Anvil App Server vs Reflex
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Anvil App Server
Self-hosted runtime for apps built with Anvil
VS
Reflex
Build full-stack web apps in pure Python
| Feature | Anvil App Server | Reflex |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source, bare-metal | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,023 | ★ 28,792 |
| First released | 2020 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Anvil Cloud, Retool | Streamlit, Retool |
Why pick each one
Choose Anvil App Server if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Reflex if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 28.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Anvil App Server or Reflex better?
Neither is universally better. Reflex has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Anvil App Server and Reflex free and open-source?
Yes. Anvil App Server is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Reflex under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Anvil App Server and Reflex with Docker?
Anvil App Server: check the project docs for container support. Reflex: yes.