OutSystems: Build Complex Applications with Generative AI and Full Control
OutSystems is a low-code platform powered by generative artificial intelligence and agentic AI that accelerates the creation and maintenance of enterprise applications. It belongs to the app creator category but differentiates itself by offering corporate-level tools and total control over security, scalability, and governance.
For growing SMEs, OutSystems represents a way to create complex applications without building all the infrastructure from scratch. It allows generating complete solutions (including intelligent agents, automations, and multilingual applications) using simple text prompts. In this review, we analyze why it’s considered one of the best AI tools for creating enterprise applications focused on productivity and governance.
AgentAya Verdict
This tool combines visual development, generative AI, agentic AI, and an open architecture that allows maintaining control over code. It’s ideal for companies seeking to build critical applications quickly and securely, without losing the technical flexibility of traditional environments.
Its AI assistant, Mentor, generates complete applications, reviews code, and automates security and deployment. Additionally, the platform features Agent Workbench, which allows creating and orchestrating intelligent agents within business flows. Although its interface is mainly in English, it allows creating multilingual applications.
Verdict: a premium platform with advanced AI and solid governance, perfect for organizations requiring quality, scalability, and regulatory compliance, though less suitable for limited budgets since, despite all its functionalities, its cost remains high for startups or small SMEs.
Score Breakdown
| Category | Score | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Features and Functionality | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Enterprise development integrating agentic architecture and AI. |
| Integrations | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Pre-built connectors and REST/SOAP APIs. |
| Language and Support | ⭐⭐ | Interface in English; no official support in other languages. |
| Ease of Use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Guided and flexible visual environment. |
| Value for Money | ⭐⭐ | Powerful, but with high cost for small SMEs. |
AgentAya Overall Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 / 5
Excellent enterprise platform, though more suitable for teams with budget and technical support.
Ideal for:
- Medium or large SMEs needing to rapidly transform internal processes.
- Companies already having technical or IT teams internally.
- Organizations prioritizing security, performance, and governance.
Not ideal for:
- Small SMEs or freelancers with limited resources.
- Users requiring support or interface in languages other than English.
- Simple projects or quick MVPs, where a no-code tool would be sufficient.
Main Features
- Mentor (generative AI and agentic AI): Generates complete applications from prompts or documents.
- Visual low-code development: Drag-and-drop interface with reusable components and multilingual editing.
- Agent Workbench: Creation of intelligent agents that automate tasks and collaborate with users.
- One-click deployment: Continuous integration, load balancing, and automatic failure recovery.
- Real-time monitoring and built-in DevSecOps.
- Open architecture: Allows inspecting code (C#, JavaScript, SQL) and reducing vendor dependency.
These features help SMEs develop robust, multilingual, and secure software quickly, reducing errors and operational costs.
AI Functions
OutSystems’ artificial intelligence fully integrates into the development lifecycle, combining generative AI (GenAI) and agentic AI to accelerate from ideation to deployment.
Main capabilities:
- Mentor App Generator and App Editor: Convert descriptions or requirement documents into complete functional applications, including data models, roles, interface, and business logic. Allow visual iteration with AI-powered suggestions.
- App prototyping and requirement-to-code: Transform requirements into structured and validated code, with automatic generation of screens, dashboards, roles, and visual themes.
- AI-suggested improvements: Mentor’s editor analyzes code and proposes adjustments in entities, attributes, flows, security rules, and data relationships.
- Data fetching with natural language: Allows creating queries in natural language directly within Service Studio (e.g., “Show orders shipped to London”).
- AI Mentor Studio API: Facilitates integrating technical debt metrics and code quality with external CI/CD and BI tools, enabling continuous monitoring and standards compliance.
- Privacy and compliance: Prompt data isn’t used to train third-party models; all content is encrypted with client-specific keys and complies with SOC 2 and GDPR.
These capabilities drastically reduce development time, optimize software quality, and allow SMEs to focus on business logic instead of repetitive code.
Integrations
OutSystems stands out for its advanced connectivity, with support for both visual and programmatic integrations.
Main features:
- Native APIs: The platform offers proprietary APIs to extend internal functions and connect external systems. This allows automating processes, querying data, or managing deployments from third-party applications.
- Complete support for REST, SOAP, and SAP: Web services can be consumed or exposed securely and quickly, with automatic authentication and error handling.
- Data Fabric and pre-built connectors: Includes over 400 ready-to-use connectors (Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, PayPal, AWS, Microsoft 365, Oracle, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, among others).
- Forge Marketplace: Repository with reusable components, third-party service integrations, and plugins like AppShield or SSL Pinning.
- Visual language and extensibility: The development environment uses a unified visual language (data, logic, UI, and flows) that also allows inserting custom code when necessary.
- Multilingual export and import: Application resources can be exported in Excel or .resX format for translation, supporting RFC 1766 locales (e.g., en-US, en-GB, fr-FR).
- Integration with AI Mentor Studio API: Enables REST access to code analysis metrics, technical debt levels, and automatic reports on module quality.
Thanks to this open architecture, OutSystems allows SMEs to integrate their applications with existing enterprise systems, scale their data flows, and maintain total control over security, performance, and governance.
Security and Data Compliance
OutSystems was designed under the principle of “built-in security from development.” Each application created automatically inherits the platform’s security policies and controls.
- Comprehensive protection: Encrypts all data in transit and at rest, and incorporates multi-step verification and role-based access control.
- Global regulatory compliance: Certified in ISO 27017 and 27018, SOC 2, GDPR, PCI DSS, and CSA STAR, ensuring enterprise standards in regulated sectors like banking, healthcare, or public services.
- AppShield for mobile: Add-on that reinforces native app security against reverse engineering, malicious code, or compromised devices, adding protection layers without requiring additional programming.
- Audits and automated DevSecOps: Each deployment cycle executes integrity validations, vulnerability analysis, and quality controls before publishing to production.
- Ownership and privacy: Data and applications always belong to the client. Environments are isolated by organization and protected with tenant-specific encryption keys.
This architecture reduces risks, complies with the most demanding regulations, and provides SMEs with the same security used by large corporations.
Language – Customer Support and Interface
The interface and documentation are available in English. It doesn’t have direct support in other languages, though there are certified partners in various regions offering assistance and training in local languages.
AI Language – The Tool Itself
OutSystems’ artificial intelligence, Mentor, wasn’t specifically trained in multiple languages; its primary focus isn’t conversational but structural, so it can generate code and models without depending on the user’s language.
Created applications can be completely translated to multiple languages through Service Studio’s multilingual editor, which supports RFC 1766 locales (e.g., en-US, fr-FR, de-DE).
Mobile Access
The platform allows creating cross-platform applications that work without changes on web, mobile, or desktop.
- Unified development and deployment: Apps can be published as Progressive Web Apps (PWA) or as native applications for iOS and Android, with access to device functionalities (GPS, camera, push notifications).
- Mobile performance and security: The AppShield add-on applies advanced protection during compilation, shielding code against manipulation or data theft. It also offers plugins like SSL Pinning, Ciphered Local Storage, and Key Store to keep credentials and files secure on devices.
- Centralized management: Although application creation and monitoring are performed from desktop environment or cloud, resulting apps can run completely offline and sync data when connected.
Together, OutSystems offers an enterprise-level mobile experience with the same control and security as its web applications.
Support, Onboarding Process, and Account Management
OutSystems accompanies companies throughout the platform adoption cycle, combining learning resources, technical support, and personalized management.
- Guided onboarding: Includes interactive tutorials within the platform, step-by-step documentation, best practice guides, and Jump Start sessions to accelerate setup.
- Training and certifications: Users can access the OutSystems Training Portal, with free learning paths, official certifications, and an ecosystem of specialized partners.
- Scalable technical support: All plans include professional assistance during business hours. Higher tiers offer 24/7 support, critical incident management, and service level agreements (SLA) up to 99.95% availability.
- Account management and Customer Success: Organizations with corporate licenses have a dedicated account manager, access to solution engineers, and periodic technical reviews to optimize performance and security.
- Global community: OutSystems maintains an active developer community, technical forums, events, and local groups in multiple languages, facilitating peer support and continuous learning.
Thanks to this support and accompaniment ecosystem, SMEs can adopt OutSystems without prior programming experience and scale their technical capacity with confidence.
Ease of Use / UX
The visual environment allows dragging components (drag-and-drop), connecting databases, and designing flows without coding. Developers can alternate between visual view and code for fine adjustments. Although its initial learning curve is higher than no-code tools, the result is a stable and scalable platform. Medium-sized SMEs can quickly obtain value by creating secure and maintainable applications.
Pricing and Plans
OutSystems offers a flexible and scalable pricing model, designed to accompany each company’s growth. Its scheme combines low-code development with artificial intelligence tools for app and enterprise agent generation.
- OutSystems Developer Cloud (ODC): Professional plan oriented to organizations developing and running internal or external applications. Licensed by number of applications, users, and advanced add-ons, includes cloud infrastructure, development environments, and technical support.
- OutSystems Personal Edition: Free version to start developing without credit card. Allows creating and testing applications in a non-production environment, ideal for learning and prototyping.
- Custom quotes: Final prices vary according to project size, user volume, and compliance or support needs. The company offers tailored quotes for each client.
Together, OutSystems’ model allows starting for free, scaling with control, and maintaining a balance between enterprise performance and return on investment.
Case Study
A logistics company used OutSystems to develop a delivery tracking and inventory management system. In less than three months, the team implemented a mobile application for drivers and an internal web for administration, integrated with their existing ERP.
The result was a 35% reduction in processing times and increased operational control, without needing to expand the IT team.
OutSystems vs Alternatives
| Tool | When to Choose | Key Advantages | Key Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| OutSystems | Companies needing rapid and secure development at scale | Integrated AI (Mentor and agentic AI), DevSecOps, scalability, corporate support | High cost, interface mainly in English |
| Mendix | Low-code environments with high customization, especially in SAP ecosystems | Strong SAP integration, technical flexibility, Maia AI assistant | Steeper learning curve, AI less integrated end-to-end than OutSystems |
| Lovable | Startups or technical SMEs seeking generative AI with code control | Conversational flow, integration with Supabase and GitHub, developer flexibility | Not oriented to large corporations, limited enterprise DevSecOps capabilities |
Summary:
- OutSystems: Ideal for large SMEs and enterprises requiring robust infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and AI automation.
- Mendix: Alternative for SAP environments or corporate with complex technical needs.
- Lovable: More agile and affordable for startups and small teams.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Is OutSystems a good tool for SMEs?
Yes, especially for medium-sized SMEs with technical resources.
Does OutSystems support multiple languages?
Yes, allows translating complete applications and configuring locales, but the main environment remains in English.
Does OutSystems use artificial intelligence?
Yes, integrates generative AI, agentic AI, and development lifecycle automation.
What alternatives exist to OutSystems?
Mendix and Lovable, depending on project size and complexity.
Does it have a free version?
Yes, the Personal plan is free, but limited.
