Low-code / no-code: opportunity or trap for SMEs?

Low-code platforms promise to build apps without coding. Here are the real advantages, hidden limits and pitfalls to avoid. The low-code / no-code phenomenon: The low-code market will reach $65 billion by 2027 (Gartner). These platforms (Bubble, Retool, Power Apps) let you create applications via visual interfaces. The promise: democratise development and reduce timelines by 50-90%. Real advantages: Rapid prototyping: validate an idea in days instead of months. Business autonomy: non-technical teams can create their own internal tools. Low initial cost. Rapid iteration based on user feedback. Pitfalls to know: Vendor lock-in: your app only exists on the platform. Limited scalability beyond a few hundred users. Opaque security. Hidden costs that increase sharply with usage. Invisible technical debt. When to use, when to avoid: Use for: internal tools, POCs, simple automations, dashboards. Avoid for: client-facing products, critical applications, sensitive data, systems that need to scale. Golden rule: if the app is meant to last and grow, invest in custom code from the start. The Powehi approach: pragmatism: We don't demonise low-code, we position it. For a POC or temporary internal tool, Retool or N8N can be relevant. For a lasting product, we develop custom code. And we support low-code → code migration.