Have you ever had a great idea for a new app or tool that could help your team work better? Maybe streamline a process or make information easier for customers to find? In the past, turning those ideas into reality often meant relying on busy IT teams with coding skills. That could take awhile.

Thankfully, there’s now an easier way – low-code software. With low-code platforms, you don’t need special coding knowledge. Instead, it’s like using building blocks or Legos. You pick visual components like buttons, screens and forms. Then snap them together by dragging and dropping to quickly put together the basic structure and flow of your app.

Some platforms even let you “try before you buy” with free accounts. So you can get a feel for creating without investing much time or money upfront. Once you have the outline built, then low-code’s programming features make it simple to add logic and connect things like databases or other existing systems.

In this article, we’ll introduce some of the top options available so you can find the right fit for your team. We’ll explain what each one specializes in and how companies have used them. By the end, you’ll have a good idea of how easy it can be to bring your best ideas to life through low-code.

Mendix

Mendix is one of the pioneering low-code platforms and remains one of the top players. It provides a comprehensive set of tools including ready-made components, workflow automation capabilities, and integrations. Developers can create both mobile and web applications using the visual interface without needing to write code. The platform also supports integrating with other systems and databases. Mendix applications can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud. Large enterprises have successfully used Mendix to streamline processes, build portals, and accelerate app delivery.

OutSystems

OutSystems takes a model-driven approach to low-code development. It generates code automatically based on the visual models created by the developer. This allows non-technical business analysts to participate in the development process. OutSystems provides reusable components, automated testing tools, and deployment options for cloud, mobile, or Web delivery. It also has robust management and governance features for supporting complex enterprise-grade applications. Major companies in finance, manufacturing, and other industries have built mission-critical applications using OutSystems.

Appian

Appian is primarily a low-code platform for building workflow and business process applications. It takes a BPM (Business Process Management)-the first approach, making it very suitable for automating operational processes. Appian applications can incorporate data from various sources using its integration capabilities. The platform features configurable dashboards and case management capabilities useful for service industries. Appian offers deployment flexibility including in the cloud and on-premises versions as well as self-managed infrastructure. Its sophisticated security features make it a popular choice in regulated sectors.

Microsoft Power Apps and Power Automate

These offerings are part of Microsoft’s Power Platform suite for low-code application development. Power Apps allows business users to build intuitive mobile and web apps without coding skills. Power Automate enables creating automated workflows and workflows across business applications and data sources. Both Power Apps and Power Automate provide hundreds of ready-made connectors allowing easy third-party integration. Being part of Microsoft’s business applications ecosystem gives it additional advantages in terms of wide accessibility and familiar interface. They are well-suited for departmental apps and automating routine tasks.

Pega

Pega is a leader in enterprise workflow and case management applications. It provides pre-built capabilities for marketing automation, claims processing, investigations, and more vertical-specific processes. Complex branching logic and calculations can be visually modeled without code. Pega ensures compliance and governance with configurable governance controls and auditing. Its AI capabilities allow for building intelligent applications and automated decision-making.

Kony

Kony focuses on developing omni-channel mobile applications that can be delivered seamlessly across iOS, Android, Windows, and other platforms. It facilitates the rapid creation of native-quality cross-platform apps through its visual interface and pre-coded components. Kony aims to abstract away back-end complexities and provides tools to manage mobile assets throughout the app lifecycle. Security, release management, and analytics are key strengths.

ServiceNow

ServiceNow is primarily a digital workflow platform for IT services automation but its developer tools now enable building a wide variety of enterprise apps. It features an extensive catalog of pre-built applications and customizable workflows for various departments. ServiceNow allows harnessing existing employee and customer data while offering self-service portal creation capabilities. Integration and AI technologies help optimize operations.

GeneXus

GeneXus takes a code-generation approach and touts rapid time to market for both web and mobile applications. It provides an abstraction layer that handles the coding complexities behind interfaces, databases, and devices. The GeneXus IDE comes bundled with UI elements, reporting tools, and security features. Its long history of powering mission-critical solutions makes it a consideration for regulated industries.

Uipath

UiPath focuses on robotic process automation through a graphical interface that lets business analysts automate repetitive, manual tasks across various systems. It features pre-built activities, condition handling, and recovery actions to develop sophisticated bots without coding. Its offerings include desktop automation, cognitive capture, process mining, and orchestration capabilities to digitally transform operations.

Conclusion

The enterprise low-code platforms mentioned here have become indispensable tools for both IT departments and business teams to rapidly develop applications supporting digital transformation initiatives. They allow leveraging technical resources more efficiently while empowering non-technical roles to participate in application development. Choosing the right fit depends on factors like existing technology stack, projects scope, security requirements and skill level of users. Low-code is clearly revolutionizing how enterprises build and deliver applications.