Top 5 Mendix Alternatives for Enterprise Applications

Mendix has been one of the most popular low-code platforms in the past two decades. It’s a regular go-to for many enterprises looking for a sophisticated, feature-rich solution.

Despite its sheer array of features, it can still fall short for many reasons. That could be pricing, deployment options, flexibility, or extensibility with custom code. 

If that’s the case, you need an alternative to serve your enterprise needs better and more effectively than Mendix.

Choosing the best alternative to Mendix is never easy. And while there are numerous choices, picking one that acutely meets your needs is another matter. 

In this blog post, we’ve curated the best Mendix alternatives, their unique features, use cases, and reasons to choose them.

Reify

Reify is a robust enterprise low-code platform with an extensive suite of components for any use case. It’s built on the SmartClient platform, which is popular with many major industries like finance, health, and government.

Without a doubt, there is no better Mendix alternative for large, complex enterprise applications than Reify! 

Enterprises want a platform that can guarantee scalability, security and compliance, flexibility, and suitability for all complex use cases. Imagine being able to create complete enterprise applications – no code style.

You can also mix SmartClient code with Reify’s visual editing in whatever way you want. Another incredible feature of Reify is its hybrid development approach. You can integrate visually created UIs in Reify into an IDE-based project and still be able to edit those screens in the cloud. 

Amazing, right? Many of the world’s leading companies agree!

You get a powerful yet flexible platform that can serve any particular complex need you have.

Features of Reify

Powerful and extensive components

Enterprise web applications require unique features that only a flexible low-code platform could provide. One of Reify’s greatest strengths lies in its ability to handle any enterprise requirement. The flexibility makes it suitable for all users, no matter their skill level.

Not only does Reify provide you with a suite of components, but you can add custom code for complex use cases. Reify is built on top of SmartClient. So you can combine the underlying SmartClient technology with Reify’s visual editing capabilities any way you like.

You just can’t get stuck, no matter the complexity!

Hybrid development

Reify offers a “hybrid development” approach that lets you integrate Reify-created screens into any existing IDE-based project. So you can have a combination of visually created Reify screens together with your hand-coded UIs. You can even continue editing the screens in Reify while they are integrated.

This is an advantage for those with an existing legacy application. Most low-code platforms want you to overhaul the entire system at once. That could prove disastrous if something goes wrong. With Reify, you can incrementally integrate Reify UIs into your existing system, no matter the technology.

Have a proprietary platform or an app that no one supports anymore? You can rebuild it, piece by piece, with Reify.

Flexible deployments

Ensuring compliance with strict regulations such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA, or FedRAMP is critical for enterprise applications.

Reify generates SmartClient/SmartGWT code, which makes it possible to deploy your application anywhere you want. You can deploy to any public cloud, a private cloud, or even behind your corporate firewall. You can keep your data and designs within a secure, controlled network.

This is another advantage Reify has over all other low-code platforms on this list. Just the perfect solution for those looking for an alternative to help comply with the most stringent regulations.

Pricing

Pricing is an important factor when choosing a Mendix alternative. Reify takes a unique approach to its pricing model that can be appealing, especially for large, complex apps. Instead of a model based on the number of end-users, it’s based on the number of staff using the design environment.

For deployments, the only additional costs come from your resource usage (disk space, CPU time, and bandwidth). What really sets Reify apart is the unlimited user policy. No matter how many people end up using your app, your price doesn’t budge.

Reify’s pricing structure is designed with the scalability of large-scale applications in mind.

OutSystems

OutSystems is one of the most popular low-code platforms and can be a viable alternative to Mendix. It offers robust pre-built components that are quite efficient for building and managing complex web and mobile applications.

OutSystems makes it easy to create prototypes, incrementally improve designs, and build fully functional apps in little time. These features make it perfect for professional developers and business users. It’s second only to Reify when it comes to building large-scale enterprise applications.

Having a more comprehensive suite for managing deployments makes OutSystems more efficient and stable and requires less manual oversight. It can cater to apps of any size, supporting both front-end and back-end development needs. It also provides governance and impact analysis so large projects can grow even bigger without extra coding or management.

Features of OutSystems

Rapid developments

Speed can be an essential commodity for many businesses, and OutSystems guarantees that. Having several pre-built templates and designs makes it easy and fast to create mobile or web apps from scratch. There’s no need to waste time writing endless lines of code or fretting about underlying technical issues.

Mobile app development

The fact that OutSystems is compatible with all devices, including mobile, is one of its best selling points. It offers cross-platform support for mobile applications, making it possible to reach both iOS and Android users.

No need to hire costly experts with device-specific knowledge or keep up with constantly changing technology.

Community Support

OutSystems has an incredible and vibrant community of users always eager to help. It also provides an array of valuable resources, which include forums, blogs, and events. The community can benefit those seeking assistance, expert knowledge, or opportunities to connect with other users.

Read more: Top 5 OutSystems Alternative for Enterprise Applications

Salesforce Lightning

If you’re looking for a Mendix alternative centered around a CRM, then SalesForce may be the best low-code platform for you. It’s an easy way for Salesforce users to make low-code apps from their CRM data.

Salesforce Lightning lets you build enterprise applications quickly for employee engagement, performance monitoring, marketing automation, lead generation, case management, and more. It’s a great option for those looking to create custom apps that integrate with Salesforce.

Features of Salesforce

Salesforce ecosystem integration

The Salesforce ecosystem contains a comprehensive suite of custom solutions tailored for specific enterprise purposes.

Lightning, Force, and Heroku are prime examples of the Salesforce ecosystem that lets you build and deploy applications rapidly. This makes Salesforce the best option for those looking to develop custom internal apps based on their Salesforce data.

Pre-built templates

Salesforce Lightning provides several pre-built templates and components for your business needs. Moreover, you can incorporate a new widget into your dashboard in no time. Developers can also create their own reusable components that other administrators can incorporate into their apps.

Multi-platform support

For enterprises looking to build applications for multiple platforms, Salesforce is a good option to consider. It lets you build custom apps across various devices and platforms, such as desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

Zoho Creator

Zoho Creator is another interesting option when looking for a top low-code platform alternative to Mendix. The low-code builder lets users create and manage a variety of business applications. It combines drag-and-drop interfaces with intuitive workflows and its own proprietary scripting language. 

As a trusted and robust CRM platform, Zoho offers the same level of performance as its low-code platform. It’s a good option for those familiar with or interested in integrating with the Zoho ecosystem.

Features of Zoho Creator

Integration with Zoho ecosystem

Like Salesforce Lightning, Zoho boasts a suite of applications already tailored for many business purposes. The Zoho ecosystem is an attraction if you want to integrate with other Zoho solutions like Zoho Analytics. In the same vein, it integrates with other enterprise third-party solutions such as Salesforce, Zapier, QuickBooks, and Zapier. 

Pre-built templates

Zoho Creator boasts numerous pre-built business application templates. You can easily spin up an app from scratch in no time using any of the templates. This could benefit businesses seeking a faster time to market. Along with the templates, it also includes several custom workflows readily available for use in your applications.

Microsoft Power Apps

Power Apps is a leading low-code platform from Microsoft. It’s an excellent alternative to Mendix for those looking for a simpler and user-friendly low-code platform. Numerous templates can quickly get you started without writing a single line of code. 

You can create simple business apps by replacing the content and data in a template. Power Apps also provides a suite of tools that enable users to create custom data models, workflows, and UIs.

Because of Microsoft’s vast community, you can easily find certified engineers to assist you. That makes PowerApps worth exploring if you’re already heavily using Microsoft technology.

Features of Power Apps

Integration with Microsoft ecosystem

Power Apps offers remarkable integration capabilities with Microsoft’s suite of products. So, if you are already using Outlook, Office 365, etc, Power Apps is a great choice.

Extensibility

Integrated with more than 200 data sources and systems, extensibility is a core feature of Power Apps. This way, businesses can tailor applications to their unique requirements, integrating multiple systems into a single operational process.

Prebuilt templates

Thanks to a vast library of prebuilt templates, Microsoft Power App simplifies app development. You can quickly start working on your projects using these templates.

Conclusion

The truth is that picking out a suitable Mendix alternative depends entirely on your business use case. If you’re simply focused on business process management, Zoho Creator, Salesforce Lightning, and Power Apps are standout options. Ultimately, your choice here depends on your preferred enterprise ecosystem.

For complex enterprise applications, Reify and OutSystems offer a robust suite of components and features to meet your needs. What actually separates both platforms is the degree of flexibility and pricing. OutSystems offers incredible managed deployments, omnichannel support, and a vibrant community. On the other hand, Reify offers maximum flexibility in deployment, scalability, and customization for complex and large-scale apps.

At the end of the day, it boils down to what your enterprise really needs. If your goal is to build enterprise applications with custom features, start your journey with Reify here.