Low Code Vs. Traditional App Development – Do Both Still Hold Up?

While low code development has become the norm for the software development industry, many still stick with traditional software development methods.

Both of these development procedures have their own sets of pros and cons, and the applications are purely situational.

Let’s find out which one is the best suited for software development scenarios and their differences.

But before diving into a low code vs. traditional app development comparison, let’s look at the pros and cons of both.

Pros and Cons of Low Code Software Development

Pros

• The drag-and-drop nature of the development process makes it accessible to anyone
• The additional toolkit that comes with low-code application development platforms allows better flexibility and focus on project customization
• The simplicity of the development process allows for faster time to market
• Eliminates the need to spend additional time and resources to create a system from scratch
• Low code platforms maintain application updates and maintenance on behalf of your company
• Encrypted development allows for safe software creation
• Data tools built into high-performance low-code platforms help you get actionable insights
• Low-code platforms help eliminate additional repetitive processes through automation.

Cons

• While it allows customization, some low-code platforms limit the customization options to existing preset code blocks
• Low code integrations can get very tough when you’re working with legacy systems or infrastructures
• Working with templates may force the developers to come up with a workaround solution that can shift the functionality of features present in the application

Pros and Cons of Traditional Software Development

Pros

• Since traditional development allows for manual coding, every part of the application is completely customizable
• Traditional development allows for better scalability and adapts to changing market needs
• Custom coding helps the developer team create applications for fulfilling specific needs both inside and outside the organization
• Integrating with other systems or infrastructures is much easier since the connector APIs can be tailor-made to suit the system

Cons

• Any solution built with traditional development requires a more hands-on approach with update and maintenance
• A completely custom-made software solution takes a lot of time and resources to build and maintain, and the final billing can go up pretty high
• More complex systems take more time to implement features and test them, and it increases the time to market
• Planning the application and launching different updates can also take a lot of time

Low Code vs. Traditional App Development – The Ultimate Comparison

Parameters	Low Code App Development	Traditional App Development
Definition	Low code development is a visualized element-oriented approach to software development	Traditional development is the idea of creating a complete solution through manual coding
Tools	Usually developed on low-code platforms	Uses various web frameworks and programming languages
Coding Knowledge	Requires basic coding knowledge, but people with no knowledge can work with the platforms	Advanced coding skill is required even when creating basic applications
Development Speed	Fast	Slow
Customization Capabilities	High-performance low-code platforms offer more customization options	Highly customizable since everything is done manually
Development Agility	Takes less time to update, upgrade, or fix errors	Longer time to implement any kind of change
Software Maintenance	Easier to maintain since the platform handles many different operations	Tougher to maintain since all issues need to be fixed manually
Technical Support	More support for high-end platforms	While there is more support,
Template Availability	Huge collection of templates	None available
Development Cost	The average cost is lower	The average cost is higher
Scaling Opportunities	Easily scalable since a good low-code platform can handle enterprise-level workload	Less scaling opportunities since it requires the intervention of professionals
Security Measures	Most low-code platforms are equipped with important data protection regulations like ISO 2007 and SOC2	Fully depends on the security measures and development practices that the development team members follow
Multi-Platform Capabilities	Supports multi-platform development and these apps can work on any platform	Requires separate cross-platform development for the app to work on multiple platforms
ROI	ROI is the highest and can go as high as 80%	ROI is very low compared to low code, and the average is 15-17%

Use Cases For Low Code Platforms

• Rapid prototyping or creating a low-code MVP
• Building a static website or web app within hours
• Building microservice applications
• Creating omnichannel experience
• Dependency reduction
• Shadow IT elimination
• Creating a collaboration-driven work environment

Use Cases For Traditional App Development

• Creating business-specific solutions to fill the needs of individual departments
• Creating solutions that need to be easily integrated into an existing system
• Updating systems that were created with traditional methods
• Creating software that requires high levels of customization

Can Low Code And Traditional App Development Be Combine For Better Results?

Both low-code and traditional app development can co-exist when you consider modern high-performance low-code platforms.

While low-code development can help you create software applications with minimal coding, you need to apply coding knowledge to customize pre-built elements to make the most of low-code development platforms.

Low code development cannot replace traditional development, since the flexibility and scalability of traditional development are still unmatched.

But they can combined for creating enterprise-level applications and system infrastructures with a faster time-to-market.

This pairing of low code and traditional app development can bring significant business value and ROI.

To Wrap It All Up

While low code and traditional development have their own set of differences, they can still bring a unique set of benefits to the software development cycle.

Planning to build a small application with low code development? Or are you planning to create an enterprise-grade solution with traditional software development?

Partner with Impala Intech today and let’s get started!

FAQ