In a nutshell:

• The flexibility of fully custom coded functionality, combined with the speed of code-generation.
• Code generation based on Model Driven Design instead of unpredictable AI/LLM output.
• Take your (generated) codebase with you and develop it further outside of our platform.
• Get superior maintainability with a complete and fully documented API for your project.
• The final application is running on your own infrastructure, no platform dependency in any way.

NoCode/LowCode
Platforms

LLM-based Generation/
Vibe-coding

Traditional Software
Engineering

COTS solutions

Security & Privacy

Granular ACL

Professionally developed group-based user access with fully customizable granular levels.

Fixed profile levels with limited customizability.

Depending on the quality of the training data. Nothing is guaranteed.

Depending on the available budget, it needs to be coded from scratch.

Not customizable, functionality level depending on the product.

2-factor authentication

Implemented by default.
It can be switched off for, e.g., exclusive internal use.

Available with some platforms.

The quality of security-related code is questionable with LLM-based coding.

Native solutions need to be coded from scratch.

Available in some products.

Deployment model

Deploy anywhere: cloud, private cloud, local LAN, single machines, etc. Part of the standard contract.

No external deployment; applications run inside the vendor's platform.

Deployment options depend on the quality of the generated solutions.

Deploy anywhere.

Deploy anywhere or vendor-platform lock-in, depending on the product.

Development & Deployment Speed

Basic Application development

Fast generation (seconds) from the data model. A functional data model can be defined in a few hours.

Fast setup of basic features.

Validating and debugging LLM-generated code can be very time-consuming.

Manual coding is extremely time-consuming.

No development is needed; the application can be deployed directly.

Data model refactoring

Screens are automatically updated based on the data model dictionaire.

Panels need to be reworked manually after data model changes.

Data model changes require manual code refactoring.

Data model changes require manual code refactoring.

Data model changes are not possible.

Adding custom functionality

Insert points let you add custom-coded functionality without hassle.

Only possible if the required functionality exists as an option for the platform.

Adding functionality on top of LLM-generated code is hard.

Adding functionality to existing code can be difficult and expensive.

In most cases it is not possible to add custom functionality.

Deployment

Automated (remote) deployment and data model migration.

Deployment outside the platform is not possible.

Deploying anywhere is possible depending on the chosen technology (LLM-dependent).

Deployment options are dependent on contract negotiations.

No automated deployment available.

Codebase Quality

Code correctness

Stable code generation, based on professionally engineered templates.

Codebase is not available.

Codebase quality is debateable.

Depends on codebase availability for review.

Codebase is not available.

Maintainability & Documentation

A fully documented codebase, designed for maintainability and future development.

No application-specific documentation.

LLMs don't generate API documentation.

System/API documentation is often an afterthought.

No system documentation available.

Customizability

Custom features

No limitations on custom feature development.

No custom features are possible inside the platform/application.

Custom features are only possible if they are part of the training set.

No limitations on custom feature development.

No custom features are possible inside the application.

API availability

Full API, covering the complete application codebase.

API availability is limited to connecting external tools and data.

Low-quality code prevents the development of a usable API.

API development is often overlooked because of the cost.

API availability is limited to connecting external tools and data.

Codebase access

Unlimited access to generated code for reuse in custom functionality.

No access to the application codebase.

The codebase is available, but the generated code is not fit for reuse.

Codebase access is dependent on contractual negotiations.

No access to the application codebase.

CI & DevOps support

Feature integration

Insert points make integrating custom features fast and hassle-free.

Not available on most platforms.

Adding new features to existing code is dificult.

Adding new features to existing code is expensive.

Not possible.

Remote deployment

Direct (native) installs and containerized installs (either local or remote).

Deployments outside the platform are not available.

Remote deployment needs to be developed from scratch.

Remote deployment needs to be developed from scratch.

Remote deployments are not supported.

Vendor Dependency & Pricing

Licensing model

You own the project, the codebase, and the developed application.

User-based licensing (user counts), no real ownership.

You own the developed application. Ownership of the generated code is unsure. 

Ownership is dependent on contract negotiations.

User-based licensing (user counts), no real ownership.

Codebase ownership

The full codebase and related project files can be exported from the platform.

No access to the actual codebase.

The codebase is available but might be difficult to understand or even be unreadable.

The codebase is available if it is part of the project's deliveries.

No access to the actual codebase.

Vendor lock-in

Your application is completely self-contained and runs independently from the platform.

Developed applications run inside the platform. No independent installations.

No vendor lock-in.

Dependent on contract negotiations.

Version updates are dependent on the vendor. No individual maintenance options.

Price point

Fixed price per project, no additional costs for developers or end-users. No functional price tiers.

Price per user account (developers and end-users). Additional functionality at additional cost.

Unlimited users (if it works).

Traditional software engineering and coding are expensive.

Pricing per user license. Additional modules often at additional cost.

Fully supported.

Not very well supported.

No support.