Many times applications are created to solve certain difficulties of the operation or structure of a company or project. It can be from a system that automates tasks so that a workflow can run much faster, to improving the management of a database, among others. However, it is important to note that the road to digital transformation is not as fast or easy as it sounds and a few miles must be traveled before laying its foundations.

At first, perhaps, the idea of developing an application is conceived as an efficient project in terms of functionality, time and money. At this critical moment, where many topics converge for its creation, certain questions arise from the technological team or company that needs the application, as to how to develop it. Among them they raise the following: Is it necessary to develop the application from scratch? Is it better to use a pre-existing platform? How long will it take?

To answer these questions, there is a way to route the project, but only if it has a clear vision of the stage of the application and to where it could evolve to.

How to define what is the best route for your company or project?

It is important to clarify the advantages and disadvantages in terms of development. In general it is considered to be carried out in two main modalities, that is, one developed from scratch and the other using an existing platform called Low-Code, such as Knack, which brings with it several benefits such as speed in completion time, that is to say, results can be obtained much faster, as well in terms of cost it is much more affordable and can scale to masses.

Usually developing an application in a traditional way, that is, from scratch, is recommended when:

1. The speed on which the app runs is important

2. The app requires considerable algorithms, or complex business rules, or validations

3. The database is large

4. You need to go mobile

5. Your business has gained traction and you need to deliver to thousands (or millions) of users

6. You want to be creative with the look and feel of the app

7. Security of the data is a must

8. You want to keep your project independent from a software (low-code) vendor.

Take into account that traditional software development is time consuming and perhaps on many occasions you might exceed the budget that was initially held for the project. Another key point when considering this modality, is that, the maintenance of this structure will be constant, so if you are a small business and do not have the capacity to develop and commit to projects of this magnitude, it is not the best option to choose from.

On the other hand, low-code platforms are recommended when:

1. It's the version 1, or a prototype

2. To test an idea at low cost-control, or when budget is tight

3. The speed of development, and time to market is important

4. You'd like to make small updates yourself

5. It's for internal use, or for a small number of end-users (below a thousand)

Companies whose business model prevents them from hiring an internal development team, usually choose to develop applications under the low code modality, like Knack platform, since this allows prototypes to be built with great speed, in days or even hours. This technology also makes it possible to customize features within the development of the software, which is of great importance so that it can be adapted to the needs in terms of functions. In turn, with low code platforms, integrations can be made with other compatible application systems and also with other databases.

When choosing which modality to use, it is necessary to take a look at which stage of your project you currently are. If you are at the very early stages, it's good to stick with a Low code platform as the speed to market is much faster and you'd prefer to test your idea at low cost first while you gain some traction. However, if you are already advanced in your project, and you need to plan for a larger audience it's much better to develop from scratch as it will give you full control over your system.

If you choose to pursue the development with Knack, and it turns out that the scope of your business has expanded and you need to migrate out of Knack, then that is also possible too. It's actually a good problem to have, as it shows you that your product is successful and you need to plan for a larger audience.

At Soluntech we are prepared to take you on the route that best suits your project, taking into account the vision and plans of your company.

Struggling to Choose between Developing from Scratch or Using a Low code Platform?