Low-Code vs Pro-Code Architecture Review

Purpose: give the Architect and Architecture Reviewer a repeatable rubric for choosing between low-code platforms and pro-code, and for reviewing whether an existing decision still fits. Focus: decision criteria, anti-patterns, review checklist, escalation triggers. Not a tutorial for any specific platform.

When to Use

• Reviewing an ADR that picks Copilot Studio, Power Apps, Power Automate, Logic Apps, or another low-code platform
• Reviewing an ADR that picks pro-code where a low-code platform would have been adequate
• An existing low-code solution is hitting limits (perf, governance, complexity) and a migration is proposed
• An AI agent is being scoped and the team must choose between Copilot Studio (declarative, low-code) and Foundry/Agent Framework (pro-code)
• The user explicitly asks "should this be low-code or pro-code?"

Core Definitions