A 2026 guide to low code automation: Features, benefits, and use-cases

Are bottlenecks in your approval processes slowing down your business?  You’re not alone. Over 40% of companies report losing productivity due to outdated manual workflows. But what if you could optimize these tasks without needing an entire IT department? 

Low-code workflow automation is the answer to all your questions. It allows you to build and manage workflows quickly, even without extensive technical knowledge. It automates workflows within various business processes, enhancing efficiency. 

This technology simplifies complex processes, allowing you to save time, reduce human error, and focus on what matters—growing your business. 

In fact, almost 60% of custom apps are now built outside the IT department. Of those, 30% are built by employees with limited technical skills. 

Moreover, the mixture of low-code/no-code (LCNC) and conventional innovation is projected to be adopted by 75% of businesses.

Let us get into the blog and explore solutions for your workflow challenges with low-code workflow automation.

Low-code automation is a software development approach that uses visual interfaces and pre-built components. It enables citizen developers to build and deploy apps quickly and easily. 

ERP, CRM, custom applications, dashboards, and other common applications can be built with low-code automation. 

For example:
ToolJet helped VSO, an end-to-end hybrid-cloud service management company, to smoothly integrate data visualization and reporting, significantly reducing development time and costs compared to Tableau and custom React solutions.

Read more here! 

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Understanding the differences between low-code automation and traditional automation approaches is crucial for making informed technology decisions. Here’s a comprehensive comparison:

Comparison factor	Low-code automation	Traditional automation
Visual drag-and-drop interfaces, pre-built components, and configuration-based setup	Visual drag-and-drop interfaces, pre-built components, configuration-based setup	Custom coding from scratch, manual programming for all functionality
Time to market	Days to weeks for deployment	Months to years for complex projects
Specialized software developers, architects, and DevOps teams	Business users, analysts, citizen developers	Specialized software developers, architects, DevOps teams
Code modifications, extensive testing, and redeployment	Lower upfront investment, subscription-based pricing	High upfront costs, expensive specialized talent
Maintenance	Visual interface updates, configuration changes	Code modifications, extensive testing, redeployment
Integration	Pre-built connectors for 70+ data sources	Custom API development and middleware coding
Scalability	Automatic scaling and performance optimization	Manual optimization requiring technical expertise
Built-in RBAC, audit logs, and compliance frameworks	Unlimited customization, but requires extensive coding	Custom security implementation, inconsistent practices
Customization	Flexible configuration with custom code options	Unlimited customization but requires extensive coding
User accessibility	Non-technical users can build and modify	Requires programming expertise for any changes
Error risk	Reduced through visual validation and templates	Higher risk due to manual coding and complexity
Platform-dependent, but with open-source options	Platform-dependent but with open-source options	Full control but higher maintenance burden

The shift toward low-code automation represents a fundamental change in how organizations approach digital transformation. As businesses seek to streamline operations and accelerate innovation, low-code workflow automation has emerged as a critical solution for modern enterprises.

Modern enterprises are embracing low-code automation as a strategic advantage in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Here are the compelling reasons driving this transformation:

Building custom automation from scratch requires significant financial investment and extended development timelines. Low code process automation dramatically accelerates project delivery while reducing both upfront costs and ongoing maintenance expenses. Organizations report substantial savings in development resources, allowing teams to allocate budgets toward innovation rather than routine coding tasks.

Industry research indicates that businesses implementing low-code workflow automation typically see measurable improvements in project turnaround times and significant reductions in development-related expenses.

Business requirements evolve constantly, and your low-code workflow systems need to adapt quickly. These platforms enable teams to modify processes through intuitive visual interfaces rather than complex code revisions. This flexibility allows organizations to respond rapidly to changing market conditions, regulatory requirements, or operational needs without extensive development cycles.

Low code business process automation breaks down traditional barriers between technical and business teams. Non-technical professionals can create functional solutions for their specific challenges without requiring deep programming knowledge. This democratization reduces dependency on specialized developers while enabling subject matter experts to directly address their operational pain points.

Low-code process automation platforms create a common language between business stakeholders and technical teams. Business users can prototype their ideas visually, while developers can enhance and optimize these solutions when needed. This collaborative approach eliminates miscommunication and ensures that final solutions truly meet business requirements.

With the ongoing shortage of skilled developers, organizations must optimize how they deploy technical talent. Low-code business process automation allows IT teams to focus on high-value strategic initiatives while business users handle routine automation tasks. This approach maximizes the impact of scarce technical resources while maintaining quality and governance standards.

Internal process improvements directly impact customer experience quality. Streamlined low code workflow automation enables faster response times, more accurate service delivery, and better resource utilization. Organizations implementing comprehensive automation strategies consistently report improvements in both customer satisfaction metrics and operational efficiency.

Low-code automation platforms are designed to grow with your organization. They accommodate increasing user counts, higher transaction volumes, and more complex business logic without requiring architectural overhauls. This scalability protects your automation investments and ensures continued value as your business expands.

Low-code automation platforms are revolutionizing business processes by offering powerful features. Let’s discuss these features in detail below. 

• Visual development environments: Simplify software development with a graphical user interface.
• Drag-and-drop interfaces: Enable easy application and workflow creation.
• Pre-built templates: Accelerate development with ready-made components.
• Integration capabilities: Seamlessly connects with existing systems and third-party applications.
• Scalability: Supports growing business needs with applications that handle increasing data.
• Security and compliance: Ensures robust security with SSO and role-based access control.
• Cross-platform compatibility: Creates applications that work seamlessly across various devices and operating systems.
• Code extensibility: Custom code for tailored solutions is added.
• Reporting and analytics: Provides insights into application performance and business efficiency.

Also, read our latest blog, “Building generative AI-powered apps: a hands-on guide for developers.” 

Organizations across industries are implementing low-code workflow automation to solve specific operational challenges. These intelligent automation and low-code solutions transform how different departments approach their daily operations:

What challenge do businesses face?

Support teams often work with disconnected systems, leading to slower resolution times and fragmented customer experiences.

Low-code solution: Integrated service platforms that unify customer data, automate ticket routing, and provide comprehensive agent dashboards through low code business process automation.

Implementation example: A unified support ecosystem powered by low-code workflow automation that:

• Consolidates customer interactions from multiple channels
• Automatically prioritizes tickets based on customer tier and issue severity
• Provides agents with complete customer context and history
• Generates performance analytics and identifies improvement opportunities

Measured outcomes: Faster issue resolution, improved customer satisfaction scores, and enhanced team productivity.

Business challenge: Financial workflows often require multiple approval steps, compliance verification, and data consolidation from various sources.

Low-code solution: Comprehensive financial management systems that automate approvals, ensure compliance, and provide real-time visibility through low code process automation.

Implementation example: An integrated financial workflow platform utilizing low-code business process automation that:

• Captures and processes expense documentation automatically
• Routes requests through appropriate approval hierarchies
• Maintains audit trails for compliance requirements
• Provides real-time budget tracking and forecasting

Measured outcomes: Reduced processing times, improved accuracy, and enhanced financial visibility.

Business challenge: HR departments manage complex employee lifecycles with multiple touchpoints, documentation requirements, and compliance considerations.

Low-code solution: Integrated HR management systems that streamline recruitment, onboarding, and employee development processes using intelligent automation and low-code technology.

Implementation example: A comprehensive HR automation platform leveraging low-code workflow automation that:

• Manages candidate pipelines and interview scheduling
• Automates new employee setup across all required systems
• Tracks training completion and certification requirements
• Facilitates performance review processes and career development planning

Measured outcomes: Accelerated hiring processes, improved employee experience, and reduced administrative overhead.

Business challenge: Supply chain operations require real-time visibility, proactive issue management, and coordination across multiple stakeholders.

Low-code solution: Integrated supply chain platforms that provide end-to-end visibility and automated response capabilities through low-code workflow automation.

Implementation example: A comprehensive supply chain management system powered by low-code process automation that:

• Monitors inventory levels and automatically triggers reorder processes
• Tracks shipments and provides real-time status updates
• Identifies potential disruptions and suggests alternative solutions
• Analyzes historical data to optimize procurement strategies

Measured outcomes: Reduced inventory costs, improved supplier relationships, and enhanced operational resilience.

Business challenge: Sales teams need efficient lead management systems that maintain data integrity while optimizing conversion processes.

Low-code solution: Comprehensive sales automation platforms that manage the entire customer acquisition process using low-code business process automation.

Implementation example: An integrated sales management system utilizing intelligent automation and low-code that:

• Evaluates and prioritizes leads based on multiple criteria
• Distributes opportunities among team members based on expertise and capacity
• Automates follow-up communications and scheduling
• Provides comprehensive sales analytics and forecasting

Measured outcomes: Improved conversion rates, shortened sales cycles, and enhanced team performance.

Business challenge: IT departments handle numerous routine requests while maintaining system reliability and security standards.

Low-code solution: Comprehensive IT service platforms that automate routine tasks and provide proactive system monitoring through low-code workflow automation.

Implementation example: An integrated IT management system using low-code process automation that:

• Categorizes and routes service requests automatically
• Provides self-service capabilities for common issues
• Monitors system performance and generates proactive alerts
• Maintains comprehensive documentation and knowledge bases

Measured outcomes: Reduced workload on IT staff, faster issue resolution, and improved system reliability.

Business challenge: Marketing teams coordinate complex multi-channel campaigns while tracking performance across various platforms and touchpoints.

Low-code solution: Integrated marketing automation platforms that manage campaigns from planning through analysis using low-code business process automation.

Implementation example: A comprehensive marketing automation system leveraging intelligent automation and low-code that:

• Coordinates content creation and distribution across channels
• Manages audience segmentation and personalization
• Tracks campaign performance and ROI in real-time
• Optimizes resource allocation based on performance data

Measured outcomes: Enhanced campaign effectiveness, improved audience engagement, and optimized marketing spend.

Business challenge: Organizations must maintain consistent quality standards while ensuring regulatory compliance across complex operations.

Low-code solution: Comprehensive quality management systems that automate monitoring, reporting, and corrective action processes through low-code workflow automation.

Implementation example: An integrated quality management platform using low-code process automation that:

• Implements automated inspection and testing protocols
• Identifies quality deviations and triggers corrective actions
• Maintains comprehensive compliance documentation
• Provides real-time quality metrics and trend analysis

Measured outcomes: Improved product quality, reduced compliance risks, and streamlined audit processes.

Business challenge: Organizations struggle to consolidate information from multiple sources while providing actionable insights to decision-makers.

Low-code solution: Comprehensive data integration platforms that connect disparate systems and provide unified analytics capabilities using low-code business process automation.

Implementation example: An integrated business intelligence system powered by intelligent automation and low-code that:

• Connects multiple data sources through standardized interfaces
• Provides automated data quality monitoring and cleansing
• Generates customizable dashboards and reports
• Delivers proactive alerts based on predefined business rules

Measured outcomes: Improved decision-making capabilities, enhanced data accuracy, and increased operational visibility.

Business challenge: Organizations need effective project management systems that optimize resource allocation while maintaining visibility across multiple initiatives. Companies offering consulting services can leverage a consultant time tracking template to streamline resource allocation and keep clear visibility across multiple initiatives.

Low-code solution: Comprehensive project management platforms that integrate planning, execution, and monitoring capabilities through low-code workflow automation.

Implementation example: An integrated project management system utilizing low-code process automation that:

• Manages project timelines and resource allocation automatically
• Provides real-time progress tracking and reporting
• Identifies potential bottlenecks and suggests mitigation strategies
• Facilitates collaboration and communication among team members

Measured outcomes: Improved project success rates, optimized resource utilization, and enhanced team coordination.

Adopting low-code automation offers numerous benefits that can transform business operations, enhance efficiency, and drive growth. Here are some of the key advantages:

Low-code platforms provide visual interfaces and pre-built components that significantly reduce development time. This allows businesses to automate workflows and deploy applications much faster than traditional coding methods.

By speeding up the development cycle, companies can quickly respond to market changes and customer needs, maintaining a competitive edge.

Low-code automation minimizes the need for extensive coding skills, assisting non-technical users (citizen developers) in building and automating business processes.

This reduces dependency on specialized IT skills, allowing businesses to allocate resources more efficiently.

Low-code platforms facilitate collaboration between technical and non-technical teams by providing a common platform for development and automation.

This collaborative approach helps bridge the gap between business needs and IT capabilities, ensuring that solutions meet both technical and business requirements.

Low code solutions are highly scalable, allowing businesses to easily adapt and expand their automated processes as needs evolve.

The flexibility to integrate with new technologies supports continuous improvement and innovation.

By automating workflows and reducing manual errors, low-code automation significantly lowers operational costs and labor expenses.

It also reduces the cost associated with maintaining legacy systems and hiring specialized developers.

Low-code platforms often include robust security features that safeguard sensitive data and ensure compliance with regulatory standards.

This minimizes the risk of data breaches and ensures that automated processes adhere to organizational security policies.

Low-code automation helps non-technical users to create applications and automate processes independently, driving digital transformation initiatives.

This democratization of development enhances overall business efficiency and innovation capacity.

By utilizing these benefits, businesses can optimize operations, enhance productivity, and achieve significant returns on investment through low code automation.

As the demand for low code automation continues to rise, several platforms stand out for their innovative features and user satisfaction. 

Here are some of the top low code automation platforms of 2025:

1. ToolJet

Key features: 

• Open-source
• Drag-and-drop interface
• Extensive integrations with databases and APIs
• AI-powered code snippets
• Robust security features, including SSO and fine-grained access control.

Pros: Highly customizable, intuitive for developers, supports complex internal tooling, and integrates well with existing systems like OKTA for SSO.

Cons: Learning curve. 

2. Appsmith

Key Features: Open-source, drag-and-drop UI with custom widgets, supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Airtable, and more databases, as well as REST and GraphQL API integrations.

Pros: Highly customizable with JavaScript, seamless API and database integrations, great for building dynamic internal dashboards and admin panels.

Cons: It may require JavaScript knowledge for advanced customization.

3. Mendix

Key Features: Drag-and-drop interface, AI-powered development, single-click cloud deployment, and agile project management tools.

Pros: Great for building cross-platform applications, flexible deployment options, and robust collaboration tools.

Cons: Can be complex for smaller teams, with limited customization for advanced features.

4. Appian

Key Features: Visual app and workflow designer, integration with multiple data sources, real-time analytics, and support for RPA and AI tools.

Pros: Rapid application development, powerful case management, and enterprise-grade security.

Cons: Limited customization for advanced workflows can be expensive for small businesses.

5. OutSystems

Key Features: Extensive community marketplace, AI integrations, and robust security features.

Pros: Leads the market with its comprehensive platform for enterprise-grade applications.

Cons: Pricing can be high for small businesses.

6. Kissflow

Key features: Drag-and-drop builder, workflow-centric tools, and integration with third-party apps.

Pros: Comprehensive workflow tools, a unified platform for collaboration and automation.

Cons: Limited customization options can be expensive for small teams.

7. Retool

Key features: Combines traditional software development with a drag-and-drop UI editor and AI.

Pros: Enables rapid development of internal tools.

Cons: It may require some coding knowledge.

These platforms are leading the way in low code automation by offering powerful tools for rapid application development, workflow automation, and integration with various data sources. They cater to diverse business needs, from small-scale internal tooling to large-scale enterprise applications.

Also, read our blog on “Top no-code builders of 2025”. 

Selecting the appropriate low-code automation tool is crucial for maximizing efficiency and achieving business goals. Here are some key considerations to help you make an informed decision:

• Identify project requirements: Clearly outline what you want to achieve with low code automation. This could be building internal tools, automating workflows, or developing customer-facing applications.
• Align with business goals: Ensure the chosen platform supports your strategic objectives, whether it’s improving customer experience, enhancing operational efficiency, or driving innovation.

Also, read our blog on “Internal tools: A definitive guide to 2025”. 

• Intuitive design: Opt for platforms with user-friendly drag-and-drop interfaces that minimize technical complexity, allowing both technical and non-technical users to contribute effectively.
• Rapid prototyping: Look for tools that enable fast feedback loops and iterative development to ensure applications meet user needs.

• Adaptability: Choose platforms that offer robust customization options to meet unique business requirements. This includes the ability to extend functionality with custom code.
• Integration capabilities: Ensure seamless integration with existing systems and databases to avoid data silos and enhance workflow efficiency.

• Built-in security features: Ensure the platform includes robust security features that automatically govern applications and maintain compliance with regulatory standards.
• Data governance: Opt for platforms that provide strong data governance capabilities to ensure IT control and compliance across multiple applications and user roles.

• Growth support: Choose platforms that can scale with your business, handling increasing user loads and data volumes without compromising performance.
• Deployment flexibility: Consider platforms that offer flexible deployment options, including on-premise and cloud environments, to meet different business needs.

• Cross-platform functionality: Ensure the platform supports the development of applications that run seamlessly on multiple devices, including iOS, Android, and web platforms.

• Vendor support: Look for vendors that provide comprehensive support throughout the development process, from design to deployment.
• Community resources: Consider platforms with active communities and extensive documentation to help troubleshoot issues and enhance learning.

By carefully evaluating these factors, you can select a low-code automation tool that aligns with your business needs, enhances productivity, and drives innovation.

The use cases and benefits above demonstrate the transformative potential of low-code automation. ToolJet’s innovative approach amplifies these benefits through several key differentiators in the llow-codebusiness process automation space:

ToolJet goes beyond simple visual interfaces by integrating artificial intelligence throughout the development process. This AI-first approach enables natural language application generation while maintaining the flexibility of visual development tools for complete, enterprise-ready low-code automation solutions.

From the ground up, ToolJet includes comprehensive security features, including role-based access controls, detailed audit logging, single sign-on integration, and multi-environment support. These features ensure your low-code workflow automation solutions meet enterprise security requirements without additional configuration.

With connections to more than 70 different data sources and robust API integration capabilities, ToolJet seamlessly connects with your existing technology infrastructure without requiring complex custom development work for your low-code business process automation needs.

ToolJet’s open-source foundation provides complete transparency and eliminates vendor lock-in concerns. The platform’s pay-per-builder pricing model with unlimited end users ensures cost-effective scaling as your low-code process automation requirements grow.

When your intelligent automation and low-code requirements exceed standard functionality, ToolJet provides seamless integration with custom code, Git-based version control, and continuous integration/continuous deployment pipeline integration.

Transform your business operations with next-generation AI-powered low-code automation. Begin your ToolJet journey today and discover the future of low-code workflow automation for internal application development.

Sign up for free now! 

Low-code business process automation (BPA) involves using visual interfaces and pre-built components to automate complex business processes without extensive coding. It empowers organizations to streamline operations, reduce manual work, and enhance efficiency by simplifying the automation of workflows and processes.

Low-code workflow automation benefits businesses by reducing manual errors, increasing productivity, and speeding up development cycles. It allows non-technical users to automate workflows, improving collaboration between IT and business teams and enabling faster responses to changing business needs.

The advantages of low-code process automation include rapid development and deployment, reduced reliance on specialized coding skills, and enhanced scalability. It also integrates well with existing systems, eliminating data silos and ensuring seamless workflow automation across different departments.

Low-code business process automation enhances operational efficiency by automating repetitive tasks, minimizing bottlenecks, and providing real-time insights into process performance. This allows businesses to optimize workflows, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction.

Yes, low-code workflow automation can be customized for specific business needs. Platforms often provide flexible tools and integrations that allow businesses to tailor workflows and automation processes to meet unique requirements, ensuring that automation aligns with business objectives and adapts to changing market conditions.

The four main benefits of low-code automation include:

1. Accelerated development speed: Dramatically faster application delivery compared to traditional coding
2. Reduced development costs: Lower investment in specialized development resources and shorter project timelines
3. Enhanced business user empowerment: Non-technical users can create solutions for their specific operational challenges
4. Improved agility and adaptability: Quick modifications and updates to workflows as business requirements evolve.