AI was a harbinger of doom for low-code solutions, but peaceful coexistence is possible – developers still love the time savings and simplicity despite the allure of popular AI coding tools
The impact of AI coding tools on the low-code market hasn't been quite as disastrous as predicted
With AI coding tools gaining significant traction in recent years, some tech leaders worried the technology spelled doom for low-code and no-code solutions – if anything it’s been quite the opposite.
In a survey from App Builder, 84% of tech leaders said they don’t believe the technology will replace these tools. In fact, adoption has been steadily rising in recent years and shows no sign of slowing down.
Findings from the company’s 2025 App Development Trends Report show low-code and no-code solutions now play a significant role at organizations globally, with 95% of firms having used these tools for software development in the last year.
These statistics align with previous research from Forrester, which reported in 2024 that 88% of developers were using low-code platforms.
This increased focus on low-code solutions has run in parallel with the rapid adoption of AI in their businesses, the study found, and tech leaders are confident that these will complement each other. More than three-quarters (76%) said AI will actually make existing tools more efficient.
Jason Beres, SVP of developer tools at Infragistics, said the study highlights that low-code and AI tools can not only co-exist, but the combination of the two will transform how applications are built.
“Companies’ use of low-code and no-code tools have steadily increased over the past decade–and today these solutions are critical to how developers, designers, CIOs and others build scalable applications and effective development processes,” he said.
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2026 report - the leading resource for IT decision-maker insight on priorities and investment areas in AI, security and more.
“Now, as AI converges with low-code and no-code, we’ll see an entirely new paradigm emerge that will change how apps are built, who can build them and how fast it can happen.”
Low-code tools are still valued by developers
The study from App Builder underlined the continued popularity of low-code tools among enterprises. Nearly every tech leader surveyed said they’ve saved time and money using these tools, with 98% reporting development time savings in particular.
More than three-quarters (78%) of respondents said they’ve saved up to 50% of development time.
The benefits cited by users aren’t just centered around time saved, however. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of companies that use low-code tools have reduced overall development costs, with 67% unlocking cost reductions of up to 30%.
Use-cases for low-code practices are also evolving, the study noted. A leading factor behind the implementation of low-code tools at many enterprises was to improve developer productivity.
While this remains a key focus, there are other factors at play. These included enabling developers to focus on “more strategic work”, cited by 25% of users now compared to 22% initially.
Decreasing manual errors and increasing end-user satisfaction are also now key factors in the adoption of low-code tools.
“It’s clear low-code and no-code tools are here to stay,” Beres added.
“As companies incorporate AI and other new technologies into low-code and no-code development, tech leaders must not only leverage the benefits of automating more app development processes faster, improving collaboration, and increasing productivity, but ensure their organizations and development teams continue to evolve and upskill with their technology.”
MORE FROM ITPRO
- Can AI code generation really replace human developers?
- AI coding tools aren’t the solution to the unfolding 'developer crisis’
- Not all developers are sold on AI coding tools

Ross Kelly is ITPro's News & Analysis Editor, responsible for leading the brand's news output and in-depth reporting on the latest stories from across the business technology landscape. Ross was previously a Staff Writer, during which time he developed a keen interest in cyber security, business leadership, and emerging technologies.
He graduated from Edinburgh Napier University in 2016 with a BA (Hons) in Journalism, and joined ITPro in 2022 after four years working in technology conference research.
For news pitches, you can contact Ross at ross.kelly@futurenet.com, or on Twitter and LinkedIn.
-
Broadcom eyes security, performance boosts with vDefend and Avi Load Balancer updatesNews Enhancements to VMware vDefend and VMware Avi Load Balancer use AI-powered automation to help secure private cloud environments
-
How business leaders are using the Dell Pro 7 and Dell Pro 5Sponsored Thanks to flexibility and a range of spec options, the Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 laptops can suit a variety of business leaders across a mix of workplaces
-
Amazon targets agent safety gains with investment in team behind Lean programming languageNews The tech giant hopes support for the open source programming language could drive AI agent safety improvements
-
‘The challenge now is making sure the next generation develops those same foundations before relying too heavily on AI’: Devs are swerving fundamental skills like Git and Agile because of AI – but there’s a good reasonNews O'Reilly has recorded a massive fall in programming fundamentals courses, but that’s not to suggest devs aren’t learning key skills
-
‘The biggest barrier to growth is not access to technology, it is access to the right people’: Demand for developers with AI skills has surged 597% – but enterprises are still struggling to find the right talentNews Hiring is shifting away from traditional software development toward specialized roles to integrate, govern, and scale AI systems
-
Enterprises are shipping so much AI-generated code they can't control or secure itNews As AI coding becomes commonplace, organizations are struggling to control what they are shipping
-
Why is Windows 11 so disliked by programmers – and can Microsoft do anything to change things?Windows isn't the most useful OS in the eyes of developers, with programmers preferring macOS or Linux. But is its bad reputation uncalled for?
-
AI might help speed up software development, but 81% of devs now spend more time reviewing code – and it’s creating an ‘invisible work’ trend that’s pushing teams to the limitNews While AI is improving productivity and efficiency, many developers are caught up in a vicious cycle of code reviews and bug hunting
-
Everything you need to know about the GitHub Copilot pricing changesNews GitHub Copilot pricing changes mean users will be charged based on consumption, rather than a set number of credits
-
Developers are slacking on AI-generated code safety – here's why it could come back to haunt themNews While organizations are aware of the risks, many are spending little time or effort on tracking artifact versions, origins, and security attestations