No-Code vs Custom Code: When to Use Each for Your MVP
Luis Ticas
November 22, 2024
I've watched dozens of founders agonize over this decision. "Should we use Bubble? Or build custom?" Gartner predicts 70% of new applications will use no-code or low-code by 2025. But that stat alone won't tell you what's right for your specific situation.
Let me break down when each approach actually makes sense—based on real outcomes, not marketing hype.
When No-Code Wins
No-code platforms have come a long way. Here's when they're genuinely the right choice:
1. Pure Validation MVPs
If your only goal is to test whether anyone will pay for your idea, no-code can get you there 90% faster than custom development. We use it at F5 for client landing pages and early signup flows.
2. Internal Tools
Admin dashboards, inventory trackers, simple CRMs—tools that only your team uses. Perfect for no-code. Dividend Finance processed over $1 billion in loans using Bubble.
3. Non-Technical Founders Testing Ideas
If you don't have a technical co-founder and want to validate before hiring developers, no-code lets you prove concept without the full commitment.
The Technical Debt Reality
Here's where we need to be honest: no-code creates its own form of technical debt.
The Hidden Costs:
- • 62% of enterprises cite security concerns with no-code platforms
- • Only 12% of enterprise no-code projects succeed long-term
- • Platform lock-in makes migration expensive and painful
- • Performance degrades as complexity increases
No-code works great until you need something the platform wasn't designed for. Then you're either fighting the platform or rewriting from scratch.
When Custom Code Is Worth It
1. You're Building a Product, Not Testing an Idea
If you've already validated demand and you're building something users will pay for long-term, start with code. The rebuild later will cost more than building right the first time.
2. You Need Custom Workflows
Complex business logic, integrations with obscure APIs, real-time features—anything that goes beyond standard CRUD operations is faster to build custom.
3. Performance Matters
No-code platforms add overhead. If sub-second response times matter to your users, custom code gives you control.
4. You're Raising Money
Investors ask about technical architecture. "It's built on Bubble" is a harder sell than "We built on Next.js and can scale to millions of users."
The Decision Framework
Ask yourself these questions:
- Is this for validation only, or are you building a real product?
- Will users pay for this, or is it internal-only?
- Do you need features that no-code platforms don't support well?
- Are you planning to raise funding?
- Does performance directly impact user experience?
- Do you have 6+ months to iterate, or do you need to ship this week?
If you answered "validation," "internal," "no," "no," "no," and "this week"—no-code might be right. Otherwise, consider custom.
The Hybrid Approach
Here's what we often recommend: validate with no-code, build with code.
Use Bubble or Webflow to test if anyone cares about your idea. Collect signups. Get feedback. Once you have evidence of demand, invest in custom development that can scale.
This approach gives you speed AND a solid foundation. Comet raised €17M after validating on no-code and then rebuilding custom. Hampton grew 100% year-over-year after starting on Bubble.
The Bottom Line
No-code isn't good or bad. It's a tool. Like any tool, it's right for some jobs and wrong for others.
The founders who win aren't the ones who pick the "right" technology. They're the ones who pick the right technology for their specific situation—and ship fast enough to learn from real users.
Not sure which path is right?
We've seen both approaches succeed and fail. Let's talk through your specific situation.
Book Your Call →
Luis Ticas
Senior consultant specializing in generative AI, analytics, and ML.
