By 2025, 70% of app development will be done on low-code or no-code platforms—does this mean the end for traditional developers? Low-code has been in talks for quite some time, and the questions regarding the replacement of traditional developers linger here and there. But is that going to happen anytime soon, or will low-code assist traditional developers in creating better and faster? This article will discuss the power of low-code and whether it will replace traditional developers or not.
If you have got some coding skills, low-code platforms are for you! They’re a game-changer! Tired of tedious tasks? Low coding can help you out! But what about those who don’t have any coding experience or knowledge at all? No-code is the solution! With its drag-and-drop features, anyone can create apps easily using simple visual tools—no coding required! Coding haters, it's for you! Low-code development is fast, efficient, and cost-effective compared to traditional coding.
You might find that low-code platforms are great for quick solutions, but they have their limits—like a microwave; good for quick meals, but sometimes you need to start from scratch! Problem-solving is really something that requires a human touch. Of course, advanced tech can help us with that, but it cannot truly replace what a traditional developer brings to the table.
For example, scalability is not something that happens automatically; it does require human intervention to make it work.
Traditional developers understand the problems at the grassroots level, which low-code can’t do. They can create custom solutions to problems.
Low-code may have security issues that traditional developers can help with. Traditional developers can also help with legal and technical aspects since low-code sometimes doesn't address compliance standards.
History also supports the claim that low-code won’t replace traditional developers. When we look at IDEs and frameworks like React or Django, we find that they have made development more efficient without needing to replace developers. Low-code also represents something similar.
Accessibility for everyone: Low-code development doesn’t require you to be a tech expert or even have a computer science degree! With some basic coding knowledge, you can build applications easily.
Faster Time-to-Market: As the business world moves fast, businesses don’t focus on development processes that might take ages and ages to build. With low-code, they can respond quickly to the changing market demands and get out their products faster. Faster turnaround time? Why not!
Better collaboration: One of the coolest and most important aspects of low-code is collaboration—both expert developers and those without much coding expertise can contribute to the development processes, ensuring everyone is heard and success is not just one-sided.
Customization limitations: While low-code can definitely help with building amazing applications, it is not that customizable for tasks involving high complexity.
Vendor Lock-in: If you ever decide to switch from one low-code platform to the other, it can be tricky. Why? Because every platform is built differently, with options varying from vendor to vendor.
Security and compliance concerns: When low-code is that simple, it often introduces vulnerabilities if you’re not careful while using it. Compliance with regulations like HIPAA or GDPR might be tricky.
| Aspect | Low-Code | Traditional Development |
|---|---|---|
| Development speed | Faster due to visual tools and templates | Slower but allows for custom solutions |
| Customization | Limited to the platform’s capabilities | Fully customizable |
| Scalability | May face challenges with complex systems | Highly scalable with proper design |
| User Base | Accessible to non-technical users | Requires skilled developers |
Low-code and traditional development are not mutually exclusive. Instead, they can complement each other by addressing different needs and priorities.
For developers, low-code can help them focus on other tasks that require their attention. It’s changing the game for traditional developers! With low-code tools, they can focus more on tasks of higher value like strategic architecture design, API integrations, and governance and quality assurance. Instead of feeling the heavy weight of coding, they can now focus on finding scalable business solutions that align with the business goals.
Isn’t it exciting to see traditional coders using AI to spend more time on making strategic decisions instead of coding away? Of course, low-code does make the tasks easier; tricky tasks, such as API integration, do require developers to make everything work smoothly.
As low-code democratizes development, developers can set governance frameworks on how such platforms can be used in the organization. They also need to work on quality assurance, as the solutions must meet organizational standards.
Thus, we can say that we’ll see a rise of hybrid roles like hybrid mobile application development, governance, quality assurance specialists, etc.
As the demand for low-code and no-code is rising, let’s not forget the value of traditional developers, especially when it comes to collaboration between traditional developers and low-code developers. It’s about boosting productivity and innovation, folks!
First off, traditional developers should lay out clear roles and responsibilities. This makes citizen developers solve problems quickly while getting any help they need from traditional developers—just like a buddy system in which traditional developers can share their expertise and guide citizen developers.
Let’s not forget about governance! Setting up clear frameworks and guidelines for data security and compliance is important. This makes them meet organizational standards and keeps everything safe and sound.
Traditional coders can provide training to citizen developers to enhance their skills and promote the culture of continuous learning. The more empowered they feel, the better they can contribute!
Now, it’s time to join the most important piece of the puzzle—tracking success! Working on reduced IT backlogs, reduced delivery times, etc., is important. Of course, celebrating such wins can create a good environment for growth, innovation, collaboration, and agility.
As citizen developers sometimes lack formal training, they might unintentionally introduce vulnerabilities and errors in the projects. This is why traditional developers can help them create high-level code.
Scalability matters! As business grows, applications need to keep up, too. Traditional developers can collaborate with citizen developers right from the start to avoid technical debt in the future.
Healthcare: Rapid prototyping of patient record systems.
E-commerce: Creating personalized storefronts.
Education: Building learning management systems.
Hybrid Development Approaches: Combining low-code development with traditional coding for complex tasks creates success.
Ever thought about creating apps if coding wasn't such a hassle? Well, the future for low-code is bright! Let’s see some emerging trends in low-code.
First off, we can see the rise of AI tools to generate code—this means faster app creation and way more intuitive.
Industry-specific low-code tools, like those for unique problems for healthcare, e-commerce, etc., are also on the rise—nothing to worry about starting everything from scratch!
As most of us work remotely now, multi-cloud and cross-platform ecosystems help you integrate tools smoothly, making collaboration easier.
There’s a rise in citizen development initiatives, too. Those who don’t know much about writing code feel empowered. In 2025, it is said that 70% of applications will use low-code or no-code to build them—way higher than 25% in 2020.
As the demand for AI tools rises, developers need to constantly upskill themselves to keep up with the fast-paced growth of development.
Instead of focusing on AI and automation as purely tools to replace the role of traditional developers, let’s see such tools to help them create faster and more efficiently. This also means taking some pressure off IT departments and making them respond faster to business needs.
As low-code sometimes lacks unique features for businesses requiring unique solutions to their problems, creating internal apps specifically for their business’s needs can help—this is where traditional developers can be handy!
Of course, lifelong learning for traditional developers is important—whether it’s about technical know-how or governance and system optimization.
You might be wondering if low-code is that good, it’ll probably take developers’ jobs, but that’s not the case! Developers have good problem-solving skills that help them create scalable solutions and drive innovation.
Low-code, I feel, is like a sidekick. It empowers everyone—those with some coding knowledge or experienced developers. No matter how far we may reach in low-code, innovation still depends on human creativity and complex problem-solving. Imagine the magic of creating apps when both developers and citizen developers come together!
Low-code is here to stay—but will they truly replace the role that traditional developers play? No! These platforms can help to streamline the process of development, but they can’t replace traditional developers because of the creativity, expertise, and problem-solving skills they bring to the table.
So, what’s the future of development like? It’s about co-existence! Using low-code for simple and tedious tasks and working with developers for more complex challenges. Developers who heartily welcome the shift and are ready to work and learn along with the low-code revolution will thrive.
Instead of fearing low-code, developers should feel excited about enhancing impact and driving more innovation. While no-code or low-code can help, skilled developers can easily help navigate challenges involving customization, scalability, and security.
Let Techosquare’s team guide you through this shift. By partnering with us, we help your projects succeed with our expert development team, who are ready to take them to the next level.
