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ToolJet alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave ToolJet: paid plans cap end users and apps, and per-builder price rises steeply on higher tiers. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces ToolJet, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Appsmith currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Appsmith logoAppsmithOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 466.5
2Budibase logoBudibaseOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted5 of 559.6
3Lowcoder logoLowcoderOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted3 of 357.2
  1. Appsmith logo

    1. AppsmithTop pick

    Best for: Developer teams that want a Retool-style builder they can self-host for free

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from ToolJet

    Apache-licensed and free to self-host, with a larger community.

    Pros

    • Apache-licensed and free to self-host
    • Git-based version control for apps
    • Connects to common databases and any REST or GraphQL API

    Cons

    • Fewer and less polished components than Retool
    • SSO and audit features need paid plans
    • Large apps can feel sluggish
    Visit Appsmith Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Appsmith a good ToolJet alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Up to 5 users on cloud
    Checked Oct 25, 2026appsmith.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business plan
    $15 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026appsmith.com(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Community edition
    Free, open source
    Checked Oct 25, 2026appsmith.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Budibase logo

    2. Budibase

    Best for: IT and ops teams building form-heavy internal apps they can self-host

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from ToolJet

    Open source with unlimited users when self-hosted.

    Pros

    • Auto-generated CRUD screens from a data source
    • Built-in database plus external SQL, NoSQL and API connectors
    • Self-hosted edition has unlimited users

    Cons

    • Less layout flexibility than Retool or Appsmith
    • Enterprise features such as enforced SSO need a licence
    • Cloud pricing by actions can be hard to predict
    Visit Budibase Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Budibase a good ToolJet alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Pro plan
    $19/month (cloud)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026budibase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026budibase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosted edition
    Free, unlimited actions
    Checked Oct 25, 2026budibase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    End users add-on
    $5 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026budibase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026budibase.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Lowcoder logo

    3. Lowcoder

    Best for: Teams that want a free, self-hosted Retool alternative with embeddable apps

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from ToolJet

    Open-source builder without platform seat fees.

    Pros

    • Free and open source with no seat fees
    • Apps can be embedded natively in other sites
    • Large set of components including video and meeting widgets

    Cons

    • Smaller community than Appsmith or ToolJet
    • Documentation sometimes lags behind releases
    • AGPL licence may not suit every company
    Visit Lowcoder Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Lowcoder a good ToolJet alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Community edition
    Free, self-hosted
    Checked Oct 25, 2026lowcoder.cloud(opens source in a new tab)
    Seat fees
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026lowcoder.cloud(opens source in a new tab)

The best ToolJet alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Appsmith logo

Best ToolJet alternative for most people

Appsmith

Apache-licensed and free to self-host, with a larger community.

Budibase logo

Best ToolJet alternative for a free option

Budibase

Open source with unlimited users when self-hosted.

Retool logo

Best ToolJet alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Retool

More mature components and integrations for heavier use.

Lowcoder logo

Best ToolJet alternative for open source

Lowcoder

Open-source builder without platform seat fees.

Appsmith logo

Best ToolJet alternative for self-hosting

Appsmith

Apache-licensed and free to self-host, with a larger community.

Retool logo

Best ToolJet alternative for iPhone and Android

Retool

More mature components and integrations for heavier use.

Superblocks logo

Best ToolJet alternative for working in the browser

Superblocks

Enterprise AI app generation with strong governance controls.

ToolJet alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to ToolJet?

Appsmith ranks first right now. Apache-licensed and free to self-host, with a larger community. Retool and Budibase follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to ToolJet?

Yes. Appsmith (open source), Retool (free plan + paid), Budibase (open source) and Lowcoder (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to ToolJet?

Yes: Appsmith, Budibase and Lowcoder. Appsmith, Budibase and Lowcoder can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from ToolJet?

The complaints we hear most: paid plans cap end users and apps; per-builder price rises steeply on higher tiers; AGPL licence may concern some companies.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces ToolJet, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.