Low-Code Development: Trends and Predictions for 2026
AI-assisted development, intelligent automation, improved UI/UX and the rise of citizen developers – a look at how low-code will reshape business systems in the next few years and what organisations can do to prepare.
1. AI and Machine Learning Become Native Low-Code Features
Low-code platforms are increasingly integrating AI tooling to automate and accelerate application development. AI now assists with generating code snippets, suggesting business logic, detecting performance bottlenecks and optimising workflows.
As a result, companies can build smart applications that adapt to user behaviour, deliver personalised experiences and support automated decision-making – without having to implement complex ML pipelines from scratch.
2. Expanded Process Automation
The next evolution of low-code is intelligent automation. Modern platforms enable the creation of complex business workflows with zero manual coding – from data processing to customer communication.
A key component of this shift is integration with RPA (Robotic Process Automation), allowing businesses to automate repetitive operational actions at scale and connect UI-level robots with backend services.
3. Improved UI/UX Capabilities
Low-code no longer means “simple” or “restricted”. Modern systems provide:
- polished UI libraries and templates,
- advanced layout and theme customisation,
- AI-assisted design tools,
- built-in cross-platform responsiveness.
Applications built on these platforms can now work consistently well across mobile, tablet and desktop – without maintaining separate codebases for each environment.
What to Expect in the Next Few Years
Low-code expands into new industries
Initially used in finance, healthcare and retail, low-code is rapidly entering manufacturing, logistics and public administration. This helps organisations reduce dependency on overloaded IT departments and build internal solutions on their own.
Rise of citizen developers
People without a formal technical background are increasingly involved in the development process. Analysts, domain experts and power users are turning into “citizen developers”, which democratises innovation and helps businesses solve practical problems faster.
Greater focus on security and governance
As adoption grows, low-code platforms add enterprise-grade capabilities: fine-grained access control, encryption, audit logs and compliance tooling for regulations such as GDPR or ISO-based standards. This makes low-code a realistic option even for regulated industries.
How to Prepare for the Low-Code Era
1. Invest in training
Prepare both technical and non-technical staff. Even a basic understanding of low-code concepts and business-logic modelling opens the door to internal tools and prototypes.
2. Start with small projects
Pilot initiatives help refine workflows and collaboration models between IT and business before scaling low-code solutions across the whole organisation.
3. Make low-code part of your digital transformation strategy
Low-code is not just another development tool. Used deliberately, it becomes a way to make your organisation faster, more adaptable and more efficient – especially when combined with open-source components and modular architectures.