Comparing Leading Low Code Platforms: OutSystems, Mendix, Appian, Retool, Rayven, Bubble & Glide

Low code platforms speed-up app development, but there's a lot of them out there. In this detailed comparison we dive into seven major platforms - OutSystems, Mendix, Appian, Retool, Rayven, Bubble and Glide - covering their development models, enterprise scalability, security posture, pricing and ecosystems.

We focus on technical capabilities (not marketing hype) for a developer and IT audience.

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Core capabilities & development model.

• Rayven: Full-stack low-code platform with rich integration and AI. Rayven provides a hybrid prompt-to-build, drag-and-drop app builder, plus full access to code. It couples 200+ ready connectors (SaaS, APIs, databases, IoT protocols) with data protocol connectors and the ability to code integrations; delivering universal interoperability which can be coupled with its visual workflows to orchestrate data and logic in real-time. UIs are built via drag-drop widgets (50+ pre-built widgets) with HTML/JS injection for custom design. Rayven also embeds ML/GenAI toolkits and supports hybrid SQL/Cassandra databases, making it more flexible than pure no-code tools. It can handle anything from forms and dashboards to complex real-time data flows; blending UI, workflows, DataOps, and AI in one platform. It's pricing structure means lone developers and enterprises can benefit from its features.

• OutSystems: Enterprise-grade low code with full-stack focus. OutSystems is a professional low code IDE for web/mobile and core systems. It provides model-driven UI and business logic design, plus full access to code for custom needs. Key strengths include built‑in DevOps and DevSecOps automation. For example, OutSystems advertises “full-stack development” handling complex logic and data with ease, and AI-assisted app generation. OutSystems apps compile to standard .NET or Java code, letting teams inject custom code or integrate legacy systems. In short, it’s aimed at large enterprises building mission-critical apps with strong architectural guardrails.

• Mendix: Visual model-driven platform (now part of Siemens). Mendix uses a domain model and “microflows” to define logic. Developers use Mendix Studio (web-based) or Studio Pro (desktop) to build UI and process logic visually, with optional Java/JavaScript extensions. Mendix supports collaborative development and has built-in Agile/DevOps. Like OutSystems, Mendix targets complex business apps and supports advanced customisation (e.g. you can plug in your own Java actions). Its “cloud-native architecture” is designed for flexibility.

• Appian: Process-centric low-code. Appian combines low code with business process management (BPM). It provides a drag-drop designer for process flows, rules, forms and reports. Developers build reusable process models, UI, and integrations. Appian has pre-built "Smart Services" (AI, RPA, document processing), but also lets developers code expressions or APIs. Its emphasis is on end-to-end process automation. (Appian’s platform is used by many government and financial institutions, often with strict compliance.)

• Retool: Developer-oriented internal tools builder. Retool is a JS/React-centric low code IDE for building internal web apps and dashboards. You drag UI components (tables, charts, forms) and bind them to data via queries or JavaScript. Retool is very code-friendly: you can write SQL/JS anywhere and even embed custom React components. It comes with connectors to databases and APIs out of the box. In essence, Retool is a “low code” wrapper around frontend and data logic: it doesn’t hide code, it just generates React interfaces. This makes it fast for data-centric CRUD apps, but less suited for consumer-facing UIs. Read more about Retool alternatives here.

• Bubble: No-code web app builder. Bubble uses a fully visual, drag-drop editor for responsive web apps. Business logic and data workflows are defined with visual rules. Bubble manages hosting and scaling of apps on its AWS-based cloud. It has a plugin ecosystem and API connector for integrations. It’s aimed at SMBs and start-ups: you can build multi-tenant SaaS and marketplaces without writing code (even handling payments via Stripe/PayPal). Custom code can be added via plugins, but typically you rely on Bubble’s built-in tools.

• Glide: Mobile-first no-code app platform. Glide turns spreadsheets into apps. It provides a visual UI builder (mobile/web interfaces), workflows and some basic logic, all driven off data in Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable or Glide’s own tables. It’s great for quick internal/mobile apps (inventory, simple forms, dashboards). Features include 40+ UI components, user-specific data, triggers and AI helpers. It’s simple to use, but lacks low-level customisation (no custom code injection, only in-platform formulas or limited APIs). Read more about Glide alternatives here.

All of these low-code platforms have their own IDEs and build pipelines. OutSystems/Mendix/Appian are “enterprise” low-code with robust IDEs and team tools. Retool, Bubble and Glide are more lightweight, aimed at developers/business users getting working apps quickly. Rayven is positioned as an “all-in-one” data-and-app platform for-all: it serves both citizen and pro devs by combining a low-code UI builder with powerful real-time data-automation and AI capabilities.

Scalability & enterprise-readiness.

• OutSystems: Designed for horizontal scaling. OutSystems runs on containers/microservices. Apps can be deployed anywhere – OutSystems Cloud, AWS, Azure or on-prem – and can scale to millions of users. It offers full separation of dev and runtime. For example, OutSystems claims “vertical and horizontal scalability” out of the box, allowing any number of instances and leveraging Kubernetes with auto-scaling. Its new OutSystems Developer Cloud (K8s-based) provides elastic compute and serverless DB scaling as usage grows. In short, OutSystems targets the largest enterprises and explicitly supports multi-app portfolios and multi-cloud/hybrid deployments.

• Mendix: Cloud-native and multi-cloud. Mendix is built to run on Kubernetes or classic servers. Its architecture is “cloud-native”: you can run Mendix Cloud (SaaS), a dedicated private cloud (e.g. on Azure/AWS/GCP via Kubernetes), or even on-premises (Windows/Linux). It also has specialised FedRAMP or SAP BTP options. Enterprise plans include high-availability and failover. According to Mendix docs, its Premium tier offers multi-region failover and horizontal scaling (though only in top tiers). Mendix is proven at scale in large organisations, but smaller apps can start on the free/basic plans.

• Appian: Enterprise-grade PaaS. Appian can be run as a SaaS cloud (Appian Cloud) or on-premises. It is FedRAMP-authorised (for US gov) and SOC2 compliant. Architecturally it’s multi-tenant by design. Appian scales by adding nodes to a cluster; large banks and agencies run many apps in parallel. In practice, Appian’s sweet spot is high-security enterprise use cases. It supports standard HA/DR setups. (Appian’s documentation stresses enterprise support, with 99.95% SLAs on top tiers.)

• Retool: SaaS or self-host. Retool’s default is SaaS (hosted on AWS), with an option for self-hosted deployment for extra security. It’s used by firms like Stripe and Amazon (see Trust Center). Scalability is straightforward: you pay per developer seat, and the SaaS scales behind the scenes. Retool can connect to high-scale data sources and supports custom clusters via PostgreSQL or Mongo. It does not enforce multi-tenancy – each app runs in isolation. In practice, Retool is used for internal tools where thousands of users behind a firewall use apps, so it scales in usage but isn’t typically used for public consumer traffic.

• Bubble: Hosted cloud only. Bubble apps run on Bubble’s managed servers (AWS). Each app can scale by moving to bigger instance sizes or adding database capacity. Bubble uses a “workload” metric to measure usage. There is no multi-app orchestration: each Bubble app is an independent project. In general, Bubble is used for small-to-medium apps; its architecture can scale an app reasonably (customer apps serving tens of thousands of users), but it’s not built for huge enterprise portfolios. The platform itself is maintained by Bubble (no self-host), with stateless frontends and DB servers that grow as needed.

• Glide: Multi-tenant mobile PaaS. Glide hosts your apps on its cloud. It scales automatically behind the scenes. However, Glide’s architecture limits complexity: apps are mostly single-user interfaces backed by simple data stores. For heavy-duty enterprise workloads, Glide is not intended. It’s ideal for department-level apps (for up to tens of thousands of users). The platform provides role-based access and custom domains, but all apps share the same managed environment.

• Rayven: Designed for high-scalability. Rayven’s stack is cloud-native and IoT-capable. It supports scaling from prototype to enterprise. For example, the platform promises “infinite scalability” and “from 1 to 100,000 users”. Rayven’s architecture separates services and runtimes, so workflows and UIs can scale independently. Data streaming and processing use scalable DBs (like Cassandra) and auto-scaling compute. Rayven can be deployed in multi-cloud or on-prem for maximum control. Its pricing tiers show that even the $1000/mo tier allows uncapped workspace users, indicating enterprise usage. In short, Rayven is built to handle real-time data at scale (IoT, AI) alongside apps.

Security, compliance & data governance.

• OutSystems: Strong enterprise security with add-ons. OutSystems meets ISO 27001 by default (for its cloud) and offers SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA etc. as paid add-ons. It has built-in protections (CSRF/XSS prevention, encryption, SAML/SSO). OutSystems Cloud is managed (patches, firewalls, monitoring done by OutSystems). Customers can also self-host for full isolation. Role-based access control and fine-grained permissions are standard. The platform also automates many security tests in its DevSecOps pipeline.

• Mendix: Enterprise-grade controls. Mendix provides features like single sign-on (SAML, OAuth2), two-factor auth, and audit logging. In Premium tiers it supports multi-tenancy separation, network isolation and advanced IDP integration. The platform is certified for ISO 27001/27017/27018; the Cloud Dedicated tier has FedRAMP authorisation. Mendix also offers data encryption at rest and in transit. Platform Guardrails (automatic quality checks) help ensure apps follow best security practices.

• Appian: Security-first platform. Appian Cloud is FedRAMP-compliant and SOC2 Type II certified. It offers SSO integration (SAML, LDAP, OAuth), robust RBAC, and end-to-end encryption. Appian apps isolate data by design (multi-tenancy). The platform includes data governance tools (audit trails, redaction, consent management). Because many Appian customers are regulated industries or governments, the platform emphasises compliance.

• Retool: Solid baseline security. Retool holds ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type II certifications, and is GDPR-compliant. It provides enterprise controls like SAML/SSO (Business/Enterprise plans), granular permissions, audit logs and optional VPC peering. For self-hosted customers, you can lock Retool inside your network. By default Retool encrypts data in transit and at rest. Its model assumes a secure environment (it’s typically used behind corporate auth systems), and it provides the usual role/permission features for apps and data.

• Bubble: Moderate security. Bubble is a hosted SaaS on AWS; it provides TLS, regular backups and optional SSL for custom domains. Bubble apps support OAuth2 and password policies. Business/Enterprise plans include SAML SSO and team management. However, Bubble does not publish full compliance certifications (it is not FedRAMP or ISO-certified). It offers data encryption at rest and in transit. In general, Bubble is fine for SMB/SME use, but enterprises requiring strict controls may need additional due diligence. (Bubble does isolate app data per customer but all running on shared infrastructure.)

• Glide: Good for business apps. Glide apps are hosted on Google Cloud and use HTTPS by default. Business plans offer SSO (e.g. Google Workspace) and custom domains with SSL. Glide encrypts data and has account-level permissions. It does not explicitly list certifications, but its infrastructure on Google Cloud provides basic security measures. Since it’s aimed at internal/mobile apps, the security model trusts the app-level access controls (row-level security in spreadsheets, user profiles). Enterprises can restrict access via domain whitelisting.

• Rayven: Enterprise-grade by design. Rayven emphasises “enterprise security” throughout. It supports fine-grained user roles, SSO/OAuth integration, and data encryption. Since it handles streaming and critical data, Rayven includes features like per-data-point permissions and audit logs. The pricing notes “Enterprise Security” and white-label options in higher tiers. Rayven’s 24/7 support and managed service options mean real-time monitoring of your instance. In summary, Rayven matches or exceeds the security posture of typical enterprise platforms (encryption, compliance, monitoring).

Pricing models.

• Rayven: Usage-based tiers. Rayven offers a free-forever tier and three paid plans: $50/mo (Individual), $500/mo (Teams), $1000/mo (Commercial). Each plan includes a fixed quota of transactions and users (e.g. 12,500 reads/writes and 1 user on $50; 125,000 reads/writes and 5 users on $500). The Commercial plan ($1000) allows unlimited users and much larger quotas. All plans have flat monthly fees, with usage limits; overages may be negotiable. Rayven also provides custom enterprise pricing for global deployments. Notably, Rayven’s pricing is straightforward and transparent: you pay per workspace and data usage.

• OutSystems: Custom enterprise licensing. OutSystems does not publish fixed prices; it requires a quote. Pricing factors include number of application objects (AOs), internal/external users, environments and SLAs. Officially, OutSystems Developer Cloud starts at about $36,300/year for a small deployment, with add-ons (24x7 support, higher uptime, extra users) increasing cost. In practice, clients sign multi-year enterprise licenses. There is a free 10-day trial but no permanent free tier. Overall, OutSystems is expensive (comparable to SAP/Oracle licensing), but offers huge scale and features.

• Mendix: Tiered subscription per app. Mendix has a Free plan ($0) that lets you explore with one app. Paid plans start at about $75/user/mo for basic team use. The Standard tier (≈$1000/mo) is per-app (or portfolio) and includes additional features; Premium (quote only) adds mission-critical scaling (horizontal scaling, failover). You can purchase “One App” or “Unlimited Apps” editions – unlimited apps cost more but lower per-app price. Pricing scales with user count (external users cost less as they grow). Cloud compute (hosting) is not included in license price. In short: Mendix pricing is moderately transparent for standard tiers, but enterprise quotes depend on app count and deployment (cloud vs private).

• Appian: App-and-user licensing. Appian uses an “apppoint” model: you pay by number of applications and named users. There are different “platform editions” (Standard, Advanced, Premium) that unlock features. Appian’s lowest-tier for production is roughly $60 per user/month (for a minimum of 100 users) on the Standard plan. There is a Community Edition (free up to 15 users for dev/testing), but no free production tier. Additional costs include database or infrastructure if self-hosted, and optional AI/RPA modules. Appian also offers success plans (support) as add-ons. In short, Appian’s pricing is high-end and complex – it’s aimed at large organisations, not small teams.

• Retool: Transparent seat pricing. Retool has a free tier (up to 5 users, with limited capacity). Then it charges per “builder” (dev seat) and per end-user seat. The Team plan is $10/standard user/month (billed annually) and $4/end-user/month. The Business plan is $40/standard user/month and $12/end-user/month (billed annually). Enterprise pricing (SSO, audit logs, SLAs, dedicated support) is custom. There’s no charge for additional apps or data; it’s purely user seats. Notably, end-users (non-editors) are billed separately once you go beyond small teams. Retool also offers volume discounts and custom external-user pricing.

• Bubble: Flat monthly plans. Bubble offers a Free plan (for dev/testing) and paid plans: Starter ($32/mo), Growth ($134/mo), Team ($399/mo). These plans are per application (so an org can have multiple apps with separate subscriptions). Enterprise plans (with advanced SLAs and infrastructure) are custom. In addition, you pay for usage (“workload units”) if your app exceeds its plan limits. Pricing is straightforward and published, with discounts for annual billing. There are no per-user charges – all editors and app users are included (up to usage limits). Bubble’s model is simple: one price per app per month for all access.

• Glide: User- and usage-based. Glide has a free Explorer plan for basic apps. Paid plans include Maker ($25/mo), Team ($90/mo) and Business ($32/user/mo) for organisations. (Pricing data here is pulled from their site.) For example, the Business plan includes 30 users with $6/additional-user pricing. Glide also limits rows or “updates” on lower plans. In brief, Glide’s small-team plans are fixed-fee (Maker, Team), while the Business plan scales by user count. Custom enterprise pricing is available.

Low Code Platforms Comparison Table.

The following table summarises each platform’s focus and key traits:

Ecosystem & extensibility.

All platforms support integrations and extensions, but in different ways:

• Rayven: Hybrid integration/IaaP approach. It comes with 200+ native connectors for common systems (APIs, FTP, IoT protocols, etc.). You can also write custom integration nodes (JavaScript, SQL queries) or embed custom HTML/JS in the UI. Rayven acts as an iPaaS + app-builder: you can ingest real-time data from any source, automate it, and present it in apps all in one workflow. There isn’t a public “marketplace” per se, but the platform is open to any REST/GraphQL or MQTT source. Its design encourages building bespoke integrations without glue code.

• OutSystems: Extensive marketplace and IDE extensibility. The OutSystems “Forge” repo has hundreds of pre-built modules: UI themes, connectors (e.g. Salesforce, SAP), and templates. Developers can create custom extensions (using .NET/Java or JS). OutSystems also allows direct REST/SOAP integration and has SDK support for native mobile code. It supports third-party components and web blocks for UI. The ecosystem is mature (official training, large partner network, community contributions).

• Mendix: Full app stores. Mendix has a Marketplace offering widgets, modules and connectors. A Mendix “module” can contain UI components, APIs, microflows, etc. This lets you import and reuse logic or UI. Plus, Mendix supports the creation of custom widgets (via JavaScript and React) and Java actions. Integrations to SAP, Salesforce, Workday, etc. are available. The platform also has extensive APIs for external integration (REST, OData, JMS). Many partners and third-party providers publish add-ons for Mendix.

• Appian: Appian uses an AppMarket (in Appian community) where vendors offer pre-built process components, connectors and templates (e.g. loan origination solution). Appian connectors to common services (AWS, Azure, SAP, Mulesoft) are available. You can also build custom plug-ins using Java SDK. However, compared to others Appian is somewhat closed; its primary extensibility is via exporting and calling web APIs and custom plug-ins. In practice, most integrations are done with REST/SOAP or via RPA bots that Appian can coordinate.

• Retool: Extensible through React and APIs. Retool’s key extensibility is custom React components and theming. Any UI not built-in can be coded as a React component. Retool also provides a REST API and supports connecting to any external data source. It has built-in integrations for dozens of databases, authentication providers and services (Postgres, Mongo, Firebase, Stripe, etc.). For custom needs, developers can host their own modules or use its JS hooks to manipulate data. There is no public marketplace; sharing is via modules and Git.

• Bubble: Massive plugin marketplace. Bubble apps can use any plugin – there are thousands available for payments, charts, geolocation, etc. You can also build your own plugin (JS + Bubble’s plugin editor) and share it. Bubble’s API Connector lets you wire any REST API without code. The ecosystem includes countless templates and agency partners. However, you cannot upload arbitrary code to Bubble servers (all custom code is client-side in plugins or embedded via HTML).

• Glide: Built-in components only. Glide does not support third-party plugins. Instead, it provides many built-in components (lists, charts, forms, maps, etc.) and “actions” (email, add row, etc.). New features like Glide AI and templates are added by the vendor. You can call external services via the Glide API (e.g. to push data out), but there is no plugin market. Extensibility comes through its integration options: spreadsheet links and the ability to publish web apps or embeddable apps. It’s more closed than the other platforms.

Support, training & community.

• Rayven: Offers 24/7 email/phone support on higher plans and a comprehensive knowledge base. Rayven also provides on-site training, custom development services and global partners. Documentation is developer-focused. There’s a community portal and certified consultants. The tone of Rayven’s resources is technical (“punky and direct”), aiming to get engineers productive quickly.

• OutSystems: Very mature support. OutSystems has extensive docs and tutorials, a large developer community and an academy of free training. Paid plans include support SLAs up to 24×7. Customers also have a network of certified partners for consulting. The Forge platform is community-driven. Annual user conferences and local user groups foster learning.

• Mendix: Strong learning platform. Mendix Academy offers role-based courses (developer, architect, business analyst). Documentation is thorough. There’s a public community forum and Slack channels. Paid subscriptions include access to dedicated support (24×7 for Premium). Mendix also has certification programs and regular virtual meetups.

• Appian: Enterprise support and training. Appian Academy provides free online courses and certifications. Appian also runs “Appian Quarterly” training and hackathons. Paid customers can get dedicated support (Signature Plan with 24×7). There is a forum (Appian Community) and an annual user conference. AppMarket partners and consultants are available for hire.

• Retool: Developer-focused docs. Retool has extensive online docs and a community Slack. Support is included on Business/Enterprise (with technical account management for Enterprise). Training resources include tutorials and webinars. Community forum and Q&A are active. Because the tool is code-friendly, much knowledge is shared informally on GitHub or blogs.

• Bubble: Strong no-code community. Bubble University has video courses, and the manual docs are detailed. The forum is very active with thousands of users. Support availability depends on plan (Business has 24×7 email). Many freelance and agency developers offer services. Bubble also has developer-first events and a plugin author community.

• Glide: Good documentation and responsive support. Glide has an online reference and a community forum where staff and users answer questions quickly. All paid plans include support, with faster service for Business. The platform has tutorial videos and templates. Glide’s user community is smaller but dedicated, focusing on practical app-building tips.

Rayven’s support promise is notably developer-friendly: “real humans, 24/7 support” is advertised, and its pricing includes an express support channel at higher tiers.

Overall, each vendor provides at least community/Q&A and documentation; enterprise customers get SLAs and training from all of them.

Rayven a is developer-focused, low-code platform that's designed to do more.

Create apps, AI agents, and automations; set-up data pipelines; train LLMs; create hybrid SQL/Cassandra databases; and more. Rayven enables developers to build faster, scale infinitely, and control more.

All-in-one, simple + affordable-for-all. Discover more or you can start a free trial today.

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