Low-code versus pro-code development

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of Low-code versus pro-code development

    The ServiceNow AI Platform distinguishes between low-code and pro-code development, each catering to different user needs and skill levels in app creation. Low-code empowers users with limited coding experience to build applications rapidly, while pro-code is aimed at experienced developers for creating complex, custom applications.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • Low-code Development: Utilizes graphical interfaces, pre-built templates, and predefined workflows to streamline app creation. Key tools include App Engine Studio, UI Builder, and Flow Designer.
    • Pro-code Development: Requires in-depth coding knowledge and allows for the creation of highly customized applications. Key tools include ServiceNow Studio, SDK, and REST APIs.
    • Low-code vs. No-code: Low-code solutions cater to both developers and non-technical users, allowing some coding when necessary, while no-code solutions are designed exclusively for non-developers, potentially leading to shadow IT issues.

    Key Outcomes

    By utilizing low-code development, organizations can accelerate app deployment and reduce the need for specialized developers. Pro-code development enables the creation of bespoke applications tailored to specific business requirements, ensuring a custom look and feel. Understanding these distinctions helps ServiceNow customers choose the appropriate approach to meet their development needs effectively.

    Learn the difference between low-code and pro-code solutions on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

    What is low-code development

    Low-code development is a new approach to app creation that allows users with limited coding experience to create powerful apps. Low-code development platforms rely on graphical interfaces and configuration instead of manual coding. These new low-code development platforms enable more people to create and deploy apps quickly and efficiently.

    Benefits of low-code development

    Low-code app development streamlines the development process to build more apps faster. Low-code solutions require fewer developers, and allow non-developers to build apps. Pre-built templates provide developers a head start building apps. System administrators can manage app development from a single location and collaborate with other developers. Decrease the time that it takes to deploy apps using predefined workflows in the ServiceNow AI Platform.

    ServiceNow low-code development tools

    For more information on low-code development tools, see Building low-code applications with App Engine.

    Low-code development tool example

    App Engine Studio (AES) is designed to address enterprise low-code development needs by putting the power of the ServiceNow AI Platform in the hands of low-code developers. Guidance-driven flows and easy-to-customize templates help citizen developers come up to speed quickly.

    Figure 1. AES landing page
    AES landing page

    What is pro-code development

    Pro-code development is used by developers to create complex apps that can't be built with a low-code tool. Traditionally, pro-code development is used to create apps from scratch using custom code to solve a business need. Developers need to have knowledge of coding and how to use programming languages to build apps.

    Benefits of pro-code development

    The advantage of pro-code development is being able to create custom apps without the limitation of a tool. You can build custom apps unique to your business needs without limits. Developers can create apps with a custom look and feel to match your company's branding.

    ServiceNow pro-code development tools

    For more information on pro-code development tools, see Building pro-code applications.

    Pro-code development tool example

    ServiceNow Studio provides an Integrated Development Environment (IDE)-like interface for application developers to work on custom applications in one centralized location. It offers a simple way to create, review, and update application files from a tabbed environment.

    Figure 2. ServiceNow Studio sample app
    A sample search results tab displaying seven matches for the string SAMPLE in the current application.

    Low-code versus no-code

    The terms low-code and no-code tend to get used interchangeably, but they aren't exactly the same thing. While both low-code and no-code solutions provide tools for simplified app development, the differences are worth considering.

    Low-code
    Low-code platforms are designed for professional developers and non-technical business users. They require very little training or experience and use visual-based modeling to streamline the development process. They also allow people with coding experience to dive deeper, coding by hand when needed.
    No-code
    No-code platforms require no development experience, and are designed specifically for citizen developers and business users. No-code solutions open app development up to essentially everyone, but can lead to shadow IT—unsanctioned app development within an organization.