Low-code and no-code platforms have reshaped software development by letting teams deliver custom solutions without relying exclusively on lengthy hand-coding cycles. Instead of waiting in a backlog, domain experts can prototype, iterate, and launch faster using visual builders with drag and drop interfaces and pre built components. The result: shorter time to value, tighter alignment with real-world needs, and fewer delivery bottlenecks.

If you’re just getting started, a helpful primer is our overview of what these platforms are and how they differ: What are no-code platforms? For a wider landscape view, see our guide to low-code and no-code platforms, and for teams that want maximum flexibility, our perspective on open-source no-code. Throughout this guide, we’ll also show how Baserow can quietly sit at the center of your stack as a flexible, open-source database that scales with you.

What are low-code and no-code platforms?

Both categories aim to accelerate delivery by replacing a large portion of hand coding with visual composition. In practice, these tools provide visual builders for data modeling, workflow logic, and the app layer, so teams can assemble working software from configurable parts. Many also expose APIs and extensibility options when you need to go deeper.

• No-code focuses on empowering non-technical colleagues to build apps using visual logic, templated layouts, and connectors.
• Low-code adds optional scripting and extensibility for technical teams that want speed without losing control, making these tools a bridge between visual builders and engineering-led projects.

What’s common across the board is the ability to connect multiple data sources, transform them, and present them through a clean user interface that matches the task at hand. This is why spreadsheets so often appear in no-code stories: they’re a familiar starting point, and many platforms (including Baserow) make it simple to import or sync that information and evolve it into something more structured.

If you’re deciding between approaches, a short rule of thumb: start with no-code when speed and accessibility are paramount; reach for low-code when you anticipate complex logic, governance requirements, or deeper integration into existing systems.

Why teams choose no-code and low-code

• Speed without sacrificing outcomes. Business stakeholders can shape working solutions directly, eliminating translation gaps and accelerating iteration. When a sales or operations lead can tweak a workflow themselves, helpful changes ship in days instead of months.
• Lower delivery costs. By reducing reliance on custom engineering for every feature, organizations reallocate scarce developer time to high-impact work. Visual builders also cut maintenance costs, as many updates arrive via platform improvements rather than bespoke refactors.
• Closer to the problem. The people who understand the process can design it. Instead of throwing requirements over the wall, they can compose steps, add validation, and test live, ensuring the solution reflects reality.
• Integrations where your data already lives. Connectors make it easy to pull information from CRMs, support tools, analytics, and google sheets. That saves time and keeps your stack aligned with how your teams already operate.
• Optional extensibility. When you outgrow defaults, low-code paths let you add logic, call APIs, or stitch in custom pieces—without abandoning your progress.

A subtle advantage is architectural: using an open, modular base for your operational data gives you room to adapt. This is where Baserow helps. Because it’s open source and can be self-hosted, it offers control over data residency and governance while still giving non-technical teams approachable building blocks.

The rise of no-code and low-code development has been significant in recent years. Gartner predicts that by 2024, 80% of technology products and services will be built by non-IT professionals, a clear sign of how these tools are reshaping software development (Gartner Report)

Benefits you can measure

• Faster prototyping and delivery

Visual builders let you stand up working versions quickly—perfect for piloting a new service or internal workflow. Instead of perfecting specs, teams show, test, and refine. The pattern repeats across departments: marketing launches segmented campaign trackers; HR assembles onboarding checklists; support builds triage views. Over time, this creates a culture of continuous improvement.

• Lower total cost of ownership

Traditional custom builds are expensive to start and maintain. No-code and low-code platforms reduce the need to staff every project with a full engineering team and lower the long-term burden by shipping security fixes and platform features as part of the service.

• Flexible foundation for scale

A solid data model helps avoid spreadsheet sprawl. In Baserow, for example, you can relate tables, enforce types, and create filtered views for each team. That structure pays dividends later when you need analytics, synchronization with other systems, or auditability.

• Productivity across business applications

Because these tools are accessible, more teams contribute solutions. A single source of truth for operations becomes a launchpad for lightweight apps, dashboards, and automations that keep everyone aligned. This expansion happens organically when the building blocks are approachable and the platform feels user friendly to non-technical colleagues.

Choosing the right platform (a practical framework)

• Primary objective: Are you optimizing internal workflows, shipping customer-facing mobile apps, or consolidating operational data? Pick platforms that specialize in your top use case rather than chasing the longest feature list.
• Team skills and ownership: Who will maintain the solution? If the owners are business users, bias toward no-code simplicity; if your IT team will extend and govern the system, consider low-code options with deeper extensibility. These tools act as a bridge between traditional code development platforms and the business side, helping teams deliver faster without starting from scratch.
• Security and governance: Evaluate hosting options (SaaS vs self-hosted), access controls, audit logs, and compliance needs. Open-source options like Baserow provide deployment flexibility and reduce vendor lock-in.
• Ecosystem fit: Map required integrations up front. Do you need out-of-the-box connectors for your CRM, support desk, or analytics? How easily can the platform work with the rest of your stack, and what are the limits of its integration capabilities?
• Scalability and performance: Can the platform handle larger tables, complex relationships, and higher concurrency as adoption grows? Consider whether it supports full stack extensibility—adding custom code, APIs, or services when the project evolves beyond drag-and-drop simplicity.
• Community and support: A lively community saves time through shared patterns and quick answers. Explore the Baserow community and this discussion on tool preferences: Which no-code platform is your preference?
• Total cost: Look beyond list price: include training, extensions, maintenance, compliance, and the cost of switching later. Durable choices often emphasize openness and portability.

For deeper background on trade-offs and evaluation, these resources help frame the decision:

• Low-code and no-code platforms
• Open-source no-code

Best low-code and no-code databases

Databases are often the foundation of business applications. A good platform lets you structure information, enforce a data model, and share it across teams without needing to write code. Here are some of the strongest options available.

Baserow

Baserow is an open-source, no-code database designed to give teams control and flexibility. Its spreadsheet-like user interface makes it easy to get started, while features such as relational tables, role-based permissions, and API-first design allow for complex structures. Teams use Baserow to build internal tools that unify business processes, pulling in data from multiple sources and publishing filtered views back to stakeholders.

Because it is open source, Baserow can be self-hosted for organizations with strict data governance needs. Pre-built templates and integrations with Zapier, Make, and n8n help automate workflows, and the extensibility means developers can extend functionality when needed. For many teams, Baserow becomes the central operational database, powering applications across departments.

Airtable

Airtable blends the familiarity of spreadsheets with database features. It supports rich field types—attachments, checkboxes, and links between tables—so teams can structure information more effectively. Its templates and integrations make it easy to get started, though it’s not open source, which limits deployment options for organizations with compliance or data residency requirements.

For teams evaluating Airtable alternatives, Baserow provides a similar experience with the added advantage of self-hosting and extensibility.

Smartsheet

Smartsheet focuses on project and process management, offering spreadsheet-style sheets with collaboration tools layered on top. It supports automation rules, analytics dashboards, and customizable forms. Smartsheet is often chosen by organizations that want to formalize planning and reporting while keeping an approachable interface.

Xano

Xano is a no-code backend development platform that provides a scalable server, database, and API builder. It’s designed for scenarios where you need to connect multiple front-end clients to a unified backend. Using its drag-and-drop API builder, you can transform and filter data without writing code. Xano’s strength lies in powering applications that need custom logic and integration capabilities across services.

NocoDB

NocoDB converts existing SQL databases into spreadsheet-style interfaces, enabling teams to manipulate data without technical skills. As an open-source project, it offers flexibility and is community-driven, with frequent improvements. Enterprise features like SSO and access controls are available in managed versions.

Rows

Rows is a spreadsheet tool that connects to live data sources such as APIs, Google Maps, or Mailchimp. It includes formulas, charts, and collaboration features. By combining the power of spreadsheets with integrations, Rows is useful for teams who want dashboards or lightweight internal tools without switching away from a familiar format.

Where Baserow fits

Baserow often serves as the operational backbone: a structured, relational datastore that business teams can shape without friction, and that technical teams can extend. Start by importing a spreadsheet, organize it into related tables, then expose curated views for each stakeholder. From there, you can add forms for data collection, automate handoffs with your preferred workflow tool, and publish read-only views to downstream systems. Because it’s open source, you keep control over deployment and can evolve the setup as your needs change.

What makes Baserow stand out is its balance between accessibility and extensibility. Non-technical users can leverage its spreadsheet-like user interface to get started quickly, while developers can dive deeper by using its API-first design. This dual nature makes it ideal for teams that want the freedom of no-code without giving up the option to extend features when needed.

For growing organizations, scalability is built in. Baserow supports large and complex datasets with robust filtering, grouping, and relational linking. Teams working on business processes such as project management, CRM, or content planning can create tailored workflows without being locked into a rigid template. At the same time, IT teams can rest assured that the platform integrates smoothly with existing systems via tools like Zapier, n8n, and Make, ensuring data flows seamlessly across the stack.

Another advantage is deployment flexibility. While many platforms lock you into a SaaS subscription, Baserow offers both hosted and self-hosted options. This means organizations with strict governance, compliance, or data residency needs can host their own instance, keeping complete ownership of their data. For companies building internal tools or business applications with sensitive information, this level of control can be critical.

Real-world use cases from the Baserow community highlight its adaptability. Some teams use it as a lightweight CRM, others as a content hub, and others as a project tracker tailored to their unique workflows. In every case, the platform allows them to start simple, then grow into more advanced configurations without switching tools.

By serving as both the foundation and a flexible layer in the no-code stack, Baserow helps organizations unify their operations, reduce reliance on siloed spreadsheets, and empower more people to contribute to digital transformation.

Baserow in action: a real-world use case

To see how these categories connect, let’s consider a marketing operations team. They need to track campaigns across multiple data sources—social ads, webinars, email newsletters, and CRM systems.

1. Centralize the data. Using Baserow, they import campaign data into structured tables with a clear data model. Relationships between leads, campaigns, and spend are defined.
2. Automate updates. With n8n or Make, the team integrates ad platforms and CRMs, ensuring records sync automatically.
3. Build internal tools. In Baserow, filtered views are created for sales, finance, and leadership—each tailored to what those teams need.
4. Publish insights. Marketing dashboards built in Softr or Webflow pull directly from Baserow, creating a user friendly way to view campaign performance.
5. Scale further. As campaigns grow, the team doesn’t need to write code or rebuild. Baserow’s open-source flexibility ensures they can adapt while keeping control over data governance.

This kind of workflow shows why choosing the right low code toolset matters. By combining Baserow with automation and app builders, organizations move faster while maintaining clarity and control.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the best low-code no code platform?

It depends on your needs. For open-source databases, Baserow is an excellent choice. For mobile apps, Glide and AppSheet are popular. For automation, Zapier and n8n stand out.

• Is low-code better than no-code?

Neither is universally better. Low-code is suitable when you need customization and the ability to write code. No-code works best when business users want to build apps without technical skills.

• Is ChatGPT a no code platform?

No, ChatGPT is an AI model, not a platform for app building. However, it can support no-code workflows by generating ideas, documentation, or content.

• What is low-code no-code example?

An example is creating a CRM with Baserow, integrating it with email marketing through Zapier, and building a customer portal in Softr—without writing custom code.

• Can I build an app with no-code?

Yes, platforms like Glide, AppSheet, and Softr let you build apps and even publish them to the app store and Google Play without coding.

• Is Excel low-code?

Excel itself is not a low-code platform, but with macros and Power Query it offers some low-code functionality. True no-code databases like Baserow extend this by adding relational models, integrations, and APIs.

Conclusion and next steps

No-code and low-code tools are no longer fringe experiments—they are central to modern software development. By letting teams build apps, automate workflows, and unify data, they reduce costs and speed up delivery. The key is choosing the right low code or no-code platform for your needs, whether that’s a database, automation tool, app builder, or website creator.

For organizations seeking a flexible, open-source foundation, Baserow provides the building blocks to structure data, connect integrations, and power business applications.

Ready to build your first project without writing code? Sign up for Baserow today and start transforming your workflows.