For years, no-code app builders have been praised as reliable tools that allow almost anyone to create applications and websites from scratch. WordPress, one of the most popular no-code tools out there, went live as early as 2003 — it powers over 43% of the internet today — to help people create their own website without writing any code. But, recently, it feels like no-code has hit a wall, or so people say. Has it really?
The rise of AI in late 2022 meant developers could more easily write code by generating it with tools like ChatGPT (and other more specialized platforms), slowly driving away demand for no-code and replacing it with “vibe coding.”
However, it’s not all that simple. Although the CEO of Arcjet, David Mytton, believes no-code can only create surface-level apps, he also disagrees with the notion of vibe coding: “Vibe coding internal apps is going to be a huge source of technical debt in the coming years!” As such, coding with AI turns developers into managers, but for non-experts, solely relying on AI to write code they can’t debug or clean can prove challenging.
So, is no-code really dead? Can democratization be a reality with AI code if non-experts can’t have full control of what they’re creating? Let’s deep dive into the pros and cons of no-code and how this once groundbreaking technology can still move forward.
The Power of a No-Code App Builder
In the beginning, there were plugs, servers, and the binary. Then, there was traditional code. Today, we have all sorts of more hands-off solutions, such as no-code, that have allowed people at all levels of programming knowledge to create their own apps. No-code works through visual features that have pre-determined embedded code, saving people the time writing traditional lines of code and instead applying the logic they need for their specific app.
For a developer, no-code has brought many advantages, like rapid prototyping and useful API integrations, to the forefront. As such, they can build the first working iteration of an app with no-code in record time and flesh it out as needed with API integrations depending on the platform used.
For non-experts, no-code has, simply put, opened a world of possibilities previously too technical and rigorous to delve into. Now, with moderate knowledge of how programs work, someone at work can help their department become more efficient by building a workflow app, or a teacher could organize their hectic schedules with a personalized calendar app to track all of their tasks and progress.
Whether for personal or professional use, no-code gives people the opportunity to create apps from scratch, either for fast development, practicality, or just the fun of it!
Where Does No-Code Go Wrong?
Some might argue that no-code’s simplicity lends itself to only creating simple apps, thus its forté in prototyping. As a visual-heavy tool, it limits features to pre-designed buttons that exclude the specificity people might envision for their apps. However, this depends on the platform used, which can offer from very basic to more specialized no-code solutions, depending on your needs.
The Role of No-Code AI Platforms
On the other hand, AI has clearly become the most ubiquitous technological breakthrough of the last few years. It has made an impact across almost every industry, advancing fields like science, medicine, logistics, and more. It has also permeated the development landscape, helping professionals write code from scratch.
While many claim vibe coding is driving no-code away, the truth is that they work better when they are fused into one tool. Otherwise, coding entirely with AI as a non-expert might lead to inadvertently forming “orphan” code. In the words of Miguel Baltazar, VP of OutSystems, for The New Stack, “It’s like trying to write a book in Japanese with an AI. […] You’re trying to write something in a language that you don’t understand.”
Ultimately, this code might introduce issues only experts can spot and fix.
By mixing no-code and AI, experts and non-experts alike can add a new level of flexibility to their apps by asking AI to utilize no-code to build it further. This way, when they hit a wall, AI can come to the rescue to organize ideas and offer solutions to roadblocks. As time goes on, technology should evolve to find the perfect way to implement AI in every coding platform, whether with reduced or traditional code.
For instance, our Appli Bot can help unstuck you as you’re building a no-code app in Appli by answering all and any questions you might have based on our documentation.
The Advantages of Low-Code vs No-Code Development
If we want to go a step further with no-code and AI for app building, we must add low-code to the mix. By integrating a new level of sophistication — blocks with specific actions instead of solely visual features — you can create an even more granular app.
And, because low-code is still not traditional code, this means it only takes a bit more expertise, but not a lot, to understand how to use it. It will also be easier to spot and fix bugs and errors through the block coding model of low-code rather than lines of code. Avoiding AI hallucinations altogether is another important advantage, as you’d only be using the technology to address questions and get suggestions, not write actual lines of code that might be faulty.
As a result, it isn’t a matter of AI versus no-code versus low-code, but rather a joining of the three to make an even more powerful tool for all users. John Bratincevic, an analyst at Forrester Research, says market data backs this: “AI in the software development life cycle will increase low-code-ification and platform-ization for software delivery. Generating software necessitates more abstraction and integration, not less.”
Additionally, Appli has an escape hatch from the limits — the user can access the code underneath, so there is custom code, adding an extra layer of utility for experts when they find the no-code or low-code capabilities need an extra push.
No-code was, in its own time, a technological breakthrough that tore down the barriers of software development. Today, in a more advanced form, it continues to help all types of professionals and amateurs who wish to build their own apps at their own pace. Advancements like AI, rather than driving away seminal tech like no-code, are helping breathe new life into it, offering more support and flexibility where needed. Alongside low-code, these tools become even more powerful by presenting a complete array of options for users to mix and match to innovate with new apps.
Ready to explore the diverse app-building options that low-code, no-code, and AI can offer? Download Appli and try it out today!
