low-tech
Not digitally advanced
Low-tech describes technology, methods, or equipment that are simple, traditional, or unsophisticated—the opposite of high-tech.
A low-tech solution might use paper instead of software, or manual labor instead of automation: We went low-tech and just used a whiteboard.
The term can be neutral or appreciative, suggesting reliability and accessibility over complexity.
Requiring direct human manipulation
- handcraftedMade manually, not machined
- hand-poweredOperated by human force
- crankRotary operating handle
- leverPivoting bar for lifting
pulley · pedal-powered · treadle · workbench · carpentry · blacksmithing · weaving · pottery
Inherited cultural legacy
- time-honoredRespected due to age
- folkRegular common people
- vintageQuality from past eras
- antiqueOld valued collectible
heirloom · old-fashioned · rustic · artisanal · handmade · craft · pre-industrial · agrarian
Synthetic resin plastic
- turntableRotating music player
- typewriterMechanical printing keyboard
- cassetteMagnetic audio cartridge
- polaroidSelf-developing photograph
film · gramophone · phonograph · VHS · dial · landline · fax · mimeograph
Easy to understand
- straightforwardClear and uncomplicated
- bare-bonesReduced to essentials
- no-frillsWithout extras or embellishments
- minimalistOne favoring bare essentials
user-friendly · intuitive · accessible · foolproof · reliable · durable · repairable · off-grid
hand-operated
Requiring direct human manipulation
- handcraftedMade manually, not machined
- hand-poweredOperated by human force
- crankRotary operating handle
lever · pulley · pedal-powered · treadle · workbench · carpentry · blacksmithing · weaving · pottery · masonry
heritage
Inherited cultural legacy
- time-honoredRespected due to age
- folkRegular common people
- vintageQuality from past eras
antique · heirloom · old-fashioned · rustic · artisanal · handmade · craft · pre-industrial · agrarian · pastoral
vinyl
Synthetic resin plastic
- turntableRotating music player
- typewriterMechanical printing keyboard
- cassetteMagnetic audio cartridge
polaroid · film · gramophone · phonograph · VHS · dial · landline · fax · mimeograph · carbon-copy
uncomplicated
Easy to understand
- straightforwardClear and uncomplicated
- bare-bonesReduced to essentials
- no-frillsWithout extras or embellishments
minimalist · user-friendly · intuitive · accessible · foolproof · reliable · durable · repairable · off-grid · unplugged
flint
Spark-producing sedimentary rock
hunter-gatherer · paleolithic · neolithic · forge · chisel · papyrus · scroll · sundial · quill · smoke-signal
- preindustrialpreindustrial, pre-industrial, guild, agrarian, pastoral
- unpoweredhand tools, manual, hand-operated, human-powered, hand crank
- anti-modernismLuddism, Luddite, technophobia, technophobe, anti-industrial
- outdatedobsolete, outdated, out of date, dated, outmoded
low-techhigh-tech
Using newest innovations
hi-tech · advanced · high-technology · sophisticated · cutting-edge
low, technical, technology, tech, technician, high-tech, technologies, technological, technologically