In Search of the Essence of Low-Code: An Exploratory Study of Seven Development Platforms

Abstract

Rapidly growing attention has been directed in recent years toward a type of software development and execution environment now passing under the name of ‘low-code development platforms.’ The fundamental claim is that limiting traditional coding mechanisms in favor of a variety of alternative means of design and specification yields substantial efficiency gains in professional and private software development. But although much stir at present surrounds low-code development platforms, it is by no means clear what, if any, features are distinctive of these systems, and whether any of these features mark out a technology which can be considered original. This paper presents an exploratory study of seven low-code development platforms, with the aim of discovering their essence and assessing them critically in the light of research in information systems development. An analysis framework covering a number of criteria regarding professional information systems development is used to characterize the selected platforms, and to point out features commonly, occasionally, and rarely possessed by them. The study reveals that hardly any features of low-code development are innovative in and of themselves, with novelty primarily consisting in their combination and integration. Still, we argue in conclusion, a number of research opportunities can be made out with an eye on the leitmotif of low-code development.