Low-code development is revolutionizing software creation, making it faster and more accessible. Suppose you need help with slow, costly development processes or limited technical expertise. In that case, low-code platforms offer a solution by enabling users to build functional applications with minimal coding, using visual interfaces and pre-built templates.

According to Gartner’s low-code predictions, this market will experience explosive growth, with projections showing that over 70% of new applications will utilize low-code by 2025. This shift is driven by the urgent need for digital transformation and the increasing adoption of low-code solutions. As Gartner highlights, embracing low-code technologies can dramatically accelerate your development and streamline operations.

In this blog, we’ll explore the future of low-code development, including its projected growth, key drivers of adoption, and how it’s set to reshape the software development landscape.

Gartner predictions for Low-Code Development Technologies

Gartner’s predictions for low-code development highlight the rapidly increasing importance of this technology in the software industry. As businesses look to enhance agility and reduce costs, low-code platforms are positioned to become a cornerstone of application development. Let’s examine the expected growth in the low-code market, the forecast for enterprise adoption, and its impact on overall development activities.

Gartner Predictions  -  Low-Code Development

Expected growth in the low-code market by 2026

  • The low-code market is set to experience explosive growth in the coming years. According to Gartner low code predictions, this global market is projected to reach $44.5 billion in 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19%
  • This rapid expansion is largely driven by organizations’ increasing need to speed up their digital initiatives while controlling development costs and timelines.
  •  With low code, businesses can develop and deploy applications quickly, allowing them to stay competitive in a fast-paced digital environment.

Gartner’s forecast on enterprise adoption

  • Gartner projects that by 2026, 70% of new applications developed by enterprises will utilize low-code or no-code technologies, a significant jump from less than 25% in 2023
  • This growth is fueled by low-code platforms’ simplicity, adaptability, and rapid deployment capabilities. 
  • This means a shift towards more efficient business development processes, which will allow teams to innovate faster without getting bogged down by technical complexities.

Impact on overall application development activity

  • The increasing adoption of low code is expected to reshape the application development landscape. 
  • According to Gartner’s low-code prediction, 70% of all development activities will involve low-code platforms by 2027. 
  • This shift allows organizations to focus more on innovation and strategic projects while reducing the time and resources spent on traditional software development. 
  • With low code, businesses can quickly turn ideas into fully functional applications, driving growth and operational efficiency.

For instance, companies like Emeritus have leveraged ToolJet’s platform to create internal tools that streamline operations and enhance productivity. Emeritus, a global leader in professional education, reduced its salary overhead and development time from months to just a few days by building efficient internal tools with ToolJet.

Next, we will examine the key drivers behind the growing adoption of low-code platforms.

Key drivers for low-code adoption

Several key factors fuel the rapid adoption of low-code technologies. As businesses face challenges in hiring skilled developers, pressures for continuous optimization, and the need for efficient digital transformation, low-code platforms provide a viable solution. Let’s look at a few key drivers:

Key Drivers - low-code development

Challenges in hiring experienced developers

The shortage of skilled developers continues to be a major hurdle for many organizations. Gartner highlights how low-code platforms address this challenge by enabling non-developers to create applications and reducing reliance on highly skilled technical staff.

Pressures for continuous optimization and automation

In this competitive market, businesses are constantly pressured to optimize their operations and automate workflows. Low-code platforms simplify the automation of complex business processes, allowing organizations to adapt quickly to market changes. This capability is crucial for staying ahead of competitors and responding to customer needs in real time.

The need for more efficient digital transformation

As digital transformation becomes a top priority for businesses, the ability to develop and deploy applications rapidly is critical. According to Gartner’s low-code predictions, these platforms provide the efficiency required to drive these transformation initiatives successfully. With the help of low code, businesses can quickly implement new digital solutions, helping them stay relevant and competitive in an increasingly digital world.

Next, let us examine how low-code empowers non-technical users within organizations.

Increasing use among business users and non-technical staff

Low-code platforms are no longer just for IT departments; they empower a broader range of users, including non-technical staff and business users. This shift is transforming the way organizations approach application development. Here are the latest statistics on the growing use of low-code among non-IT professionals and the implications for line-of-business staff and non-technical users by 2025.

Growth in low-code usage among non-IT professionals

  • Low code is no longer just for IT professionals. Gartner’s prediction is that in 2026, half of all new low-code users will be outside traditional IT departments. 
  • According to Gartner’s low-code predictions, by 2026, developers from outside formal IT departments are expected to make up at least 80% of the user base for low-code tools, a significant increase from 60% in 2021

Empowering line-of-business staff to develop applications

  • Low-code platforms enable line-of-business staff to develop custom applications tailored to their specific requirements. 
  • This capability reduces the burden on IT departments and speeds up the delivery of new solutions. Allowing non-technical users to build and maintain their applications helps businesses enhance their agility and responsiveness to market changes.

Projection of non-technical user adoption in 2026

  • Gartner forecasts that by 2025, non-technical users will make up 40% of all low-code platform users, up from just 25% in 2023
  • This increase highlights the improved accessibility and ease of use that low-code platforms provide for a wider range of users within organizations.

Next, we’ll discuss the efficiency and flexibility benefits that low-code platforms bring to the table.

Efficiency and flexibility benefits

Low-code platforms offer significant advantages in terms of efficiency and flexibility, making them an attractive option for businesses looking to accelerate their digital initiatives. This section will cover the reduction in development time and costs, faster digitization of business processes, and the flexibility in creating cross-platform applications.

Reduction in development time and costs

  • One of the standout benefits of low-code platforms is their ability to reduce development time and costs significantly. 
  • Gartner’s research shows that low-code platforms can cut development time by up to 50%, enabling businesses to launch new products and services faster. 
  • This reduction in time accelerates time-to-market and lowers the overall cost of development, making it an attractive option for companies of all sizes.

Enabling faster digitization of business processes

  • Low-code platforms make it easier for organizations to digitize their business processes much faster. In a digital-first world, this capability is essential for staying competitive. 
  • With the help of low code, businesses can quickly develop and implement digital solutions that streamline operations and improve efficiency, helping them to keep up with market demands.

Flexibility in creating cross-platform applications

  • Low-code platforms offer flexibility in developing cross-platform applications compatible with various devices and operating systems. 
  • Gartner emphasizes that this capability enhances the utility of low-code platforms, allowing developers to create versatile applications accessible to a wide range of users. 
  • This flexibility ensures that businesses can meet the needs of their customers and employees, regardless of the devices they use.

Let us now look at the advanced features that make low-code platforms powerful.

Advanced features of low-code platforms

Modern low-code platforms have advanced features that support complex integrations, robust security, and a wide range of pre-built components. These capabilities make low-code platforms a powerful tool for businesses looking to streamline development processes. Let’s explore how these features reduce development efforts and enhance application security and functionality.

Advanced Features -  Low-Code Platforms

Support for complex integrations and security

  • Modern low-code platforms have advanced features that support complex integrations with existing systems and provide robust security measures. 
  • Gartner notes that these capabilities are crucial for businesses building secure, scalable applications while ensuring seamless integration with their existing infrastructure. 
  • This support allows organizations to maintain high levels of security and compliance while taking advantage of the speed and simplicity of low-code development.

Utilization of pre-built templates and visual design elements

  • Low-code platforms often include pre-built templates and visual design elements, making it easier for developers to create visually appealing and functional applications. 
  • These features significantly reduce the development effort required, allowing teams to focus more on innovation and less on the intricacies of design and coding. 
  • Gartner highlights that these advanced tools can reduce development time and effort by as much as 70%, freeing up valuable resources for other critical projects.

Next, we’ll review some statistics highlighting the growing adoption of low-code platforms.

Statistics supporting low-code adoption

Strong growth projections and positive impacts on development efficiency support adopting low-code platforms. Let us review the projected market growth, reduction in development time, and how low-code adoption is freeing up IT resources for more strategic initiatives.

Statistics Supporting Low-Code Adoption

Projected market growth and user adoption rates

Gartner’s statistics show that the low-code market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.1% from 2023 to 2025. This rapid growth underscores the increasing adoption of low-code platforms across various industries, driven by the need for faster and more efficient application development.

Reduction in time for app development

According to Gartner’s low-code prediction, these platforms can reduce application development time by up to 50%. This reduction allows businesses to bring products to market faster and respond more quickly to changing market demands. The efficiency of using low-code platforms makes them an attractive option for companies looking to stay competitive.

Impact on freeing up IT resources for high-level projects

By adopting low-code platforms, businesses can free up IT resources to focus on high-level strategic projects rather than routine application development tasks. This shift enables IT teams to contribute significantly to the company’s success, driving innovation and strategic growth.

ToolJet: A notable low-code development platform

As Gartner predicts a surge in reliance on low-code platforms by 2025, ToolJet exemplifies why it’s a top choice for businesses looking to harness these technologies. Our platform’s versatility shines through in its diverse applications. For instance, it has created a Content Management System (CMS) that simplifies content management with a visual interface and seamless database integration, such as MongoDB. Similarly, its QR Code Generator app allows users to create and display QR codes from URLs, leveraging Python scripts for dynamic results.

These examples highlight ToolJet’s powerful capabilities in streamlining workflows and providing flexible opportunities, making ToolJet a great option for organizations wanting to embrace digital transformation. 

Pricing models and trial options available

ToolJet offers flexible pricing plans tailored to meet various business needs, ranging from startups to large enterprises. Each plan provides unique features and benefits, allowing users to select the best fit for their requirements. Below is a breakdown of ToolJet’s pricing options:

Plans Price Benefits
BASIC Starter  – $0 per builder per month– $0 per end user per month  – Unlimited applications – SSO (Google & GitHub) – Community support – 5 tables & 10k rows on ToolJet DB
BUSINESS $19 per builder per month – Yearly: 20% off – $8 per end user per month – SSO (Okta, Google, OpenID Connect & more) – Granular access control – Custom branding/white labeling – Audit logs Unlimited ToolJet tables and rows – Multi-environments – Priority support via email – Git sync
ENTERPRISE Custom Pricing – All features of Business plan – Air-gapped deployment – Multi-instance deployments – Dedicated support via email & Slack – Access to our experts while building apps – Build first app with our engineers – Custom integrations – SLA (Service Level Agreement)

For enterprises, adopting low-code solutions means staying ahead in a competitive market by empowering teams to build and deploy applications quickly and securely. As low-code platforms continue to advance, they will likely integrate more complex features, offering even greater flexibility and potential for innovation. If you want to take advantage of these benefits, consider using ToolJet to accelerate your digital transformation and easily create powerful internal tools. Explore ToolJet today to see how it can transform your development process.