The Future of Low-Code

We’re witnessing a fundamental shift in how organizations approach software development, with low-code platforms now positioned as strategic assets in digital transformation initiatives. Gartner forecasts that by 2029, enterprise low-code application platforms will power 80% of mission-critical applications globally, a dramatic leap from just 15% in 2024.

It’s easy to see why so many businesses are adopting low-code solutions. By simplifying the app building process and reducing the need for code, these tools speed up development time and allow non-technical users to be more involved in the process.

Despite these benefits, many businesses still have hesitations about changing their current pro-code development processes, citing concerns about the long-term scalability, flexibility and security of low-code development. What are modern low-code tools doing to address these concerns, and how will they continue to evolve to meet increasingly complex enterprise needs? Is low-code truly the future of development, or will we see more businesses revert back to pro-code processes?

Current State of Low-Code/No-Code Development

The low-code/no-code (LCNC) ecosystem has matured into a $45.5 billion global market as of 2025, achieving a 28.1% compound annual growth rate since 2020. This explosive growth reflects widespread adoption across industries, with a projected 70% of enterprise applications being built using LCNC tools—a threefold increase from 2020 adoption rates.

Organizations leverage these platforms not merely for prototyping, but also for mission-critical systems, with enterprises deploying LCNC solutions for core business operations like supply chain management and real-time customer analytics.

Current Trends

1. Citizen developers now constitute a majority of LCNC users — empowering business units to solve domain-specific challenges without traditional IT bottlenecks.
2. Platform capabilities have expanded beyond basic app builders to include AI-assisted automation, cross-system orchestration and compliance-aware development environments.
3. Hybrid development models now dominate, with more enterprises combining LCNC platforms with pro-code tools to balance agility and customization needs.

Current Challenges

1. Platform lock-in becomes a risk when low-code platforms rely heavily on proprietary features or custom logic that only works in that system, making it difficult to switch vendors later on.
2. Inconsistent governance frameworks can lead to compliance gaps, especially in highly regulated industries.
3. Limited flexibility is a common complaint from professional developers using low-code platforms that don’t provide full access to the underlying code.

To overcome these challenges, businesses need to view LCNC as a strategic capability rather than a tactical shortcut — investing in developer training, establishing center-of-excellence teams, and rigorously evaluating platforms against evolving architectural requirements.

Where Does Pro-Code Fit Into a Low-Code Future?

Despite the low-code movement accelerating development for mainstream use cases, pro-code development remains vital for managing legacy systems and addressing complex technical challenges. A hybrid development model that combines the agility of low-code with the flexibility of pro-code workflows is becoming increasingly popular, with businesses utilizing both for:

• Complex system integrations: For example, a manufacturing company might use low-code to build a production dashboard but rely on custom Python scripts to connect it to decades-old SCADA systems using proprietary protocols.
• Custom algorithm development: For example, a fintech firm could deploy a low-code customer portal for loan applications, then use Java to implement bespoke credit-scoring algorithms that analyze non-traditional data sources.
• Performance optimization: For low-code apps handling large amounts of data, code can be used to reduce potential bottlenecks. For example, an e-commerce retailer might prototype a recommendation engine with low-code tools, then engage developers to refactor performance-critical modules in C# for faster real-time processing during peak traffic periods.

5 Trends Shaping the Future of Low-Code/No-Code Development

Low-code and no-code development platforms have transitioned from productivity tools to essential components of enterprise technology strategies. As organizations prioritize agility and resource efficiency, these platforms address critical challenges in application development, process automation, and legacy modernization. Below are five pivotal trends redefining the future of low-code adoption.

1. AI-Driven Development

Artificial intelligence has transformed low-code platforms from visual builders into intelligent systems that can interpret business requirements . Modern tools now generate functional code snippets, suggest workflow optimizations, and automate testing through natural language prompts.

This shift reduces dependency on specialized coding skills while accelerating prototyping: one firm recently reported cutting initial development cycles by 40% to 50% using AI-assisted low-code tools.

2. Enterprise-Grade Scalability

Compared to traditional high-code development processes, low-code platforms are often perceived as more lightweight, departmental-level solutions. And while those will certainly continue to exist, modern low-code platforms are overcoming this reputation by offering enterprise-grade scalability. Gartner predicts that 70% of new enterprise apps will utilize low-code/no-code by 2025, driven by the massive revenue growth reported by early adopters.

In the financial sector, institutions deploy LCNC solutions to analyze transaction patterns and improve fraud detection pipelines. Similarly, healthcare organizations leverage the technology to unify electronic health records with IoT device streams, effectively establishing real-time patient monitoring systems without traditional coding overhead. These mainstream, enterprise-level adoptions are testaments to LCNC’s transition from granular problem-solving to architectural modernization at scale.

3. The Rise of Citizen Developers

Non-technical teams are increasingly building and maintaining applications, with 80% of organizations expecting non-IT staff to develop operational tools by 2025. These non-technical users — from HR to operations — leverage drag-and-drop interfaces to solve department-specific problems, reducing IT backlogs and accelerating delivery.

For example, healthcare providers are training nursing staff to create patient intake forms using Microsoft Power Apps, helping to reduce administrative overhead in fast-paced hospital settings. However, successful implementations require guardrails — role-based permissions and pre-approved templates ensure citizen developers work within IT-defined boundaries while fostering innovation.

4. Bridging Legacy Systems with iPaaS

Many organizations encounter compatibility issues when integrating low-code platforms with their existing legacy systems, which is why modern LCNC platforms are increasingly integrating iPaaS capabilities. By blending low-code with integration-first features, platforms like Jitterbit App Builder allow businesses to connect new applications without having to rewrite backend infrastructure.

5. Security-First Development

As low-code adoption grows, platforms are embedding advanced security protocols directly into their architectures. This can include automated vulnerability scanning, data encryption at rest and in transit, and built-in compliance tools to address enterprise-level data privacy concerns.

The Role of Jitterbit App Builder in the Future of Low-Code

As you consider how to position your organization for this low-code digital transformation, Jitterbit App Builder represents the next evolution in enterprise application development. Combining the accessibility of low-code with the power needed for complex enterprise applications, App Builder lets you:

• Build applications faster using an intuitive design interface and AI Assistant to create new applications and workflows using natural language.
• Deploy anywhere seamlessly in your enterprise cloud or on-premises systems and use it on any device with a single code base that adapts to any screen size, even offline.
• Connect systems easily, integrating with third-party applications by exposing any data connection, business rule or application as a REST API.
• Scale efficiently with full cross-platform CRUD(Create, Read, Update and Delete), real-time data integrations and enterprise-grade security.
• Optimize application security by controlling access to apps and managing user privileges through security groups, all while leveraging single sign-on identity providers for seamless user provisioning.

As one App Builder user, Tony Harris, CIO of Darn Tough Vermont, notes: “[App Builder] has become a really important tool in our toolbox because of its flexibility from both the user end and the developer standpoint. It allows us to quickly prototype something to see if it’s going to work with our business …”

When it comes to the future of enterprise app development, low-code tools are here to stay. The real question is how effectively companies can embrace this technology and the competitive advantages it offers. Learn how low-code can fit into your organization by scheduling a demo of Jitterbit App Builder today.