What does current research say about the viability of low-code development? A systematic literature review

Low-code development (LCD) is an emerging trend in current software development. Alongside growing industry interest, academic research on the topic has also expanded rapidly, raising questions about the viability of LCD—its practical effectiveness, benefits, and challenges—across different contexts. We performed a systematic literature review of articles published between 2021 and early 2025. Of the 1006 articles identified through database searches, 226 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. We examined publication trends, definitions of LCD, and target user groups. Reported benefits and challenges were categorized into seven thematic areas, within which we analyzed contextual applications and assessed the strength of supporting evidence. We also investigated the social aspects of LCD adoption to better understand its human and organizational dimensions. Based on the findings, there is sufficient evidence showing that LCD speeds up development and that quality and complexity have mixed and context-dependent outcomes. Open questions remain regarding costs and security. This review provides insights into the viability of LCD and offers recommendations to guide future studies and advance both the understanding and practice of LCD.