I think two things are simultaneously true about no-code apps:
1) They really are a fast way to get an MVP that can be shown to investors and customers and even process customer transactions for simple businesses. Many simple businesses don't fit into pre-packaged SaaS platforms like Shopify, but don't really need a fully custom solution built from the ground up. No-code is good for these.
2) No-code quickly hits a wall when things start to get more complex or as the scale grows. At some point, trying to coerce the no-code solution into doing what you need becomes increasingly painful and a custom solution becomes necessary.
In reality, I think many small businesses and simple startups are actually a good fit for no-code websites. The Wordpress analogy is a good comparison because we all know how unnecessary it is to write a blogging platform from scratch in 2021 (unless for hobby, of course). Likewise, it's going to become silly to write a custom backend and frontend solution for a client whose entire business is basically a couple of web forms and simple workflows.
It's all about picking the right tool for the job, and no-code tools can be the right tool for many jobs.
But they're not the right tool for every job. Knowing the difference is important.
1) They really are a fast way to get an MVP that can be shown to investors and customers and even process customer transactions for simple businesses. Many simple businesses don't fit into pre-packaged SaaS platforms like Shopify, but don't really need a fully custom solution built from the ground up. No-code is good for these.
2) No-code quickly hits a wall when things start to get more complex or as the scale grows. At some point, trying to coerce the no-code solution into doing what you need becomes increasingly painful and a custom solution becomes necessary.
In reality, I think many small businesses and simple startups are actually a good fit for no-code websites. The Wordpress analogy is a good comparison because we all know how unnecessary it is to write a blogging platform from scratch in 2021 (unless for hobby, of course). Likewise, it's going to become silly to write a custom backend and frontend solution for a client whose entire business is basically a couple of web forms and simple workflows.
It's all about picking the right tool for the job, and no-code tools can be the right tool for many jobs.
But they're not the right tool for every job. Knowing the difference is important.