Low-code platforms - What IT leaders should look for
In many ways, comparing low-code development platforms is like shopping for a new car. You can’t be sure about what you’re buying until you check under the hood. And with so many options on the market, it’s imperative to do your homework and choose wisely.
Some low-code platforms are the real deal, empowering your team to build the apps that matter most and enhance customer experience, operational efficiency, and employee productivity. But others aren’t. Because some low-code vendors claim to have enterprise-grade capabilities (but don’t), we lovingly call it “faux-code.”
We know you deal with a non-stop barrage of information about the latest and greatest low-code platform features, so we want to help you uncover the truth. That’s why we infused a little bit of fun into how we differentiate the OutSystems platform. Take a look:
All “faux-code” jokes aside, we’re sincere about making sure our customers get the low-code performance they need to create mission-critical apps. So, let’s explore how the OutSystems low-code platform delivers more powerful results compared to low-code alternatives.
With OutSystems, you get real code—not interpreted code
OutSystems stands out among the best low-code platforms by automatically generating real code—including C#, JavaScript, and SQL statements. Our real code runs at native speed, maximizing application performance and delivering better customer experiences. Even better, your developers can access and inspect the code at any time without running into a “black box.” Nothing is obscured from view.
Developers can even add their own custom JavaScript or .NET code to an OutSystems application or create their own logic, empowering them to extend the back ends and front ends of your applications on their terms. Plus, developers can bring native code into our platform and reuse it across multiple apps, allowing them to build and deploy new applications in a fraction of the time.
Other low-code platforms say they use real code, but in actuality, their application model is interpreted, and their code doesn’t become real until a program is run. Interpreted code hinders app performance by introducing bottlenecks, increasing latency, and slowing response time. Plus, interpreted code often consumes more resources, potentially raising costs.
Avoid vendor lock-in with OutSystems
OutSystems is the only low-code development platform on the market that won’t lock you in and throw away the key. You own your intellectual property and your data no matter what, which means you can export your code at any time.
This is markedly different from other low-code solutions. If you implement a low-code alternative and decide to make a switch, you’ll lose access to all the applications and data you’ve built inside their platform. Your apps—and your time—are too valuable to let that happen.
Boost developer satisfaction: Let’s get visual
To best assess which low-code vendor makes the most sense for your next project, ask the people who will actually use it: developers.
Developers who have used a low-code platform in the past may worry that all are alike, especially if they’ve hit a wall in the past. This may have happened when they tried to build complex, mission-critical applications that another low-code platform couldn’t handle. Or it might have occurred when a developer lacked the ability to control UI elements at the pixel level, forcing them to sacrifice visual appeal for performance.
But you might be surprised to learn that OutSystems is a low-code solution developers actually love. With OutSystems, developers get built-in visual tools that make it quick and easy for them to create pixel-perfect UIs without sacrificing quality.
Additionally, OutSystems supports mobile app development for both iOS and Android in a single codebase, allowing developers to create apps with minimal coding. Developers can even deploy new apps to all app stores with a single click.
What’s more, OutSystems is a full-stack platform that automates tedious and repetitive coding processes so developers can build apps 10x faster. And with its cloud-native architecture, developers get the scalability they need to work without limits.
OutSystems: The low-code platform for your high-stakes software
If you’re looking for a low-code platform that you can trust to build your company’s most critical applications, nothing comes close to OutSystems.
But don’t take our word for it. Instead, look under the hood and learn why enterprises have trusted OutSystems for more than two decades.
Wondering how OutSystems stacks up specifically against Mendix? Check out this comparison guide.
