Low Code Doesn’t Have to Limit Developers — Here’s How We Prove It

Let’s get something out of the way: most low-code platforms don’t work for developers. They look promising at first—"drag, drop, done!"—but the minute you need to do something real (connect a non-standard API, customize a UI, handle complex automation), you hit a wall. And that’s the point where most developers jump ship. I’ve been there. Chances are, you have too. That’s why at Lonti, we decided to build something different: a low-code platform that doesn’t trade power for simplicity. One where you get visual speed when you want it, and full-code control when you need it. No walls. No black boxes. Why Low Code Has Burned Developers The problem isn’t low code itself—it’s how most platforms implement it. They assume developers want simple templates and fixed workflows. That’s fine for building a basic form or automating a simple approval. But try orchestrating multiple APIs, integrating with a legacy database, or building a scalable frontend, and you’re out of luck. In other words: traditional low-code platforms weren’t built for devs. What We Built Instead At Lonti, we created a suite of tools that flips the low-code narrative: Martini – A low-code backend/integration/automation engine that gives you a full iPaaS platform with complete extensibility. Bellini – A low-code frontend builder where you can go from drag-and-drop UI design to custom JS, HTML, and external libraries. Both are designed to play nice with code, not fight it. Real Control, Not Just Clicks Want to integrate with an obscure API that doesn’t have a prebuilt connector? Martini gives you the freedom to call it via REST or GraphQL, with scripting support in Groovy, JavaScript, Python, and Bash. Need to handle real-time event-driven workflows with custom branching logic, async operations, or third-party triggers? It’s all there—via visual workflows or raw code. Building a dashboard in Bellini? Drag your components, bind them directly to APIs, and go further with custom logic. Want to use D3.js? Or integrate with a specific authentication provider like Okta or Azure AD? Done. Build What You Want, How You Want Here’s where it gets fun: you don’t have to pick between “low code” and “real development.” You can start fast, prototype, and go live—without hitting a cliff the moment things get complex. And when you need to go deep? You can. There are no locked components, no restrictions on data flow, no "you can't do that here." You can write tests, integrate with Git, version APIs, automate deployments, and run workflows triggered by APIs, webhooks, CRON jobs, or system events. It’s built for scale and for real-world engineering problems. TL;DR If you’ve tried low-code tools before and been burned, I get it. Most of them aren’t made for devs. But that doesn’t mean low code can’t work for us. It just means someone had to build it differently. That’s what we’ve done with Lonti.

Mar 26, 2025 - 05:45

Low Code Doesn’t Have to Limit Developers — Here’s How We Prove It

Let’s get something out of the way: most low-code platforms don’t work for developers.

They look promising at first—"drag, drop, done!"—but the minute you need to do something real (connect a non-standard API, customize a UI, handle complex automation), you hit a wall. And that’s the point where most developers jump ship.

I’ve been there. Chances are, you have too.

That’s why at Lonti, we decided to build something different: a low-code platform that doesn’t trade power for simplicity. One where you get visual speed when you want it, and full-code control when you need it. No walls. No black boxes.

Why Low Code Has Burned Developers

The problem isn’t low code itself—it’s how most platforms implement it. They assume developers want simple templates and fixed workflows. That’s fine for building a basic form or automating a simple approval. But try orchestrating multiple APIs, integrating with a legacy database, or building a scalable frontend, and you’re out of luck.

In other words: traditional low-code platforms weren’t built for devs.

What We Built Instead

At Lonti, we created a suite of tools that flips the low-code narrative:

Martini – A low-code backend/integration/automation engine that gives you a full iPaaS platform with complete extensibility.
Bellini – A low-code frontend builder where you can go from drag-and-drop UI design to custom JS, HTML, and external libraries.

Both are designed to play nice with code, not fight it.

Real Control, Not Just Clicks

Want to integrate with an obscure API that doesn’t have a prebuilt connector? Martini gives you the freedom to call it via REST or GraphQL, with scripting support in Groovy, JavaScript, Python, and Bash.

Need to handle real-time event-driven workflows with custom branching logic, async operations, or third-party triggers? It’s all there—via visual workflows or raw code.

Building a dashboard in Bellini? Drag your components, bind them directly to APIs, and go further with custom logic. Want to use D3.js? Or integrate with a specific authentication provider like Okta or Azure AD? Done.

Build What You Want, How You Want

Here’s where it gets fun: you don’t have to pick between “low code” and “real development.” You can start fast, prototype, and go live—without hitting a cliff the moment things get complex.

And when you need to go deep? You can. There are no locked components, no restrictions on data flow, no "you can't do that here."

You can write tests, integrate with Git, version APIs, automate deployments, and run workflows triggered by APIs, webhooks, CRON jobs, or system events. It’s built for scale and for real-world engineering problems.

TL;DR

If you’ve tried low-code tools before and been burned, I get it. Most of them aren’t made for devs.

But that doesn’t mean low code can’t work for us. It just means someone had to build it differently.

That’s what we’ve done with Lonti.