Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Budibase

Appsmith is an open-source low-code platform for building internal applications such as admin panels, operational tools, and dashboards. It combines a drag-and-drop UI builder with database/API connectivity and JavaScript-based customization for developer-friendly control.

Key Features

• Drag-and-drop widgets to build responsive app interfaces
• Connectors for databases and REST/GraphQL APIs
• JavaScript for data transformation, app logic, and workflow automation
• Version control workflows with Git for change management and deployments
• Access controls and governance features such as roles/permissions and audit logging
• Enterprise authentication options including SSO (OIDC/SAML) and user provisioning support

Use Cases

• CRUD admin panels and back-office operations tools
• Business dashboards and reporting interfaces on top of existing data sources
• IT and service-management style internal apps with workflow automations

Limitations and Considerations

• Advanced features like SSO, provisioning, and governance may depend on the chosen edition and deployment configuration

Appsmith is a strong fit for teams that want to ship internal software faster without losing the ability to customize behavior in code. It’s especially useful when apps need to integrate multiple data sources and follow structured deployment workflows.

ToolJet is an open-source, AI-native low-code platform for building and deploying internal tools such as dashboards, admin panels, and business applications. It provides a visual builder with deep integrations so teams can ship operational apps faster while keeping control of data and infrastructure.

Key Features

• Visual app builder with responsive UI components (tables, forms, charts, lists, and more)
• Multi-page apps and real-time collaborative editing
• Built-in ToolJet Database (a no-code database built on PostgreSQL)
• Integrations with many data sources, including databases, REST APIs, SaaS tools, and object storage
• Workflow automation with triggers (schedules, webhooks, and in-app events) and visual logic (conditions, loops)
• Extensibility via custom connectors/plugins and a CLI
• Security capabilities such as encryption, granular access control, and optional SSO support (availability varies by edition)

Use Cases

• Building internal admin panels and operational dashboards over existing databases
• Creating CRUD apps and lightweight business tools (approvals, inventory, request tracking)
• Automating multi-step internal workflows that call APIs and transform data

ToolJet fits organizations that want a self-managed, extensible internal tools platform with a visual UI builder, integrated data connections, and workflow automation. It is commonly deployed with containers and scales from small teams to larger enterprise environments.

Saltcorn is an extensible open-source no-code application builder for creating database-driven web and mobile apps. It provides a point-and-click interface to model data, build pages and views, and add behavior via actions and plugins.

Key Features

• No-code relational data modeling with tables, fields, and relationships
• Drag-and-drop page builder for composing forms, lists, and data views
• Extensible plugin system for adding datatypes, views, actions, and themes
• Supports PostgreSQL and SQLite backends for app data storage
• Can run as a single instance or in multi-tenant mode for hosting multiple apps
• Optional capabilities such as PDF generation and email features via plugins

Use Cases

• Internal tools such as CRUD apps, trackers, and lightweight admin panels
• Rapid prototyping of database-backed applications without custom code
• Simple business workflow automation built around structured data

Limitations and Considerations

• Multi-node mode requires PostgreSQL and shared filesystem access between nodes
• Some advanced features (for example, specialized views or integrations) may require installing and managing additional plugins

Saltcorn is a strong fit when you want a flexible, self-hostable no-code builder centered on structured data and extensibility. Its combination of relational modeling, visual UI building, and a plugin ecosystem makes it suitable for both prototypes and production applications.

Lowcoder is an open-source low-code platform for building internal tools and customer-facing web applications with minimal coding. It provides a visual app builder, reusable modules, and broad data-source connectivity for rapidly creating production-ready UIs.

Key Features

• Visual UI builder with 120+ components for responsive, data-driven apps
• Native connections to common data sources (including SQL/NoSQL databases, REST APIs, and SMTP)
• JavaScript scripting to transform data and control component behavior
• Reusable building blocks via modules and a query library
• Role-based access control (RBAC) for users, groups, and permissions
• Version history with autosave and restore for iterative development
• Theme editor to standardize branding and styling across apps
• Extensible plugin architecture for custom components and integrations

Use Cases

• Build admin panels, dashboards, and internal operations tools connected to company data
• Create customer-facing portals and embedded “mini apps” for websites
• Rapidly modernize legacy workflows by adding new web UIs on top of existing systems

Limitations and Considerations

• Advanced collaboration and meeting-style experiences depend on specific components and may require additional configuration and infrastructure

Lowcoder suits teams that want a flexible, extensible app builder without being locked into proprietary low-code platforms. It is especially useful when you need both rapid UI development and direct control via JavaScript and data-source queries.

Kottster is an open-source, self-hosted admin panel for Node.js applications that lets you build an internal back office on top of an existing database. It generates editable pages for database tables, dashboards for metrics, and fully custom React pages when you need deeper control.

Key Features

• CLI to scaffold a new admin panel project quickly
• Table pages to browse, edit, and manage database records
• Dashboard pages with a visual builder for charts and metrics
• Custom pages built with React for advanced workflows and bespoke UI
• Built-in authentication and user management
• Access controls for who can view, edit, or delete data
• Stores configuration and generated code on your server rather than sending database content off-host

Use Cases

• Build an internal admin console for CRUD operations on production data
• Create lightweight operational dashboards for teams (metrics, charts, KPIs)
• Ship a customizable back office for SaaS apps without building one from scratch

Kottster is a good fit for teams that want a developer-friendly, code-owning admin panel: start with a visual builder and templates, then extend by editing the generated project when requirements grow.