The Low-Code Showdown: Outsystems vs Mendix vs PowerApps—Which One Actually Saves You Money

Your CTO just gave you an impossible deadline: build a customer portal, an internal HR system, and a mobile app for your sales team. All in three months. With your current team size, that’s not happening. You need developers who don’t exist and can’t be hired fast enough.

That’s when someone mentions low-code. “You could build this with OutSystems or Mendix,” they say. “Cut development time by 70%. Citizen developers can help. It’ll be great.”

Sounds perfect. Except low-code platforms cost anywhere from $20 per user per month to $10,000+ per month for enterprise editions. Pick the wrong one and you’ll overpay, underdeliver, or end up locked into a platform that doesn’t scale.

So which low-code platform actually delivers? Let me break down what I’ve learned from running projects on the biggest ones.

Understanding Low-Code vs No-Code First

Before we dive into specific platforms, let’s clarify what we’re actually talking about. Low-code and no-code aren’t the same thing, and conflating them is a mistake.

No-code means drag-and-drop visual development with zero programming. You point and click, configure workflows, and your app emerges. Good for simple, pre-defined use cases. Bad for anything requiring custom logic or complex integrations.

Low-code means visual development with the ability to drop into actual code when needed. You use drag-and-drop for 80% of the work. When visual tools won’t do what you need, you write code directly. This is where the real power is.

The difference matters because enterprises inevitably hit cases where visual development isn’t sufficient. No-code platforms hit a wall. Low-code platforms let you push through.

All the platforms I’m covering below are low-code, not pure no-code.

The Enterprise Tier: Outsystems and Mendix

These are the two giants in enterprise low-code. If you’re a large organization with complex requirements, you’re probably considering one of these.

Outsystems: The Powerhouse

What is it? Outsystems is a fully-featured low-code platform designed for building enterprise-grade applications at scale. It’s been around since 2001 and is used by major banks, governments, and Fortune 500 companies.

Pricing: According to Sparkout Tech’s 2025 breakdown, Outsystems doesn’t publish pricing publicly—it’s enterprise licensing only. You call sales. Typical costs range from $10,000-50,000+ per month depending on deployment size and user count. Not cheap.

What you get: Full web and mobile development. Strong AI integration. Incredible scalability. You can build once and deploy to web, iOS, and Android without rework. Performance optimization built in. AI assistant helps generate code.

The real story: Outsystems shines when you have complex, mission-critical applications. Banks use it for core banking systems. Insurance companies use it for policy management. Governments use it for licensing and permit systems.

But—and this is important—Outsystems has a steep learning curve. You need experienced developers. Citizen developers will struggle. The visual development environment is powerful but unintuitive for newcomers.

Best for: Large enterprises with complex requirements, critical applications, and budgets to match.

Mendix: The Flexible Choice

What is it? Mendix (owned by Siemens) is another enterprise low-code platform. Slightly newer than Outsystems but equally powerful. Used by big organizations for custom applications.

Pricing: Like Outsystems, Mendix uses enterprise licensing. Typical costs run $15,000-60,000+ per month. Also, call sales.

What you get: Full-stack development capabilities. Better collaboration tools than Outsystems—citizenship developers can genuinely contribute. Mendix App Store has pre-built modules and accelerators. Strong governance and quality assurance features. Good for agile development processes.

The real story: Where Outsystems emphasizes raw power, Mendix emphasizes teamwork. According to CLEVR’s 2025 analysis, Mendix scored highest for ease of integration and collaboration tools. Teams using Mendix report better agile workflow management than with other platforms.

Mendix also has better documentation and community support. If you’re stuck, you can find answers faster with Mendix than Outsystems.

The downside? Slightly less mature ecosystem than Outsystems. Some organizations find they hit customization limits faster with Mendix.

Best for: Enterprise organizations valuing teamwork and agile development. Better for teams with mixed skill levels (developers plus citizen developers).

Outsystems vs Mendix: The Real Difference

Both are excellent enterprise platforms. Honestly, for most large organizations, you can’t go wrong with either. The decision often comes down to:

• Your existing vendor relationships (Siemens connection? Use Mendix)
• Your team composition (mixed skills? Mendix. Pure developers? Outsystems)
• Your ecosystem (heavy SAP/Salesforce? Mendix has better integrations)
• Your legacy systems (need extensive legacy integration? Outsystems probably better)

Both cost roughly the same and deliver roughly the same value. Pick based on team fit, not price.

The Accessibility Tier: Microsoft PowerApps and Bubble

These platforms prioritize ease-of-use over raw power. They’re designed for business users, not just developers.

Microsoft PowerApps: Enterprise With Training Wheels

What is it? Microsoft’s low-code platform, built into the Microsoft ecosystem. If you’re already using Office 365, Dynamics, or Azure, PowerApps is the natural fit.

Pricing: According to CLEVR’s analysis, PowerApps starts at just $20 per user per month for app creation and use. That’s 10x cheaper than Outsystems or Mendix. Free for testing.

What you get: Tight integration with Microsoft 365, Dynamics, and Azure. Copilot AI that generates code from descriptions. Canvas apps for maximum flexibility. Model-driven apps for rapid development. Access to Power Automate (workflow automation) and Power BI (analytics).

The real story: PowerApps is remarkably good for what it costs. If you’re in Microsoft ecosystem already, there’s no reason not to use it.

The catch? You’re locked into Microsoft. Want to deploy to open standards? Tough. Want to export your app code? Good luck. PowerApps is beautiful inside the Microsoft bubble but painful outside it.

Also, Copilot is newer and still rough around the edges. It generates okay starter code but requires significant refinement.

Best for: Organizations already invested in Microsoft ecosystem. Fast internal tools development. Departments wanting to build without waiting for IT.

Bubble: The No-Code Powerhouse That Actually Has Code

What is it? Bubble is a web application builder focused on startups and entrepreneurs. Less focused on enterprise, more focused on shipping products fast.

Pricing: Bubble starts free for development, then $14-299/month for production apps depending on what you build.

What you get: Visual workflow builder. Component library. Extensive integrations. Ability to hire Bubble developers (yes, that’s a real job). Open API so you can build custom integrations. Good performance. Actual code generation (you can see the underlying code).

The real story: Bubble is genuinely good for building web applications when you don’t have funding for a development team. Plenty of startups have launched successful products built entirely on Bubble.

The downsides? Mobile apps aren’t native (they’re responsive web apps). Database performance degrades with scale. Complex logic gets ugly. But for MVP and initial traction? Bubble works.

Best for: Startups, entrepreneurs, internal tools, MVPs, products with modest scale requirements.

The Budget-Friendly Tier: Zoho Creator and Appian

Not enterprise, not ultra-cheap, but solid middle ground.

Zoho Creator: The Value Pick

Pricing: $8 per user per month for single app, $20 per user per month for unlimited apps. Cheapest paid option that’s actually good.

What you get: Good drag-and-drop builder. Solid integrations. Automation workflows. Good for internal business apps and simple web applications.

Real story: Zoho Creator is exactly what it promises: affordable low-code. For small businesses and teams with budget constraints, it’s a legitimate option. According to CLEVR, it’s particularly good for organizations wanting citizen developers on a budget.

The downside? Less powerful than enterprise options. Scaling beyond mid-market gets painful. Community support is smaller.

Best for: Small to mid-market organizations. Budget-conscious teams. Internal tools.

Appian: The Process Automation Champion

Pricing: Enterprise licensing (contact sales). Generally $20,000-50,000+ per month but less than Outsystems/Mendix.

What you get: Specialized platform for business process management and automation. Strong RPA (Robotic Process Automation) integration. Excellent workflow management. Great for regulated environments (finance, healthcare, government).

Real story: Appian is the specialist. If your primary need is automating and managing complex business processes, Appian might be better than general-purpose platforms. Organizations in heavily regulated industries love Appian because it bakes in compliance and auditability.

The downside? Not as good for general application development. If you’re building a customer portal or mobile app, Outsystems or Mendix is better. If you’re automating procurement or claims processing? Appian is ideal.

Best for: Regulated industries. Process automation. Complex workflow management.

The Cost Comparison: Real Money

Let’s get concrete. Say you want to build three applications for your organization with five developers.

Outsystems: $30,000-50,000/month. One-year cost: $360,000-600,000.

Mendix: $30,000-50,000/month. One-year cost: $360,000-600,000.

Microsoft PowerApps: $20/user/month × 5 developers = $100/month. One-year cost: $1,200.

Bubble: $14-299/month depending on app complexity. Estimate $500/month for three apps. One-year cost: $6,000.

Zoho Creator: $20/user/month × 5 = $100/month. One-year cost: $1,200.

The price difference is staggering. But quality also differs. PowerApps and Zoho are great for what they cost, but they can’t handle enterprise complexity like Outsystems or Mendix can.

Making The Decision: A Framework

Here’s how I’d decide:

If you’re a startup or small business: Use Bubble or Zoho Creator. PowerApps if you’re Microsoft-heavy. You don’t need enterprise features yet, and cheaper is better when you’re bootstrapped.

If you’re a mid-market organization: Evaluate PowerApps (if Microsoft ecosystem) or Zoho Creator as starting point. Upgrade to Appian if heavy on process automation. Only move to Outsystems/Mendix if you hit their limitations.

If you’re a large enterprise: Choice between Outsystems and Mendix. Both work. Pick based on team composition, existing relationships, and specific ecosystem requirements. Budget for $500K-1M+ annually.

If you’re heavily regulated (finance, healthcare): Appian might be better than general-purpose platforms despite higher cost. Compliance is built in, not bolted on.

Hidden Costs Nobody Talks About

Platform pricing is just one piece. Consider:

• Training: Developers learning new platform. $10K-50K+ for training
• Implementation: Consulting help getting started. $20K-100K+
• Data migration: Moving legacy systems to low-code apps. $10K-50K+
• Integration: Connecting to existing systems and databases. $5K-100K+ depending on complexity
• Support: Premium support often costs extra on top of platform fee

The platform licensing fee is often 20-30% of total cost of ownership. Budget accordingly.

Conclusion: There’s No Universal Winner

The best low-code platform for you depends on your specific situation. There’s no objectively “best” choice.

For most small organizations: Start with PowerApps or Zoho Creator. Move up only when you hit their limits.

For enterprises: Outsystems or Mendix will handle whatever you throw at them. Pick based on team and ecosystem fit.

For specialized needs: Appian for processes, Bubble for consumer apps.

The biggest mistake? Buying enterprise platform licensing when PowerApps at $20/user would suffice. Conversely, trying to build massive applications on Bubble and hitting scaling walls.

Start with what your organization needs today, not what you might need in three years. You can always upgrade later.