March 30, 2023

SaaS Hosting On Low-Code Platform? (Benefits)

8base
@8base

Best solutions are often found in places where few people look. This is also the case with SaaS-hosted solutions.

Did you know that low-code platforms allow you to develop and host your SaaS apps in a way that is:

  • 3X faster and more cost-effective to develop
  • Easy to learn (1-2 days)
  • Automatically scalable
  • No DevOps required
  • And completely customizable

Let that sink in. With 3X higher development productivity, your project only requires 1/3 of the standard development budget.

This is why low-code development will completely replace traditional programming within this decade when it comes to creating SaaS applications.

How Is 3X Productivity Even Possible?

Let's consider creating a backend app to demonstrate the absolute power of low-code technology. All you need to do is define the data model by creating database tables through a graphical interface in your browser.

Depending on the number of tables, you could be done quite literally in 10-20 minutes, and your backend is:

  • Immediately live
  • GraphQL API is generated for you
  • It includes filtering and pagination
  • And it's automatically scalable from one to a million users (and beyond)

You get similar productivity increases on the frontend as well. And any developer who has ever tried to set up and deploy a production-ready application can tell you this process usually takes way longer than 10-20 mins.

Platform Flexibility

What makes low-code technology different from any other application builders is that it's completely customizable.

Low code helps you gain productivity by automating boring, repetitive, boilerplate code. However, it does not stand in your way when you want to customize your application exactly how you want it.

Low code can do everything standard coding can - but faster. This is why traditional programming has no chance when it comes to SaaS development. 

Platform Learning Curve

It is no secret that for every existing technology, there are more efficient, stable, or productive alternatives. However, they are almost never used.

Why?

Usually, because of the very long learning curve. What's it worth to have a programming language that is 20% better in every way when it takes months to learn? Or when very few people know it, so hiring new talent is a nightmare?

The answer is - it's not worth it.

Low-code technology decided to take a different route - 3X productivity within 1-2 days of learning. This will ensure onboarding and wide-spread adoption happen quickly.

Platform Technology

The only way it is possible to learn low code so fast is because there is very little to learn. The secret to low-code adoption is not using or creating a new type of technology.

Instead, low code is an extension of existing, well-established technologies like JavaScript, MySQL, GraphQL, and AWS.

This means, for example, an existing pool of 17+ million JS developers can start using low code and, within 1-2 days of onboarding, become 3X more productive.

Even if they've never heard of low code before.

This is how low code can significantly reduce development time and costs. And any project not using low code will be seriously disadvantaged in the marketplace.

So when considering a SaaS hosting platform, keep this in mind. Because it is not every day you're introduced to a technology that offers a 300% gain in productivity and cost-effectiveness.

Hosting Platform Scalability

The best part about a low-code platform is automatic scalability. Every SaaS application built with low code can grow its user base effortlessly.

Since low code is just an extension of other technologies (AWS among them), you have practically endless resources at your fingertips.

Even if your app scaled to a billion users, you can rest assured your low-code SaaS app can handle it.

Being automatically scalable means you don't need to hire developers (DevOps) to maintain this architecture. This approach can additionally reduce infrastructure costs because it requires fewer people to maintain it.

When To Choose A Low-Code Platform?

The biggest gains are achieved at the beginning of the project before you've spent unnecessary resources on traditional programming methods.

The risk is very low because you can quickly see, within 1-2 days, if the low code platform really delivers on its promise. Because if it does, it can revolutionize the way you build your SaaS products and compete in the market.

Does Your Entire Project Need To Be On A Low-Code Platform?

You have the option to build only a part of the app (either frontend or backend) using low code. This part you can easily integrate with the rest of your project.

App Builder can quickly build frontend applications with reusable drag-and-drop components. Those components are completely customizable either through the graphical options panel, but you can also use custom CSS.

You can connect this frontend app with a low-code backend, or any other existing backend application you already have running. The backend developed with low code exposes GraphQL API by default, but you can also create custom REST APIs.

Overall, customizability is at the heart of low code, and whatever can be developed using traditional programming can also be created with low code.

To Sum It Up

Low-code technology offers benefits and advantages beyond simple SaaS hosting. You can use it to increase your development productivity by 3X or reduce your development costs by 65%.

Low code is easy-to-learn technology with a very short learning curve. And it offers additional benefits like automatic scaling.

It is built on top of well-known existing technologies, so developers can start using it right away with a minimal 1-2 day learning period.

To Learn More About 8base Low-Code Technology

Ready to try 8base?

We're excited about helping you achieve amazing results.