Softr Overview

Unlike the open-source Appsmith, Softr is a premium option for building no-code apps, admin panels, and client portals. With its drag-and-drop editor, Softr combines ease of use for non-technical users with advanced features like membership, payment processing, search, filtering, and sorting.

Softr Pricing

Softr offers a range of plans to suit different needs and budgets. These include:

• Forever free plan for individuals building passion projects
• Basic plan at $49/month for entrepreneurs building new products
• Professional plan at $139/month for SMBs building portals and internal tools
• Business plan at $269/month for teams building advanced custom apps

One key advantage of Softr's pricing is that each plan comes with a set number of user allowances, making the bill predictable and scalable regardless of the number of end-users accessing the apps. This contrasts with an Appsmith alternative like Retool, where costs increase with each additional user.

Softr also offers a 30% discount for non-profits and educational institutions. Customers can choose between monthly and annual billing, with the annual option providing two months free. Overall, Softr's user-based pricing makes it an accessible and cost-effective solution for turning Airtable and Google Sheets data into no-code apps.

Softr vs. Appsmith

Appsmith is an open-source platform for developers looking to build custom internal tools and admin panels. It’s a low-code platform that still requires some coding knowledge to operate, but on the plus side, you can make advanced customizations to your apps using JavaScript.

Softr, on the other hand, is a fully no-code alternative with a focus on turning Airtable, Google Sheets, HubSpot and other databases into apps. It offers a beginner-friendly drag-and-drop interface with more than 100 pre-built templates and components to help you get started.

As an Appsmith alternative, Softr helps you strike a balance between customizability and user-friendliness, making it a well-rounded choice for those looking to build advanced apps without learning coding skills from scratch.

Softr Features

• Visual Builder: Quickly build responsive web apps without coding using Softr's user-friendly visual builder.
• Airtable/Google Sheets/HubSpot Integrations: Instantly sync your data and use it to power your Softr app's backend.
• Powerful Membership Features: Easily implement user authentication, login pages, and gated content in your apps.
• Template Library: Kickstart your projects with 100+ pre-built templates for various use cases like client portals and internal tools.
• Flexible Design Customization: Tailor your app's look and feel with custom CSS, while still maintaining a no-code approach.

ToolJet Overview

For those looking for an open-source solution, ToolJet offers an interesting alternative for building internal tools. Compared to Appsmith, ToolJet is a more beginner-friendly platform with a huge library of pre-built components for rapid app development. It also supports advanced customization using Python and JavaScript, making it a good choice for developers.

ToolJet Pricing

ToolJet comes in two flavors: regular and self-hosted. Pricing is user-based, ensuring that costs remain predictable regardless of the number of end-users. They also offer a 14-day free trial on certain plans if you want to take things for a test drive.

The self-hosted plans include a Community edition, which is free and open-source. There’s also a Flexible plan that charges $30/month per application, with additional costs for tables ($5/month each) and workflows ($20/month each). Features like SSO, custom branding, and audit logs can be added for $150/month each.

For cloud-hosted plans, ToolJet provides a free Basic plan with limited features, a Business plan starting at $5/month per builder and $0.50/month per end-user, and Enterprise plans. The Business plan includes advanced features like granular access control, unlimited tables/rows, and priority support. Enterprise plans, as the name suggests, can be customized to individual requirements as needed.

ToolJet vs. Appsmith

Appsmith offers a JavaScript-based visual editor that allows for a great degree of customization, at the cost of a steep learning curve. As an open-source platform, it also enables full control over data and hosting. But, there’s no cloud-hosted option for business users.

ToolJet is an Appsmith alternative with a focus on simplicity. It offers a wide range of integrations with databases, APIs, and third-party services like Slack and Stripe. Plus, this platform provides granular access controls and a compliance mode for industries with strict security requirements.

Pick ToolJet over Appsmith if your priorities are simple onboarding and quick deployment. While the latter offers more freedom of customization, it isn’t the easiest tool to get started with as a non-development professional.

ToolJet Features

• UI Builder: Rapidly create responsive user interfaces using 45+ built-in components like tables, charts, and forms.
• ToolJet Database: Utilize the built-in, no-code PostgreSQL database for seamless data management and querying.
• 50+ Data Integrations: Connect to databases, APIs, and external services like Stripe, Slack, and Google Sheets.
• Access Control: Set user permissions at both the group and application levels for enhanced security.
• Custom Code Execution: Run JavaScript and Python snippets to extend functionality and handle complex logic.

Retool Overview

While it still has a bit of a learning curve, Retool is a great Appsmith alternative for users looking for a platform that enables teams to easily work together. With access controls, version history, and real-time collaboration support, it’s a good option for coordinating project work where multiple stakeholders are involved.

Retool Pricing

Retool offers a usage-based pricing model with different rates for "standard users" who build and edit apps and "end users" who only use the apps. The Free plan supports up to 5 standard users. The Team plan costs $12/month per standard user and $7/month per end user when billed monthly, or $10/month and $5/month respectively when billed annually.

The Business plan, suitable for larger teams, is $65/month per standard user and $18/month per end user when billed monthly. Annual billing reduces these costs to $50/month and $15/month respectively. This plan includes advanced features like audit logging, app permissions, and unlimited environments.

Retool also offers an Enterprise plan with additional security and support features, with pricing available on request based on specific requirements. While the pricing is flexible, costs can add up quickly if you’re not paying attention to the number of users enrolled in your plan.

Retool vs. Appsmith

Retool is a proprietary no-code app development platform with a drag-and-drop interface and a vast library of pre-built components ready to use. It takes a different approach from Appsmith, which is a low-code tool that requires a much deeper knowledge of JavaScript and Python.

Appsmith's pricing is based on usage, making it more cost-effective for organizations with many end-users. Comparatively, Retool may prove to be much more expensive, since its pricing is based on the number of app developers and end users both.

Retool can be a viable Appsmith alternative if you’re looking to build apps quickly and easily for internal use, while still having the option to customize it later to match your ongoing needs. While it may not be as advanced as Appsmith, the platform still provides plenty of functionality to suit growing businesses.

Retool Features

• Drag-and-drop UI Builder: Rapidly create responsive user interfaces using 100+ built-in components like tables, charts, and forms.
• Data Integrations: Connect to databases, APIs, and external services like Stripe, Slack, and Google Sheets.
• Custom Code: Run JavaScript and Python snippets to extend functionality and handle complex logic.
• Access Control: Set user permissions at both the group and application levels for enhanced security.
• Git-based Version Control: Manage application versions and releases through Git integration.

UI Bakery Overview

UI Bakery is a good choice if you’re looking for enterprise-grade features like advanced access controls, custom branding, and on-premise deployment options at a small business price point. It also features a much bigger library of UI components, making it more versatile when compared to Appsmith.

UI Bakery Pricing

Similar to Retool, UI Bakery’s pricing is based on the number of developers and end-users using your app. The Free plan is available for up to 5 users. The Standard plan costs $6 per End-User per month and $12 per Developer per month. The Business plan is priced at $12 per End-User per month and $50 per Developer per month, with features like Shared Permission Groups.

For larger teams, UI Bakery offers Unlimited Seats at a fixed price of $250 per month, allowing an unlimited number of end-users without additional charges. There's also an Enterprise plan with custom pricing based on specific requirements.

UI Bakery provides both cloud and self-hosted options, with the self-hosted version following a similar pricing structure across four tiers: Free, Standard, Business, and Enterprise. Annual billing offers a discount over monthly pricing.

UI Bakery vs. Appsmith

While it’s more expensive than Appsmith, UI Bakery is an intuitive platform that’s more accessible for non-developers getting started with no-code and low-code platforms. It also boasts a larger library of ready-made components to use within your designs, making it a good option for when you’re looking to get started in a jiffy.

As an Appsmith alternative, UI Bakery does not offer the same level of flexibility with custom coding and plugin frameworks. But, it has a much stronger design focus that helps you create apps that “just work”.

In the end, UI Bakery is an option that prioritizes ease of use and rapid application development. Pick this if you’re looking for an Appsmith competitor that does not require extensive coding knowledge to build apps.

UI Bakery Features

• Workflow Automation: Create multi-step workflows with conditional logic, scheduling, and webhooks for automation.
• Git Integration: Implement version control and release management using Git workflows.
• Custom Component Builder: Build reusable UI components using JavaScript for advanced functionality.
• AI-assisted Development: Leverage AI suggestions for queries, code snippets, and logic flows.
• Granular Access Control: Set granular permissions at app, page, and component levels for enhanced security.

Budibase Overview

Budibase is another good open-source app builder for creating internal tools, admin panels, and web apps without a ton of coding. It’s the perfect choice for IT professionals who aren’t quite as experienced as developers and engineers in app building. While it allows for custom code execution, Budibase only lets you insert code in certain parts of the app, making choices limited.

Budibase Pricing

Like most other tools in the category, Budibase offers a range of pricing plans to cater to different budgets. The Free plan includes unlimited apps, unlimited database rows, and access to plugins, but is limited to 20 users. The Premium plan costs $50 per creator and $5 per app user annually, providing additional features like SSO, custom branding, and audit logs.

For larger organizations, Budibase offers custom Enterprise pricing based on specific requirements. It also provides discounts for nonprofits, educational institutions, and annual billing. Self-hosted users have the option to purchase a lifetime license for a one-time fee.

Budibase's pricing aims to balance the needs of individual developers, small businesses, and enterprises, offering a free tier for basic usage while charging for advanced features and scalability. The user-based pricing model ensures predictable costs regardless of the number of apps or database rows used.

Budibase vs. Appsmith

Budibase is built for an IT audience, designed to combine ease of use with a certain degree of development freedom. But unlike Appsmith, it is not a fully-featured low-code tool that allows freeform code injection across your entire application.

Appsmith caters more to developers looking for flexibility and control. It offers a JavaScript-based visual development platform that allows for greater customization using code. It also has a framework that lets you build your own plugins and widgets. But it has a steep learning curve for complex customization.

A choice between Budibase and Appsmith ultimately comes down to your coding proficiency and familiarity with other low-code app development tools. For new users, Budibase is also the more affordable option, with paid plans starting from just $30/month.

Budibase Features

• Open-source Platform: Budibase is an open-source low-code platform, allowing users to self-host, customize, and contribute to the codebase.
• Automation Workflows: Create multi-step workflows with conditional logic, scheduling, and integrations for process automation.
• Responsive App Builder: Design apps optimized for desktop, tablet, and mobile devices with a drag-and-drop interface.
• Built-in Database: Utilize Budibase's internal CouchDB-based database or connect to external data sources.
• Granular Access Control: Set granular permissions at app, page, and component levels for enhanced security.