Discover The True Limits Of No-Code App Development

Introduction

By now, many of us have heard about no-code development—if not elsewhere, then certainly from me, as my agency, NerdHeadz - Bubble.io Design Agency – is built entirely around no-code development.

A few days ago, a potential lead approached me with an intricate Web 3 project, expressing doubts about whether such projects can be built without coding.

This prompted me to share my insights and clarify a question I believe many founders and business owners exploring the no-code path might have:

Are there limits to building an app with no-code?

Insights From Bubble.io AI Prompts

In Bubble’s recent publication, The State of No-Code Development, one highlight was the release of the Bubble AI—a Bubble.io feature that allows using natural language processing to automatically generate build guides— that offer guidance to citizen developers on how to turn an idea into a working app.

This new feature provided valuable insights into what users are aiming to build with no-code in 2024/2025.

According to the prompt data, people are building a wide variety of applications, with the breakdown by prompt language revealing the following:

• 10% of prompts focused on e-commerce and marketplace-related queries
• 6% mentioned “AI” or “artificial intelligence”
• 5% were related to social networks
• 2% included "game" development queries
• 1% specified SaaS-related projects
• 1% focused on dashboards
• 1% mentioned marketing-related terms

Gartner estimates that organizations will build 70% of their new applications with low code or no code tools by 2025, a significant increase from less than 25% in 2020

What No-Code App Development Can Do

Years ago, no-code was often seen as a niche solution with limited applications. Most people weren’t familiar with it, and even experienced developers were still exploring its potential.

Today, however, no-code platforms have been used to create everything from specialized internal tools to social platforms, marketplaces, AI-driven customer service apps, budgeting apps, and more.

With powerful no-code platforms like Bubble.io, there are very few things you can’t build using visual logic.

The Current Limits Of No-Code Development

Since no-code development caters to a broad spectrum of users—ranging from citizen developers and hobbyists to IT personnel, experienced programmers, and non-technical professionals—the possibilities of what can be built using no-code will only continue to expand.

However, certain types of software, such as those requiring the direct management of memory (e.g., operating systems, hardware drivers, or embedded systems), are better suited for programming languages like Assembly and C.

For instance, building a system that involves low-level memory allocation or high-performance computing would be difficult with no-code tools.

Additionally, no-code platforms currently have limited 3D modeling capabilities, making them less ideal for projects like complex game development or applications that require advanced animation (such as virtual reality experiences or detailed motion graphics).

That said, we've observed that most users don’t turn to no-code for these use cases anyways.

No-code excels in areas like building e-commerce sites, internal business tools, or social networks—where complex animations and low-level memory control aren’t necessary.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while no-code development offers incredible flexibility and has democratized app building for a wide range of users, it does have its limits. Complex projects requiring direct memory management, low-level system operations, or advanced 3D modeling still lie beyond the scope of no-code platforms. However, for the vast majority of business needs—whether building marketplaces, social platforms, or internal tools—no-code provides an efficient and powerful solution.

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