OutSystems vs Mendix: Comparing Enterprise Low-Code Platforms

OutSystems and Mendix are two leading low-code platforms designed to help businesses build apps faster. Here's a quick breakdown of their strengths:

• OutSystems: Best for scalability, full-stack development, and generating native code like C#, JavaScript, and SQL. Ideal for enterprises needing robust performance and developer-centric tools.

• Mendix: Focuses on collaboration between business and IT teams, offering flexibility with deployment options (cloud, private, on-premises). Great for organizations prioritizing teamwork and deployment versatility.

Quick Comparison

Key Takeaways

• Choose OutSystems if you need enterprise-grade scalability, performance, and developer-first tools for full-stack development.

• Opt for Mendix if your focus is on team collaboration, flexible deployment, and a user-friendly environment for business and IT alignment.

Both platforms simplify app development, but your choice depends on your specific needs like scalability, collaboration, and deployment preferences.

Technical Architecture and Development Tools

Platform Architecture Comparison

Mendix and OutSystems take different approaches to enterprise application development. Mendix is built on a cloud-native architecture, designed to handle enterprise-level scalability and adaptable deployment. Its stateless server setup allows for both vertical and horizontal scaling, making it ideal for businesses with varying workload demands.

Mendix supports several deployment options:

On the other hand, OutSystems generates native code, producing 100% C#, JavaScript, and SQL. This approach gives developers complete visibility and control over the application architecture.

These architectural distinctions shape the development tools and strategies offered by each platform.

Development Environment Features

The development environments provided by Mendix and OutSystems reflect their unique focuses. Mendix offers a unified platform that simplifies collaboration across teams. Miroslav Samoilenko, Director of Integration Architecture, highlights this benefit:

"My database and system administrators and DevOps engineers, they can now concentrate on delivering business value. They can think about new software for the company and this is where I see [the] value of low-code platforms like Mendix."

OutSystems, meanwhile, prioritizes developer efficiency with features like composable modules and transparent data modeling. Paulo Eduardo Imperatriz Melo, a Senior Developer at Petrobras, shares his perspective:

"I know React, Angular and much more, but I've never implemented scripts for CI/CD, I've never developed back-end solutions or databases. Thanks to OutSystems, I am now a full-stack developer. I will never look back."

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of key development features:

Both platforms integrate effortlessly with enterprise systems and third-party services. Mendix offers built-in connectors and Platform APIs that work with existing CI/CD pipelines. OutSystems provides robust integration tools for managing the entire application lifecycle.

Enterprise Features

Performance and Scale

OutSystems and Mendix offer enterprise-level performance, each with its own distinct approach. OutSystems focuses on runtime and platform scalability through its OutSystems Developer Cloud (ODC). This platform uses Kubernetes for automatic scaling and incorporates a serverless database engine for efficiency. On the other hand, Mendix employs a cloud-native architecture, providing flexible deployment options that allow organizations to customize their infrastructure setup.

Here’s a quick comparison of their scalability features:

These strategies ensure high performance while laying the groundwork for robust security and smooth integration.

Security Standards

Both platforms adhere to critical enterprise security standards, ensuring that development remains secure. José Casinha, Chief Information Security Officer at OutSystems, highlights their commitment:

"We currently have over 196 security features in our platform covering everything from device security to cloud operations. These advanced features, the systematic enforcement of code security, and the most recognized security certifications in the world provide IT leaders with peace of mind that their software development is secure."

Here’s how their certifications compare:

System Integration Methods

Integration capabilities are another key factor for enterprise adoption. Companies like Toyota and HEINEKEN have praised the platforms for their strong integration and reusability features:

"OutSystems has become the obvious choice for development projects within the Toyota Group."

"You invest so much time in developing a solution. With low-code, you can reuse that app. So every new app we deliver is an investment for future development."

Both platforms support a variety of integration methods, making them adaptable to diverse enterprise needs:

Cost Analysis

Platform Pricing

Budgeting starts with understanding platform pricing. Mendix uses a pricing model that combines platform costs with user count, helping organizations estimate expenses more effectively. Their structure includes tiered options, offering a free tier for smaller projects and paid plans for larger-scale needs.

Setup and Training Expenses

Initial costs cover infrastructure, training, integration, and migration. Here's a breakdown:

Mendix's integrated development environment (IDE) and consistent roadmap help control training costs. However, beyond these initial investments, operational costs play a key role in determining the overall expense.

Ongoing Platform Costs

Recurring expenses significantly affect the total cost of ownership (TCO). For example, OutSystems uses native code and Kubernetes-driven auto-scaling to optimize resource usage, which can reduce infrastructure-related costs.

Key factors affecting ongoing costs:

Mendix's clear pricing structure ensures organizations can avoid unexpected costs, while OutSystems focuses on optimizing resources across all stages, offering savings for larger deployments.

Customer Results

Implementation Examples

OutSystems has proven its ability to deliver results in large-scale enterprise projects. For instance, Medtronic's FocusOn™ platform, launched in June 2016, completely changed how cardiac monitoring is handled. By processing over 450,000 patient transmissions, it saved an astounding 35 years of clinical staff time and cut the IT budget by half.

"At the end of the day, we're helping patients get better care, and making it easier for clinical staff to look after them. That's the most important thing." - Karel Nouwen, Senior IT Director, Digital Business and Digital Health, Medtronic

Another success story comes from Charles River Laboratories, whose Internet Colony Management (ICM™) system led to massive improvements:

These examples highlight how OutSystems has delivered measurable results, making a real difference for businesses.

Industry Performance

OutSystems has also driven success in industries like healthcare, logistics, and energy. Advanced Technology Company (ATC)'s Sapphire HMS platform is a standout example. It cut patient registration time from 10 minutes to just 25 seconds, reduced medical file errors by 60%, and enabled hospitals to deploy their systems in weeks rather than years.

Vopak's terminal management system is another impressive case. Rolled out across 28 global terminals, it improved operational agility by 4× and shortened change implementation time from 4 months to just 1 month.

"OutSystems enables us to build custom applications, bringing them to the business as a PaaS, and implementing changes extremely fast. This gives Vopak the ability to innovate the company's core processes, really putting us at the forefront compared to our competition." - Leo Brand, CIO, Vopak

A Forrester Consulting analysis further highlights the platform's impact. Organizations using OutSystems report six-month payback periods and operational improvements that include $4.6 million in incremental revenue from new business initiatives.

These results underline OutSystems' ability to handle enterprise needs with scalability and cost efficiency, as discussed earlier.

OutSystems & Mendix: A Tale of Two Platforms

Conclusion

Let's wrap up by highlighting the key differences and providing a practical guide to help you choose the right platform.

Main Differences

OutSystems and Mendix each bring their own strengths to enterprise low-code development. OutSystems shines in full-stack development and scalability, using Kubernetes, containers, and microservices on AWS infrastructure. It generates native C#, JavaScript, and SQL code for fast performance and automatic scaling, both vertically and horizontally.

On the other hand, Mendix focuses on its cloud-native design and team-friendly features. It offers flexible deployment options - public, private, or on-premises - using container-based technology. Its single IDE streamlines development, and built-in Git support ensures smooth version control and teamwork.

These differences shape the selection criteria for enterprise needs.

Platform Selection Guide

Here are some key factors to consider:

• Infrastructure: Mendix offers more deployment flexibility, supporting public, private, and on-premises environments.

• Development Speed:

  "We built the first app in 3 months. It would have taken us a year and a half in .NET." - Mike Papania, IT Director at Kent State University.

• Team Collaboration:

  "Our investment in Mendix low-code…has allowed us to build beautiful and satisfying customer-user experiences within an environment that allows us to respond to rapid change and ensure that the pace of change inside our organization is as quick, if not faster, than the change outside." - Mohammed Kaka, Chief Operating Officer.

• Cost Structure: OutSystems offers fixed monthly pricing based on user count, while Mendix scales pricing based on growth.

Mendix is a great choice for organizations that need flexible deployment options and prioritize collaboration. OutSystems is ideal for enterprises that require scalability, native performance, and strong community support.

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