No code, pre-made or custom solutions: What is the best for your MVP?
Published: 2022-01-13 21:59:32

Before embarking on a full-scale development, it will be a good idea to build an MVP first and make sure that your product is what the market requires. Basically, there are three ways to develop an MVP and later scale it into a complete product: using no-code tools, leveraging pre-made solutions, or writing a code from scratch for a custom solution.
Every case is unique, so it is impossible to advise one single approach that will suit all. However, with more details on each one of them, you will obtain a perspective and understanding of which one will be the right for your current product. 
It is hard to put a final price tag for each solution, and determine which one is more expensive or cheaper. Usually, the dynamic is looking like this:
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/x340a3iltagknaefuiqd.png)
Here is how we see these three approaches in the context of building an MVP: 

No code approach is a great way to develop a clickable prototype or a landing page. We would be able to validate the idea, collect the initial user feedback and test the user flow. However, even with the minimal version of a product built with no code, the product will quickly become overgrown and will need scaling eventually. Without the ability to scale, having only minimal functionality will force us to find another way to implement the idea anyway.
 
There are dozens of pre-made solutions for industries such as E-Commerce, the travel industry, payment, booking and many, more, which could be easily integrated. Our team often works with pre-made solutions that fit the requirements of the project and customize it as much as this solution allows us.

With the custom development, we would be able to deliver an MVP with a one-team-one-technology approach. After its successful launch, MVP can be scaled up to a full-size product without changes in technology, team composition, and not wasting valuable time as a result. The possibilities here are almost limitless. The main advantage of the custom development approach is that developing MVP and the full product with the same team and technology will lead to the ease of scaling.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/cac1srexpwvs2alu26aw.png)
Sometimes it is hard to separate the MVP phase from the development of a full product. In this aspect, custom development has a significant advantage compared to the other two approaches, because you don’t need to change technologies during the development process. You will be able to develop your product evolutionary and integrate development and validation processes multiple times. As a result, you won’t lose money on changing technologies, teams, and approaches in different phases of the development.   
So, you are starting an entirely new project and have a choice to go with a custom solution written entirely from scratch or go with a no-code or pre-made solution. What factors do you need to consider? The main ones include project type, availability of technical expertise, budget, and marketing plan. 

The no-code approach can offer a quick and not expensive solution, but before going with it, you need to understand what final product you want to have. Otherwise, with a no-code solution, you will be always at risk to lose all of your progress and start from the ground up with a pre-made or custom solution. 

According to Statista, in 2021, there are over 4.6 billion internet users and 7 billion mobile users. The number of websites is close to the 2 billion mark and the number of mobile app downloads is close to 220 billion. 

Custom development will give you good chances to stand out among competitors and attract potential customers. The website or an app created with the business objectives, brand image, and target audience in mind have more potential to multiply conversions and sales. The benefits are not only with visuals. Custom development offers more possibilities in the convenience also, creating a more satisfactory user experience adapting to the needs of customers. 

While custom development sounds exciting in terms of customization, scalability, flexibility, and security, it is not for everyone. If you have a limited budget or timeframe, and you know for sure that limited functionality and typical flow will serve you well, maybe you should consider no code or a pre-made solution. 

Read [our article](https://www.visual-craft.com/blog/no-code-pre-made-or-custom-solutions-what-is-the-best-for-your-mvp) to dive deep and uncover the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.