Creating software tools to streamline (often manual) processes is common across all types of organisations and can be a powerful competitive edge. But traditional software development can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, especially when businesses increasingly struggle to hire software engineers.
Enter no-code development, an approach that enables individuals and businesses to build fully functional web apps or internal tools without writing a single line of code.
But what exactly is no-code, and why is it so transformative? This blog will explore the no-code movement, its benefits, limitations, and why it's quickly becoming a game-changer for startups and large enterprises alike.
- The rise of no-code app development
- How does no-code app building work?
- The benefits of no-code app builders
- Real-world use cases of no-code development
- Limitations of no-code apps
- The future of no-code
The rise of no-code app development
No-code app development is exactly what it sounds like—development without code. It's a visual approach to software development that lets people with little to no programming experience create software solutions. The tools that enable this are called no-code app building platforms, like Starhive. These platforms provide intuitive interfaces, drag-and-drop functionalities, and pre-built templates that simplify the process of building apps.
There are two main types of no-code app building platforms. Ones like Starhive, Airtable, and Retool are focused on improving business processes with custom apps. And ones like Bubble and FlutterFlow, which are focused on letting new entrepreneurs build apps that can be packaged up and sold. In both cases, the term app, means something users interact with to carry out a particular task.
The development of no-code platforms for business solutions can be traced back to the age-old question – do you build or buy? Building your own solution and buying an off-the-shelf product both have pros and cons. Buying software means it’s easier to maintain, but it comes at the cost of customisation. Building custom solutions offers complete flexibility but requires a lot of specialised knowledge.
Creating custom solutions also has the challenge that the person with the domain knowledge is often not the same person developing it, which often causes bottlenecks.
No-code platforms have bridged this gap, letting domain experts create their own solutions by making app building accessible to anyone who has a problem to solve.
How does no-code app building work?
No-code software development platforms are designed to take away most of the complexities of traditional programming languages. Rather than writing lines of code to define how a tool should behave, users rely on visual tools like drag-and-drop components, which is why you might also hear no-code referred to as visual development.
An app has at least three critical components. Let's consider a simple task management app. Firstly, it needs a database to store the tasks along with information such as due date, assignee, title, description, and status. Secondly, it needs processes or logic applied to that data. Logic includes defining the states a task can move through and which order, and triggering alerts when a task due date has been reached. Finally, it needs a user interface so people can interact with the data. A sensible user interface for task management could be a Kanban board view with filters to show the current user's tasks.
No-code platforms provide building blocks, such as buttons, forms, workflows, or automations, which are configured using menus. These blocks handle all the underlying technical functionality developers usually code by hand, such as designing a user interface, storing data, or handling business logic.
The benefits of no-code app builders
The appeal of no-code lies in its accessibility. No-code empowers non-technical users—such as IT professionals, business analysts, and marketers—to build their own software solutions. These people are experts in their field and know their problems in immense detail. Giving them the power to create what they need to improve their processes lets teams move faster while freeing up developer time for more specialised tasks.
It also helps IT teams maintain custom solutions. Ask any IT specialist and they will have a story about some old, outdated, yet critical custom solution that nobody knows how to maintain. With no-code solutions, as long as IT understand how the no-code platform works, the maintenance becomes significantly more straightforward than something coded in a now obsolete programming language.
Real-world use cases of no-code development
At Starhive we’ve seen countless examples of use cases for no-code apps. We also use Starhive to manage our own processes and can share some examples of how we use it.
Holiday requests
Our head of engineering, Olga, built a simple tool for our staff to request holidays. The dates are submitted by the employee and the request goes to their manager (documented in Starhive). If the manager approves it, the holiday gets added to a company-wide holiday planner.
Managing IT assets
All our IT equipment is stored in Starhive and linked to a team member so we know exactly who has what at any given time. Warranty information is included so our CEO, Tommy, is alerted when someone is due a new laptop.
Marketing portal
People across Starhive need to access marketing assets. The product team often need logos and icons, and the sales and partner teams want to find relevant content for a potential business opportunity. Our head of marketing, Charlotte, made a simple brand portal in Starhive where anyone can find the content they need filtered by format, topic, audience, and more.
Partner relationship management
Our head of partner channels, Eyglo, has created a PRM system that helps her manage and onboard new partners. She’s even looking at building a custom form in Wix that is connected to Starhive to let partners register new sales deals.
Limitations of no-code apps
While no-code offers excellent advantages, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. For any potential no-code project an assessment should be made about which approach makes most sense.
No-code solutions will never have the levels of customisation that a fully coded solution can have (assuming it is coded well so it is easy to maintain and scale). If your needs are very specific and complex, going down the fully coded (or pro-code as it’s often known as) route might be the better choice.
There’s also another risk when you don't use software engineers to build internal solutions. Engineers these days know the importance of process and good documentation, which should ensure that whatever is built can be maintained by someone of roughly the same knowledge level. This is not always the case for other teams, which can lead to missing documentation and potentially slower changes to the app.
No-code platforms and software developers each serve distinct purposes. No-code is an excellent choice for those who need quick, cost-effective solutions for simpler applications or want to empower non-technical users to take control of their projects. However, for more complex or specialised applications, hiring experienced software developers may still be the best route.
The future of no-code
The future is incredibly promising. As the technology evolves, no-code platforms will become more powerful, expanding their capabilities to handle more complex applications and larger-scale deployments. Many industry experts predict that no-code development will be a crucial part of the software development landscape, enabling businesses to innovate faster than ever before.
Additionally, as AI continues to advance, we may see even more intuitive no-code tools that can automatically generate solutions based on natural language commands, making app development even more accessible.
No-code is transforming the way we think about software development. By lowering the barrier to entry, no-code platforms enable anyone—from solo employees to large teams—to create innovative solutions and improve their day-to-day productivity.
If you’ve got an idea waiting to be built or a process you need to automate, now might be the perfect time to explore the world of no-code with Starhive.
