses to prototype, test, and iterate applications much faster than in the case of traditional high-code platforms. This ensures that organizations can quickly respond to market changes and customer demands.

5. Improved productivity

Low-code platforms boost overall company productivity by automating repetitive tasks and streamlining updates and maintenance processes. This efficiency ensures that all departments can manage more projects simultaneously, fostering a more agile organizational environment. As a result, businesses can quickly adapt to new opportunities and challenges, driving continuous improvement across the entire company.

With routine tasks and complex coding simplified, developers can focus on more strategic initiatives such as enhancing the low-code platform functionality or deploying more complex solutions. This shift allows IT teams to dedicate more time to innovation and high-value projects.

6. Seamless integration

Low-code platforms often offer integration capabilities with existing systems, third-party applications, and cloud services. This ensures that new applications can seamlessly blend into the existing IT ecosystem, enhancing overall efficiency.

7. Enhanced user experience

The visual development tools and intuitive interfaces of low-code platforms enable the creation of user-friendly applications. With built-in templates and widgets, businesses can ensure a consistent and appealing user experience, which is critical for customer satisfaction and engagement.

8. Top-notch security

Modern low-code platforms provide enterprise-grade security features, including data encryption, identity management, and compliance with industry standards, ensuring that applications remain secure.

9. Continuous innovation

Low-code platforms often come with regular updates and new features, driven by advancements in technology and user feedback. This continuous innovation ensures that businesses can leverage the latest tools and practices without extensive overhauls or additional investments.

Trends in Low-Code Platforms

Low-code platforms are emerging as a cornerstone of modern application development in today's rapidly evolving digital landscape. These platforms are not just keeping pace with technological advancements - they are driving several key trends that are shaping the future of how businesses build, deploy, and manage software.

From enabling faster development cycles to democratizing app creation and integrating cutting-edge technologies, these platforms are revolutionizing the way organizations approach their digital strategies.

Here are some key trends to watch:

• Integration of AI and Machine Learning - the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) into low-code platforms is becoming more prevalent. These technologies enable more intelligent and automated decision-making processes, allowing businesses to create smarter applications that can predict trends, personalize user experiences, and optimize operations.
• Enhanced collaboration features - low-code platforms are increasingly offering features that facilitate better teamwork. Tools that allow multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously, real-time feedback mechanisms, and seamless integration with other collaborative tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack are becoming standard.
• Focus on User Experience (UX) and design - low-code platforms are enhancing their design capabilities with more advanced UI components, drag-and-drop interfaces, and customizable templates. This focus ensures that the end products are not only functional but also visually appealing and user-friendly.
• Increased adoption across industries - low-code platforms are gaining traction across a wide range of industries, from finance and healthcare to manufacturing and retail. Businesses in these sectors are leveraging the low-code environment to rapidly develop and deploy applications tailored to their specific needs, enhancing efficiency and customer engagement.
• Improved scalability and performance - low-code platforms are enhancing their architectures to support larger, more complex applications while maintaining optimal performance. This ensures that businesses can scale their applications seamlessly as they grow.
• Greater emphasis on security and compliance - with increasing concerns around data security and regulatory compliance, many low-code platforms are prioritizing these aspects. Enhanced security features, such as advanced encryption, role-based access control, and compliance with standards like GDPR and HIPAA, are becoming integral components of low-code platforms.
• DevOps and Agile methodologies integration - the integration of DevOps and Agile methodologies allows for continuous development, testing, and deployment, facilitating a more efficient and responsive development.
• Data analytics and business intelligence tools - low-code solutions are increasingly incorporating data analytics and business intelligence (BI) tools. This integration enables organizations to build applications that not only manage operations but also provide valuable insights through advanced data analysis and reporting capabilities. Businesses can leverage these insights to make informed decisions and drive strategic initiatives.
• Democratization of app development - low-code platforms are further democratizing development by empowering more citizen developers to create applications. This trend is driven by the increasing user-friendliness of these platforms, making it possible for users without technical skills to contribute to the development of applications. However, this democratization is not as advanced as in no-code platforms.

Summary

In today's market, using a top low-code development platform is no longer an option, but a must for businesses that want to stay competitive. The low-code marketplace offers many solutions, each catering to different organizational needs, so choosing the best one is not easy. By carefully evaluating the features, functionalities, and prices of each low code development platform, you can make sure that your organization adopts a low-code solution that aligns seamlessly with its goals and requirements.

The right low-code platform not only accelerates the development cycle but also empowers your team to innovate, solve business problems, and adapt swiftly to changing business landscapes. The solution that stands out from many low-code platforms is Studio Creatio. With its commitment to agility, scalability, and a rich set of features, Studio Creatio will help your organization thrive in the ever-evolving market landscape.

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