Code vs Nocode: The future of web development

Until a few years ago, web development was systematically associated with programming, with code, with traditional development. But that was before Nocode emerged.

Nocode vs. traditional development: the debate was heated in 2022! But it seems that the temperature has been dropping for a while.

Code or Nocode? Background

Over the past few years, Nocode has taken on a very important media role in the world of tech and web development. In addition to a word that can be a little provocative and very marketing for some, it's had a bad press since the concept has been directly at odds with traditional development. And, of course, this didn't go down well with the developer community.

It offers a new way of developing websites without having to write code. This may seem more accessible and faster for people who are not experienced developers. However, traditional developers argue that code offers more control and flexibility for more complex projects.

The Nocode vs. Code debate revolves around which one is better for web development, depending on the user's experience and skills, as well as the project requirements.

What is Nocode?

Nocode (or development without code) refers to the set of tools that aim to make the creation of websites and applications more accessible by allowing users to develop projects without having to write code. This is done by using platforms and tools that allow users todrag-and-drop elements to build a website or an application. Users can also use predefined templates to speed up the development process.

This type of development is best known for being aimed at a wider, less experienced audience. But more and more traditional developers are embracing these tools, as they enable them to be much more productive.

What is traditional development?

Traditional development is a process of creating websites and applications that involves the use of programming languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript for the front-end or Python, Ruby, Node.js, PHP for the back-end. Just in case: the front-end refers to the user interface, the design part. The back-end: to the database and logic part

Developers use tools such as code editors, web browsers and integrated development environments (IDEs) to write code.

Code vs Nocode: What are the differences?

This is surely the part that will interest you the most in this article. What differences do we find between these two approaches to web development.

Development time. Today, it's well known that development time is a crucial issue for companies. Both in terms of resources and time-to-market. Code-free tools add a layer of abstraction to code, where components are ready to use straight away. The visual interface and drag-and-drop system also speed up the development of a website or application.
And although traditional development has come a long way, thanks in particular to libraries and frameworks, in most cases the time spent on development is much longer.

Project costs. Code-free projects are generally less costly, not least because development time is shorter and fewer resources are required.

Maintenance. Nocode offers the advantage that part of the maintenance of the tools is managed directly by the editors. If the technical problems come from the application itself, the resolution of errors is very well expressed by the tools which facilitates debugging. The maintenance of projects in code is very complex and requires a high level of expertise. That said, it is important to specify that good documentation is essential in both cases.

Business team autonomy. With Nocode, business teams can be more autonomous to develop their own projects without depending on developers. Traditional development can limit the autonomy of business teams because they depend on developers to develop their projects.

Security & Governance. Today, this is the area in which Nocode is still developing. Most of the major tools on the market today are SOC2-certified and offer solutions for compliance with the GDPR. But not all of them are. So it's important to take this into account when doing your research. Traditional development offers great flexibility when it comes to data portability and hosting. This requires technical skills, however, and is not accessible to everyone.
Another point: GitHub is now widely used to manage projects in code. It's an essential tool for managing project security and collaboration. Code-free design is still in its infancy, but is developing well. One example is ncScale, which can be compared to GitHub for Nocode.

Deployment. Traditional developers know this. Deploying an application is never an easy task. Where no-code tools all have native deployment options.

Learning curve. It takes between 3 and 5 years to train in traditional development. This compares with a year and a half to become a professional Nocode Maker.
This is one of the reasons why we have set up the first School for Nocode Professionals: Alegria.academy. Responding to the challenges posed by a shortage of technical profiles and diversity.

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Low-code, the happy medium?

Many companies choose to adopt a low-code strategy. By integrating a few lines of code and having certain skills, low-code offers the possibility of enriching your Nocode solution with additional functionalities.

• Greater flexibility: Low-code offers a balance between the simplicity of Nocode and the customization of traditional development, enabling greater adaptability.
• Rapid deployment: Low-code solutions combine the speed of no-code implementation with the ability to add specific functionality, reducing time-to-market.
• Cost optimization: By avoiding full development while offering more functionality than Nocode, low-code can often lead to more economical solutions in the long term.
• Reduced dependency: With low-code, companies are not entirely dependent on developers for every change or addition. This allows non-developers to make minor changes, speeding up processes.

If you'd like to know more about the differences between low-code and Nocode, we've written an article on the subject.

Code vs Nocode: Which option to choose?

Having listed the differences between Code and Nocode, it's clear that no-code should now be part of the development strategy of all companies, whether start-ups, SMEs or large corporations.

Between more autonomous business teams, shorter development times, greater agility that enables teams to iterate faster on the product to meet user and market needs, plus all the other advantages mentioned above, Nocode seems more attractive overall. Low-code would also be an excellent option to consider as an alternative to the two previous options.

Of course, this is a nuance: certain issues concerning security, scalability and governance can be perfectly addressed by technical teams that are very competent in this area - in traditional development.