Low-Code / No-Code Platforms

Overview

Low-code and no-code platforms enable users to build applications through visual interfaces, drag-and-drop components, and declarative logic — dramatically reducing the amount of hand-written code needed. They empower both professional developers (faster delivery) and citizen developers (business users building apps).

Market Size

The global low-code/no-code market exceeds $25 billion and is projected to surpass $50 billion by 2028.

Top Players

Microsoft Power Platform

• Company: Microsoft (USA)
• Market Position: Market leader in enterprise low-code
• Key Strengths: Deep Microsoft 365 integration, AI Builder, Copilot Studio, massive enterprise footprint
• Products: Power Apps (apps), Power Automate (workflows), Power BI (analytics), Power Pages (websites), Copilot Studio (AI agents)
• Typical Users: Enterprise citizen developers, IT teams, business analysts

Retool

• Company: Retool Inc. (USA)
• Market Position: Leader in internal tool building
• Key Strengths: Component library for internal apps, direct database/API connections, JavaScript extensibility, self-hostable
• Key Features: Drag-and-drop UI builder, Workflows, Mobile, AI features
• Typical Users: Engineering teams building internal tools and admin panels

OutSystems

• Company: OutSystems (Portugal/USA)
• Market Position: Leader in enterprise-grade low-code development
• Key Strengths: Full-stack development, enterprise scalability, AI-assisted development (Mentor), one-click deployment
• Deployment: Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid
• Typical Customers: Large enterprises modernizing legacy applications

Mendix

• Company: Siemens (Germany)
• Market Position: Strong enterprise low-code platform
• Key Strengths: Model-driven development, collaboration between business and IT, strong governance, Siemens industrial ecosystem
• Deployment: Cloud (Mendix Cloud), Private Cloud, On-premise
• Typical Customers: Manufacturing, enterprise application modernization

Bubble

• Company: Bubble Group (USA)
• Market Position: Leader in no-code web application development
• Key Strengths: Full-stack no-code (frontend + backend + database), plugin marketplace, visual programming
• Deployment: Cloud (SaaS)
• Typical Users: Non-technical founders, startups, MVPs, small businesses

Key Trends

• AI-generated apps: Natural language to application generation
• Composable applications: Low-code platforms integrating with APIs and microservices
• Professional low-code: Developers using low-code for speed while retaining code extensibility
• Governance and security: Enterprise-grade controls for citizen-developed applications