Low-code is an approach to software development that combines visual building blocks (forms, workflows, connections) with the option to write custom code where the standard components aren't enough. The target audience is usually developers or technically confident people who want to speed up the routine parts of development, not remove them entirely.
The difference from no-code is that a person still designs and assembles the data model, logic and connections by hand - just without part of the syntax of classic programming. It doesn't require writing code from scratch, but it does require understanding data structures and application logic.
In practice, low-code suits internal tools that sit between IT and the business, where speed matters but there's still an occasional need to "pop the hood open". No-code with an AI layer goes a step further - it can build the first draft of the data model and logic itself from a plain-language description, which is why it also works for people without a technical background.
Related: Low-code vs. no-code vs. vibe coding: comparing the approaches, What is no-code, No-code vs. vibe coding.