Low-code platforms comparison

Type of apps you can build

Some low-code platforms focus on specific use cases, like BPM and case management solutions.

But if you want to maximize your investment in low-code and support an evolving digital transformation that includes high-quality omnichannel experiences with pixel perfect UX/UI, you need to search for a platform that goes beyond workflows.

• Can I build internal business applications, but also customer apps and portals, and core systems?
• How many users and how much concurrent access can the apps built with the platform take without affecting performance and user experience?
• Can I extend front-end and out-of-the-box components to develop apps compliant with my brand guidelines?
• Can I easily deploy my applications in app stores or am I dependent on a “wrapper” application to do it?
• Does the platform support omnichannel and multiexperiences?

Security and quality of service

Most low-code platforms offer embedded security mechanisms like automatic testing and integration with existing testing tools.

But if you’re planning to create customer-facing apps, external or even enterprise-wide solutions, or are in a highly regulated industry, you should look for a platform that goes beyond the basic security.

Read more in low-code security.

• Does the platform provide app monitoring and analytics capabilities to detect, identify, and troubleshoot issues in real time?
• Can I do mobile application security hardening with the platform?
• Can I scan the code of the apps built with the platform?
• Can I measure, identify, and fix technical debt?
• Is the vendor compliant with my industry standards?
• How does the platform ensure that the code written is bug free and scalable?

Governance

Many low-code platforms target citizen developers to help organizations reduce their app backlogs. But this approach can lead to security and integration liabilities.

So, look for a platform that promotes visual communication and cross-collaboration between IT and business stakeholders instead.

• What governance mechanisms does the platform provide to avoid ungoverned citizen development and shadow IT?
• Does the platform allow defining granular security and governance controls easily?
• How many change requests can my dev team deploy per day?

DevOps practices

The right low-code platform should complement and coexist with your team's traditional DevOps tools. Some vendors, however, limit your choice to what SDLC tools you can integrate with.

So look for a platform that offers both a “1-click publish” capability but that is also open enough to integrate with your team’s preferred SDLC tools.

• Does the platform provide CI/CD capabilities to manage pipelines?
• What percentage of the dev lifecycle is augmented with AI?
• Can I integrate the platform with any SDLC tool of my choice, or am I limited to a set of tools?
• Does the platform support open standards and deep integration to application lifecycle management (ALM), release, and testing platforms?

Developer productivity and platform engineering

With the right low-code platform, the more you build, the less you have to build.

Look for a platform that supports a composable architecture, a design pattern that allows developers to create reusable components to build applications more quickly, while also supporting an engineering approach that ensures these components meet the most stringent non-functional requirements like security and scalability.

• What is the percentage of reused components in the platform’s portfolio?
• If my dev team changes or fixes a component, is that change reflected in all solutions consuming from that component?
• Can my team extend the components available by default by the platform?
• How many open components can my developers use?
• Is there a developer community that my developers can join?
• How does the platform ensure that all components of an application are deployed correctly and together?

Integration and APIs

For continuous delivery of strategic software, you must look for a platform that allows you to connect your apps with the most common enterprise databases and core ERP, CRM, HCM, and SCM systems.

In the era of API economy, it should also make it easier for your dev team to consume and expose data via APIs.

Read more about low-code integration.

• Does the platform allow my team to build APIs to connect my applications with other apps or services? Do we have to build them at all?
• How easy is it for my team to integrate our apps with SAP, Salesforce, Microsoft Dataverse, and PostgreSQL?
• Can the platform be extended to integrate with any legacy system?

Extensibility

Many low-code platforms augment developer productivity at the expense of control and flexibility.

So be sure you look for a platform that promotes development without walls.

• Can my dev team extend what they develop in low-code with their preferred tools?
• Does the platform provide options for more than one operating system or multi-cloud, or am I limited to the provider's choice?

Licensing clarity and predictability

Pay close attention to the pricing. Many platforms start with a “cheaper” price, but as you expand your use cases, it requires more products and licensing.

Look for a platform that provides you a transparent, “what you see is what you get” approach when it comes to pricing.

• What is included in the pricing?
• How does pricing work?
• Are all the capabilities I need part of the standard licensing or does the vendor provide a module by module licensing instead?
• What is the licensing for B2C customers?
• Do developers also need a license in the platform?
• Can I simulate how much I’m going to pay based on the apps I’m planning to build and number of users?