A deep dive into no-code tools: Part 2

Welcome to the second part of our two-part blog series on no-code tools. In the previous post, we defined no-code tools as API development tools that allow users to create apps and workflows using pre-made or auto-created APIs from other services. We also discussed market size, the introduction of AI into no-code, and the benefits and limitations of no-code tooling.

This post will explore our data set to explain no-code tool offerings and providers and predict future trends.

No-Code Tool Offerings

85% of no-code tools in our data set list compatibility with at least one type of API protocol. REST compatibility is the most common, with 80 REST-compatible tools. Seventeen tools have GraphQL compatibility, 11 have SOAP compatibility, and four are compatible with gRPC. Additionally, eight are compatible with AsyncAPIs like Kafka and MQTT.

The representation of OpenAPI specifications is much lower. A quarter of no-code tools use OpenAPI specifications, and 24 no-code tools in the API Landscape are also open source. 

Seven of the 15 tools that lack compatibility with one of the above protocol types contain developer portals where compatibility is not mentioned or is in a format we do not track, such as HTTP (Sharetribe). While HTTP is similar to REST and is under the RESTFUL umbrella, it lacks many REST features. Only tools that mentioned REST or RESTFUL states were tallied for the graph above.

Most no-code tools provide multiple interactions with their software via an API supplied by the tool provider, a pre-built third-party integration, or a connection with a user’s or third-party API. Seventy-eight no-code tool providers offer at least one of these options (81% of our data set). 

Integrations with third-party offerings are often offered using a marketplace model, where third-party functionalities are added to the no-code tool via ‘connectors.’ Coupler is a great example of this. They offer over 500 data integrations from familiar third parties like Salesforce and QuickBooks.

Thirteen tools generate a custom API or specification via user input. In these cases, the API or specifications are usually generated from a user-supplied API (API Platform, Loopback 4), or an API is generated from data ingestion into a database–such as the case with Ekahaa Abstracta.

Five no-code tools in the API Landscape require users to connect their own API. This type of tooling is generally used for API fuzzing and testing (for example, Endava CATS and Tricentis Tosca).

No-Code Tool Providers

The United States is the most popular headquarters for no-code tool providers, with 63 providers originating there. Though unable to match the US numbers, Europe comes second with six providers in Germany and five in the United Kingdom. 

The sizes of no-code tool provider companies spread out more evenly across the board. Thirty-two providers are small businesses with 11-50 employees. Providers with 2-10 employees and 51-200 employees are tied at 15 no-code tools each. Eleven providers are slightly larger, with 201-500 employees; three with 501-1,000 employees; nine with 1,001-5,000 employees; and two with 10,001+ employees.

Managerial diversity

When measuring diversity metrics like the number of tool providers employing women or people of color in management positions, we excluded providers who employ less than ten people since a group of so few employees wouldn’t give an accurate metric. Seventy-three tool providers met the 10+ employee rule. Of the 73 providers left, 52 contain some managerial diversity, though the numbers are less optimistic when scrutinized further. Only 28 providers–less than half the total–employ women and people of color in management positions. Fifteen employ women but lack racial diversity, and nine employ people of color in a male-only management team.

Business models

Half of the no-code tools targeting SMEs offer a freemium payment model with subscription options (36 tools). Thirteen offer paid subscriptions with no additional freemium option. Two no-code tool providers use tiered pricing, six offer their tools for free, and 14 do not list any pricing information.

Vox Implant is the only tool provider with a pay-as-you-go model. Pricing varies according to product type and country where the tools are used.

Of the no-code tools targeting start-ups and entrepreneurs, six offer subscription-based pricing, half of which offer additional freemium options. One tool, Thirty Bees, is free, and V One is the only tool offering a licensing fee ($199 for lifetime access to their app builder). Additionally, Zwitch does not list any pricing information.

No-code tool providers targeting both markets have similar business model breakdowns. Ten providers offer freemium options, with an additional four offering paid subscriptions only. WooCommerce is the only no-code tooling provider targeting multiple markets to offer its tool for free.

When separating open source tools, the business model breakdowns don’t differ greatly from the data above. Of the nineteen open source no-code tools targeting SMEs, three offer subscription-only pricing, and ten offer an additional freemium option. Five open source tools for SMEs are free, and one is tiered (KubeMQ prices per Kubernetes cluster in addition to a 30-day free tier).

Three no-code tools targeting multiple markets offer freemium subscription options. WooCommerce and Thirty Bees, both discussed above, are the only free open source tools targeting multiple markets and start-ups, respectively.

Looking to the future

The widespread adoption of no-code tools points to the importance of interoperability and data model standards, as many no-code tool providers rely on integrations with other API providers to enhance their products. Tools like Coupler offer integration options that connect to other no-code tools–for example, Asana or Airtable–allowing customers to accomplish more tasks using the platform as new integration options are added. 

The proliferation of tool providers integrating AI into their no-code tools–as basic functionality or an additional integration–shows continued demand for AI in the sector. This demand is evident in tools marketed toward SMEs. In 2024 alone, multiple providers introduced new AI product functionality. In March, Airtable introduced additional enterprise-friendly capabilities for their AI product, such as routing work-in-progress to the correct team, as well as insight summarization and extraction. By the end of July, they followed up the release with another AI product, Airtable Cobuilder, harnessing LLMs to generate apps from plain text prompts. ClickUp, Coda, and Smartsheet also added new AI functionality or integration options.

Those with marketing tools aimed at multiple markets are also increasing AI adoption. In February, Appsmith launched Appsmith AI, their generative AI for application building, and Flutterflow integrated Gemini AI into their platform the following month. More recently, Bubble announced a new AI toolkit in June for early-stage founders building their first apps.

Customer marketing and outreach are ubiquitous among recent no-code case studies, pointing to no-code tools’ continuing strength in that sector. On 27 June 2024, data enrichment and personalized outreach provider Clay received an investment of $46M: the largest of any no-code provider in our data set. Clay offers over 75 integrations and provides data enrichment, an AI research agent and an AI email builder for SMEs and enterprises. Notion, ClickUp, and ActiveCampaign are among Clay’s user base.

API demo creator Coast also counts familiar names among its user base, such as payment platform Airwallex and API brokerage app DriveWealth. Business identity platform Middesk is a Coast user, too, citing a 50% surge in converting website visitors to qualified leads in a case study for the platform.

Banking is another area that will see continued adoption of no-code tools. In multiple case studies, Adaptigent Integration Fabric helped European banks achieve real-time payments and KYC due diligence through code generation using existing APIs and the Integration Fabric’s low-code API design, testing, and deployment capabilities. In a case study by Tricentis, Aargauische Kantonalbank saw a 25% reduction in test creation time and a 15% increase in testing automation rates using their Tosca product.